Is it possible to allow sideloading and keep users safe?

"sideloading" connotates something that is negative.

On systems before apple's locked-down iphone, it was just called "installing".

The PC revolution started with people just inserting their software into the comptuer and running it. You didn't have to ask the computer manufacturer or the OS vendor permission to do it.

And note that apple doesn't allow you to protect yourself. You cannot install a firewall and block arbitrary software on your phone. For example, you can not block apple telemetry.

Yes and called viruses, dozens of toolbars on your computer, key loggers, malware, ransomware, etc.

If you want an open phone, buy one. But I instruct all of the older members of my family to buy iPhones and iPads.

I’ve been programming computers since 1986 and even I have never said it would be cool to side load on my phone.

> If you want an open phone, buy one.

Is this a joke? The reason for TFA is precisely that this is quickly becoming impossible as Google closes down Android. It's already viciously impractical to install a privacy respecting OS like Lineage or Graphene, and now they're coming for the very possibility of installing software.

Is viciously impractical yet people on HN brag about doing it all the time?

5 years ago you could install custom rom and still use 99% of apps with it. Now with Google "safety" and "certification" features you won't be able to use most of financial apps and a lot of non financial apps too.

Obviously there no way on earth Google will allow you to decide whatever device you own is "safe". There is still ways to bypass it using kernel hacks, but it's both cat and mouse game and often not very trustworthy since a lot of software used to bypass safetynet is proprietary.

So yep, using custom OS on your phone is impractical because Google made it so.

And people keep saying this - what financial services companies are inaccessible via a web browser? And if they do exist, why do you choose such a bank?

I’ve heard people say Monzo in the UK. But there are plenty of banks in the UK you can choose from in the UK that have websites

N26 bank for example.

It's actually an EU law that financial apps must use something like Play Integrity and online banking must be authenticated by a smartphone.