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

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395 points josephcsible | 8 comments | 13 Oct 25 15:24 UTC | HN request time: 1.059s | source | bottom
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HiPhish ◴[13 Oct 25 16:27 UTC] No.45570232[source]▶
We need to stop calling it "sideloading", we should call it freely installing software. The term "sideloading" makes it sound shady and hacky when in reality it is what we have been able to do on our computers since forever. These are not phones, they are computers shaped like phones, computer which we fully bought with our money, and I we shall install what we want on our own computers.
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chasil ◴[13 Oct 25 17:17 UTC] No.45570888[source]▶
If Google provides a permanent mechanism to disable this in developer settings, then this devolves to an inconvenience.

The setting to allow unsigned apps could be per appstore tracked by an on-device sqlite database, so a badly-behaving app will be known by its installer.

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1. sidewndr46 ◴[13 Oct 25 17:27 UTC] No.45571000[source]▶
Have you read anything about this? What you are proposing is exactly what is being disabled.
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2. chasil ◴[13 Oct 25 17:42 UTC] No.45571204[source]▶
Let's say that Google implements this restriction, but allows F-Droid a permanent permission to disable it for apps installed through their store.

Then there is both increased protection and accountability.

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3. sidewndr46 ◴[13 Oct 25 18:00 UTC] No.45571415[source]▶
Why would google implement a restriction then allow someone to disable it? That's literally how it works today. By default your Android phone with Googled-OS installs only from Play store, where all apps are verified. When you want to install non verified apps you need to explicitly allow it first.
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4. observationist ◴[13 Oct 25 18:26 UTC] No.45571710[source]▶
Time to figure out how to live without a phone - gotta find some sort of ultramobile pocket pc with 5G and run your own FreePBX for text and calling, etc. I've been wanting to do this forever, anyway. Using Starlink 5G would make it palatable, or maybe even preferable, assuming the performance is solid.
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5. chasil ◴[13 Oct 25 18:43 UTC] No.45571893{3}[source]▶
Because F-Droid is going to regulators.

"We urge regulators to safeguard the ability of alternative app stores and open-source projects to operate freely, and to protect developers who cannot or will not comply with exclusionary registration schemes and demands for personal information."

https://f-droid.org/2025/09/29/google-developer-registration...

6. glenstein ◴[13 Oct 25 18:46 UTC] No.45571933[source]▶
Yes, in that world everything works out. But as TFA notes, Google is pushing "developer verification" as a non optional change at the app level. To get around it in the future it appears you'll need a degoogled phone.
7. pessimizer ◴[13 Oct 25 19:28 UTC] No.45572361[source]▶
No, I like F-Droid, but I don't want them to need an official Google status to operate, or for anyone who wants to compete with F-Droid to have to obtain that special status.

edit: because the next step would be Google paying F-Droid a half-billion dollars for default search engine placement, or something else stupid. It becomes a captured organization, an excuse subsidiary.

8. calgoo ◴[13 Oct 25 20:35 UTC] No.45573060{3}[source]▶
I have been thinking of secondary machine that would just use my phones wifi and encrypted vpn tunnels. Basically, the phone is only used for the banking app and whatever future government ID app will be required.

The secondary device would basically be built on a open platform etc. Once we can't use the phone for sharing the connection, then we are basically stuck using other wireless connections, LoRa for short to medium connections, direct wifi links and offline home cloud environments. It gets a bit grim when you think about it, but there are always options. Now, would you travel with a home made tablet phone in an airport for example? What a about a train station with xray scanners. Cyberpunk always comes to mind as well when thinking of these possible futures.