this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2026
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Android

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[–] Sanctus@anarchist.nexus 154 points 1 month ago (2 children)

You mean installing? How Google is going to handle restricting us from installing apps on our phone? Thats what it is. Sideloading doesn't fucking exist.

[–] Hexagon@feddit.it 63 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Stop complaining, just use a different mobile OS.

... oh, shit!

[–] sorghum@sh.itjust.works 53 points 1 month ago (6 children)
[–] shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip 17 points 1 month ago

Thank you. I gave that community a subscribe because I want to use a Linux phone at some point in the future.

The big thing I have to make sure of is accessibility as I am a low vision user who requires the use of screen magnification at the very minimum and a screen reader is preferred for text such as articles and websites.

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[–] lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 35 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I've heard people call it sideloading for actual PCs.

Like, the fuck?

[–] RickyRigatoni@retrolemmy.com 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If your computer came shipped in windows S mode it's kinda apt.

[–] lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] RickyRigatoni@retrolemmy.com 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Your not-so personal walled garden is a personal computer?

[–] RickyRigatoni@retrolemmy.com 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I have no clue what you're trying to say.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 month ago (2 children)
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[–] GalacticSushi@lemmy.blahaj.zone 67 points 1 month ago (5 children)

Very happy with GrapheneOS.

[–] mctoasterson@reddthat.com 48 points 1 month ago

GrapheneOS is a nice reprieve from the sea of endless enshittification news flowing forth from Big Tech these days.

[–] jnod4@lemmy.ca 26 points 1 month ago (3 children)

While it last, Google is disabling apks and you think they won't lock bootloaders?

[–] sorghum@sh.itjust.works 28 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Which is why I'm monitoring !linuxphones@lemmy.ca for updates and good targets to daily drive for work purposes. We can't trust Google anymore.

[–] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

There are other phone companies.

Graphene is working with a manufacturer to build a device for them.

Also, Graphene isn't the only game in town. Lineage is fine, yes, you can't re-lock the bootloader on most devices, but frankly that risk is overstated for the average person. For the people who need that kind of security, if they're that big of a target then the actors after them will have state-level capability. So it's a deterrent for less-capable adversaries.

[–] weirdo_from_space@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Also you can build a LineageOS image that let's you re-lock the bootloader if you really want that functionality.

It looks like a real hassle but it is possible.

[–] kugmo@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)
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[–] mmmac@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Well the next gen graphene os release will be on their own devices. They're working with an OEM now.

[–] skuzz@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 1 month ago

Allegedly. But they are also looking at a Qualcomm chipset too, allegedly. Qualcomm is a US military contractor.

[–] photonic_sorcerer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's a quite ironic it's only available for Google's phones.

e/os is fine too.

[–] GalacticSushi@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Few years back I got a Chromebook just to put GalliumOS on it. Google's hardware honestly has a decent track record for allowing open source operating systems.

[–] gila@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 month ago

Okay you got me with this one. Excepting one category of Apple products, you would need to go back about half a century to find an example of a major hardware manufacturer that is worse at "allowing" open source operating systems.

[–] hateisreality@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Just switched and I'm liking it...just need to import my address book with out Google play

[–] crazyduck@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Check out Davx5, that's what I used to pull contacts and calendar

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[–] Delusion6903@discuss.online 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Is the ui the same as Pixel?

[–] GalacticSushi@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 month ago (8 children)

Yeah. The biggest issues I've had with it are:

Google Wallet does not load (I use Passes or Catima to download tickets) and tap to pay does not work - Google Pay still works, just not through the app.

Some financial apps don't work. CapitalOne doesn't open, but I only need to login once a month to pay my credit card so I just do it on my computer.

My company's Microsoft Intune setup didn't work, but they recently restricted it to iPhone only so that's not relevant anymore.

[–] Delusion6903@discuss.online 3 points 1 month ago

I'm very interested, but losing tap to pay could be a deal breaker. Also, Dexcom app can be very picky. But if Google makes side loading too difficult all bets are off.

[–] goatbeard@beehaw.org 3 points 1 month ago

I got Capital One to work on my GOS phone by turning on the exploit protection compatibility mode for the app in system settings

[–] bl4kers@beehaw.org 3 points 1 month ago

They don't support RCS which is a deal breaker for me currently

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[–] kenopsik@piefed.social 5 points 1 month ago

Yep, it's the same stock UI and design language. Most of the modifications are under the hood and more user control over apps, permissions, etc

[–] nesc@lemmy.cafe 54 points 1 month ago (2 children)
[–] Scrollone@feddit.it 7 points 1 month ago

Exactly. Stop using sideloading. The correct term is "installing".

Google wants to prevent users from installing apps on their phones.

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[–] markz@suppo.fi 36 points 1 month ago (2 children)
[–] slickgoat@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

That's the old Apple standby.

[–] brax@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago

If it was about user security, they would allow all users to have root level access to their phone.

[–] cybernihongo@reddthat.com 28 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (7 children)

The strings mentioned are worrying. The developer verification requires an internet access - what if there's no internet or the connection is spotty? Does that mean you can't install the APK without Uncle Google having the internet first?

Android already scares you away from installing APKs.A modern Android device does not simply let you install an APK without going through a lotta mental gymnastics. On a Xiaomi device with HyperOS, you have to turn the permission on for it and sit there for ten seconds to read their warnings before you can manually proceed. Each time you install something, there's a chance Google Play will pop up to tell you the app does not support a modern Android version, and it will require your unlock or fingerprint to even continue. Not to mention some apps literally tell you Google Play is unsure of their security and offers you to send it so what I assume is their automated systems could give the APK file a look.

If all these scare tactics didn't stop you, there's nothing more Google or the manufacturers could do without stripping even more of what made Android great in the first place.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 month ago

Look up the word "Enshittification" in a dictionary and you'll see the android logo right next to it

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[–] throws_lemy@lemmy.nz 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

the biggest problem hasn't yet emerged, let's say Orange turd will use his power to force Goolag to restrict access to the Goolag account for any country or entity for any of his moronic reason.

[–] Rekall_Incorporated@piefed.social 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This is honestly the biggest issue with using American platforms, they are fundamentally unreliable (not to mention criminally corrupt).

[–] throws_lemy@lemmy.nz 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Already happened with the ICC, in our country we are trying to avoid the US financial system. The central bank is developing a QR payment system. Currently, we have agreements to use this system with several countries in Asia.

And no matter how good the QR payment system is, it still relies heavily on the Goolag ecosystem. Most QR payment applications will not work with microG.

[–] hateisreality@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago
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