Android developer verification: Early access starts • Hacker News Board

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#81

Post by sipofwater » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 2:45 AM UTC

* "Android Developer Verification Discourse" by agnostic-apollo (https://github.com/agnostic-apollo), Termux app (https://github.com/termux/termux-app) developer: https://gist.github.com/agnostic-apollo/b8d8daa24cbdd216687a... (gist.github.com/agnostic-apollo/b8d8daa24cbdd216687a6bef53d417a6) and https://old.reddit.com/r/termux/comments/1ourtxj/android_dev... (old.reddit.com/r/termux/comments/1ourtxj/android_developer_verification_discourse/)

* "Android Developer Verification Proposed Changes" by agnostic-apollo (https://github.com/agnostic-apollo), Termux app (https://github.com/termux/termux-app) developer: https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/459832198 via https://old.reddit.com/r/termux/comments/1ourtxj/android_dev... (old.reddit.com/r/termux/comments/1ourtxj/android_developer_verification_discourse/)

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#82

Post by thristian » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 2:48 AM UTC

catlikesshrimp wrote: post #79

ryandrake wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let's take the "W". This is pretty good news!

I am not english native. Is "The W" a synonym for "A Win", described as a positive outcome after a contest? Is there more nuance or context than that?

I think it's from people reporting sports statistics for a player or team as "W:5 L:7" meaning "five wins and seven losses".

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/l-and-w-slang

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#83

Post by LoganDark » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 2:48 AM UTC

svat wrote: post #7

From the very first announcement of this, Google has hinted that they were doing this under pressure from the governments in a few countries. (I don't remember the URL of the first announcement, but https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/08/elevating-... is from 2025-August-25 and mentions “These requirements go into effect in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand”.) The “Why verification is important” s…

It's not possible to provide a path for advanced users that a stupid person can't be coerced to use.

Moreover, it's not possible to provide a path for advanced users that a stupid person won't use by accident, either.

These are what drive many instances of completely missing paths for advanced users. It's not possible to stop coercion or accidents. It is literally impossible. Any company that doesn't want to take the risk can only leave advanced users completely out of the picture. There's nothing else they can do.

Google will fail to prevent misuse of this feature, and advanced users will eventually be left in the dust completely as Google learns there's no way to safely provide for them. This is inevitable.

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#84

Post by sipofwater » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 2:48 AM UTC

sipofwater wrote: post #81

* "Android Developer Verification Discourse" by agnostic-apollo ( https://github.com/agnostic-apollo ), Termux app ( https://github.com/termux/termux-app ) developer: https://gist.github.com/agnostic-apollo/b8d8daa24cbdd216687a... (gist.github.com/agnostic-apollo/b8d8daa24cbdd216687a6bef53d417a6) and https://old.reddit.com/r/termux/comments/1ourtxj/android_dev... (old.reddit.com/r/termux/comments/1ourtxj/android_deve…

Android Debug Bridge (https://developer.android.com/tools/adb) using two Android smartphones and Termux (https://github.com/termux/termux-app):

* Search for "Smartphone-1 to Smartphone-2" "adb tcpip 5555" in "Motorola moto g play 2024 smartphone, Termux, termux-usb, usbredirect, QEMU running under Termux, and Alpine Linux: Disks with Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) Partition Table (GPT) partitioning": https://old.reddit.com/r/MotoG/comments/1j2g5gz/motorola_mot... (old.reddit.com/r/MotoG/comments/1j2g5gz/motorola_moto_g_play_2024_smartphone_termux/)

* Search for "termux-adb" in "Motorola moto g play 2024 Smartphone, Android 14 Operating System, Termux, And cryptsetup: Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS) Encryption/Decryption And The ext4 Filesystem Without Using root Access, Without Using proot-distro, And Without Using QEMU": https://old.reddit.com/r/MotoG/comments/1jkl0f8/motorola_mot... (old.reddit.com/r/MotoG/comments/1jkl0f8/motorola_moto_g_play_2024_smartphone_android_14/)

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#85

Post by orbital-decay » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 2:48 AM UTC

kccqzy wrote: post #66

tomrod wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bought the hardware, therefore I have the right to modify and repair. Natural right, full stop. That right ends are your nose, as the saying goes.

Consider whether your natural right argument might not stand in several other countries’ legal systems. The era of United States companies using common sense United States principles for the whole world is coming to an end.

Okay, but currently it's the opposite: an US company is forcing the principles of these few legal systems for the whole world.

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#86

Post by rpdillon » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 2:52 AM UTC

Sytten wrote: post #12

In the end when supporting the non tech people in the family, what I would really like is to setup their device so they can install anything on Fdroid but nothing from the play store (unless approved by me) nor direct from an apk.

This is exactly what I do. Works pretty well. I've never needed to restrict the play store. I just tell them not to use it.

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#87

Post by pwg » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 2:52 AM UTC

Metacelsus wrote: post #5

Glad to see them being less evil.

Sadly, less evil is still evil.

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#88

Post by thisislife2 » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 2:54 AM UTC

svat wrote: post #7

From the very first announcement of this, Google has hinted that they were doing this under pressure from the governments in a few countries. (I don't remember the URL of the first announcement, but https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/08/elevating-... is from 2025-August-25 and mentions “These requirements go into effect in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand”.) The “Why verification is important” s…

I don't buy this argument at all that this specific implementation is under pressure from the government - if the problem is indeed malware getting access to personal data, then the very obvious solution is to ensure that such personal data is not accessible by apps in the first place! Why should apps have access to a user's SMS / RCS? (Yeah, I know it makes onboarding / verification easy and all, if an app can access your OTP. But that's a minor convenience that can be sacrificed if it's also being used for scams by malware apps).

But that kind of privacy based security model is anathema to Google because its whole business model is based on violating its users' privacy. And that's why they have come with such convoluted implementation that further give them control over a user's device. Obviously some government's too may favour such an approach as they too can then use Google or Apple to exert control over their citizens (through censorship or denial of services).

Note also that while they are not completely removing sideloading (for now) they are introducing further restrictions on it, including gate-keeping by them. This is just the "boil the frog slowly" approach. Once this is normalised, they will make a move to prevent sideloading completely, again, in the future.

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#89

Post by Superblazer » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 2:55 AM UTC

Aurornis wrote: post #47

metadat wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So.. all this drama over an alert(yes/no) box? Wow, this really pulls back the veil. This Vendor (google) is only looking out for numero uno.

> So.. all this drama over an alert(yes/no) box? The angry social media narratives have been running wild from people who insert their own assumptions into what’s happening. It’s been fairly clear from the start that this wasn’t the end of sideloading, period. However that doesn’t get as many clicks and shares as writing a headline claiming that Google is taking away your rights.

Have you missed the plot entirely? This is absurd

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#90

Post by orbital-decay » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 2:56 AM UTC

ashikns wrote: post #67

tomrod wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bought the hardware, therefore I have the right to modify and repair. Natural right, full stop. That right ends are your nose, as the saying goes.

Yeah then you have the choice to not buy the locked down hardware, you don't have a right to get open hardware FROM Google. Of course there are no good options for open hardware, but that is a related but separate problem.

It's not a separate problem, Google are actively suppressing any possibility of open mobile hardware. They force HW manufacturers to keep their specs secret and make them choose between their ecosystem and any other, not both. There's a humongous conflict of interests and they're abusing their dominating position.