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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

#171
post #166
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. That train has left the station decades ago. The internet has become an essential part of modern societies. People can't not use the internet (or smartphones), at least if they don't live in the woods.

Have you read my comment in full?

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

#172

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?

From purely a usability standpoint, not a freedom standpoint, I would actually be okay with that for my personal use if it stayed like that. But the point is that they're just making it worse and worse. They won't stop with this. I can arrange to do without an important app for a day, even if I had to get a new phone unexpectedly (If I had to skip attending an event and stay at home where my computer is, because I could only properly be on call with my sideloaded app, I'd chalk it up to an unusual situation). But it won't be long before they change it again.

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

#173
post #28

This is going to hurt legitimate sideloading way more than actually necessary to reduce scams: - Must enable developer mode -- some apps (e.g., banking apps) will refuse to operate and such when developer mode is on, and so if you depend on such apps, I guess you just can't sideload? - One-day (day!!!) waiting period to activate (one-time) -- the vast majority of people who need to sideload something will probably no…

> some apps (e.g., banking apps) will refuse to operate and such when developer mode is on JFC. Why would an app be allowed to know this? Just another datapoint for fingerprinting.

It's always boggled my mind what native apps are allowed to know versus the same thing running in a browser on the same device.

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

#174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see anything on NewPipe's website about not continuing development?

A few apps have been showing pop-ups warning users in advance that they are not going to do the verification. Obtanium is definitely on of them. I think I saw something similar on NewPipe.

Yes, but that isn't them giving up developing the app, that is them fighting back!

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

#175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

asian development bank?

Android Debug Bridge, a CLI for connecting to Android devices: https://developer.android.com/tools/adb

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

#176
> Wait 24 hours

Man, fuck Google. I hope this bullshit is struck down by government regulation as malicious compliance to 3rd party app stores.

I wonder if GrapheneOS will have the same level of user-hostile bullshit. That may be my salvation board right now.

Sailfish OS would be great, but unfortunately my banks don't seem to play along with it.

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

#177

I'm not in agreement with most of you, hn. They've found a decent compromise that works for power users and the general population. Your status as a power user does not invalidate the need to help the more vulnerable. Having to wait a day for a one off isn't a big deal, if they kept it looser then you'd be shouting about the amount of scams that propagate on the platform.

Same with bootloader unlocking isn't it?

Ah, its not much, just an email away ...

oh, not much it's email and a phone call away ...

Just wait 7 days ... no, it's just a month, and only one device par account? What's wrong with it? You are overreacting

Wait! Why you want to unlock your boot loader, only 0.000001% does it. You are abnormal, not the mass user

Fool me once it's on you Fool me twice ... it's on me.

We are already over twice, but none the wiser.

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

#178
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…

Given how many tech savvy people here run OpenClaw or one of it’s copycats I wouldn’t be so harsh in my judgment.

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

#179
post #157
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…

> Ruining Android for everyone to try to maybe help some rather technologically-hopeless groups of people is the wrong solution. This isn't about how skilled a person is, it is about tackling social engineering. The article gave the example of someone posing as a relative, it could also be a blackmail scheme, but it could also be the carefully planned takeover of a respected open source project (ahem, xz). What I am…

There's quite a gap between this sort of opportunistic scamming that's happening all over the world and targeted multi-year campaigns that probably require the resources of a nation state.

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

#180

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…

Right, if this is being built into AOSP I dont see how they wouldn't add an adb command to immediately skip the "Advanced Flow" wait. if it's safe to let uses run "adb install", then "adb skip-advanced-flow" should be just as safe to do too.
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