this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2025
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F-Droid

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F-Droid is an installable catalogue of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) applications for the Android platform. The client makes it easy to browse, install, and keep track of updates on your device.

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Google sideloading and F-droid prospects (lemmy.ml)
submitted 2 weeks ago by Korkki@lemmy.ml to c/fdroid@lemmy.ml
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What is the future of F-Droid and apps it distributes now that Google is hell bent on stopping sideloading and forcing developers to register at google? A large portion of what F-droid distributes are apps that are not at Google's good graces.

https://hackaday.com/2025/08/26/google-will-require-developer-verification-even-for-sideloading/

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[–] Auster@thebrainbin.org 50 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

More immediately, push as hard as possible against it. No mountain is too big that it can't be moved with the right strategy.

On the longer term, forking AOSP would be a good bet, I think, but do note it requires a continuous effort/investment. In the same vein, pushing for Linux and non-Apple-developed BSD systems for mobile (the latter dunno if exists, but if Apple did it, others could also).

Another thing, but for much longer down the line, to change culture. For example, to stop using, as the saying goes, "the language of the enemy", like instead of "sideloading", which implies avoiding the main/correct way, say "installing", and "program" instead of "app"/"application", same as more standard computers. Also if the situation allows, whenever possible, to point the problem Google is, and to not cause apathy, to include solutions in the argument.

[–] defaultusername@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I was calling computer programs "apps" long before the iPhone ever came out.

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 weeks ago

The term "application" far precedes iPhones. I don't know why that term is associated with them. I usually use the term app for any application, on Linux or Android.

[–] FailBetter@crust.piefed.social 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm new to this 'language of the enemy' lesson. There are so many categories of types of software though. How are we to distinguish best terms for this cause? love the resilient optimism this comment brings

[–] Auster@thebrainbin.org 9 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I try to think what could the meaning behind a message be, even if as an unintended consequence. For example, referring to the Windows release of a program as the "PC release" while referring to other releases by their systems' names, e.g. "Linux release", "iOS release", etc., could disassociate the notion of "PC" with the other systems, so in this example, when someone wants to get a new PC, if he/she only finds computers with Windows, he/she wouldn't find weird the lack of other options.

Manipulating the language is a way to manipulate the people. And if you'd be interested to check regarding pointing out this in the technology niches, Louis Rossmann is tackling it way harder for some months now.

[–] Auster@thebrainbin.org 4 points 2 weeks ago

And for pointing out who the "enemy" would be, a start, I think, is to see who benefits or promotes a given "language", and if it goes against your ideals.

[–] TheLeadenSea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

he/she is not the language of the enemy, per se, but 'they' does exist.

[–] Hirom@beehaw.org 10 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

Refuse apps that require Google Play Services or trackers and tell it to your bank / utility provider... when they invite you to install it.

A bank employee was confused when I refused their app because of trackers from Google and others, telling me they're not big fans of Google themselves. I showed an Exodus privacy report about their app to that employee to show that they integrated Google tracker.

[–] pirate2377@lemmy.zip 4 points 2 weeks ago

You could also run Google Play Services for essential apps like for your bank account as an example under a "work profile" using Shelter to isolate them into their own environment. However, I'm not sure how well that's going to work after the app verification update since Shelter won't ever be on Google Play, but Shelter will be evaluated as admin in that environment alongside Google Play Services. So, who knows?

[–] dsilverz@calckey.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

@Hirom@beehaw.org @Korkki@lemmy.ml

Problem is when government apps are required to do things such as income tax return, car license renewal, even to receive updates on medical appointments for public healthcare.

Brazil is such an example: everything have been increasingly reliant on gov.br (official Brazilian state portal) app, which refuses to work on the slightest phone settings modification, such as having developer mode on, having an unlocked bootloader and, by extension, having something other than rawdoggy Android or iOS.

While there is a website, it has since recently been asking for TFA through the app (which does facial recognition), so website-only is a no deal anymore.

One can do things offline, but services have been increasingly pivoting to digital since the COVID-19 pandemics. Income tax return is already done through online means: for now, it offers a Linux software, but I can feel it asking for TFA through Android-or-iOS app soon.

One can choose not to use government services altogether, until the government decides to block one's CPF (taxpayer id) due to the lack of income tax return paperwork, unpaid electoral fines for not voting (because the voter is required to keep their info updated whenever they move, not doing so can lead to not being able to vote), among other situations that require using gov (and/or banking) services.

I've been daring to do this, nevertheless: been increasingly ditching apps, closing accounts, even if I get unable to pay for things because everything around here is increasingly pivoting to Pix (Brazilian instant payment system which requires a banking app and can't be done through a computer browser). I don't care if my ID gets blocked eventually, I'm not taking any piece of paper or bits of oscillating electricity with me when I happen to leave this existence anyways (which I hope to be really soon because I'm done with this Kafkaesque world).

[–] Hirom@beehaw.org 2 points 2 weeks ago

It's sad that gouvernments require adhering to some corporation's terms of service, and tracking, to access public service.

Public service are a right, it shouldn't be a choice between public service and privacy, but it's also important to have access to healthcare. It's fine to both complain about an app, and to use it to avoid being excluded.

I try to use alternatives (websites, physical mail, phone) instead of apps whenever possible. When a provider announced their website would be retired and told customers to install apps, I email them to request they send monthly invoice by snail mail. They're required by law if requested, at least here. And it's probably more costly to them.

[–] ook@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

More power to you but what happened next? That employee is surely not the person responsible for how that app works. Your bank is probably totally fine with you not using their app, you are still paying for the account and just have to access it via less convenient ways.

Sorry, not that I have a better idea what to do, it just seems pretty useless to me to tell this to the pesants of companies that are just there because they need a job and money to live.

[–] Hirom@beehaw.org 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Providing feedback isn't much, but it's better than nothing. Closing an account and going to a competitor is another option, if competitors were not as bad.

I can't talk directly the person responsible, the employee is more likely to be able to.

I was once an employee in a similar situation, getting feedback/complaint from a customer. As an employee you can't do much if you alone think management is making a dumb decision. But if a (enough) customers thinks and say it, employees who agree may jump on that occasion and ensure that feedback gets noticed by management.

[–] sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al 10 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

If you disable advanced protection, you can bypass their check

[–] cardfire@sh.itjust.works 19 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

This is true today, but when the new iron curtain goes up and all of our devices are goog-lag'd next year, it won't be possible, especially with all of the handset makers that distribute in the US being complicit.

Samsung just removed my ability to unlock the bootloader or load any alternate OSes for my handset devices, this summer.

Soon my only options will be to import phones that are only partially compatible with the networks here in the US and that come with their own security and privacy concerns.

[–] Korkki@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Does that require rooting and does it work with every android device?

[–] sabreW4K3@lazysoci.al 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Nope, it's just an option in the main settings.

Settings -> Security & Privacy -> Advanced Protection

[–] cardfire@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

And if that UI optiondisappeared with your next carrier update? What recourse would you have?

[–] onlooker@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

The way I'm understanding it is, some F-Droid apps will still work, but their developer would have to be "verified", whatever that entails. I'm not sure what will happen if one tried to installed an app with an unverified developer, but it probably won't be anything good.

Whatever the case, this won't affect most of us (sorry Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand) until 2027. I have a phone running LineageOS and will continue to use it until it gives out, but my next phone will definitely not be running android, because I am so done with this crap.

[–] vosje62@mastodon.nl 2 points 2 weeks ago

@onlooker @Korkki indeed ... By 2027 I will have my phone (and old spare phone) on an alternative OS.

In the early days of MS-DOS I had a lock-in and won't have that again if I can avoid it.
(And all the other reasons to leave Google and the other big tech)

[–] Luffy879@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 weeks ago

laughs in not having gservices