all it does is prevent sideloaded apps from having access to sensitive permissions by default, which is a good thing.
True, but if it's good for users, it should be the rule for ALL apps
Well, all apps on your phone are sideloaded, right? You're not using Google play, are you?
The pros for Android is sadly gone :(
For what it's worth, iOS sure has a lot of cons.
Those are just the things I can recall off the top of my head.
We need more mobile OSes. This duopoly is pure stagnation.
Extra cons:
Sidelining is not a option(yes you can do sideloady way but it will get deleted later the sideloaded and libre app support (like a invidious client for ios)
Now I'm actually glad I'm stuck on Android 13.
If Google is going to turn Android into iPhone, why tf I shouldn't get an iPhone itself?
If Google is going to turn Android into iPhone,
It's not. The change is definitively for the worse but still a far cry from Apple where you cannot just download an app off the internet and install it which you can even on Android 15, the permission management is just worse in such a case.
Also, surely community ROMs will probably change this.
why tf I shouldn’t get an iPhone itself?
Why TF would it be a benefit over Android? Still worse compatibility, still more expensive, still no innovation.
I don’t understand why you are being downvoted. that is simply the truth.
I have been using an iphone 12 pro for the past 3 weeks ,while my pixel 6 is getting its battery replaced and it’s been painful.
i’m missing a lot of apps, the ones I do find are limited or asking for monthly subscriptions.
i am unable to play a downloaded mp3 unless i go through hoops&hurdles .
i am no longer able to watch a youtube video without ads (unless I do 3 steps of passing them to adguard), or using sponsorblock ( i am on ios 18.2, otherwise I would have jail broken it to oblivion).
android is simpy better in terms of freedom. IF or when it’ll become a locked garden like ios, it’ll truly be a sad day for the mobile world.
i’m missing a lot of apps, the ones I do find are limited or asking for monthly subscriptions.
What apps? Are they all from the Play store?
i am unable to play a downloaded mp3 unless i go through hoops&hurdles .
You can download the MP3 and play it in VLC. It’s not difficult.
i am no longer able to watch a youtube video without ads
Brave browser on iOS will block YT ads, but I’m guessing you’re not using the official YT client on your android, so that’s a moot point.
android is simpy better in terms of freedom.
But not better in keeping your data private.
Also, is the shift key broken on your phone?
Android has been getting worse and worse every iteration. Are you asking me to wait until it is an identical clone of iOS?
Also, surely community ROMs will probably change this.
I don't have time or desire to fiddle with it, just like mods for Bethesda games. It should not be acceptable to shrug at enshittification and hope some volunteers fix it.
Android has been getting worse and worse every iteration.
Android added seamless background updates from 3rd party sources a while back. That's an objective improvement.
Are you asking me to wait until it is an identical clone of iOS?
I don't ask anything of you. If you are such a big Apple fan, just get an iPhone and stop complaining.
If you are such a big Apple fan
I'm not but feels like Google is.
Triggered much?
I've been an Android user since the HTC Desire in 2010.
I'm unsure what the author of the article is advocating, since the "raw deal" appears to be geared towards making the Android environment more secure.
The author laments that they now have to manually enable security bypass settings and that some (they call it developers, but I'm not sure if they're referring to Application Development or Phone Platform Development) "developers" can lock down with further API checks.
I've been an ICT professional for over 40 years and security is always a balance. On the one end it looks like a phone in a locked room, inaccessible to anyone, on the other end it's a free-for-all, open to anyone.
I'm not at all sure what the author wants, except for wanting to roll back time to something less secure.
Ultimately, the user should be able to decide for themselves how much security they are willing to compromise for power and flexibility. Whether this particular compromise is acceptable would depend on just how annoying it is in practice, but it's a trend I'm not a fan of.
On the plus side, if this compromises third party app store usage even more, it may be more fuel for the anti-trust lawsuits aimed at Google (although who knows how that will play out given who is becoming president).
These new security features do not (and can not) apply to apps distributed outside of the Play Store, so it won't compromise third party stores whatsoever.
They do apply to Apps only distributed Outside Play Store and certain Approved third Party stores, did you even read the article?
they do. that's the definition of sideloading. or why do you think the opposite?
As someone who's always been side loading apps and doing custom configs, it's just so much harder compared to what it used to be. So many hidden settings. So many menus you have to go through in the right order. So many reverts that happen each update.
You say it's in the name of security, but I don't see it. Something is fundamentally broken here, if Google really believes this is the best path forward
Edit: and btw, I work in big tech too. I know how this update came to be. Some L6 looking for his packet decided to "decrease infected devices by 10%" by adding this friction, and everyone nodded along since the negative impact isn't measurable.
It makes it frustrating to use, not secure. When installed program stops working after 30 or whatever days of me not using it because my great white master decided that it doesn't need what was granted by me at installation is not security it's just spitting in my face. I don't care about what "developers" want why should anyone?
Somehow No One needs that much Holding Hand or "Security" on the Computer, where No revenue streams of Google/Apple are affected
You have a very distorted view of security. The Apple computer ecosystem closely mirrors their phone and tablet system.
Microsoft Windows is an absolute shitshow and continues to get worse at every iteration.
I can Install on a Mac without any Roadblocks another Operating System, and I can Install Apps without the need for a Developer Account or a certificate unrestricted.
Otherwise I'm using GNU/Linux which also doesn't try to "protect" me in the interest of some Corporation
Actually, no you cannot. You need to adjust and grant permissions for anything you install on a Mac OS system today.
Source: I own a Mac, it's less than six months old. Installing stuff is full of permission requests.
As for Linux, I've used and installed it for over 25 years. It's not ready for 3 billion home users and at the rate it's going, it won't ever get there.
Yes, I know, Android is Linux, well done, here's an elephant stamp.
I've also been using Linux for a similar amount of time, and it's only at work now I have to use Windows.
And as for home users using Linux? I have a few family members quite happy with Ubuntu / Firefox since all they need is a browser and VLC for their "PC", so I don't know where you got that "it'll never get there" metric from.
Alright they don't have a clue how Jellyfin works on that box, but they sure do appreciate and use it a lot these days now they've got used to it / dumping Netflix.
Of course you can Install Asahi Linux on a modern Mac, and you can Sideload Apps too. Both Things which are Not possible on iOS without Major Roadblocks
Yeah, the author and people are fussing over without reason. Regular users do not understand the implication of sideloading apps. I have had people get their telegram/whatsapp hacked because someone sent them a malicious link and they sent their login credentials to that website/app.
Restricting sensitive permissions will mean such people are better protected from such mistakes. Advanced users can still bypass the requirements even though it may be slightly complicated.
I just wish the system had a global setting for "I know what I am doing, stop trying to protect me". Stop revoking permissions you think I don't need. stop restricting everything. Just turn all of those things off by default. I only have a couple apps installed, let me be the judge of me. And stop having me reconfigure every app individually just so you'll let it run for as long as I want it to.
POV: You're Google and think EU didn't fine you enough lately.
"Cost of doing business"
Not really with the huge EU fines. Google eventually does what EU wants, though it takes a while because EU is fucking slow.
Though I understand the reason, I find this ironic given how invasive play store apps can be. My cars official app requires full location access all the time, otherwise it pops up asking for it every time you open it. Meanwhile some FOSS app that can be code reviewed and sideloaded is more difficult to give needed acess.
and FOSS apps that can be fully code reviewed and confirmed safe, unlike anything proprietary, will still cause banking apps to refuse to run on your unrooted device. I had to go back to carrying a physical key around with me. (the foss apps were there first)
This is why I decided to not use Google services this Graphene install. I have zero doubt Google is going to try and lock down the ability to use anything outside of the PlayStore in an IOS type move. Just hope a better Linux based phone gets done quickly because I'm not sure how many iterations of alternate Android OS generations will be able to exist as they lock things down.
I don't think it's quite a bad as the title implies, though I wonder how long this slow process of locking down Android will ~~contained~~ continue for. Hopefully the EU demands from the likes of Epic will stop too much control being taken away from the user.
Is control really taken away? It seems as though it simply added a couple steps to help people avoid giving default permissions to bad actors.
Yeah that's the thing, as an isolated change it seems like a good step for security, but I'm concerned it could be part of a larger frog-boiling.
Sideloading is the only reason i use android over ios...
Same
Ironically sideloading is pretty easy on iOS nowadays
But if you need notifications Gl and gl with apple removing the app
Personally, I like the first one and wouldn't use an option to automatically give those permissions to all apps.
Being a power user doesn't make anyone immune from malware, it just needs to pass some sniff tests. It was by luck that that backdoor in the Linux kernel was found and it's naive to believe every single malware app is going to be obvious with unrealistic promises and/or bad grammar and spelling. Permissions requests are a clue that an app is doing something it shouldn't be. And Facebook is considered trusted by many despite an insider even confirming the "talk about something near your phone and fb will advertise it to you" being real.
When you download an app, unless you either wrote it yourself (including all libraries) or have checked the source for open source apps (again including libraries), you can only guess at what it is really doing. And just because an app does what it claims to do doesn't mean it isn't doing anything else, so the "well, it does work" test isn't a great security test.
For the app developers being able to block side loading, it says it uses meta data to enforce that. Couldn't modders just modify that meta data so that it doesn't realize X' app is actually a modified X app? It would need to do something more complex than a checksum or hash to detect it's the same app.
I mean, I love "fuck Google" bandwagons, but either I'm missing something or this one doesn't seem like that big of a deal.
despite an insider even confirming the "talk about something near your phone and fb will advertise it to you" being real
When was this‽
Sometime in the last couple of years iirc, though I'm having trouble finding it, what with all of the articles about "it might look like this is happening but Facebook insists it's not".
Let me know if you do find anything as I'm very keen to hear the inside scoop. It always seemed like nonsense to me as it would be so easy to prove (unexpected mic access, large amounts of data or CPU usage, actual recreation in test conditions) but all the claims (that I've seen) are very anecdotal.
Wait, am I to understand they're intending on making it that you cannot just install any apk you choose because it's your phone and your business? Is that going to be no longer possible?
If you were to read the article you'd find that sideloaded apps will have restricted permissions that the user will have to un-restrict one by one.
Will the permissions still be allowable by goinv to the app info page from the settings, clicking the 3 dot menu in the corner and taping to allow restricted settings?
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