הטלפון שלך עומד להפסיק להיות שלך.
Starting September 2026, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID.
Every app and every device, worldwide, with no opt-out.
↓מה Google עושה
In August 2025, Google announced a new requirement: starting September 2026, every Android app developer must register centrally with Google before their software can be installed on any device. Not just Play Store apps: all apps. This includes apps shared between friends, distributed through F-Droid, built by hobbyists for personal use. Independent developers, church and community groups, and hobbyists alike will all be frozen out of being able to develop and distribute their software.
ההרשמה דורשת:
- תשלום עמלה ל־Google
- הסכמה לתנאים וההתניות של Google
- הענקת תעודת הזהות האישית שהונפקה במשרדי הממשלה
- Providing evidence of your private signing key
- Listing all current and all future application identifiers
If a developer does not comply, their apps get silently blocked on every Android device worldwide.
במי זה פוגע
בך
You bought an Android phone because Google told you it was open. You could install what you wanted, and that was the deal.
Google is now rewriting that deal, retroactively, on hardware you already own. After the update lands, you can only run software that Google has pre-approved. On your phone: your property, that you paid for.
במפתחים עצמאיים
בין אם זה היישום הראשון של הנער או הנערה, כלי הפרטיות הקהילתי, או תוכנית הביתא הסגורה חֶברה טכנולוגית. זה לא משנה. החל מספטמבר 2026, לא יהיה ניתן להתקין אף אחד מהיישומים האלה ללא אישורה של Google.
F-Droid, home to thousands of free and open-source Android apps, has called this an "existential" threat. Cory Doctorow calls it "Darth Android".
Governments & civil society
Google has a documented track record of complying when authoritarian regimes demand app removals. With this program, the software that runs your country's institutions will exist at the pleasure of a single unaccountable foreign corporation.
The EFF calls app gatekeeping "an ever-expanding pathway to internet censorship."
Google's "escape hatch" is a trap door
Google says "power users" can "still install" unverified apps. Here's what that actually looks like:
- כניסה להגדרות המערכת ואיתור האפשרויות למפתחים
- Tap the build number seven times to enable Developer Mode
- Dismiss scare screens about coercion
- Enter your PIN
- הפעלה מחדש של המכשיר
- המתנה של 24 שעות
- Come back, dismiss more scare screens
- Pick "allow temporarily" (7 days) or "allow indefinitely"
- Confirm, again, that you understand "the risks"
Nine steps. A mandatory 24-hour cooling-off period. For installing software on a device you own.
Worse: this flow runs entirely through Google Play Services, not the Android OS. Google can change it, tighten it, or kill it at any time, with no OS update required and no consent needed. And as of today, it hasn't shipped in any beta, preview, or canary build. It exists only as a blog post and some mockups.
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."
אבל רגע, האם זה לא...
"...פשוט משהו בנוגע לאבטחה?"
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.
נלחמים בחזרה
כולם
- 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).
מפתחים
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.
- Talk other developers and organizations out of signing up.
- Add the FreeDroidWarn library to your apps to warn users.
- Run a website? Add the countdown banner.
עובדי Google
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
Brave brave.com
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
Italian Linux Society ils.org
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
CryptPad cryptpad.org
April april.org
Techlore techlore.tech
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
FACiL facil.qc.ca
Unified Push unifiedpush.org
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
F-Droid f-droid.org
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
GitHub Store github-store.org
iodé iode.tech
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Proton AG proton.me
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
Cryptee crypt.ee
FUTO futo.org
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
OpenMedia openmedia.org
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com מה הם אומרים
Tech press
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
Editorials & analysis
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Sideloading, a longstanding pillar of Android's openness, is now being marginalized, placing the Android platform closer to the walled-garden approach of Apple's iOS."
Purism
"Android is not open anymore. It's not an alternative. It's not even trying. It's iOS with ads and spyware bolted on."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Google isn't certifying apps, they're certifying developers. This implies that the company can somehow predict whether a developer will do something malicious in the future."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Once there is no such thing as 'sideloading', there's virtually no difference between iOS and Android. I see no reason to buy Android over iOS at this point."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Google is turning sideloading from a right into a permission slip, and the open-source community has until September to convince it otherwise."
Reclaim The Net
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"Although Google's claim is that this is for 'security', it does not prevent the regular practice of scammers buying up existing verified developer accounts."
Maya Posch, Hackaday
"Innovation may be the biggest casualty in all of this. This new rule erodes your right to make informed decisions about your own devices."
MakeUseOf
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Google has announced that they are altering the deal. And telling us that we should pray that they don't alter it further. Block this policy change now before they wrap their cold metal hands around our necks."
Jesse Wilson, PublicObject.com
"The proposed Android Developer Verification program isn't a security update; it's a kill switch for the open ecosystem."
Hillary Keverenge, Tech-ish Kenya
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"This is not about protecting users. This is about control. This is about Google cutting out the last remaining artery of independence in Android."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"Google has announced what can only be described as a death blow to the open ecosystem that made Android. Under the guise of 'security,' Google is implementing draconian developer verification requirements."
AndroidSage
"Google's attempts to make Android 'more secure' are, in fact, increasing the risk for Android users. The more friction you introduce in the name of security, the more likely users will attempt to bypass security completely."
Ken Buckler, Enterprise Management Associates
"Google's story that this move is motivated by security is obviously bullshit. The idea that Google can improve Android's safety by certifying developers, rather than code, is obvious bullshit."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"The $25 isn't the real cost. The chilling effect is. Submitting government ID to Google is a non-starter for pseudonymous contributors and privacy researchers."
Arafat Alim, DEV Community
"Developers from sanctioned countries or those without Google Play access cannot verify themselves. This creates systemic discrimination against developers based on birthplace rather than conduct."
agnostic-apollo (Termux developer), GitHub
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"There is also the very real possibility that Google will leak your identity with the result that any apps with political implications could result in persecution and worse."
I-Programmer
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"This policy represents a dramatic departure from Android's decades-old tradition of openness, in which developers could build and share apps freely without first submitting to a centralized authority."
Biometric Update
"The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours. Google decides which apps are allowed to be loaded on Android and which are not."
Tuta Blog
"Destroying F-Droid isn't some 'oops.' It's the mission. It's Google finally cutting the last remaining escape route and locking every single user inside their store."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
ארגונים ועצומות פתוחות
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"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
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"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
"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
"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 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
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
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
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"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
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"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
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"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
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"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
"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
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
יוצרי תוכן וערוצי YouTube
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – 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
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"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 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
"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 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
"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
"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
"This has obvious problems for non-Google operating systems like iodeOS, LineageOS, or BraxOS. Google Android will 'check in' with Google to verify the identity of the app and to validate the operating system."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"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
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"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
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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
"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
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"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
"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
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
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
"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
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"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
מפתחים וקהילה
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, 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
"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
"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
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"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
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"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
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"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
"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
"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
"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
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"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
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"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
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, Hacker News
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"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
"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
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, 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
"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
"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
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"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
"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
"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
"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 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
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"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
"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
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"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
"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
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News
"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
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters
"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
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, 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
Voices from the petition
"Android began as the open-source, mod-friendly underdog in the cell phone market years ago. I watched it as it grew into a thriving scene where we could brag to our Apple-loyal friends about the freedom we had in our platform, the platform we bolstered up and supported and went against the culture at the time to get behind. Over time, it's become less and less free and open; locking bootloaders, denying permission to access all of the storage we pay for on our devices, penalizing power users who root their phones by disabling basic functionality, and now that their Play Store monopoly has been called out for what it is Google, so desperately in need of more money than they earn from collecting and selling all of our private data to finance their AI ambitions, which are trained on all of our data in the first place, is locking down the user's ability to control how they can utilize the device they own even further, just so they can have a say (and a fee collected) in every application that others produce for what used to be a truly open-source platform. It's disgusting how for ensh*tification has gone. These are Our devices. We pay for them. They are ours to have to replace, to finance, to insure, to charge, and to use. You should have a say in literally every single aspect of how they're used, and exploiting small developers under the guise of "security" is just pathetic. "
Sheldon, change.org
"If I wanted an iPhone, I would chuck my phone into the nearest dumpster and walk into the Apple store that very same day and buy an iPhone, but that is not what I want. I want the freedom to install the software of my choice and the right to use my device (that I have purchased!) in the way that I want. Google claims that developer verification is for the user's safety. However, forcing developers to disclose their identities will put their safety at risk if they live in countries where censorship is rampant, or make them a target for doxxing if any shady third parties wish to abuse this verification system for whatever petty reasons. "
David, change.org
"Android shines in giving the user freedom to use their devices however they choose to. If Google closes down on this freedom, in my use case as a power user I will be unable to install apps any except from the play store which is a platform that is littered with bad app that are useless and sometimes they cost money making it unnecessarily difficult for Indy devs working on apps whether it for job or weekend project. However if Google clean up the play store they could implement a feature to ask the user at device setup and changeable in settings to manage how strict or lax they what the security to be, or just help support the graphene os project to have a secure android operating system and fix play integrity for Google pay, tap to pay to work. "
Cristian, change.org
"Keep android free and open or a lot of people will revolt. Developers and users alike. Don't be horrible. Keep it open. "
Gregory, change.org
"I have an iPhone currently but hate it because I don’t have the ability to load any application I want. So when this goes into effect I will have zero reason to get another phone with android as it will just be a iPhone knockoff. "
Bill, change.org
"It is so crazy to think I would ever think that this was the case. Android becoming IOS. I know Google wants to be Apple, but limiting supposedly open source software to now not allow true open source software seems to undermine this experiment. I will call this an experiment because you're been testing it for over a decade and now showing the true direction. Closed environment where all the data is mined and sold. Regardless of those who were here because Apple locked us into devices and software, the difference here is quality control you have none Google. You have relied on communities of users/developers to accomplish this. No More! This change unfortunately won't affect the bottom line immediately or barely when it comes to profit, but it will affect quality and choices and those are things that attract money... "
Marc, change.org
"In the eyes of serious digital Android users & developers this is an another blatant attempt by Google to monopolize & obtain total centralized control over our application space. Shockingly this mirrors a similar path seen within despotic nations, nations who are our adversaries. History has already proven this is a slippery slope. These actions will take away many jobs from from the countless Android developers & truly harm the intended purpose of Android in America. We must pick, freedom for the common people or tyranny to help a mega corporation in this new digital age. "
Phillip, change.org
"I am not a developer, I am just a user, and I think it is very important to say that this does not just affect developers. There is nothing good about locking down an open ecosystem. There is no good reason for Google mandating ID Verification aside from pushing their dominance over Android. This is disgusting, given that Android has always been seen as the free haven away from Apple's walled garden. Now the only way to achieve freedom is by using a fork of Android, which will become harder and harder as Google inevitably enforces locked bootloaders. Seeing Android turn into a Google flavored IOS is just a huge punch in the gut, and really puts into perspective what can be lost under greedy leadership. "
Zakery, change.org
"I have the right to download apps made from developers I trust. You do not make that decision for me. Hands off! "
Danielle, change.org
"let's go, ! Keep Android alive! "
jorge, change.org
"Now we cant even test our own projects on android without licking the boots of microslop "
William, change.org
"This is the only reason I've bought android phones all my life, if this passes then I'll either install custom software to avoid it or I'll find an alternative device and stop supporting android at all. If i'm not free to do what I want with my phone, then I don't own it and I don't want it. "
brandon, 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
"The entire reason I switched to Android in the first place was the freedom that it allowed compared to Apple products. I felt stifled and restricted by Apple software and moved to Android with the hope that I would have more freedoms, despite some other downsides that existed at the time compared to Apple, such as camera quality. Without the freedom to install what I want when I want, what's the point in even continuing with Android? The core reason I switched would be taken away, and there would be no reason at all for me to continue using Android products. Being able to sideload apps and have more control over how I use my device has been incredible, and I do not want to lose that. And my god I do not want to have to switch to a new device brand because of this, but I will if this is pushed through. "
Cortney, change.org
"When I purchase a device I have the right to own it. Otherwise why pay for it. We already disclose ID and pay Google for apks. We chose android over apple only due to the freedom that used to be. If you do not back off all of us will ditch our androids and apple as we do not need more stalking in our lives. People have been creative you know. 🫥 "
S, change.org
"The idea that any owner of an android device would need permission from Google, or really any other third party, to install an application on his own device is ridiculous. This trend of companies reaching into people's lives, locking up their personal property and appointing themselves as a the nanny with the key that gets to dictate how that property is to be used is a violation of the most basic right to own property. It will not be tolerated and any company embracing this paradigm will find itself increasingly blacklisted. "
Andrey, change.org
"Android became what it is today because it was open, flexible, and gave users real control over their own devices. When companies lock down Android, restrict sideloading, or punish people for rooting and customizing, they’re not just limiting features—they’re limiting freedom.Our phones are how we communicate, organize, learn, and participate in public life. If a handful of companies get to decide which apps, stores, and tools are “allowed,” they gain gatekeeper power over what we can say, what we can access, and how we can exist online. That directly impacts our freedom of speech and our freedom to choose how we use the devices we paid for.We are asking you to keep Android open:Stop adding policies and technical barriers that break custom ROMs, root tools, and alternative app stores.Allow users to fully control their devices, including what software they install and how they modify it.Respect the right of users and developers to experiment, innovate, and speak without being blocked by arbitrary restrictions.Locking down Android might be framed as “security,” but real security and privacy should empower users—not take away their choices. Please protect the open nature of Android and the digital freedoms that come with it. "
Cory, change.org
"Google isn't trying to protect us from malware with these policies; it's simply trying to control the platform it owns to profit from its platform and the data it collects. "
Tiburcio, change.org
"Android libre. "
Fernando, change.org
"Everyone is sharing how much they side with Android for the ability to have fuller control over what they can do with their devices .. and I'm so on board with that... I can't stand to have limitations which is why I've always used Android devices.. There's a lot of freedom to allow ourselves to develope what we'd like and share them with others .. that is something I myself enjoy be able to take advantage of as I am in no way knowledgeable in programming and most pf the time, everything I want is done by volunteers or people who just do these things as a hobby... what a community 👏 so annoyed Google is trying to enforce this stupidity "
Santiana, change.org
"Does google not understand that the reaso ehy I refused to use iphones is that I cannot use my prefered apps on it. If google loses that, google loses me as well. "
bruno, 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
"Limiting the installation of APK files (sideloading) is bad because it turns Android, known for its openness, into a "walled garden" similar to Apple's. This restriction strips users of their freedom, treating them as if they cannot make decisions about their own devices. Furthermore, it stifles competition and innovation. Alternative app stores, like F-Droid (focused on open-source), and developers testing their apps are directly harmed. This forces everyone to depend exclusively on the Google Play Store, giving Google total control over the market and what you can or cannot install, often under the guise of "security." In the end, it's a trade-off of Android's fundamental freedom for centralized corporate control. "
Lucas de arruda, change.org
"If I wanted to use a locked garden ecosystem, I'd just buy an iPhone. Keep Android open, Google. It is also for your best commercial interest. "
Oscar, change.org
"Freedom of expression and choice, without filtering. "
Ralph, change.org
"This is a clear grab at power over Android's massive userbase to manipulate the masses via censorship and mass surveillance. If this isn't stopped, they will only push the rules further and further until the slope is so slippery it becomes a cliff. "
Boris, change.org
"I completely disagree because it is a form of Android dictatorship taking away the freedom to download apks like MT manager Play Story already gives an error when downloading and installing it, so please share this so that Google stops it. "
Ezer, change.org
"People who choose Android over Apple do so because Android offers the freedom to install apps freely and develop apps as a hobby. I think that if they remove access to APKs, I'll switch to Apple, and I think most people will do the same. "
Alexis, change.org
"The whole reason I stuck with Android is because I have my freedom. Without that freedom, I rather have an iPhone or switch the GrapheneOS. You're taking away the choice from us. The openness of the OS is something only knowledgeable users utilize, so why take it away at all? Stop screwing over the people that supported you "
Kevic, change.org
"This may look like a security improvement, safety measure or other goods ideas, but the truth is far from them! This is against our digital rights! It disrespects privacy of developers! It may cause good developers to cease existence in Android! Look for alternative Android OSes, or root your device!! "
Avique, change.org
"We shouldn't have the decision to sideload apps stripped from us so more of our data can be stolen from under our noses. The majority of the apps I use are from small devs. Devs who likely wouldn't have the time to jump through Google's arbitrary hoops, or wouldn't want to the security risks that comes with that compliance. "
Rebecca, change.org
"I buy android to be able to customize my phone as I please. If you do this you lose a loyal customer of over 20 years. "
Jamell, change.org
"I ought to have the right to install any program I'd like on my computer without google acting as gatekeeper. F-droid's Foss nature makes it more trustworthy than the play store has ever been. "
Cris, change.org
"I've always been an avid android user because of its open nature, but since the pandemic google has been clamping down on the freedom provided by the platform. First they added extra steps to install appstores other than the play store. Then they took away the ability to install older applications. Then they blocked you from being able to access the filesystem of your own device. Now they want to close the ecosystem, and make it easy for them to oppress the people who made this OS worthwhile in the first place. Google is heartless, and it's only a matter of time until they closed-source the android project. I will not stand for a corporation that willingly hands over the innocent to this authoritarian regime. Leave android alone! "
Issac, change.org
"I honestly don't understand why this even has to be petitioned for in the first place. It should be self-evident that it should be entirely up to the user what software should be installed on their own device. "
Patrick, change.org
"This does not protect anybody. All it does is restrict an OS that was supposed to be open. This was one of the main benefits of Android over iOS, and now it's being removed. This also kills the open source ecosystem, since alternative app stores cannot function if all developers are required to pay Google and pay a fee. Ordinary users are already protected from malware with Google Play Protect, and app sideloading disabled by default. This does not help anyone. Even calling it sideloading is misleading, since we own the device NOT Google. On a computer, this is called installing software. It shouldn't be different on a phone. This will also allow government censorship of apps that protect privacy. Overall a terrible idea. "
Daniel, change.org
"This is the main appeal of android to me. Having the freedom with my own device that I paid for instead of being limited. "
Joshua, change.org
"I never liked Apple's highly restrictive service for their app and mobile OS. I chose Android because of the freedom of customizability and choice, and ease of access. Do not make Android a wasteland, Google. People who use andriod value privacy and security, while also easily being able to make it better without worrying about who has what information about them. Please, think about the consequences for once. "
Maygen, change.org
"Sideloading is a huge part of what makes android awesome. im not updating my phone anymore if this happens "
Cassius, change.org
"Fight for internet freedom/anonymity! "
m, change.org
"Literally the only reason I swapped to android years ago was because it had freedoms that iPhones didn't. I may as well swap back if this is how things are going. "
Robert, change.org
"Android gives us a choice. That is so so important to us in this day and age. Please let us continue to do so. "
Jenna, change.org
"The continual tightening of the corporate hand around the throat of Android is pivotal to oppose. Android and other Linux-based operating systems are currently and will continue to be the front lines of the eternal battle for user freedom, privacy, and safety worldwide. "
Aaron, change.org
"Your treason against humanity's freedom is going to be your downfall we will rise up against you sick sob's !!! "
Fu google, change.org
"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
"As someone who believes in freedom and not being controlled by the big tech companies, we need Google to reverse this decision, otherwise, I'll just switch to a Linux phone. "
Carter, change.org
"Genuinely fr "
Hanifinio, change.org
"I should be able to share my android apps with my family and friends. It's easy to do on Windows and Linux. Why do I have to pay for sharing what is mine with friends and family around the world; yes, my actual family and friends are literally everywhere. Google often distributes malware. They allow Verizon to install unwanted apps that were often just malware. Google and Samsung force install apps we never asked for mostly so they can spy for advertising and traing their AIs. Heck, Google even watches what you put on gdrive and will remove things they don't like due to personal issues. How dystopian! "
Matthew, change.org
"가장 큰 강점을 내다버리는 행위이다. 인증을 핑계로 얼마나 많은 컨텐츠들이 접근 불가능해질지 생각하면 크게 걱정이다. "
CH, change.org
"I'm a developer considering deploying to Android as a platform. The option to not require Google's involvement is a highly enticing aspect, and I could see playtesting Android games by means of "hey, you're my friend, can you play this on your Android device and see if it works well?" with a signed APK becoming an absolute nightmare to deal with in the event of rapid updates caused by constant back-and-forth discussions if this goes through. Not only is this bad for the consumer on a nightmarish level, it could very well destroy the development environment of the platform, the main reason people develop for it so much more than iOS, as well. Google should be ashamed of even considering this for more than a few minutes and doing anything more than laughing the idea off the moment it was brought up, even less attempting to go through with it. I can't imagine your investors will be happy when everybody stops developing for your platform and you have far less people using it as well, either. Maybe think about the long term here. Y'know, instead of all the short term thinking kinds of mistakes that lead to things like Stadia going wrong. Don't let Android become your next Stadia, Google. Stadia failed not because of the concept, but because of tons of poorly thought out decisions that seemed good for the short-term that were horrible for any longevity, trying to focus too much on existing big heavy hitters being sold on the platform instead of trying to make a proper case for what it could uniquely bring to the table for example. It isn't out of the dang question this could make Android's upcoming versions into your next Stadia-tier failure. "
Adam, change.org
"I choose to use Android as it gives me the ability to freely use my mobile phone the way I intend to. I would like to continue developing apps as a hobby without needing to be an "approved developer" and sharing my government issued identity with Google. "
Christian, change.org
"Giving consumers a choice in their software increases competition and ultimately benefits the consumer in the products they use. Giving choice to developers on how to reach the consumer is beneficial from single developers to large companies as it gives them options to be shown in the spotlight or reach a niche group that would appreciate their product. By giving power to a single organization to determine who the winners and losers are you set that company up to always choose their products over a competitor even if their products are inferior to the competitors. "
John, change.org
"a recently convicted monopolist extorting developers and committing further anticompetitive behavior? not in my pocket it's not. "
Marc, 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
"Funny how a principle as straightforward as “don’t be evil” can still turn out to be surprisingly difficult to live up to. "
JV, change.org
"I refuse to be locked into only the play store. I need to be able to use f-droid and or install my own apk files as I will. It's my comptuer! "
Tom, change.org
"We all need security and FOSS apps! "
Chris, change.org
"free is the most important part of Android,no freedom no Android. "
jason, change.org
"Please call your Reps and Sens to vote NO on legislation that would mandate online age-verification systems, digital ID requirements, or repeal or weaken Section 230. Including proposals like the KIDS Act package and KOSA, the SCREEN Act, Section 230 sunset bills, and COPPA 2.0 if it is used to expand surveillance-style age checks "
Evan, change.org
"I have a bunch of applications that are not on the Google Play Store that I would lose access to if this feature were to be removed. Security Concerns are not a reason to screw over your customers, and just like you and me, we're all people too. People have the right for freedom, and you're revoking that freedom from the devices that we bought and paid for with our own money. This is extremely monopolistic and anti-competitive. There is now essentially no competition between iOS and Android Devices if this feature gets removed. You are doing a disservice to the entire existence of Android by removing this feature. This hurts more than it helps. "
C., change.org
"If Google does this I will move to iOS. If given a choice for locked down mobile OS I feel safer with Apple. And the way the world is going with all the horrible AI etc.. and corporate control of our lives I will take the lesser of two evils. At least with Apple you can OPT out of Apple intelligence during setup with iPhone just like with Mac OS which I recently went to after MS's windows 11. I'm pretty pessimistic about this change and realize that I will likely be purchasing my first iPhone in the end of the year. "
Trent, 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
"One of the reasons I use android is so I can do what I want unlike an iPhone. Locking it down will make it no different from the competition "
Jonathan, change.org
"Android was once the pinacle of freedom, not letting that stay in the past "
Juan, change.org
"Android has always stood for freedom, openness, and user choice. Blocking APKs goes against the very spirit of what makes Android great. Users should have the right to install the apps they want, from the sources they trust, not just from one store. Limiting APKs doesn’t make Android safer; it only takes control away from users and developers alike. Keep Android open. Keep Android free.Android has always stood for freedom, openness, and user choice. Blocking APKs goes against the very spirit of what makes Android great. Users should have the right to install the apps they want, from the sources they trust, not just from one store. Limiting APKs doesn’t make Android safer; it only takes control away from users and developers alike. Keep Android open. Keep Android free. "
Pedro, change.org
"This is an authoritarian play by Google to regulate their customers (aka a huge percentage of the public) not by national law but by their own personal whims on what's "best" for their corporation and shareholders. It undermines a customer's right to modify their products how they want, and instills power to themselves to govern essentially all software that gets developed for non-iOS phones, which is highly unethical and anti-consumer. If this gets implemented I will be selling my phone and switching to a non-android product. "
Nick, change.org
"Android has always stood for user choice that’s what made it different. Taking away freedoms like sideloading apps goes directly against that foundation. Not every developer wants to go through approval processes just to create or use their own apps. Many of us build things for personal use, experimentation, or learning not for distribution under strict control. These changes don’t just limit developers they set a dangerous precedent. This is how censorship and platform control begin, slowly turning an open ecosystem into a closed one. Android was meant to be open. What made it powerful was the freedom it gave its users. Stripping that away doesn’t protect people it restricts them. If Android continues down this path, it risks losing what made it great in the first place. "
Jared, change.org
"Android ain’t doing this if we can help it. They CEO types always getting greedy. Let’s keep Android as Android "
Nathanael, change.org
"This is concerning for educators and hobbiests using Android phones as feature-rich platforms for learning "
Geoff, change.org
"I cannot count the amount of times a sideloaded application has provided me with a much needed service or feature! Removing the ability to install such applications would be a massive blow not only to the users of android, but the operating system as a whole, and what it has and should still stand for. Which is the "your device your choice" mentality. The choice by Google to implement this change is nothing more than corporate greed. This decision should be reversed and an apology issued as soon as possible. "
Josh, change.org
"For a large portion of Android users, the freedom and openness of the OS is why they choose to use it in the first place. I can certainly say for myself that if this goes through, I will no longer use Android as my smartphone OS. Enshittification like this will only cause Android to lose market share and will be destructive in the long run. "
Nawton, change.org
"I didn't even know they were trying to pull this until today! This is scary and concerning as a consumer, stop limiting my freedom on my device! "
Chloe, change.org
"This change would essentially make android comparable to iOS in the sense of the restricted amount of freedom we have over the operating system and how we want the operating system to function. This will also result in a constant battle between new "crackers" trying to find ways to spoof the signature system and Google patching the spoofs to keep the system restricted. This is not for security, this is corporate control over a dominating service they can milk for profit and add to their greed "
Simon, change.org
"The main reason I use Android products at all is for their modability. To require ID verification just invades the privacy of app developers and does absolutely nothing to protect Android users. At this point, what would make Android products any different from Apple? This is completely unacceptable; this will end up hurting more people than it does help. "
Elise, change.org
"Invasion of privacy in the name of security "
Sadegh, change.org
"I'm getting so sick of governments/ corporations thinking they can just take away our right to privacy online under the guise of "security", and the more they're able to get away with it, the more we'll see it happening. I'm not a developer and I barely use 3rd party apps, but that doesn't mean I won't fight for our ability to use our phones as we see fit "
Danielle, change.org
"I went back to Android over Apple because of APK freedom. There is no reason to buy an Android phone if this change is implemented. Android users love DIY: researching, exploring new manufacturers, using independent APK repositories. Google is trying to destroy the one thing that makes Android appealing. We all might as well buy iPhones if this is the direction they are choosing. Or dump our money into PinePhone dev. "
Kay, change.org
"If this is Android's future then it's time for Linux phones! My device my rules. "
Juan Antonio, change.org
"Having moved to the Google platform due to limitations on Apple devices, it would be a huge shame to see this implemented. "
Christo, change.org
"It's disappointing that Google wants to take away the only good thing about Android. I said it last time and I'll say it again: if they do it, I'm switching to Apple. There won't be any difference anyway. "
Rubén, change.org
"Being able to install what you want on your device is the main selling point of android, I'll fully switch to something else if this change is made "
Luna, change.org
"Many of the apps I use for managing Type 1 diabetes require sideloading. If the hobbyist plan has any restrictions (which it most likely will), it could impact my personal health. We need full transparency about how this will work, or for this to be cancelled. "
1712, change.org
"HOW NEXT GENS GONNA INSTALL MINECRAFT?! "
Kyouko, change.org
"Wow, I sure like it when the operating system touted to be for power-users to make unequivocally theirs gets shut up. If I wanted to play it "your way or the highway", I'd go to Apple. This is my device. And I don't need YOUR approval for that. "
Liam, change.org
"We should be able to do what we want with the devices we own. Locking everyone into only downloading from the google playstore will just create the walled garden that iPhone has already. "Sideloading" shouldn't be viewed as a bad thing, or something you shouldnt do. Its the same as downloading something on a computer. Im just downloading software on my phone. Imagine if they blocked you being able to downloading anything outside of the Microsoft Store on Windows. This needs to be stopped. The main (and basically only reason) I get an android phone is to have control over it. If this is removed from hs I will have no reason not to use an iPhone instead. "
Steven, change.org
"I'm a new Android game developer but unfortunately what Google did is unacceptable! We need to stop this stupid idea before it becomes a reality!! "
Guilherme, change.org
"Why would you change what is by far the most appealing aspect of your operating system? Why would you choose to take the thing that set Google apart from Apple and imitate them? A locked down, dumbed down, "My way or the highway" approach to your user base is insulting, and now people will be desperately trying to find out create a new option, and you'll have no way to compare favorably even against your biggest competitor because you're choosing to be in the same boat. "
Michael, change.org
"As a CS Professional and recent CS Grad, the flexibility for Android to allow us to share hobby project apps with friends and family who also use Android is a vital part of the learning experience and what makes Android unique. Requiring paid verification based on government ID will have a stifling effect that will make Android loose the open nature that set it apart from Apple, which has been key to its success for many upcoming CS Students, and for many hobbiests that often lead to professional paths. "
Kyler, change.org
"Are you not greedy enough? "
wesley, change.org
"APPLE wAS GONE LONG AGO NOW WHERE WILL WE GO? "
henry, change.org
"I do not need hpw to be told how to use my phone. If android goes through this Im downgrading to flip phones and will never use androids again. Ive never used Apple for this reason. Let me decide whats good or ill for myself, I am a grown autonomous human being and do not need to be kept "safe" by a large corporation, safe from what Im not even sure? Sounds like control not safety. "
Jake, change.org
"The whole reason I've stuck with android so long is because of how many choices I had compared to other options. Now they are trying to get rid of them and for what? The only thing they gain by doing this is their customers ire and I don't want to sit and let something so predatory just get passed like this. "
Logan, change.org
"I think this a terrible thing since what if you're trying to create your own project app but with this you wont be able to create your own app easily with no problem for your own personal self "
Angel, change.org
"Open source apps is what makes Android the best over ios "
Billy, change.org
"I don't have much to say other than that this is immensely foolish of Google to do. "
Jaden, change.org
"It's serious that Android is doing this to those who make independent games, or stealing our data under the guise of security. I want to speak out because this is unfair. "
Cesar, change.org
"I dropped iOS and moved to Android when I learned the importance of freedom. If Google makes this movement I don't see what sense makes that change anymore. "
Josh, change.org
"Google always voiced themselves as the "Open Platform" in direct competition with Apple. With the lockdown happening, there is no more competition. It's either "isolated OS" or "fellow isolated OS". In today's day and age, especially, the people value and are drawn to the ability to make their own choices without the difficulties and frustrations of being restricted and banned from doing something. It's *why* so many people switched to Android/ Google devices, and *why* so many Android/Google users *refuse* to use Apple products. The lockdown is just creating another Apple under a different company. "
Amelia, change.org
"Sick and tired of Google's garbage. "
Gabriel, change.org
"The whole point of android was user choice. Remove that and you remove all incentive good luck with sales. "
Jason, change.org