If you haven’t seen this yet, Google is planning to require mandatory developer identity verification for all Android apps, including apps distributed outside the Play Store, taking effect September 2026. This affects every independent and open source Android developer directly.
This is not just about the Play Store. After September 2026, on any certified Android device, applications from unverified developers will be blocked by default. The only proposed bypass, the “advanced flow”, exists only as a blog post and has not appeared in any beta, dev preview, or canary release. No one outside Google has seen it.
The community has been fighting back at keepandroidopen.org:
- Read the full breakdown of what this means
- Sign the open letter (organisations only)
- Contact your national regulators — contacts listed by country on the site
- Add the countdown banner to your project
September 2026 is closer than it looks. The time to push back is now.
Lol imagine if Microsoft had succeeded in controlling the development and distribution of all software used on Windows. We’d all lose something.
Keep fighting this shit.
As to the “flow” thing, it’s an extra 2 warnings and a mandatory 24 hour waiting period after you select to install apks from unknown sources. It can be permanently enabled, so the 24 hour wait will be a one and done thing if you choose the indefinite option. Googles stated reasoning for this is to prevent non tech people from falling for scam calls or messages using scare tactics like “your bank transfered out your savings” or whatever made to get people to panic and follow whatever commands they’re told to do and install before having time to speak to a family member or contact their bank or card company themselves.
For what it’s worth, I think that 24 hour part of it would prevent some people from getting scammed. There’s a lot of naive people who still fall for stuff like that.
My issue is that I believe this is just a stepping stone to make it even harder or impossible to side load in the future. Like, a year or so later or whenever Google thinks they can get away with it they’ll try removing the option to permanently allow side loading. So right now it will just be a few extra clicks and a 24 hour wait one time, but where will they move the bar next?
Start moving to LineageOS or GrapheneOS now. Plan your next phone purchase on a model supporting one of these. eBay a used phone if you have to. Get out.
Google is trash. Next phone will absolutely be one of those upcoming graphene supporting Motorola phones. I’ll grab an old phone to test out postmarketos too
The flow goes like this: Governments make a law requiring verification of devices on phone networks, phone carriers require an encrypted key to connect to the network, that key is only made available to approved OS developers… we need an entirely protected chain.
Google: “Only I can make malware apps!”
Welp my next phone will be a used phone up to 2024 manufacturing. My current phone is already a used one, although one of 2018 manufacturing.
This is actually awesome. Pretty simple reason: Push more developers to Linux based phoneOS’s.
DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS!
They truly are responsible for the value of a platform.
Moved to GrapheneOS because of this crap
Grotesque
This all pointless because the scammers will just have you download their apps from the play store anyways, its not like anyone is maintaining that cesspool.
I’m not giving them my face id or finger print, fuck them. If this change sticks my next device will be an iPhone.
So you’ll move to an even more locked down OS? Out of the pan, into the fire?
or device pin
It doesn’t sound like you would have to.
I hate being that guy, but at this point we’re just jumping from a frying pan to another.
Pretty much, that’s just where we are at. What made Android preferable to me was the freedom it offered and Android vendors kept chipping away at that for years. With this change implemented Android will be nothing more than cheap iOS, by then you may as well raise money to get the real thing or cheap out harder by buying a feature phone if doing so is an option.
At this point, apart from a lack of funds, there is no incentive to remain in android. Most people will switch to ios and some to linux phones.
Most people won’t give 2 shits or even be aware of the change.
Fair enough🫤
The situation has changed recently.
Google backed down from this being mandatory this week. There will be an option to allow side loaded apps but it will require a 24h delay to enable.
https://www.androidauthority.com/google-android-sideloading-unverified-apps-new-rules-3650343/
Imagine loading a website but you need to wait for 24 hours to be able to access it
Wait a 24 hour delay? Damn. I heard a month or so ago that they had planned to back down on the strict sideloading ban, and came into the comments to point that out. But a mandatory 24 hour waiting period (something, if memory serves, America can’t even do to own literal deadly weapons)‽ Geez that’s way worse than I was expecting.
adb is notably unaffected by this if i recall correctly - please correct me if i’m wrong
If not now, it will be soon. Why are we pretending they care?
Regulators won’t be any help - Apple has always been even more locked down than that, and no one forbade it, so how are they gonna stop Google from doing the same? IMO the only way out is to leave Android and turn to Linux completely (that means Linux hardware adaptation layers, no more Android anywhere). Some phones have already been made like this
But regulators forced Apple to open up a bit
Surely this will lead to the balkanisation of Android.
Motorola is going to grapheneos, Xiaomi etc go with their own app stores and so on.
I’m mostly annoyed about the reboot and wait period.
I can guide my users through selecting the right options, but rebooting your phone is a nuisance. And getting back in touch with them after 24 hours loses the sense of urgency to install my app and probably at that point they’re already gone.
It really doesn’t matter if it’s 24 hours or 5 minutes.
Hopefully some popular OEMs choose not to implement this so it’s possible to know based on the user agent if the user is unlikely to be able to sideload.
This is what pisses me off the most, but as a user. When I reboot my phone, my apps aren’t open anymore (no matter what bullshit the app switcher tells me), and my notifications are gone. It just throws me off, especially if I left some of those notifications there on purpose because I wanted to take care of them later.
This is what happens when you don’t have strong competitors. We need to promote more independent OS platforms for smartphones like Linux distros.
Every single time competitor appeared, they were ignored. Blackberry, Symbian, Windows 8/Mobile.
Microsoft even tried throwing money at app developers to bridge the biggest gap aka apps, but most companies didn’t even want their money, perceiving porting as too troublesome.
It’s actually a shame, because Windows Phone was actually good. It featured a much more user/task-centric UI, letting users think about what they want to do, rather than which app they need to use to do it. Of course, this was bad for apps’ ability to gain and reinforce brand recognition. So of course they didn’t want to support it.
Honestly this, I thought the windows phone was really good. That said I’ll never forgive Microsoft for buying nokia and effectively killing Meego (yes I know sailfish is a thing but it’s pretty stunted growth wise)
What? BlackBerry was ignored? BlackBerry existed before Android and iOS. It was Android and iOS that killed BlackBerry.
AKA: Don’t waste time and energy fighting google, spend it helping GNU phones.
Which GNU project are you buying from/supporting?
You don’t need to wait for confirmation someone else is doing x before doing x yourself. Take the first step!
I’m confused about what point you’re making here. @kbobabob@lemmy.dbzer0.com is asking for recommendations. How do they “take the first step” when they have no idea what’s good? Especially when they’re talking to someone who seems to already know which ones are good, and it’s very easy to ask their knowledgeable opinion.
You’re assuming kbobabob is asking that question in good faith, while thenoirwolfess seems to believe they might be asking in bad faith (i.e., rhetorically asking as a “call out” because they assume leftascenter isn’t actually supporting a GNU phone project)
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Graphene os announced a partnership with Motorola. My next phone will be a Motorola with Graphene OS.
People don’t get it: it doesn’t matter Graphene or LineageOS. Its still Android and will still be bound to the same limitations, unless you go fully degoogled which means give up on internet banking, cardless payments and government apps. (And much more like m Donalds app and more… But I don’t care for those)
We need open trust platform not one controlled by Google, Graphene or lineage are just not valid alternatives. We need a Linux phone.
People should just stop being so addicted to convenience.
Quit internet banking and cardless payments.
For me its maps. Getting directions is mostly why im still on /e/. I would love a linux phone! But im stuck at the moment.
I don’t care for cardless payments, but I do use internet banking, you cannot do without at least here, and government apps too are useful and doing with out is just… Impossible.
Mobile banking is mandatory here, if not able to do mobile banking then you can use non free SMS messages, which sucks.
Government apps mandatory I mean that without, you are cut from most digital government services, which is not practical at all. Survivable, but a pain.
This is the route I’ve gone, also if you think any bank, or government is going to suddenly support a Linux phone I’ve got bad news
Given an open certification process anybody could apply and achieve that, at least in theory. Something that with play integrity you cannot being obscured and proprietary.
So who knows, maybe one day even a Linux phone could. But not unless we get an open certification approach.
https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/116261301913660830
Not sure if it applies to users only or to developers making apps too. Anyone knows?
We need a Linux phone.
For now a linux phone will still lack native banking apps, cardless payment and government apps. Unless the app can run on a degoogled OS (Graphene, waydroid, etc.).
By open trust platform do you mean something akin to play protect?
Yes an alternative to play protect/play integrity… But at very least not vendor locked
Graphenes is degoogled and can support play services in a locked down environment so it doesn’t have full control of your entire system. Play services is what is expected to be used to do the verification process.
While play services are mandatory for play cartification, the opposite is not automatic. In fact, bootloader and device fingerprint play an important role and when you replace the stock OS usually play integrity fails by design.
Do you know first hand that you can achieve play integrity with Graphene and no strange tricks like spoof signature or root?
Motorola should make their own wallet app that works on graphene os.
Hopefully they launch it before September, it certainly seems like it will take longer.
I’m using a Motorola 5G Ace with /e/ OS and its been a great phone (camera is just OK)
My next phone will be a Motorola with Graphene OS.
I’m thinking maybe my next phone is a dumb phone that can only make calls and maybe text. They still make those, right?
LightPhone?
