You heard me.
Looking throught the changes, it seems all this isn’t quite as awful as it sounds at first. It’s more about requiring that apps-that-install-apps use the purpose-built API to do it, which was designed so that alternative app stores would be able to do things like easy installs, automatic updates, those sorts of things. I’d like to hear from the F-Droid folks give their thoughts on this.
Okay but here’s the kicker:
If you have an alternative OS like GrapheneOS, you won’t be able to side load there either.
Google’s Play Integrity API is how apps have previously blocked access when loaded onto phones that are in some way modified from a stock OS with all Google Play integrations intact. Recently, a popular two-factor authentication app blocked access on phones with modified firmware, including GrapheneOS, which aims to surpass the security of Android’s stock system. Apps can call the Play Integrity API and get back an “integrity verdict,” relaying if the phone has a “trustworthy” software environment, has Google Play Protect enabled, and passes other software checks.
Might look reasonable on it’s face, but if I need to fix an app, or possibly get an app that was removed from Google Play, I’m blocked from that. What control I had over my Android phone is gone with Android 15, if I ever get that update. And switching to something else like GrapheneOS or Lineage, I’m blocked if I ever install GApps / GPlay.
Edit: grammar, clarity.
I mean, that’s pretty bad. Only being able to use the API severely restricts the kinds of apps you can install, making a user controlling their own device significantly harder and massively strengthening the hold of the Play Store.
I’m going to do the “bad take based on reading only the headline” thing:
Their accursed walled garden
Our holy user protection fence
Second, these restrictions don’t apply to any third-party app stores for Android that utilize the operating system’s purpose-built API for installing apps. In fact, Android 15’s restrictions on sideloaded apps are merely an expansion of a security change introduced in a previous version, a change that has not materially impacted third-party app stores and can still be manually disabled by the user.
F-Droid should be unaffected, so this doesn’t sound terrible TBH. Still hate Google though.
I wonder if it’s going to make installing the initial f-droid apk a huge pain though. Since normally you need to just download it in your browser and install it.
I like the legal antitrust approach to get them to stop this.
HARMONY OS GANG
I have an OG huawei mate pro and the only thing wrong with it is that after an instagram update, video stories you post on instagram would look choppy. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did it on purpose. i think i’m going to abandon instagram completely. the only thing that i would require from harmony os is for them to work with fingerprint authentication for banking apps. also, banks i use would need to collaborate with the huawei app store of course
These changes seem fine tbh, non-technical users genuinely have no reason to be side loading apps that can bypass everything. the average Android user probably doesn’t even understand what an operating system is
Tbh it’d actually be nice if Android out the box could be as locked down as iOS but stay as modifiable as it is now so technical users can still easily open everything up and tinker with it
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