Zure mugikorrak zurea izateari utziko dio.

81 egun blokeorako

2026ko irailetik hasita, Google-ek bultzatutako baimenik gabeko eguneraketa isil batek, Google-ekin izena eman, beraien kontratua sinatu eta ordaindu ez duten garatzaileen Android aplikazio guztiak blokeatuko ditu.

Aplikazio guztiak eta gailu guztiak, mundu osoan zehar, bazterketarik gabe.

Zer ari den Google egiten

2025eko abustuan, Google-ek irizpide berri bat adierazi zuen: 2026 irailetik hasita, Android aplikazioen garatzaile guztiek Googlekin izena emanda egon behar dira beraien softwarea edozein gailuetan instalatu ahal izan aurretik. Ez bakarrik Play Store-eko aplikazioak: aplikazio guztiak. Hau, lagunen artean partekatutako aplikazioak, F-Droid bidez banatutakoak, afizionatuek erabilera pertsonalerako egindakoak barneratzen ditu. Garatzaile independenteak, talde komunitarioak eta afizionatuak beraien softwarea garatzeko eta banatzeko aukeratik ukatuak izango dira.

Izena emateako irizpideak:

Garatzaile batek ez badu betetzen, bere aplikazio guztiak isilean blokeatzen dira Android gailu guztietan mundu osoan zehar.

Nor da kaltetua

Zu

Zuk erosi duzu Android mugikor bat Google-ek irekia zela esan zizulako. Zuk nahi zenuena instalatu ahal zenuen, hori zen akordioa.

Orain Google-ek akordio hori berridazten ari da, atzeraeraginezko izaerarekin, dagoeneko jabe zaren hardwarean. Behin eguneraketa heldu dela, Google-ek onartutako sofwarea bakarrik exekutatu ahalko duzu. Zure mugikorrean: zure jabetzakoa, zuk ordaindu duzuna.

Garatzaile independenteak

Nerabe baten lehenengo aplikazioa, boluntario baten priatutasunerako tresna, edo konpainia baten ezkutuko beta bertsioa. Ez du azola. 2026ko irala geroztik, ezingo da hauetako batere ez instalatu Google-en onespenik gabe.

F-Droid, milaka kode aske eta irekiko aplikazioen etxea dena, mehatxu "existentziala" deitu du. Cory Doctorow-ek "Darth Android" deitzen du.

Gobernuak eta gizarte zibila

Google-ek erregimen autoritarioek egindako aplikazioen ezabaketa eskaerak betetzeko dokumentatuta dagoen historia bat dauka. Programa honekin, zure herrialdearen instituzioetan erabiltzen den softwarea erantzunkizun gabeko atzerritarreko enpresa bakar baten mesetara existituko da.

EFF-k dio aplikazioen gaineko kontrol hau "internetaren zentsurara amaierarik gabe hedatzen den bidea" dela.

Google-en "ihesbidea" iruzur bat da

Google-ek dio "erabiltzaile aurreratuek" egiaztatu gabeko aplikazioak "instalatzen jarraitu" dezaketela. Hona hemen nola den hau benetan:

  1. Ezarpenetan arakatu, Gailuari Buruzko Informazioa topatu
  2. Konpilazio-zenbakia zazpi aldiz sakatu Garatzaileentzako Aukerak aktibatzeko
  3. Behartzeari buruzko beldurtzeko pantailak baztertu
  4. Zure PIN zenbakia sartu
  5. Gailua berbiarazi
  6. 24 ordu itxaron
  7. Bueltatu, beldurtzeko pantaila gehiago baztertu
  8. Aukeratu "aldi baterako baimendu" (7 egun) edo "behin betiko onartu"
  9. Konfirmatu, berriz, "arriskuak" ulertzen dituzula

Bederatzi pauso. 24 orduko derrigorrezko hozte aldia. Zu jabe zaren gailu batean softwarea instalatzeko.

Oraindik eta okerrago: Prozesu honek Google Play Services-en zehar gertatzen da erabat, ez Android sistema eragilean. Google-ek aldatu dezake, areagotu dezake, edo edozein momentutan deseuztatu dezake. Gaurkoz, ez du ez betarik, ez aurrerapenik, ez proba bertsioarik igorri. Blog-post bat eta maketa batzuk bezala baino ez da existitzen.

This is bigger than Android

If Google can retroactively lock down billions of devices that were sold as open platforms, every hardware manufacturer on the planet is watching.

The principle being established: the company that made your device gets to decide, after you've bought it, what software you're allowed to run. In software, this is called a "rug pull"; but at least you could always install competing software. In hardware, it is a fait accompli that strips you of your agency and renders you powerless to the whims of a single unaccountable gatekeeper and convicted monopolist.

Android's openness was never just a feature. It was the promise that distinguished it from iPhone. Millions chose Android for exactly that reason. Google is now revoking that promise unilaterally, on devices already in people's pockets, because they've decided they have enough market dominance and regulatory capture to get away with it.

Ars Technica: "Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy."

But wait, isn't this...

"...just about security?"

The security rationale is a smokescreen. Google Play Protect already scans for malware independent of developer identity. Requiring a government ID doesn't make code safer. It makes developers identifiable and controllable. Malware authors can register. Indie developers and dissidents often can't. The EFF is blunt: identity-based gatekeeping is a censorship tool, not a security one.

"...still sideloading if you use the advanced flow?"

Nine steps, 24-hour wait, buried in Developer Options, delivered through a proprietary service that Google can revoke whenever they want. That's not sideloading. That's a deterrence mechanism built to ensure almost nobody completes it. And since it runs through Play Services rather than the OS, Google can tighten or kill it silently.

"...only a problem if you have something to hide?"

Whistleblowers, journalists, and activists under authoritarian governments will be the first victims. People in domestic abuse situations are next. All these groups have legitimate reasons to distribute or use software without putting their legal identity in a Google database. Anonymous open-source contribution is a tradition older than Google itself. This policy ends it on Android.

"...the same thing Apple does?"

Apple has been a walled garden from day one. People chose Android because it was different. "Apple does it too" is a race to the bottom and a weak tu quoque argument. And under regulatory pressure (the EU's Digital Markets Act), even Apple is being forced to open up. Google is moving in the opposite direction: attempting to further entrench its gatekeeping status.

"...just $25 and some paperwork?"

Maybe, if you're a developer in the US with a credit card and a driver's license. Try being a student in sub-Saharan Africa, or a dissident in Myanmar, or a volunteer maintaining a community health app. The cost isn't only financial: you're surrendering government ID and evidence of your signing keys to a company that routinely complies with government demands to remove apps and expose developers.

Fight back

Everyone

  • Install F-Droid on every Android device you own. Alternative stores only survive if people actually use them.
  • Contact your regulators. Regulators worldwide are genuinely concerned about monopolies and the centralization of power in the tech sector, and want to hear directly from individuals who are affected and concerned.
  • Share this page. Link to keepandroidopen.org everywhere.
  • Push back on astroturfers. The "well, actually..." crowd is out in force. Don't let them set the narrative.
  • Sign the change.org petition and join the over 100,000 signatories who have made their voices heard.
  • Read and share our open letter
  • Tell Google what you think of this through their own developer verification survey (for all the good that will do).

Developers

Do not sign up. Don't join the program by signing up for the Android Developer Console and agreeing to their irrevocable Terms and Conditions. Don't verify your identity. Don't play ball.

Google's plan only works if developers comply. Don't.

Google employees

If you know something about the program's technical implementation or internal rationale, contact tips@keepandroidopen.org from a non-work machine and a non-Gmail account. Strict confidence guaranteed.

All those opposed…

71 organizations from 23 countries have signed the open letter

IzzyOnDroid izzyondroid.org OpenMedia openmedia.org Codeberg e.V. codeberg.org The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org The Guardian Project guardianproject.info Ghostery ghostery.com LineageOS lineageos.org Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org FULU Foundation fulu.org The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org Data Rights datarights.ngo ARTICLE 19 article19.org Open Web Advocacy open-web-advocacy.org The App Fair Project appfair.org /e/ Foundation e.foundation Privacy Guides privacyguides.org CryptPad cryptpad.org Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org Obtainium obtainium.imranr.dev Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be The OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF) osmfoundation.org OW2 ow2.org The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk Tuta Mail tuta.com Cryptee crypt.ee Nextcloud nextcloud.com The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org VideoLAN videolan.org Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works JMP.chat jmp.chat UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org iodé iode.tech Aurora Store auroraoss.com FUTO futo.org FOSDEM fosdem.org Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org GNOME Foundation gnome.org Osservatorio Nessuno OdV osservatorionessuno.org XMPP Standards Foundation xmpp.org Techlore techlore.tech The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu Fastmail fastmail.com Rocky Linux rockylinux.org Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org FACiL facil.qc.ca Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch The Tor Project torproject.org F-Droid f-droid.org The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org The Calyx Institute calyx.org Molly molly.im April april.org GrapheneOS Foundation grapheneos.org Proton AG proton.me microG microg.org AdGuard adguard.com KDE e.V. kde.org La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au Italian Linux Society ils.org Fedimedia fedimedia.it GitHub Store github-store.org Brave brave.com

Read the full open letter and thank the signatories →

What they're saying

Tech press

"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"

Android Headlines

"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"

Techdirt

"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"

Internet Freedom Foundation (India)

"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"

Ars Technica

"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"

Tom's Guide

"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"

Benzinga

"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"

The Register

"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"

How-To Geek

"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"

Gizmochina

"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"

Open Source For U

"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"

Cybernews

"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"

Reclaim The Net

"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"

Techzine EU

"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."

Android Police

"Keep Android Open"

Linux Magazine

"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"

Ars Technica

"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"

XDA Developers

"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."

I-Programmer

"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"

It's FOSS News

"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"

InfoWorld

"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"

Tuta Blog

"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"

The Register

"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"

The Verge

"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."

Thom Holwerda, OSnews

"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"

How-To Geek

"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"

How-To Geek

"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"

How-To Geek

"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"

How-To Geek

"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"

The New Stack

"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"

Android Headlines

"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"

Bleeping Computer

"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"

TechCrunch

"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"

TechSpot

"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"

Tom's Guide

"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"

How-To Geek

"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"

Infosecurity Magazine

"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"

Android Headlines

"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"

Slashdot

"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"

The Register

"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"

MakeUseOf

"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"

9to5Google

"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."

Hackaday

"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"

heise online

"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"

TechRepublic

"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"

Datamation

"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"

SlashGear

Editorials & analysis

Organizations & open letters

"Developers who choose not to use Google's services should not be forced to register with, and submit to the judgement of, Google."

Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations

"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."

Tuta

"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."

Nextcloud

"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."

F-Droid

"Google's abusive approach to the Android operating system has only gotten worse in recent years. Software freedom is sorely lacking in the 'computers in our pockets' we call cell phones."

Free Software Foundation

"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."

Osservatorio Nessuno

"This extends Google's gatekeeping authority beyond its own marketplace into distribution channels where it has no legitimate operational role."

Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations

"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."

European Pirate Party

"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."

AdGuard

"Changes would impose barriers to entry for individual developers, small teams and volunteer projects by imposing fees, identity checks and terms that may not align with the principles of an open ecosystem."

Infosecurity Magazine

"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."

AdGuard

"For developers building tools specifically designed to protect user privacy, being forced to surrender their own personal data as a precondition for distribution is deeply contradictory."

AdGuard

"A centralized global registration system for Android will inevitably chill this work. Those communities are likely to drop out of developing for Android altogether."

Electronic Frontier Foundation

"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"

Tech-ish Kenya

"There are governments who might very much like to know the names of the developers of those applications so that they can go after them."

Electronic Frontier Foundation

"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."

Tuta

"A policy that forces every Android developer to hand their identity to Google, regardless of whether they use Google's services, makes Android a less-open and less-private platform."

Brave

"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."

F-Droid

"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."

F-Droid

"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."

European Parliament

"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."

ACLU

"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."

Tuta

"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."

Nextcloud

"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."

F-Droid Open Letter

"Developers who build privacy-first browsers, encrypted messaging apps, VPNs, Tor-based software or tools for journalists and activists would be required to upload government ID to Google. These developers are unlikely to trust Google and might stop developing for Android."

Brave

"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."

AdGuard

"This invasion of privacy of developers is not just an overreach of Google's authority over Android, but also jeopardizes developer safety."

Software Freedom Conservancy

"If it were to be put into effect, the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open source app distribution sources as we know them today."

F-Droid

"When you set up a gate, you invite authorities to use it to block things they don't like. And when you build a database, you invite governments to try to get access."

Electronic Frontier Foundation

"Google will cut off independent developers to Android if they do not register with Google first. This will kill independent platforms like F-Droid and severely impede FLOSS devs from creating apps for Android."

KDE

"Google's developer verification policy creates a centralized database, controlled by a single corporation, containing the real-world identity of every person who writes software for Android."

Brave

"This is a profound change, one that shatters the entire premise of the Android ecosystem, long regarded as the antithesis of the closed Apple ecosystem."

AdGuard

YouTubers & creators

"Google keeps getting in as much trouble as Apple when Google is half evil and Apple is full evil. So there are probably people inside Google saying, 'Why not just go full evil?'"

Louis Rossmann – YouTube

"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube

"That's not openness. That is control."

ChiefGyk3D – YouTube

"Google is doing to Android what Microsoft once tried to do to the web. Embrace, extend, extinguish. Just wrapped in a shinier open-source package."

ChiefGyk3D – YouTube

"Follow the money. Google makes money when apps are downloaded from its store. Google has completely forgotten about its earlier company motto: Don't be evil."

Tuta Blog – Blog

"The widely-circulated narrative that Google already backed down from this is false. They didn't, and that misunderstanding may be the most dangerous part of the story right now."

Techlore – YouTube

"Android has become what they set out to destroy."

Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube

"This is an iPhone now. I didn't want to buy an iPhone. I use Android because it gives me freedom. If you are not going to give me freedom with my computer, then why would I buy your stuff anymore?"

Louis Rossmann – YouTube

"I'm not using the word 'phone.' I'm using the word 'computer.' This has over 8 GB of RAM, a terabyte of storage. It's a computer. And I'm also not going to be using words like 'sideload.' When you download an exe file onto your Windows computer, you've installed an application. You haven't 'sideloaded' something."

Louis Rossmann – YouTube

"Google isn't testing this in the US or Europe first. They're starting in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Why? Because these are massive growth markets where regulation is weaker. By the time regulators catch up, the damage will already be done."

ChiefGyk3D – YouTube

"The fact of the matter is, this is my device. I paid a lot of money for it. I should be able to do with it what I want."

Switched to Linux – YouTube

"This means you can't sideload an app from an unofficial source. But it could also be used to lock the ecosystem so we're forced to install only Google apps on approved Google OS versions."

Rob Braxman Tech – Locals

"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."

Tuta Blog – Blog

"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube

"This represents the last real safe place for free and open-source software in the entire mobile ecosystem. Once it's gone, it's gone. And we're going to spend the next decade trying to claw it back."

Techlore – YouTube

"Imagine Dell told you that you could no longer install any operating system other than Windows on your laptop. That's what Google is doing to your phone."

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube

"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."

fireborn – Blog

"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube

"I have really no more strong reason to not recommend you all get iPhones, because this just is pretty much an iPhone with a Google logo on it at this point."

Techlore – YouTube

"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."

Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube

"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."

Louis Rossmann – YouTube

"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."

Techlore – YouTube

"Google is setting a requirement that only they can fulfill, forcing developers to go through Google and killing off thousands of apps. Countless users stranded."

Techlore – YouTube

"F-Droid is basically saying that the new Google developer registration process will likely kill the open-source app store entirely."

The Linux Experiment – YouTube

"A world where two tech companies from the same city that dominate all of our mobile devices both require centralized developer registration is a world with one more lever for surveillance, one more checkpoint for censorship."

Techlore – YouTube

"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."

fireborn – Blog

Developers & community

"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."

tejtm, Hacker News

"This is a war on users that want to keep control of their phones and when it's done, you will not be able to escape the enshittification."

ikidd, Lemmy

"If your country is ever in the crosshairs of 'American interests' and bears the brunt of its sanctions, it is possible that you cannot install apps from your fellow citizens. Your own local government, bank, and store apps."

devsda, Hacker News

"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."

nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News

"Any time someone puts a lock on something that belongs to you, and won't give you a key, they're not doing it for your benefit."

vord (quoting Cory Doctorow), Tildes

"I hate this so much. More and more I get the feeling I have no control over the devices I own. My fear is that Windows will eventually follow. For security reasons of course. It's the path we're on now."

cheesyvoetjes, Reddit

"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."

hn92726819, Hacker News

"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."

Apocryphon, Hacker News

"Google has no right to be my parent. As long as I can't reject paternalism, I don't believe for a second this is done with the well-being of scam victims as the main priority."

gspr, Lobsters

"If the likes of Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and others have their way, you will not own your computer; those companies will effectively own your computers."

RUs1729, Slashdot

"After 15 years of professional development on Android I too am now thinking about switching my focus to something different. And it sucks."

MrDresden, Hacker News

"The fundamental problem is that we are relying on the good graces of Google to keep Android open, despite the fact that it often runs contrary to their goals as a $4T for-profit behemoth. The 'don't be evil' days are very far behind us."

paxys, Hacker News

"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."

gcupc, Lobsters

"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."

Zak, Lemmy

"Computing is infrastructure. Personal computers are a means of expressing agency. This is like banning people from moving furniture around their house without approval from mortgage lenders."

wervenyt, Tildes

"Antitrust action is badly needed. It is ridiculous that I need permission from my device manufacturer to install software on hardware I own."

jim201, Hacker News

"I still remember how in the early days of Android vs iOS discussions, the main point was 'but it's OPEN!' The word 'open' was used as a comma by Google people. It was The Thing. The Difference. Good vs Evil and all that."

jwr, Hacker News

"Years ago, I wondered how Google would try to get away with locking down Android and shutting the cage door after capturing such a large dependent user base. Now I see how they are trying to get away with it."

chaznabin, Reddit

"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."

BenjaminRi, Lobsters

"It is a disgrace how Google has managed this situation. The promised 'advanced flow' hasn't appeared in any Android 16 or 17 betas. Google is quietly proceeding with the original lockdown."

fermigier, Hacker News

"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."

masterofn001, Lemmy

"We need to start treating phones differently. We're entering a world where we can't choose what we run on them. Their primary purpose is to gather data on us and serve us advertising, they're engineered for addiction, yet engaging in the world is immensely difficult without one."

specproc, Hacker News

"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."

gumby271, Hacker News

"Requiring a government ID to distribute software. Holy shit. If you are a kid and want to create a game for your friends, you better get that birth certificate ready!"

llitz, Reddit

"I teach digital literacy and 99% of unsavory software I encounter on people's phones come from the Play Store or App Store. I will believe they're serious about protecting users when I see them do something about the crap ton of borderline scam apps infesting their stores."

1995ToyotaCorolla, Lemmy

"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."

anordal, Lobsters

"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."

WaffleMonster, Slashdot

"There's an entire genre of scamming where the scammers spend months building rapport with their victims before cashing out. One day is nothing."

free_bip (on the 24-hour wait defeating scammers), Hacker News

"Google selling Android as both open source and open to running any software you like in order to quickly gain market share, only to break those promises after driving competing platforms out of the market is nothing more than fraud."

GeekyBear, Hacker News

"I want to deploy apps on my device. They are my apps, it's my device, and I should not be required to ask for permission to do so."

fsniper, Hacker News

"Anyone else thinking this looks like a precursor to banning Signal and similar? 1) Put Google in control of what you can install. 2) Get Google to block it."

harry8, Hacker News

"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."

MrZander, Hacker News

"Twice I have had to deal with Google silently disabling my drone app to the point I had to buy an older phone to perform work. When I purchase a device that works with another device, under no circumstances should I be at the mercy of any updates they make."

cbrophoto (drone professional), Reddit

"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."

hbn, Hacker News

"You are essentially a child to them. The difference is society has decided not to step in to protect you from your abusive parents."

globular-toast, Hacker News

"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."

flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News

"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."

TheTearMiser, Lemmy

"This isn't just a competition between app stores; it's a struggle for choice and dignity. Your phone shouldn't be a cage carefully constructed by others, but an extension of your own will."

renshijian, Hacker News

"If Android's sandbox and permission systems actually worked, then the mere act of installing an app from an arbitrary source would be as harmless as visiting an arbitrary website."

mwcampbell, Lobsters

"I buy a device with my own money, which I supposedly then own, but then I need to ask some corporation permission to use it."

askonomm, Hacker News

"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."

survirtual, Hacker News

"Don't beg. Don't get in a position that freedoms depend on the whims of a corporation or willingness of a government to regulate them. Build."

jzb, Lobsters

"Whatever Google is doing kind of scares me. We have a big DIY community of diabetics in Germany running tools like AndroidAPS that cannot ever be distributed through official channels."

pimeys (Type 1 diabetic, DIY medical software), Lobsters

"If I go down this path, I will stop all development on Android. I implore all other developers to resist this. This will completely lock down the platform forever, there will be no going back."

BatteryMountain, Hacker News

"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."

vala, Lemmy

"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."

layfellow, Hacker News

"My Pixel 6 just broke, and after 15 years of using Android, I've finally been convinced to move to iOS. If I must live in a walled garden, I suppose I'll choose the one with nicer flowers."

yonato, Hacker News

"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."

Max-P, Lemmy

"Software gatekeeping is a threat to human rights. Just recently an app to track ICE was banned from the iOS app store even though this should clearly be protected first amendment speech."

gthing, Reddit

"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."

girvo, Hacker News

"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."

BenjaminRi, Lobsters

"Making it harder makes it harder to treat ourselves. Software like AndroidAPS is unique. It's hard to find or very expensive and inferior in the proprietary market."

pimeys (diabetic user on life-critical medical software), Lobsters

"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."

lynxy, Tildes

"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."

Tiraon, Tildes

"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."

Zak, Hacker News

"Google's own Play Store had over 600 million malware downloads. They keep talking about 'security' but their own store is crawling with fake apps and straight up malware while actual useful stuff gets buried or rejected."

Historical-Employ129 (324 upvotes), Reddit

"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."

koala, Lobsters

"Can't come at a worse time. People are just learning to make things through vibe coding, and they're gonna want to put their own apps on their phones. And now Google says no."

Serinus, Lemmy

"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."

afferi300rina, Hacker News

Voices from the petition

"The entire reason I use Android so much and deal with Google's bull is the fact that I can run my own code along with others. Get rid of that, and you get rid of the point of still using Android. "

Aaron, change.org

"Android has always been about freedom, let's not change that "

Gabriel, change.org

"Removing side-loading is anti-user. I'm all for increasing security, and having various strange steps helps with that. You could even have a 1 minute subtitled video that has to play before you can confirm for the first time on a device that you want to side-load apps. But this change shows a lack of interest in users that inspires developers to not care about the Android ecosystem. If Google intends to significantly decrease the scope of Android, that signals that the maintenance costs are too high for Google, and thus, the company intends to let it rot and eventually die, much like many other Google things "

James, change.org

"Please don't limit the choice of those users who are either more technically inclined or simply need to use an app that isn't available on a store or signed by a registered developer. This is the kind of thing that really makes me sad. The flexibility of Android is gradually getting chipped away. First you take steps to make it incredibly difficult to have a usable experience on a rooted device via Play Integrity Services, and now you're going to take away our choice to sideload on devices that are supposedly "secure" as well? This is so anti-consumer and so against the spirit of freedom that Android afforded for those who didn't want to be locked in that I just can't find any way to justify it. How can you? "

Dustin, change.org

"This is a huge advantage over ios, you can't take this away 😢 "

Abhinav, change.org

"Isn't the whole purpose of Android yo be open source? Where's that going to Google? Get your s**t together "

Jarred, change.org

"I can't let them have this. This world and especially these last years, tech companies think they can fully control you, utilized you, abuse you. Pls let this be one win for us "

Isaac, change.org

"Developer verification can improve security, but requiring centralized registration for all apps on certified devices risks creating new barriers to competition and innovation. Security shouldn’t come at the cost of openness and choice. "

Caleb, change.org

"The whole reason Android is popular is because it's open source. By locking away sideloading and forcing developers to verify themselves, what difference is there between this and iOS, which is starting to allow sideloading of apps? "

Ruben, change.org

"The only thing that set Android apart from Apple (and frankly made it objectively better than Apple) is the freedom of control you have over a device you actually own. Removing that ability makes Android no better than Apple, might as well say you don't really own that phone or tablet when you take away such freedoms. "

George, change.org

"There should be a clear flow for users to install any software they want. And there needs to be a strict policy in place so that google wont just make change in future to reverse there actions "

Amrinder, change.org

"Google, pls keep the sideloading and freedom of anyone installing or developing apps and others choosing to use them open. It is a breach of trust by making the ecosystem closed. People will hate google, no doubt I have started feeling so too with your move / proposed move. "

Gaspi, change.org

"The people will ask if they feel they need to be represented. "

Catherine, change.org

"Compared to iOS, Android always felt less restrictive and easier to work with, both as a user and developer. Now, Google would like to take that competitive niche and throw it in the dumpster. This benefits no users or developers. It is blatantly greedy, controlling, and nonsensical. It adds more red tape for developers, higher potential for censorship at the whim of Google, and it will turn Android into another iOS. Android users chose not to go with iOS when they bought their devices, for several reasons. For me personally, I liked that Android allowed certain kinds of apps that Apple did not allow on iOS. If Android didn't have that advantage, I would've picked iOS. It's a bad move for Google's business, it's a bad move for developers, and it's a bad move for consumers. Terrible idea all around. "

Bill, change.org

"The ability to download and install APK's from any source is a choice that should not be taken from users. It's the whole reason Android OS is successful now. Taking away choice will drive users to seek out other software solutions. Keeping Android Open is important to stop corporate overeach, unnecessary tracking and selling of user data, and keeping software available and fair. "

Christopher, change.org

"I grew up on Android devices, and I find it saddening that Google is making this decision. It’s clearly not for the security reasons they claim; it's about control. "

Gabriel, change.org

"Keep android open, or there will be a fork. Open software always prevails "

Mikka, change.org

"No one is happy about this change. F-droid is infinitely more trustworthy than the play store, and does not need google prying into developers personal info to keep people safe. Being an open platform is the fundamental basis of android user's usage "

Cris, change.org

"Vamos parar essa empresa mercenárias "

Euler, change.org

"The freedom of apks is one of the best parts about android period. This will kill their identity, our freedom as consumers, and only give more control to the corporate super entity. "

Walace, change.org

"Way to get people Ungoogling "

Martin Moe, change.org

"Another broken Google promise. Keep Android open "

Pero, change.org

"If this update is released, I will switch to iPhone. "

Miguel, change.org

"Do not fix something that is not broken. "

Pavel, change.org

"The whole reason I choose Android over iOS is because of the choices I have when I purchase the device. Android make me feel that I own the device. However, if Android takes iOS's walled garden approach there's little reason to select Android over iOS. "

Tyler, change.org

"The ability of sideloading software is the biggest advantage android has over orther systems. I sideload a lot of apps and losing that ability means i have no reason to stay with android. Yes, apps from outside the play store do have more malware, but i can just not download them if i am afraid of getting hacked, this is not protecting anyone and is just removing freedom for users. Also, the ID verification google wants from the developers is a massive privacy and safety risk. "

miglin, change.org

"What guarantee is there that Google will use this data to make money? If only it were used for apk content bar betting houses and violent challenge. "

Waldomiro, change.org

"I'm not even an Android app developer, but I've always wanted to be. Now, I'm not sure that I do. Making this change will mean that all apps will funnel through Google Play, which gives Google exclusive control and a censorship chokehold on the entire Android ecosystem. I shouldn't have to explain why that would not be good. The whole thing that made Android different from iOS is that it was OPEN. Now Google's just throwing that out of the window. At this point, I might just switch to iOS because Android has lost all of its character. "

Ethan, change.org

"Google can not be allowed its voracious devouring of apps and data. Every move builds on its frightening monopoly, quashing any freedom and privacy. "

Kristi, change.org

"How can this be about security when the vast majority of people installing 3rd party apps are accepting that risk. Your anti virus services should be more than enough to prevent malicious applications but babying a population won't go well for you. I for one will get a huawei phone immediately after the change is officialized, privacy be damned, it's less authoritarian than what you're planning on doing. "

D, change.org

"the whole point of android is it's not apple, atp I'll just put linux on my phone "

a, change.org

"I've spent my entire youth and adult life trying my very best to curate tech that puts me in charge rather than some unaccountable corporation. Unfortunately not everyone has the luxury I do, and even my position is somewhat precarious. As a user of GrapheneOS, theoretically this change will not affect me directly, but that doesn't mean the ripples will not reach me. App developers are being hamstrung in such a way that I have no confidence whatsoever that these proposed changes to the Android ecosystem won't wind up killing useful and important apps that I use. Just using an unverified device is not enough, these changes must not go through. "

Ben, change.org

"Android should not become a locked down plarform. Especially since its built upon a lot of open source technologies. It should be the open mobile platform. Not just another walled garden. If it does that, it will just be an inexpensive version of iOS. "

José Javier, change.org

"googleme dokunma "

Adım, change.org

"The possibility of one of the only features that could jumpstart and maintain rising developers ambitions and the Android community; being able to install any files into their systems getting smothered is a nightmare for anyone who has been sticking to Android themselves due to its customization (I will protect my self-made Miku UI with my life). Going against the reasons of Android's strengths WILL be a bad idea and would force the people to find lower alternatives, whether they are better or not can't be gauged when this move destroys the baseline of a free and modifiable OS. Please listen to the community that is yelling to not aim at poor Bugdroid's shins... "

Ken, change.org

"Just saying that Android is not becoming locked down because of sideload restrictions, it closed was from the start, but people don't care if bootloader unlock is not under their control, they are being abused from the born of android but they only now scream that sideload is getting restricted. I'm of course mad at this sideload situation but Android before WASN'T OPEN! "

Hidden, change.org

"This is the sole reason that people choose Android over iOS and removing it removes another layer of customization that Android was known for. "

Isaac, change.org

"We live in a declining society where it is becoming ever more apparent that those in power wish to hoard & guide technologies to enrich themselves more. Enough! Proprietary systems are no different than a safe, one you may use only in the manner that those with enough wealth & influence to have the safe's combination are willing to allow its usage. Such systems are a net negative to wider societal growth & stability. Meant to lock out new talent & stifle overall creativity which could massively improve the system overall. Just another example of a tech company's massive overreach. It should 100% be stopped. "

Aaron, change.org

"As an ex user of legacy iOS devices, I felt so frustrated by the base system that I always had to try overcome limitations through jailbreak. What a fresh breeze it was when I finally switched to android more than a decade ago! The openness and flexibility of the system was, even from a simple user POV, a liberation. Fast forward, we're at an era where being an indie dev is accessible. And when this era is flourishing, you tell me Google wants to lock up all machines relying on its system? This is terrible. We don't want a locked ecosystem. There are plenty already. We want flexibility and keep power in our decisions. Simple. So I'm signing this petition. "

Christopher-Harold, change.org

"If it were only Google Pixel devices with such a restriction I would have been somewhat okay. However, going after any official Android device just shows Google's attitude towards the community as well as the monopoly it has over an OS that many people outside of Google have contributed to. Imagine if starting tomorrow the Linux Foundation puts such a restriction on any hardware running Linux? "

Aleksandar, change.org

"Android was always meant to be versatile and open for users and developers alike. It was always about freedom of choice when it came to creating and usage of applications and Android was a big part of that vision... Otherwise, everyone would've just purchased and use Apple iPhones instead---there wouldn't BE an incentive to be on Android. Google... get your act together! "

Ray, change.org

"I am one of many developers who rely on Android devices as a primary development environment. Using tools such as AndroidIDE and CodeOnTheGo, I build, test, and experiment with Android applications directly on mobile hardware. However, these workflows are already heavily restricted — particularly due to changes introduced after SDK API 28, where dynamic loading of certain native libraries became limited. As a result, many development-oriented applications are now restricted to sideloading only. In addition, the current Google Play requirement of targeting a minimum SDK level of 31 further limits independent and experimental development workflows. While I understand the importance of platform security and modernization, these changes unintentionally create barriers for developers who build, test, and innovate directly on-device. I also use Termux extensively to set up full Linux-based environments on Android — including complete distributions with XFCE4 and tools such as code-server or code-oss. This allows me to work with compilers, package managers, scripting languages, and development stacks without requiring a separate desktop Linux machine. For many developers, this mobile-first workflow is not a novelty; it is a practical and accessible development setup. Recent platform restrictions risk limiting not only convenience, but also the broader ecosystem of open-source innovation on Android. Numerous open-source contributors have invested significant time and effort into building portable Linux environments, developer tooling, and educational setups that run entirely on mobile devices. These projects lower the barrier to entry for students, independent programmers, and developers who may not have access to traditional computing hardware. If such updates continue to narrow these possibilities, they could effectively undermine years of community-driven work that has enabled Android devices to function as capable, flexible development platforms. Maintaining a balance between security requirements and developer freedom is crucial. Android’s openness has historically been one of its greatest strengths, and preserving that spirit is important for fostering innovation and supporting the global developer community. "

Vkrm, change.org

"The promise was an open and free OS "

Daniel, change.org

"Apple's censorship of the App Store is why I have an Android phone. This is not the way to freedom. "

Cameron, change.org

"The restrictive policies blocks me to publish My apps cuz I don't have many testers as they force me to have as an individual developer, now they want to cut off the only way that I have to share My creations "

David, change.org

"Nobody asked for this. Unrestricted sideloading is the only reason I bought an Android phone. I need to upgrade to a new phone soon, but I will never in a million years consider buying another Android phone unless this decision is reversed. I'm now genuinely tempted to switch careers and devote my life to building sophisticated adblockers just to annoy Sundar. "

Jacob, change.org

"Google cannot restrict APKs. "

Ruan, change.org

"I like to have a choice to choose and I understand the risks, that is why I check, Google should not have monopoly over it. "

Rosalie, change.org

"Android has always been a platform for freedom of choice and exploration. This restrictions from Google go against the core element that made users stick with Android for all these years. If I bought something with my own money I should be free to use it as I please. "

Eric, change.org

"As a android user and a newbie developer, android OS is famous by the its freedom. Because we can modify our android operating system by our ways,and decided which software I wanted which I needn't. This freedom is the biggest difference between android and IOS and other fake android, which is full of junk ads and virus-like game. However, if we lost freedom on android operating system, the open-source software developer will lose motivation from this platform. That is a horrorible things to the android and the people who beloved with it. "

su, change.org

"We will not be pushed around. Resend the restrictions and let people use their property as they see fit. "

Daniel, change.org

"You know, I'm pretty much the only person in my immediate friend group that doesn't have an iPhone. If android turns into just another version of iOS then what's stopping me from just going ahead and getting the iPhone to be in their ecosystem? Nothing. Wouldnt it be easier for me to just be the same as them if there's nothing better about android? "

Danielle, change.org

"My business uses and older app distributed via apk. It is no longer maintainable but works perfectly fine. It will be a huge hassle rebuilding the app just to comply with this new rule to be certified. "

Aaron, change.org

"If I recall IOS got sued and lost for trying to lock down options, And imagine if you had to pay a fee and show your ID just to make a windows or Linux application? No because that is stupid. and It is utterly foolish. And this isn't about security as android already has ways of locking down insecure apps already. Also this act harms open source projects and also puts developers at risk as sharing government ID's has already proven to be very insecure and would give bad actors ways of hurting people because they don't like what the person makes. "

Bradley, change.org

"I don't think that we should be filtered into buying something we do not want. Something as simply as a weather app should be free, news should be free, but the services that's being offered in app stores as free is usually filled with ads that leak personal information. "

Andre, change.org

"Once i switched to f-droid & duckduckgo google could destroy my android experianced the way it's suposed to be, keep our galaxies's free and simple. "

Kelab, change.org

"This move by Google is part of a larger trend to limit freedom online and verify everything. Government ID belongs to the government only not Google, so Google has no right to demand usage of it it's not their property and it's not Google users' property either it's the government's. Making developers present this is unnecessary as code review already prevents bad actors on Google Play Store. Limiting side loading APKs is anti freedom, and anti American. When you buy a device that means you are not restricted from doing anything you wish with it. Additionally basically nobody installs something from outside the play store or other markets like Samsung so this clearly isn't a safety thing because only the people who want or need this feature seek it out, and everyone continues to benefit from the availability of open platforms because they could decide tomorrow to install a app store other than google play store to seek out cheaper apps or ones that match their ethics such as open source. Android itself is licensed as open source and inclusion of proprietary google owned code in devices is sketchy anyway. "

Jagur, change.org

"Goggle shouldn't limit our freedoms on our own devices for any reason "

Tristin, change.org

"I care about digital freedom because the digital world should have the same freedoms as the real world. "

Anabel, change.org

"As someone who regularly uses apk files on my phone to help fight loneliness and to prevent myself from taking my own life, DO NOT TAKE AWAY OUR FILES!! "

Eric, change.org

"I can explain why I use Android, and therefore Google services, by the fact that Google used to care about its users, their rights, and their freedom. Although not as much as we would like. After what Google has presented, my phone will soon be no different from an iPhone. I'm not happy about this; I want freedom. I want the freedom to install the apps and APK files I choose, not just the ones I am "allowed" to download. "

Sviatoslav, change.org

"Android is the most popular open phone OS currently. Google is going back on their promise of an open ecosystem in favor of one where they have control and government entities can pressure them to give up our information to them. "

Andrew, change.org

"I keep memories of my life in open free apps. I can't lose all of that. Android needs to be as it has been until now. "

Javier, change.org

"Android has always stood out because it respects the user’s right to choose. Imposing limits on sideloading or labeling people as “unapproved developers” turns that freedom into a cage. I don’t want someone else dictating how I use my own device. Restricting these choices doesn’t make anyone safer—it just centralizes power and stifles creativity. Android’s strength comes from openness, flexibility, and experimentation. Losing that feels less like protection and more like control. Users, not corporations, should decide how they interact with their devices. "

Ada, change.org

"Google can't do whatever it wants with Android. I paid for Android precisely for the freedom. If I wanted to stay in a closed system, I would have bought an iPhone. '-' "

Sandro, change.org

"Sideloading does not exist. I bought the device, I own it and will use it as I see fit. I'm sure Sundar wouldn't appreciate his gardener telling him what grass he's allowed to grow. "

Eric, change.org

"This OS has been the only place that has felt free, the ability to download anything from anywhere is what a phone should be able to do. They trying to take away my freedom, and I refuse to bend the knee and accept it. "

Austin, change.org

"This would severely limit any reason I have to use a google certified android phone. Without the ability to easily support open source developers and tinker with my own projects -- the android phone would cease to be my "daily driver". These are our computers, and we should be able to install what we want on them. It's disrespectful to take that right away. Please reconsider removing your hardware's greatest and most consumer friendly strength in the mobile market. "

Kedryn, change.org

"I remember when Android was a truly open platform, where the user could do anything they wanted to their phone. Now, it seems that this is at risk. I remember getting an Android phone because, as a developer, I thought I could openly install my own apps. But now that's also at risk. Please, remove this horrible change and implement actual security features. "

Jay, change.org

"The reason why i use android is because of the freedom but if Google lockdown android then there no point on staying and not switching to other ecosystem "

Joel, change.org

"If you are or were a student in information engineering, many of you likely took a class on developing applications for Android devices. However, this specification change is something that will shake the foundations of such courses. Things that could previously be done by simply installing apps onto a physical device will now require cumbersome application procedures, an act that significantly lowers student motivation. "

中院, change.org

"this is so dumb, and it makes the whole reason i got an android pointless. i might as well go back to ios but ill probably give pinephone a shot "

Spencer, change.org

"SCREW GOOGLE FOR DOING THIS! F-Droid and other 3rf party app stores ARE IMPORTANT and losing them means Google wins and everyone else LOSES. Help support these platforms in any way you can peeps!!! "

Jack, change.org

"Literally one of the only things Android has going for it compared to iOS. You want this gone, fine -- then what advantage do you possibly imagine Android would have over iPhones? Do you really think people are going to continue to buy crap Pixels with Tensor chips at the same price as an iPhone? Android has ALWAYS been about uplifting device ownership. You get rid of APK side loading, you kill the damn OS once and for all. "

Jeremy, change.org

"This change would defeat the core purpose at the heart of what the Android platform is. Remember when Google used to use the slogan "Don't be Evil"? Well this is about as evil as it gets. "

Justin, change.org

"Google motto used to be "Don't be evil". Today, it doesn't mean anything because they do everything to be evil and greedy. Not many people will follow your restrictions that you like it or not, there is always a way. The Internet is ours, not yours. :) "

Jacob, change.org

"Limiting developer and user freedom in the name of "safety" or whatever will only bring Android down to iOS's level. Don't make this mistake, Google! We must keep the right to make and use APKs freely! "

Julian, change.org

"The freedom on Android is the best and that is exactly why we choose android. Please do not close off our experience on this platform. "

yer, change.org

"I use many open source apps, and I do not want to lose any of them! "

Jayden, change.org

"The Only reason I have an Android cell phone is because I can install Linux to it Take away my ability to use My cell the way I want then there is no longer any reason for me to own any cell phone This type of Dictatorship and greed for money and it power needs to stop I install LineageOS to my cell to stop the constant nag from Google to push this button pop ups. And to try to curb all the spyware I use No social apps, "I hate social spyware" My cell phone is a "Phone" Google has proven to me my dislike for all things Google was correct I will be looking online for a True Open Source Hardware / Software cell phone cost last time I checked was approx $2,000.00 USD "

chris, change.org

"Google’s recent changes that block or restrict APK distribution risk cutting off access for millions of users and harming independent developers who rely on alternative distribution channels. For many communities, sideloading and APK backups are essential for app availability, testing, and preserving older versions that still work for people and devices. We ask Google to reconsider any policy or technical change that would outright prevent APK sharing, and to work with developers and users to find safer, less disruptive solutions that protect security and choice!!!!!! "

Kabyt, change.org

"i dont want google to take such a little freedom of installing apps that i think are handy "

gosha, change.org

"Im an adult. I paid for a device based on the promise of features. If I wanted someone to hold my hand while im online I'd get an iPhone or hire a state nurse to watch me. Really this is small, but a first step toward total control from big companies, good luck being an independent developer or whatever in the future when no one can download you stuff bc Google said so. And, as a consumer, think of all the good crowd funded and indie games and products that come out and rival if not demolish the big companies. This is how they stop that, dont let them. "

Ryan, change.org

"Google has always been the biggest hypocrite in the technology space. From stealing people's ideas to just buying them up. And ruining the experience. When I first fell in love with Android, it was because it was an open source platform that I could do as I pleased. I could extract the ROM and customize it to my liking. Now there is no semblance of customizability besides the walls of Jericho that Google has put. We must tear down these walls like the Berlin Wall and watch it burn because again Android was supposed to be for the people by the people not what iPhone or Apple is. Money hungry conglomerate corporate insatiable bastards. "

Adam, change.org

"WHAT GOOGLE IS DOING WITH ANDROID IS A BIG SCAM AND WE CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN. LET'S ADVANCE THIS PETITION MORE AND MORE UNTIL THEY GIVE UP ON THIS IDEA. SHARE THIS PETITION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND DONATE MONEY SO THAT MORE AND MORE ANDROID USERS SPEAK UP ABOUT THIS CASE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING!!!!! "

Matheus, change.org

"I bought an android phone specifically so I wouldn't be chained to the play store like on iOS. If there's no choice in the matter, I might as well get an iPhone again. "

Audrey, change.org

"This is absurd. To remove one of the main things that drew people to android over iPhone is laughably moronic. Especially when some of the best apps recommend by people come from outside the play store. Pull it together! "

Logan, change.org

"There is no point to using android if apks are restricted. If I wanted a phone to tell me what i can and can't do, I would get an apple, because at least I get better security and UI there. The android operating system is being stripped of everything that gives you control over your own device. If apks were restricted, I would completely degoogle my life. Big brother is watching you. "

Ben, change.org

"Open Android was a promise to devs and users. Now Google tries to turn Android into a closed shop. That is disapointing. "

Marc, change.org

"Yeah, when you buy a product it belongs to you. You can do whatever you want with your product. I like it open source since it gives full control on the potential you can do with your cellphone. I don't need a nanny telling any consumer what to do or monitor constantly on where I go. I don't like having to give out my personal information to a corporation that has had history of abusing personal information of users. And I don't like the direction it's going by making everything closed source. Android would be no different than Apple. I'm considering purchasing a linux phone so that I can fully have privacy and some form of freedom. Hope this will be a start of a change. Have an odd feeling Android will be going in the direction of what Discord is trying to implement with biometrics and building a profile off of the user of the things the user searches, the contacts the user has, and even the calls. Enough said. "

Cely, change.org

"first off i bought this phone i should have the right to put what ever program i want on it, I'm already upset so many things are locked behind root access my wife is a programmer and she fiddles with android programs. this would mean she can't do this anymore. it makes it a lot harder for indie android programmers to get started "

Joshua, change.org

"Isn't the point of Android to be open and allow choice to install what the user wants? Why should I pay for a phone that won't allow me to actually have control over what I own? May as well buy an iPhone. "

Kolya, change.org

"Someone alert the attorney's on the ongoing case with Epic Games that Google found a way to try and skirt court orders. I'm sure the judge will be extremely pleased to have been ignored, as they make this change and claim it's somehow not the opposite of what they were told to do. "

Nicholas, change.org

"I use a lot of free and open source software on my android phone, especially from F-Droid, often because it uses more limited permissions than the Play Store equivalent and because I prefer to customise my phone. Now this freedom is going to be rendered unuseable?! Imposing fees on developers and requiring them to become authorised developers feels authoritarian and restrictive. Leave us the ability to side load apps please! "

Tom, change.org

"Google is essentially deciding to kill their own identity with this move. Side loading apps is a for of freedom that is the core reason people use android. Without this it's just a worse version of iOS... And no one wants that. This move if not corrected will start a movement they don't want and will grow the development of a true Linux based is for phones. This is a greed move. A power move they want full control and to lock developers into their own store front. It's sad really... A pathetic move that will hurt then in the end. I hope they change their mind.. if not I guess I will be going custom firmware on this pixel and strip Google from the device entirely. "

Adam, change.org

"the only reason Android shines is it's customizabe especially app installation. please don't ruin yourself "

John, change.org

"Android providing more freedom than any other OS has been it's drawing point for ages. The fact that that is being taken away for the sake of a corporation's whims is absolutely disgusting, and I would see no reason to continue supporting it. The fact that google believes it has absolute authority to filter content is frankly abhorrent, and it would provide no difference between android and any other OS. "

Guadalupe, change.org

"This issue would directly negatively effect my day to day usage of my android phone, concerns of this issue have resulted in me installing GrapheneOS on my phone to avoid this potentially becoming a reality. "

Kyler, change.org

"Sim ao Android "

Cristina, change.org

"The freedom Android offers for young inquisitive minds is the entery way to Dev-Land. Certainly they are aware of how many of their employees started from this basic idea and how many they may loose by taking it away. Not only that do they really believe we won't migrate to something better? But as a consumer we need to try and understand what the future will look like, why this is the decision not just for Android but for Windows and more. "

Joseph, change.org

All references, editorials, press coverage, and videos →

Take Action Full resource list, regulator contacts, links for every country, and how to fight back Open Letter Read the open letter signed by organizations opposing developer verification

You bought your phone.
You should decide what runs on it.

That shouldn't require a 9-step process, a 24-hour wait, and Google's ongoing permission.

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