In addition to the advanced flow we’re building free, limited distribution accounts for students and hobbyists. This allows you to share apps with a small group (up to 20 devices) without needing to provide a government-issued ID or pay a registration fee.
Fuck you sideways, Google.
What? ID?
They think this will take some of the heat off of them. Hopefully no one actually thinks this is a reasonable compromise. If I want to help an elderly family member install something on their phone during Thanksgiving dinner or a family reunion, I’m not gonna want to wait a day. Uncle Paul’s flying back to Florida tomorrow morning!
I imagine that the demand for linux phones will only grow.
THE PENGUINS MUST GROW
Okay but, installing an apk is not the kind of thing a scammer does. They’ll just install some standard off the shelf remote access software from the play store
This very much feels like they just needed to come up with a new justification for this process and opted for scammers for some reason. Even though they’re completely disconnected
This very much feels like they just needed to come up with a new justification for this process
It feels that way because that’s exactly what happened.
And again, confirming that my current phone will be the last android device I own.
What will you use instead though?
At this stage, I’m thinking one of the Motorola phones that will run Graphene out of the box.
Even sidegrading to an older mid-high range phone seems like a good idea at this point. I hate android 12 and everything after it with a passion. Moto have been decent in my experience though, hopefully HMD will follow suit with Graphene
Isn’t that Android?
I believe it’s a fork of android that is not managed by Google
It’s an Android fork that has been degoogled
…so it’s android.
Is that meant to be a “gotcha” or something?
My point is, this is the last time I let google control my phone.
yes but also no.
google influenced, but not google controlled anymore.
I imagine since it’s not an official product of Google’s, it can’t legally be called “Android.” As such it’s something that is not Android, but is highly compatible with it since both are rooted in the AOSP.
Legally? Maybe not.
But Col Sanders left KFC after selling a business he created with his own secret reciepe. Then after he sold it, he watched the new owners use his image to sell an inferior chicken product.
So he started up another new chicken resteraunt using the original reciepe. Legally he couldn’t call it KFC, but that doesn’t change the fact that it was the original KFC reciepe.
Hows that phrase go? A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.
Call things whatever word you want, it’s still the same thing in the end.
I use graphene on a pixel. Graphene is Android, albeit a much better version of Android.
I don’t care whether it’s technically android or not, I care that it’s not a tool to let google in to my life.
I’m hoping it’s smaller than any of their current offerings. I really want to support a “factory” GrapheneOS phone, but can’t stand the size of current generation phones.
I want the opposite! I currently use a fold phone because phones are too small :P
any links for more info?
March 2, 2026 https://motorolanews.com/motorola-three-new-b2b-solutions-at-mwc-2026/
That’s some good news indeed.
Linux phone, landline, or tin can and string.
Another option, an ESP32 radio. Surprisingly large mesh network in the greater Seattle area.
Yeah, but you guys don’t have any ghosts in your city! So…Who ya gonna call???
Fairphone with /e/os or Jolla phone with sailfishos (waiting for the reviews of their new preordered flagship phone coming out this fall.)
Well, that runs into a different problem with the same results.
Sure, GOOGLE can’t hinder you from installing apps, but the fact that nobody has heard of these OS’s before means your selection of available apps is what hinders your ability to install apps.
/e/os is Android without Google proprietary stuff. It runs most Android apps.
“Nobody has Heard of these os’” - wtf you talk about? They are gaining popularity here in EU as well as in Turkey. It’s getting popular to de-google/de-americanize. People are hating on the monopoly iOS and Android has on the industry. Better to do something than being a sheep about it, and just let thos mofos suck the data out of your life forever?
You != Everybody.
That exact issue killed Blackberry, the largest smartphone maker at the time. Even after they built a compatibility layer to run Android apps.
You think anywhere near enough people are going to go out of their way to try something that doesn’t have marketshare already to maintain an entire alternative hardware and software ecosystem? Where can I get wherever awesome shit you’re smoking?
I am already on Graphene OS… so, do what the fuck u want. I dont care.
If graphene had Liquid Glass I’d unironically switch to it. I can’t stand flat looking UI.
Rental devices tend to be bad investments for the individuals.
spoiler
___either going back to cell phones or we all go for Linux phones
I hate how much more difficult my work or life has to be because some people shouldn’t have a smartphone.
Hot Take: Honestly, this is not as bad as I thought it’d be… IMO
(But still, it’s kinda a slipperly slope…)
Their strategy:
- announce they will make extreme restrictions
- people get crazy over it and backlash
- announce that they’re listening to people and will soften the proposed restrictions
- people relax and accept the restrictions, while the media portray them as the good guys
I feel if everything they said is true, then this is a reasonable solution. But from my many Youtube scammer video experience, like people have already mentioned, most scammers use standard remote access software, not some bespoke APK.
I’m okay with this. Didn’t read the article — I read one on Ars Technica or somewhere wore.
iPhone guy, but say I get an Android phone that has this. Say the Pixel 11 Pro ships with it. So I do the thing, right when I get it… 24 hours after that I can install whatever? That’s fine. It’s only 24 hours and then it’s open as long as you want it to be. I don’t even think I need to sideload, but I’ll want the option. And it’s still better than the hoops we gotta jump through to sideload on iPhone.
And it’s still better than the hoops we gotta jump through to sideload on iPhone.
The fact that iOS is a joke doesn’t make this any better, and there’s no such thing as “sideloading” outside of corporate FUD; it’s installing perfectly goddamn normal software on your goddamn device that you goddamn own. I didn’t “sideload” Firefox onto my desktop. “Yeah, bro, I just sideloaded Hades II.”
