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Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

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631–640 of 762 posts

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#631
post #510
post #337

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems basically impossible that math works differently on your calculator app than somebody else’s. Can you post a recording of what you’re seeing?

https://vimeo.com/1158174682?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Whoa! What calculator is that?

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#632
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why the surprise, they do the same with search, they do the same with their Google workspace (the degree to which they are pushing AI is really hurting the product). Google stopped being aware of their customer's needs a really long time ago, they are so arrogant they think the audience is now fully captive.

> they think the audience is now fully captive. the audience is captive. Do you have a choice to move from android, if you didnt want to have an apple device? Do you want to use a different search engine other than google? Is there another email provider than gmail (for the non-technical person - i know you can run your own). Is there another browser other than chrome (and dont say firefox or edge - because both don'…

Google's search engine domination is nearly over, they are constantly making it worse to the point using ai is preferable and literally anyone can spin up an ai

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#633

Google's long term strategy with Android is baffling to me. Apple has had better mobile hardware for years. Apple has higher consumer trust. Apple has better app selection (for most people). Apple has been increasingly implementing the core features that differentiate Android devices, like USB-C and RCS. Every Android user lost to the increasing iOS market share is another customer Google has to pay exorbitant fees t…

The lock in with Safari is horrifc though, the browser on a $20 prepaid android phone is better than the browser on your most expensive ios device. Apple says well you need to write a native app, stop using the web and PWA's. Allow Apple to mediate absolutely everything.

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#634
post #510

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://vimeo.com/1158174682?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Whoa! What calculator is that?

Some googling shows hits from iOS 18 betas, where folks reported this bug, that seem to have the same UI.

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#635

Google's long term strategy with Android is baffling to me. Apple has had better mobile hardware for years. Apple has higher consumer trust. Apple has better app selection (for most people). Apple has been increasingly implementing the core features that differentiate Android devices, like USB-C and RCS. Every Android user lost to the increasing iOS market share is another customer Google has to pay exorbitant fees t…

Not everybody wants/cares for an iPhone.

Realistically a 200 euros Xiaomi phone, to most users, is as good as they need it for seeing videos online and chatting.

If you want to spend more, at each price tier you have plenty of choice including: better hardware, better cameras, more memory, etc.

E.g. I do need dual (physical) sim phones. So I ain't buying iPhones ever for this very need.

Consumer trust is very debatable: I have been locked out of my apple id for 2 months in 2021, and that was a work machine I was locked out from. Tragic. Apparently it's not my hardware if Apple decides it's not.

Nowadays I only own an M3 Max because my employer gave it to me. But I don't even use it unless on the move, as I have a way more powerful desktop computer.

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#636

Google's long term strategy with Android is baffling to me. Apple has had better mobile hardware for years. Apple has higher consumer trust. Apple has better app selection (for most people). Apple has been increasingly implementing the core features that differentiate Android devices, like USB-C and RCS. Every Android user lost to the increasing iOS market share is another customer Google has to pay exorbitant fees t…

The lock in with Safari is horrifc though, the browser on a $20 prepaid android phone is better than the browser on your most expensive ios device. Apple says well you need to write a native app, stop using the web and PWA's. Allow Apple to mediate absolutely everything.

While I agree with the principle, and we as tech professionals and enthusiasts should be lobbying hard for law makers and regulators to open iOS up to allow for different browsers, there’s a couple flaws here without these precedents or activism.

The alternative here is not Firefox gaining more market share, it’s further encroachment of Chrome and derivatives. You’re not getting this big win for browser diversity. I’m not sure what you really gain here as Safari works fine for near most everything most people do.

Also I don’t think PWA’s have proliferated on desktop or Android despite Google’s efforts in raising awareness for them. It seems to me like consumers largely aren’t into web app shells. They either visit a web app in their browsers or use the App Store apps, by a large margin

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#637
post #303

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Almost all of the prosumer apps on iOS offer a consistently better experience So for people who don't want to use computers. I cannot work with a tablet or phone. I need a computer.

I mean, as someone who is mainly a programmer, same. But high-end cameras, big touchscreens, and an excellent pencil input is sort of the optimal device for a whole bunch of creative tasks

I own a galaxy tab s7 fe and I'm quite happy with it to be honest.

Not sure what I'd want more from an iPad.

It is true that it has slightly more apps, but realistically all I need is there.

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#638
post #368

Sideloading is a neologism to scare users and lawmakers, it just means "Installing software" and should be a basic right. Also software installation in Android has been high friction for a while. Installing an APK on my phone is at least 10 clicks.

I think what is missing here is the growing trend of scammers convincing people they are their bank (or whatever) and walking them through enabling side-loading and then installing malware (sometimes to address some urgent security issues with their account). This is meant to counter an actual issues that is affecting many many users.

If that was the only reason, they would proactively cooperate with alternative app-stores like F-Droid to allow them to provide a lesser friction flow for open source releases. My question would be why I they see themselves as the only possible trust anchor here. A high friction method to install a different app store, once, IMHO would be OK.

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#639

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah for every HN user complaining about it there are hundreds of people sideloading apps (not realizing what they're doing - under promise of loans or other advantages) and then getting their phone ransomed

For every person getting ransomed by a sideloaded app there are ten people getting ransomed by apps they installed from the Play Store.

And for every person getting scammed by an app from any source, there are a thousand people getting scammed just through phonecalls. Scam apps isn't a real problem at scale, it's a bunch of fear mongering.

Re: Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android

#640
post #519

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Last time I tried Android I had to sign my rights away to everything the app wanted just to install it. Sounds like it was years ago... I remember that it was being introduced like... more than a decade ago? Of course maybe it took longer than iOS because of how Android works. iOS can just force everybody to use liquid glass with one update, Android has to think more about backward compatibility.

You still have the same things on android. If an android app requests eg exact location it can refuse to run and there’s nothing you can do. That sort of behaviour is prohibited on iOS and an app won’t be approved if it does that sort of thing. They have to allow declining location permission or at least approximate location

Not sure I understand. So you're saying that a bad app on Android can request all permissions and tell you that it will refuse to run unless you give them, and the same app would be declined on iOS?

I could agree with that, Apple is more picky. Now personally, if an app does that, I uninstall it.

But technically, the Android rules are that you shouldn't do that, and when you request a permission you need to explain to the user why you request it.

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