And once again our only hope is Elon Musk bringing out a competing smartphone ecosystem that is actually open.
sidenote: xAI just opensource Grok 2.5 and will opensource Grok 3 in 6 months.
Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android
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Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android
#542Another instalment of HN thread where people try their best to pretend that "security" does not come with "enforced, ideally at hardware level, inability to run random code" for 99% of phone users.
Here a tip: you won't solve the problem of security by just whining about corporate interests (which is a real concern) and NOT proposing a better solution that works for an average tech illiterate, very socially engineerable person trained to ignore every warning screen. And no root switch is not that solution because it will be flipped on day 1.
Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android
#543Time for Linux phones with Android emulation
This seems like the only sensible long-term solution to me unless anyone else has an alternative. AOSP public access is already on the chopping block, custom ROMs are the short term solution but still operate at Google's whim under the hood.
Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android
#544I really need the more open Linux tablet and phone makers to hurry up.
In fact, they need you to survive.
You can buy a Linux phone today and make sure the vendors get their food on the table. Software is getting better. If you choose a phone with mainline kernel support (e.g. one that can run Mobian or PureOS), you can literally watch your OS improve month after month.
Alternatively, you can support the user-space ecosystem directly and fund the developers who make it happen. Donate to Sebastian Krzyszkowiak [0] and Guido Günther [1] if you can!
Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android
#545This is really bad. I think that most people on HN will agree with that. The problem is that most normal people (HN is not normal - mostly for the better) don't even understand what sideloading is - let alone actually care . How can we fix this? (aside from making people care - apathy enables so many political problems in the current age, but it's such a huge problem that this definitely isn't going to be the impetus…
We need another os in the market. A duopoly just isn't competitive enough. Too bad the cost of entry is so high.
There's already open source OSes that run on phones that aren't based on Android.
Off the top of my head there's a Debian based one, a Fedora based one, webOS, PostmarketOS, probably others. Wouldn't be that difficult but yeah, the cost of entry is still probably tens of millions.
Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android
#546Great news which hopefully will shape the buyer away from monopolies.
Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android
#547This is really bad. I think that most people on HN will agree with that. The problem is that most normal people (HN is not normal - mostly for the better) don't even understand what sideloading is - let alone actually care . How can we fix this? (aside from making people care - apathy enables so many political problems in the current age, but it's such a huge problem that this definitely isn't going to be the impetus…
They don't understand sideloading, but you know what they understand?
Weird apps that block your phone and show ads constantly (yes this exists)
Typosquatting apps
Apps that hold your phone for ransom if you don't pay a certain debt (yes this exists) https://www.welivesecurity.com/en/eset-research/beware-preda...
Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android
#548Official announcement: https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/08/elevating-... More info: https://developer.android.com/developer-verification https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answ... Personally...we all know the Play Store is chock full of malicious garbage, so the verification requirements there don't do jack to protect users. The way I see it, this is nothing but a power grab, a way…
Doesn't Windows have the same thing aka Code Signing? https://www.electronforge.io/guides/code-signing/code-signin...
You can install unsigned apps on Windows just fine, maybe with one extra nag screen. Plenty of large open source projects don't sign their installers - VLC being one big example that many normal people use.
Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android
#549This is the worst thing to happen to technology in recent times since there is only two major phone OS's. It isn't possible to ban encryption, so the governments have to chip away at security and privacy using these techniques. From: https://developer.android.com/developer-verification "You may also need to upload official government ID." This won't end well for Google or the governments involved when the people get…
Society deserves whatever's coming for it. Look how vain and stupid we've become.
Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android
#550Sep.2026: "The requirement goes into effect in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. At this point, any app installed on a certified device in these regions must be registered by a verified developer."
Any hint why those countries first?
Is it a local law there driving this whole move? Is a critical mass of malware originating from there?