Peace be with you, F-Droid Community. 🌹
As many probably know, Google will block Android starting 2027.
Here is my hope: Google has shot itself in the foot with this Darth Vader move, because many People who loves privacy will now switch to de-googled systems, because ( Since to my knowledge), the blockade won’t affect those systems.
So this is just my Openion and my HOPE.
What’s your take on this?
And I kindly say to all developers: Please don’t register in Google.
There are so many people using de-googled systems now, including myself. Please keep going for us, and four you too. Please
Best wishes from Germany 🌹
because many People who loves privacy
almost 12 of us … i jest but seriously, everyone using Apple and >90% of Android users don’t care. Google knows this and they just bang on about this being best for Android users to ameliorate any concerns around governance issues.
Even many supposed staunch, so called privacy advocates, will complain they can’t change because banking or some such, so they stick with the status quo as every minor inconvenience is seen as an insurmountable wall.
So i expect some bloviating initially and then acceptance. In 5 years, no shits given (headphone jack, expandable storage saw the same sort of thing)
tl;dr press x for doubt (x)
You would be surprised. Google privacy practices have a bad press. I’m hearing random people saying they got a "de-googled’ phone at my local hairdresser. Also, the cheapest chinese model are not “Android-certified”, so potentially also de-googled.
Well, since I never took time to master phone magic, now they are going to give me a push. Thanks, I guess
I started the journey about a year ago. Huge boon to my life even if I don’t work anywhere near tech.
How is this going to work for the companies that have internal only apps like time clocks or schedulers. Can they pay the fee and have their apps hidden from the PlayStore or are they all fucked?
This isn’t stopping apps from outside the Play Store, internal apps can still be distributed internally (downloading an APK from a website for example). But these apps now have to be signed by a developer verified by Google. This happens by registering on Google Play, uploading the app, giving Google all the info, and then just not publishing the app on Google Play.
Adb will continue to work
Maybe i freaked out a bit too early. Still going to move away from Google Android personally but the business i work for is way too large to even attempt.
I was doing Android development recently and apparently the official SDK builds needed to build the app aren’t FOSS, and actually FOSS versions are difficult to get. I still can’t wait until Linux phones are a thing, Android is such a shitshow nowadays and even GrapheneOS is still at the mercy of Google’s ecosystem
Motorola will release a phone with GrapheneOS in 2027, it would be a good pick.
Ironically they’re the top government surveillance camera manufacturer where I live on deflock
Don’t forget about the new automatic Google play services check that app developers can enable with a single click on build. That automatically blocks the app from working on any degoogled ROM
So, did I understood correctly that just getting pixel with GrapheneOS is way out?
Sooooo the way out, is to pay Google a thousand dollars for their phone…
If that’s a bother you could get it secondhand
Still props up Google’s phone business.
So, did I understood correctly that just getting pixel with GrapheneOS is way out?
I can’t really say anything about that, sorry. I’m not familiar with GrapheneOS or Google Pixel. As far as I know, Play Services can apparently be installed in a sandbox?.. but I didn’t quite get it either. So I can’t say whether the system will be affected by Google’s rules. Sorry I can’t help further.
Yes. Bonus if you get it used just make sure it’s completely unlocked. A carrier phone is not unlocked and is a pain in be butt to get unlocked. I can’t remember what instance it’s on but there’s a graphene community.
Edit it’s !grapheneos@lemmy.ml I know some instances don’t interact with .ML though
I think you’re overestimating the de-Google community.
I’d be astonished if there was 10 million of us. Compared to a few Billion normies, we’re a rounding error in their accounting.Google still has all the opportunities to get a big “fuck you” instead of “line goes up”. Why? Because when they fuck up an app on someone’s phone that someone will have an option to switch away. Will everyone do it? No. But will enough people do it to send a wave of de-googling in motion? I hope so
It’s not always about “winning”. Sometimes it’s about what you do and what you become while doing it. Do I want to be able to influence google directly? Yes. Do I need to? No. I just need a big-enough community that shares my values, and it’s OK for me that there’s an even bigger community nearby that shares something else.
It’s important. We’re not doing an election.
Well, Chinese people have phones, and they don’t have Google either. Surely there is a way out of all this.
A few billion? There are only 8 billion people on the planet and from what I understand, a few hundred don’t own phones and a few hundred more use Apple. I may be wrong.
I’d be shocked if there was even 1 million people globally using fully de-googled phones tbh
I’d actually guess it’s roughly 1 million globally. ±20%
The nonprofit GrapheneOS Foundation was founded in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, by Daniel Micay, Dmytro Mukhomor, and Khalykbek Yelshibekov in March 2023. It received large contributions from donors such as Ethereum developer Vitalik Buterin and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey. As of April 2026, the operating system had approximately 400,000 active users.
obviously thats just graphene. i use e/os on my phone. not sure how many other distros there are…
Most Graphene users are still using Google, but in sandboxed mode. Very few, myself among them, are willing to put up with the downsides of no GPS
Umm, I have GPS on my Goog-less main profile no problem. The other profile with Play (just banking, parking and employer-subvented lunch app) also does. So not accurate.
Wait you can have a profile with play for banking apps etc? Can you detail it a bit? What phone and system Do you use?
GrapheneOS on Pixel 8a. Yes one can 👍
Other commenter beat me to it, but I meant Google Play Services, sorry for the confusion
They meant Google Play Services, not the Global Positioning System (confusing, I know)
LineageOS is a big one compatible with many devices.
Yes, I would think that LineageOS has more users than any other alternative.
and I’m willing to bet a signifcant part of the userbase installs GApps after installing LOS. or at least microG.
microG is still degoogled?
A rounding error that many friends and family rely on for tech advice.
I actually got surprised how quick people around me reacted to remove/avoid the tracker before sharing url links for example.
This is anecdotal, but yeah. I once mentioned this google thing to my wife. She was due to change her phone and once I explained she was like “I’d like to have what you have” so she is now on a refurbished Pixel with Graphene.
I too coverted my wife to GOS and my son. I’ve been predicating the risks of surveilance for 6-7 years now. We are all happy people :-)
Indeed. Users like us might think we are in larger amounts. But sadly enough we are the minority.
Same with Linux.
Cheer up! It’s not an election, you don’t need to “win” against the evil by convincing everyone. If there’s a big-enough group around you, or even digitally around you, that share your values and your preferences here – that might just be enough. Even if you’d be alone, you could appreciate what you’re doing simply because it’s right. And you’re far from being alone.
it’s the lack of awareness combined w the convenience of modern day bread & circuses that keep everyone ignorant.
This is a good quote ✌️
It’s also a lack of technical understanding and willingness of understanding. Most non technical people just don’t care.
I tried to open up an issue (and did a PR) suggesting a developer strike as a tactic (IE open source devs adding their names to a list to promise to remove our apps from google play if developer ID goes through) on the KeepAndroidOpen repo. As a dev whose made many android apps and have them on both f-droid and google play, I thought this would mean something.
The maintainers of that repo have been ignoring me to death since April. I was told by the maintainer that the project was “leaderless”, but in reality it seems they’re very opposed to a developer strike, otherwise my PR would’ve gotten more attention.
Developers don’t want to strike because a strike means no pay because we are not unionized. It’s hard to unionize when it’s easy to find a new job for people. Our leverage is just leaving. But publishing on specific platforms don’t have that option.
If you or somebody will create this initiative, please create a post about it on Lemmy! (Or ping me here if you’ll remember.) It’s a good initiative! Worth the attention. I’d also be curious to know which developers have committed to the strike and which haven’t.
I don’t have the energy to start something and try to rally a bunch of devs, but I would join it.
Must be a US based/themed online “protest”
“We want something to change”
“We aren’t going to do anything drastic for the change”
“Nothing changed? Oh well!”
They almost always seem like a controlled opposition set up to make people believe, gain support (artificially at first to deter competeting protests that are more radical), but once it gets popular it doesn’t accomplish anything, won’t listen to ideas, input and feedback from the community and fold as soon as they aren’t required.
Is there a change to an app in Google TOCs that can get folk to get app from F-droid?
For example: “Free features for this app only available on play. New features and enhancements available (paid or) for free through f-droid.” Or if you cannot openly advertise in the app, “Visit our website to get enhanced features and updates” with clear documentation on how to install and permit f-droid and get app through there.
That way, big app devs can create moves to f-droid, normalising it and chipping away at googles power. The more apps, the more legimate f-droid seems to normies.
Ideally done as soon before switchover as possible. Even reach out to content creators.
It moves from protest, to protest and solution.
I work on an Android app for a small company. Google doesn’t care at all about Android devs except if you’re running a huge social media app or P2W game. I’m pretty sure they expect blowback from the OSS community and their plan is to simply ignore it.
There are some really popular FOSS apps for android, that are also on google play. Things like tasks.org , all the fossify apps, termux, joplin, ankidroid, thunderbird / k9, and many more.
These being potentially removed from google play by developers due to a developer strike, would have more of an impact than KeepAndroidOpen’s current top strategy, which is for users to mass email their country’s regulators, which are easily ignored by either politicians or google.
Is there an alternative to Android and iOS in the US? I’m trying to degoogle but what other phones are there?
Graphene
Doesn’t that only support phones made specifically by Google?
Yes but you buy a second hand phone so you don’t give money to these rats.
Buying a second hand phone with non replaceable battery is not a good idea. You’ll have to charge it 10 times a day.
Others are coming from what I’ve heard, but yeah, currently only Pixels have the required hardware. It’s still an awesome OS if you can find a decent second hand pixel.
@ITGuyLevi @brown567
e/os supported by any google pixel
Whether in the US or elsewhere, no, unless you’re willing to make major concessions (like not having banking apps)
The best you can do is a de-googled android, but even that is getting tricky with some apps
I’ll be serving as the tester for a de-googled phone, hopefully, next month for my family. If all works within expectations, we’ll be moving towards no google phone until the end of the year.
I’ll be getting a Murena phone.
Murena is a great alternative. They have relatively cheap and ready-to-use models.
@qyron @AuroraSine
Murena with e/os then.
I’ve had one for 3 years.
Just fantasticMy brain just equates murena to Morena the birth control IUD and I have to pause to go wtf every time. I love that everyone is trying new things. That’s how we build better options.
That’s great to hear. Good luck! I wish I could de-Google my family too.
I’m currently testing /e/OS from Murena myself, but on a Fairphone 6, not a Murena device. The system itself is fine. Takes some getting used to, but no problem. Hope you enjoy it =D
I haven’t had any problem on my Fairphone 6 with eOS except Android Auto wont work without the Play Store installed. I do miss being able to split screen apps like I could in stock android, but that’s not exactly a “problem”
My plan exactly, but on a later schedule - end of the year for me. I’ll go for the cheaper gs6
That is what I intend to get as well. But it would be welcome seing Murena widen their to the entire Gigaset line, like Volla as done.
So they’ll be like iPhones?
When this was initially announced, and they said they wouldn’t backtrack (which they have somewhat, for now), I actually did switch to an iPhone. I figured if Android was to be as closed as iOS I might as well try out iOS & see how it goes.
Hardware-wise, holy shit it’s so nice, the device was bliss to use by comparison to my android phone.
But having ads on youtube, having a shit browser (since literally every browser on iOS is a different skin of Safari), it’s so bad. I switched back to android in something like a month (my main use for my phone is watching youtube with Revanced).
Mind you, I’m in the EU, Apple has set up the 3rd party thingy in such an inconvenient way & with so little incentives for developers that there is nothing outside of the Epic Games Store.
If Android ever becomes like this, I think I might as well just switch back to a dumb phone.
Orion browser and DuckDuckGo browser are really good on iPhone. Orion can use extensions and DuckDuckGo blocks Youtube ads.
I’m thinking about GrapheneOS, but I’ve heard it can be a pain. I use a VoIP number so I could just switch to a tablet, iPad is cheaper than iPhone anyway.
@CommanderCloon @grayclouds @fdroid
Just use e/os…
Sadly yes
I think my current phone will be my last normal Android phone. My next one will be either Linux, Graphene or iOS. In that order of preference.
What type of Linux phone? I am thinking of switching too, but I’ve heard Graphene OS is a pain to set up and it makes you seem like a drug dealer.
graphene is super easy to install and set up and literally no one thinks im a drug dealer
So all those “the police will arrest you if you have this phone!111” youtube videos are just paid hype…
It’s about using the duress pin feature to wipe the device when law enforcement asks to hand over your phone.
Sure, but I saw these ads before that.
I’m not quite sure yet but I’m hoping there’s something nice by the time I quit Android. Maybe something like Ubuntu Touch on a decent phone?
Yeah, Ubuntu Touch. Less likely to get compromised if you’ve got an uncommon phone, right? I know Ubuntu OS already.
Can you advertise f-droid in an app on play store? Or offer free features on a link that teaches how to f-droid yourself?
Fdroid is exactly what they’re about to block
Not necessarily and there are ways to install it waiting a day, then it won’t be enforced on a per app basis like they plan.
Can it be side loaded?
Maybe it’s time to consider SailfishOS as a real alternative to Android (which remains very closely linked to Google)?
I’d rather see non-proprietary mobile Linux like postmarketOS, Mobian, or Ubuntu Touch.
Are any of these really getting traction? postmarketOS seems interesting?
Check out the work u/TheMightyCat has been doing for FairPhone 6 + postmarketOS
Maybe I’m out of the loop, but shortly after Google announced this didn’t they backtrack and say they will let you install unapproved apps after changing a setting and waiting 24 hours?
An afaik undocumented workaround isn’t exactly evoking trust, particularly coming from Google. Also wtf 24h cooldown to install shit on my own device?!
They said that, but similarly with how they said they delayed switching their extension API after backlash (they’d break adblockers), they ended up doing it later on. That’s what they’re counting on here as well, unless there’s a lot of loud backlash and this hits their bottom line they will eventually eliminate that option down the line imo. They have every incentive to do so.
^This.
Even if there is immense push-back for this right now, they have told everyone what they want to (and eventually will) do. The wake up call we need to focus on is an alternative. A fully functional mobile FOSS OS (I personally hope for Linux, but honestly don’t want to restrict the options if there are others that would be better).
