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Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps

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Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps

#141

It's a little inconvenient for someone setting up a new phone to have to wait a full day to install unregistered apps. But while I can't speak for others, it's a price I'm personally willing to pay to make the types of scams they mention much less effective. The perfect is the enemy of the good.

How would you feel about needing to wait 24 hours to visit an "unapproved" website on your phone? You would pay Google/Apple $25 to get whitelisted so people can browse to your personal website without getting a scary security message.

This is the same thing since it applies to all apps, not just apps that need special permissions.

Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps

#142

24 hour mandatory wait time to side load!? All apps I want to use on my phone are not in the Play Store. So I buy a new phone (or wipe a used phone) and then I can’t even use it for 24 hours?

You can if you have a way to use ADB.

Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps

#143

24 hour mandatory wait time to side load!? All apps I want to use on my phone are not in the Play Store. So I buy a new phone (or wipe a used phone) and then I can’t even use it for 24 hours?

1) The one-time, one-day waiting period only applies if you go through the advanced flow to allow installing unregistered apps. You can still install registered apps (ie. apps made by developers who have verified their identity) even if they're distributed outside the Play Store.

2) You can use ADB to immediately install unregistered apps. ADB installs are not subject to the waiting period.

Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps

#144

As an idea, what about allowing the 24 hours to be bypassed using adb (edit: bypass to allow indefinitely, not just install a single app)? I understand there is some problem trying to be solved here, but honestly this is still quite frustrating for legitimate uses. If this is the direction that computing is moving, I'd really rather there were separate products available for power users/devs that reflected our differ…

This is already how it works.

Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps

#145
post #87

At this point I'm convinced that there's something deeply wrong with how our society treats technology. Ruining Android for everyone to try to maybe help some rather technologically-hopeless groups of people is the wrong solution. It's unsustainable in the long run. Also, the last thing this world needs right now is even more centralization of power. Especially around yet another US company. People who are unwilling…

I like this idea. But last time I tried it the customer representative on the other line told me they were sorry but they could not accommodate my request at this time.

Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps

#146

I'll say it again: this isn't a problem for Android to solve. Scammers will naturally adapt their "processes" to account for this 24-hour requirement and IMO it might make it seem more legitimate to the victim because there's less urgency. The onus of protecting people's wealth should fall on the bank / institution who manages that persons wealth. Nevertheless, this solution is better than ID verification for devs.

> I'll say it again: this isn't a problem for Android to solve.

They're not solving that problem. They're using it as an excuse to lock down the platform further and assume more control. Any incidental benefit for user "security" is an unintended consequence of their real agenda.

Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps

#147
post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not secure when one of the main adversaries (Google) controls all the keys.

I believe that is why "escalating safety" and "secure" were written in italics in the comment. Those are the terms Google would use, not necessarily the truth.

Ahh in the glider app I use the italics didn't appear. I use very old version because I didn't like their last redesign.

Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps

#148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do I need to be signed in to Google play to get the sideloading exception turned on? I don't sign in to it because I don't want to have my phone associated with a Google account. But I can't uninstall play completely on the devices I have. It says something about 'restart your phone and reauthenticate' that's why I'm asking. What do you autenticate? > ADB installs are not impacted by the waiting period, so that is an…

>It says something about 'restart your phone and reauthenticate' that's why I'm asking. What do you autenticate? You're authenticating that you're the device owner (via your device's saved biometrics or PIN/pattern/password). >Um yeah but then do I have to install every update via adb? I want to just use F-Droid. No, once you go through the advanced flow and choose the option to allow installing unregistered apps ind…

Ah thanks I'm glad I don't need a Google account to enable this.

Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps

#149
post #87

At this point I'm convinced that there's something deeply wrong with how our society treats technology. Ruining Android for everyone to try to maybe help some rather technologically-hopeless groups of people is the wrong solution. It's unsustainable in the long run. Also, the last thing this world needs right now is even more centralization of power. Especially around yet another US company. People who are unwilling…

Its not society, this is simply more fascism. Corperate and government cooperation to surviel and controll the masses. So long as the 5g chips and the 2 mobile app stores remain under control, then 5 eyes has nearly full coverage.

A fascist society is a society. Members of that society will gladly vote in more fascism.

Re: Google details new 24-hour process to sideload unverified Android apps

#150
post #87

At this point I'm convinced that there's something deeply wrong with how our society treats technology. Ruining Android for everyone to try to maybe help some rather technologically-hopeless groups of people is the wrong solution. It's unsustainable in the long run. Also, the last thing this world needs right now is even more centralization of power. Especially around yet another US company. People who are unwilling…

> People who are unwilling to figure out the risks just should not use smartphones and the internet.

Sounds great in theory, but just today I was reminded how impossible this is when walking back from lunch, I noticed all the parking meters covered with a hood, labelled with instructions on how to pay with the app.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/city-of-regina-r...

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