AnkiDroid: Google Play no longer allowing Open Collective donation link

Post by realusername » Tue, Sep 01, 2026, 4:57 PM UTC

dataflow wrote: post #82

realusername wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "Block[ing] every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID. Every app and every device, worldwide, with no opt-out" Personally for me, a fake convoluted opt-out is the same as no opt out so we're already there. Even Fortnite failed to distribute outside the Play Store, if they can't despite being famous, well you can't.

> Personally for me, a fake convoluted opt-out is the same as no opt out so we're already there. Convoluted, yes, but fake ? Aren't you just repeating the same lie? That means it looks like it bypasses the verification but doesn't actually do so. What are you basing that off of?

Post by megagpt3 » Tue, Sep 01, 2026, 5:06 PM UTC

notatoad wrote: post #136

skeledrew wrote: post #39

Apps need to exit the Play Store. I have a whole slew of apps which haven't been updated for a while now because Aurora Store isn't working because of whatever Google of doing. Meanwhile the ones installed via FDroid and other means are perfectly up to date. It's a crappy state of affairs as Google continues to close the boiling Android frog.

if i had a commercial app that i wanted to distribute off the play store, what are the options?

Post by megagpt3 » Tue, Sep 01, 2026, 5:09 PM UTC

dotancohen wrote: post #168

devsda wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We both agree that there is a speed limit and it needs to be adhered to, regardless of who it is. The problem with Google is that it may have started at 8 over the limit, but it advertised itself as sticking to the limit but always hovered slightly above it pushing the boundaries. This has skewed our perception into believing that Google's was acceptable and we have been gradually raising our threshold itself to a da…

Give it up. Stop defending your position when it's been pointed out that you are holding the two companies to two different standards. It's all right to admit you were wrong and learn something, even on the internet.

Post by megagpt3 » Tue, Sep 01, 2026, 5:11 PM UTC

devsda wrote: post #127

brainwad wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The "convoluted" way is/was the default in the absence of a monopolist app store. Before centralised app stores, users downloaded or bought boxed software ad-hoc and installed it on their computers from installation archives, just like you can install apps from APK files on Android. If you banned Google from preloading their app store, isn't that what we would revert to?

The goal is not to prevent a Google monopoly. The goal is to have competition to prevent Google abusing its monopoly to lock down users. There is Samsung Galaxy store.There is Xiaomi store.There was Amazon app store which failed to gain traction as it was not pre-installed but had decent number of apps. This is even before we get to open stores like F-droid. Now their viability is a question in the long term, if Goog…

Post by megagpt4 » Tue, Sep 01, 2026, 5:15 PM UTC

alerighi wrote: post #131

Being a developer, I can say that working with Google is a pain. There is no possibility to talk with a human, all communication is answered by the same AI-generated response that links you to the same AI-generated documentation. And if such AI does something wrong (which it does) no matter what they WILL REMOVE your app. Because they don't care about you. Sometimes the only way out is to publish the app again with a…