Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Android’s new sideload settings will carry over to new devices

androidauthority.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 245 posts

Re: Android’s new sideload settings will carry over to new devices

#141

Post by Freak_NL »

AlBugdy wrote: post #46
torben-friis wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think a problem is that phones, as a concept, are communication first, rather than general computing first. If you want to partake in social networks, messaging, work communication, banking, etc you're at the mercy of the service's owner and their moat. You can't access Instagram in any other way than their app, and at that point an open OS doesn't help a lot. I'm sure FOSS can make a feature equivalent Instagram (…

> I think a problem is that phones, as a concept, are communication first, rather than general computing first. I use all kinds of computers for communication. I'm communicating with you on my desktop. I had a call earlier on my laptop. And a phone IS a computer, so why pretend it's not? > If you want to partake in social networks, messaging, work communication, banking, etc you're at the mercy of the service's owner…

> Who banks that often that they really need to do that, outside of places like Sweden where cash is almost dead?

I often pay cash in physical stores, but when buying things online I (and every other Dutch person) use Ideal (Wero). That means authorising each payment via my bank, and that means either using my smartphone (GrapheneOS) with the bank's app, or using the bank provided OTP device with my debit card inserted.

Using my smartphone is, unfortunately, the easiest way. I hate both options for the fact that I need to fetch either my smartphone or my debit card though.

Banks want their stupid app because it is the easiest way to keep some client-side secret secure in a nearly fool-proof manner. I can do everything I want in any browser, but authorisation and authentication happens by means of that app, so even just logging in means scanning a QR code with the app, and then continuing in the browser of any device I want.

I think most people use bank several times a week at the very least. Some do it constantly and put debit cards on their smartphones and concentrate everything financial on that single device, but even folk who keep ready amounts of cash on hand and don't buy things online too often bank several times a month, even if just to pay taxes and keep an eye on their finances.

Re: Android’s new sideload settings will carry over to new devices

#142

Post by expedition32 »

hparadiz wrote: post #20
rockskon wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why the hell should we "mother may I" with Google for running apps on our own phones if it isn't sourced from the Play Store? The "security" rationale is horseshit given just how much malware is readily download able on the Play Store. Google never cleans its own house before going after others.

Don't you know? If one elderly person gets scammed we all deserve to be infantilized.

Ha if we follow that to it's logical conclusion we should ban smartphones.

Re: Android’s new sideload settings will carry over to new devices

#143

Post by expedition32 »

Taterr wrote: post #103
schubidubiduba wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why does nobody ever think of the poor megacorporation? I mean maybe you're even right and they care a little bit about people being scammed. But if you believe that the scamming thing is any more than a pretense for further establishing Google's absolute control over the Android ecosystem, that is just very naive. Their goal is to make money. Apps installed outside of Google mean less money for them. Ergo, consumer'…

I understand usually the megacorporation is simply being anti-consumer with these kinds of changes, and who knows maybe this is the same. But I think this might be an actual exception. They seem to be actually implementing a lot of high effort scam protection features recently in android so unless they did all of that just as an excuse to make side loading harder then they've fooled me. https://security.googleblog.co…

There will always be scammers who through human engineering get people to transfer money or hand over their jewellery.

(My bank doesn't use SMS by the way everything goes through the official app with biometrics).

Re: Android’s new sideload settings will carry over to new devices

#144

Post by lpcvoid »

Ms-J wrote: post #122

Play store is the largest distributor of spyware and viruses for Android. Not even a small fraction of a percentage of scams come from installing software normally, but only from Google Play store.

Yeah. I had to remove malware from family phones because they installed the wrong "QR Code Scanner" out of the trillions of copies on the play store, which contained malware that somehow replaced the launcher on a Samsung phone and then showed ads all over the place. The Play store is fucking malware, Google services are malware, and the family member now uses a Pixel 9a with GrapheneOS which makes normie phone usage riskless and clean again. Fuck Google for Gaslighting us all with this Sideload change.

Re: Android’s new sideload settings will carry over to new devices

#146

Post by fluidcruft »

goku12 wrote: post #96
fluidcruft wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not widespread enough to be a viable grift target.

And how much grift happens through Android side loading? (BTW, I hate that weasel word used to vilify a perfectly reasonable activity.) Practically all grift on Android happens through apps on the Play Store. People who know how to 'side load' are also usually careful and smart enough to think about what they're putting in. That's not a useful target for grifts either. As somebody put it, Google goes after others wit…

Apparently it's widespread in Asia and South America.

Re: Android’s new sideload settings will carry over to new devices

#147

Post by lpcvoid »

IshKebab wrote: post #120
Havoc wrote: post #73

We hereby grant you a conditional right to install software on the device you "own", subject to conditions, and terms, but only under certain circumstances and only so long as it pleases us. Modern handheld computing is such a shitshow...

Come on, this is a totally reasonable approach that should help a bit with high pressure scan tactics but doesn't really hurt side-loading. As long as they keep it like this. The existence of the "only allow side-loading for 7 days" option is definitely worrying.

I find it unacceptable, and they will not keep it like this. They will boil the frog slowly, as usual.

Re: Android’s new sideload settings will carry over to new devices

#148

Post by fluidcruft »

soraminazuki wrote: post #65
fluidcruft wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The scams are likely to some from outside Play. In the US, these scams don't run because iPhone is the dominant platform and side loading in iOS is not possible. In the rest of world they are widespread.

"Likely"? Do you mean that based on actual data, or are you using it as a weasel word so you can present whatever convenient "facts" that benefit Google as truth? I’m betting on the latter. No Kitboga video mentions custom Android apps. What actually appears on almost all videos are online ads/spam or fake celebrity accounts messaging random people on Facebook. It's funny how you aggressively push solutions that igno…

My proposal? Who exactly do you think I am? lol

Re: Android’s new sideload settings will carry over to new devices

#149

Post by fluidcruft »

happymellon wrote: post #80
fluidcruft wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The scams that are happening in the rest of world are calls posing as bank support about urgent security issues and telling people to install apps to protect their accounts.

All the scams are for apps that are already in the Play and App store.

I don't disagree about that.

Re: Android’s new sideload settings will carry over to new devices

#150

Post by fluidcruft »

direwolf20 wrote: post #61
fluidcruft wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The scams that are happening in the rest of world are calls posing as bank support about urgent security issues and telling people to install apps to protect their accounts.

In the USA they tell you to install AnyDesk and remote access your computer. Or they just ask for your password. Or forge a check.

Does not sound like an Android problem. Maybe ask Microsoft or Apple about that.
Post reply on HN