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Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

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Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#221

Post by grishka »

necovek wrote: post #161
pjmlp wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many countries prefer the freedom of pre-pay/post-pay than being bound by contracts though. Not everyone has the US culture of running their life on credit. Because when life changes, it isn't only their phone they lose. The only single time I had a contract, because it was the only way to get a Nokia N70, I learnt never to do another one ever again.

Are you sure it is your whole country or it's you? I mostly buy my phones outright too, but I am under no impression that everybody else does it as well.

In my country, for example, buying phones from carriers as part of your plan just isn't a thing. As in, you couldn't do it even if you wanted to. Same for postpaid plans and contracts.

As a result, quite a lot of people use the "I can't believe they could make and sell an entire phone at this price" Xiaomi and similar phones.

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#223

Post by clort »

Macha wrote: post #189
pmlnr wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Can I install my banking apps? Choose a bank with viable web banking. > Is there a Google pay equivalent? It's called a debit/credit card.

> Choose a bank with viable web banking. There are five options in my country, 3 of which require app push based 2FA to log into the web interface and 2 of which only have an app interfere. Maybe I could get a EU bank from another EU country but my employer will not accept an out of country account for salary deposits because it makes their tax life difficult and my mortgage provider doesn't trust foreign accounts ei…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banks_in_the_Republic_...

so Eire has 5 significant banks, and 15 'less significant'. There are also 276 Credit Unions, I don't know if they are useful. (I had a Credit Union account in the past, could send/receive online but no payment card)

(I don't know their suitability, but there are more than 5 options in your country)

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#224

Post by avcloudy »

onli wrote: post #56
AlotOfReading wrote: post #12

Google's long term strategy with Android is baffling to me. Apple has had better mobile hardware for years. Apple has higher consumer trust. Apple has better app selection (for most people). Apple has been increasingly implementing the core features that differentiate Android devices, like USB-C and RCS. Every Android user lost to the increasing iOS market share is another customer Google has to pay exorbitant fees t…

I don't see any iOS advantage with the apps anymore. That was maybe true in the very beginning, during the gold rush time of the app store. But not since then. In which category are there better iOS apps? Browsers? No, strictly worse. Youtube app? No, worse. Texting? Worse or equal (Whatsapp). Podcast client? I assume worse, since there is no Antenna Pod. Social media apps? The iOS variants of those apps are afaik in…

This is a really ideology driven push. I don't think you really think the iOS browsers are worse, there's just less choice, because they all fundamentally use WebKit. Having to use Chromium is a worse experience, and not being able to use Gecko under Firefox is not a clear upgrade - particularly as WebKit is so tightly integrated with the hardware, leading to less battery use. If you really don't like WebKit for whatever reason, I get it. But that's not worse.

Whenever there is an app with full feature parity (WhatsApp) you assume at best it can be equal, based on nothing. You have specific apps that work for you, and that's great, but my practical experience is much different: whenever I haven't had a choice in an app (think banking apps, carrier apps, local library apps, the Covid apps) the experience has been much better on Apple. Whenever there is a choice in apps, they're often cross-written in something that allows easy porting, and very similar, or the native Apple solution is much smoother. It's rare that an app just feels better on Android, and usually limited to cases where a specific app is only available on Android or, you know, Google.

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#225

Post by g947o »

pmlnr wrote: post #153
juliie wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can I install my banking apps? Is there a Google pay equivalent? As much as I want open source, I really don't think it's there yet for most people.

> Can I install my banking apps? Choose a bank with viable web banking. > Is there a Google pay equivalent? It's called a debit/credit card.

If you are a normal human being who doesn't enjoy suffering, you'll give up the idea of doing web bank on a mobile phone.

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#226

Post by _ink_ »

necovek wrote: post #36

I would like to see a high friction flow for installing all the crap from the Play Store to "protect and educate users". "Are you sure you want to install this app? It's only got a score of 2.8 and only 7 reviews, and will ask for all of these permissions?"

And I want to see transparent price structures. Hey, this app is free. Installed. Only works with subscription. I hate it.

Edit: to clarify, I don't hate subscription, I hate that I cannot search for free apps in the store.

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#227

Post by manuelabeledo »

wolvoleo wrote: post #177
karlgkk wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, you’re so wrong about the app situation that it’s almost staggering. iOS apps tend to be more stable, better polished, have better integration with system features (like the Dynamic Island), and even often have more features. This isn’t even an unfounded opinion, it’s a material problem for Google and led them to vastly investing in automated testing and quality efforts App addressable user base is another…

The pricing gap also rules Apple out in a lot of markets. Almost nobody has Apple here in Spain, the only people i see are tourists and expats.

While not as popular as Android, last time I checked iOS was at 28% market share. That’s hardly “almost nobody”.

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#228

Post by akerl_ »

ben_w wrote: post #134
karlgkk wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, you’re so wrong about the app situation that it’s almost staggering. iOS apps tend to be more stable, better polished, have better integration with system features (like the Dynamic Island), and even often have more features. This isn’t even an unfounded opinion, it’s a material problem for Google and led them to vastly investing in automated testing and quality efforts App addressable user base is another…

> iOS apps tend to be more stable, better polished It's been a while since I was last using Android, but first-party Apple apps no longer meet my standards for "polished". e.g. type this sequence into the calculator: [2] [-] [4] [=] [x²] [=] The answer should not be negative, but the app says "-4". The desktop Contacts app has been putting invisible LTR and RTL codes around phone numbers for years now, breaking web f…

> e.g. type this sequence into the calculator

Works perfectly for me.

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#229

Post by jeroenhd »

jhanschoo wrote: post #67

As TFA does not mention it, and I don't see any top-level comments discussing it, this is a continued rollout of a "feature" first piloted in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. See: https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/08/elevating-... https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/11/android-de... https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/google-android-dev... Of course, HN reaction has always bee…

These measures are indeed the result of governments blaming their citizens getting scammed on phone manufacturers. There's not a lot Google can do here.

However, Google is choosing to extend these changes worldwide. That's where the problem really starts. People in Asia and Brazil may vote for idiots who will shift the blame for their citizens' lack of basic digital education onto others, but that doesn't mean that countries where this type of fraud barely exists should also be subject to these extreme measures.

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#230

Post by Cu3PO42 »

Macha wrote: post #189
pmlnr wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Can I install my banking apps? Choose a bank with viable web banking. > Is there a Google pay equivalent? It's called a debit/credit card.

> Choose a bank with viable web banking. There are five options in my country, 3 of which require app push based 2FA to log into the web interface and 2 of which only have an app interfere. Maybe I could get a EU bank from another EU country but my employer will not accept an out of country account for salary deposits because it makes their tax life difficult and my mortgage provider doesn't trust foreign accounts ei…

> Maybe I could get a EU bank from another EU country but my employer will not accept an out of country account for salary deposits because it makes their tax life difficult and my mortgage provider doesn't trust foreign accounts either.

I do not doubt this is happening, but it is forbidden under SEPA. All IBANs, no matter from which member country, must be treated equally. Unfortunately, "IBAN discrimination" happens quite frequently still. The European commission recommends filing a complaint with your national governing body.

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