225

Google has been trying to make Android proprietary for a few years now, and that's not news, as many AOSP default apps have been abandoned over time in favor of proprietary Google ones. This was never a huge problem for me, as you can still use those apps without network access or use open source alternatives like Fossify on a custom ROM.

However, the situation is quickly getting worse, now that Google is actively trying to prevent the development of custom ROMs and taking a page from Apple's book by forcing developers to beg them for permission to release apps on the Android platform, even outside of the Play Store - giving Google full control.

Is there still any hope left for privacy respecting Android ROMs? What do you think will happen next? And what would be your suggestions for those looking for a phone in 2025?

If you have a different perspective on the situation, also please comment below!

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] 0x0@lemmy.zip 69 points 1 day ago

What do you think will happen next?

Development of Linux on mobile will ramp up.
EU or similar wrecking Google over being monopolistic would be nice but unlikely.
Same but targeting phone manufacturers.

[-] comrade_twisty@feddit.org 53 points 1 day ago

We need the EU to regulate Banking and Payment apps to not rely on Google apis first and mandate that they have to be available in open app stores or as apk.

[-] matlag@sh.itjust.works 5 points 15 hours ago

Right now the EU regulation is pushing banks to require more of Google or Apple because it's unclear and banks won't take a chance of getting fined.

Among the requirements are: ensure the device and the OS were not "altered". What does that mean exactly? Answer: [crickets].

But that's why many banks just go with the Google Play Integrity API.

[-] lemonySplit@lemmy.ca 2 points 15 hours ago

Even just forcing them to stop blocking access on the website when they detect a phone would be nice.

I have to enable desktop mode on ironfox since ~2 years ago for my bank. Then the scaling is terrible and its hard to click buttons

[-] timbuck2themoon@sh.itjust.works 2 points 17 hours ago

Exactly. It's like we've somehow been told that we must support only the main 2 OSs and nothing else.

[-] Ulrich@feddit.org 26 points 1 day ago

They don't even do that with their own apps.

[-] comrade_twisty@feddit.org 11 points 1 day ago

Maybe they can regulate themselves first as a start then. They already use Matrix, so it’s not like they are completely lost regarding IT Security and FOSS.

[-] Zerush@lemmy.ml 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

From the EU to wreck Google e-Foundation, with advantage substituting GMail, GDocs and GDrive >Murena Workspace, Murena Phones (FairPhone) with /e/OS by default, Murena is OpenSource (GitLab) selfhostable or Freemium if not, including Murena Cloud., All 100% de-googled and encrypted, no knowledge. The EU offers enough alternatives, you only have to use these.

[-] eldavi@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 day ago

i was going to do this until i discovered that their non-pixel devices have poor network coverage in the united states.

also doesn't /e/os has the same problems that other projects like grapheneos has when it comes to google locking down android?

[-] Zerush@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago

Yes, FairPhone is currently somewhat bullied by the traditional companies. I don't think that /e/OS will have problems with Google, it's like also Linage OS, a fork of Android (FOSS) with the only difference that all refereences and APIs of Google are gutted and out of it's influence. It's a pure Android code as is and as such 100% compatible with all Android apps, but these don't depend on to be approved by Google like those for the normal stock Android.

[-] eldavi@lemmy.ml 1 points 19 hours ago

these don’t depend on to be approved by Google like those for the normal stock Android.

Didn't Google recently require all app developers to register w them?

[-] Zerush@lemmy.ml 2 points 18 hours ago

In an FOSS which is free to use, to fork and modify for everyone? The only copyright that Google has over Android made, that the fork can't be called Android nor use it's logo, because this the forks are called /e(OS and LinageOS with different logos. Naturally Google has the right to select Android devs and those which develope apps for Google play, but this isn't aplicable to the mencioned and other forks, these are out of the reach of Google, except if they still contain certain APIs from Google or using apps from Google Play, not the case in the mencioned forks. It's like with Chromium, there are forks which simply patch their logo on it and those which use de-googled forks (Brave (?), Vivaldi, de-googled Chromium and also EDGE (with it's own tracking APIs from M$) )which are not phoning home to Google.

[-] eldavi@lemmy.ml 2 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

absolutely ture in a purely foss environment; but we're talking about android phones whose manufacturers are locking down the bootloaders in lock step with google's efforts to lock down android.

both lineageos and e/os/ are going to be difficult to maintain going forward without projects like murena making their own phones.

this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2025
225 points (100.0% liked)

Privacy

41252 readers
608 users here now

A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.

Some Rules

Related communities

much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS