this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2026

745 points (99.3% liked)

Technology

81536 readers

8160 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

Follow the lemmy.world rules.
Only tech related news or articles.
Be excellent to each other!
Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
Politics threads may be removed.
No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

L3s@lemmy.world

enu@lemmy.world

technopagan@lemmy.world

L4s@lemmy.world

L3s@hackingne.ws

745

Android will become a locked-down platform in 194 days (keepandroidopen.org)

submitted 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) by FirmDistribution@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

194 comments fedilink hide all child comments

top 50 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] mlg@lemmy.world 1 points 8 minutes ago

I'm using Rocknix on an android handheld and it feels so powerful to be running 6.18 mainline kernel with all the modern features I want despite having to build stuff from source since the package manager only has a small list of stuff mostly meant for networking (Entware).

Even though its in beta for my device (AYn Thor), it works so well after only 4 months of development that I'm genuinely reaching the point of perma install and removing the stock Android install from the device.

I would pay cold hard cash for an OEM to do the same with PostmarketOS. Throw in proper open source kernel modules and use Steam's upcoming waydroid fork for Android compatibility, and then throw that sucker in the market and watch Google try to litigate it out of existence.

[–] hellomoto@lemmings.world 9 points 1 hour ago (2 children)

We need alternatives to big tech. They're reigning in and locking everything they can down, and the states are loving them for it as it solidifies their ability to control us.

[–] x0x7@lemmy.world 1 points 16 minutes ago* (last edited 4 minutes ago)

What we need is a good linux phone that is affordable, has hardware that isn't slow, and isn't over sold to an annual pre-order.

Sadly, if the first two are true, the third one becomes an issue.

What we need is a large company to see that is a sign of huge pent-up demand. Apparently, HP and Dell are both talking about switching to Linux as their default OS for desktops. Once all the desktop manufacturers find themselves in the business of selling hardware with Linux on it, either mobile manufacturers will copy, like Samsung, or the desktop folks decide to make their product smaller.

What everyone has wanted from the beginning was a desktop in their pocket. The amount of time that no one has produced that despite major demand, and the amount of development that has gone into building any other stack, just feels like willful suppression at this point.

Is there some government somewhere telling large-scale manufacturers that they can't build something as free and open as a desktop that isn't at least the size of a laptop? Because it actually takes less technology to make something that's open than something that is closed. And there is just as much appeal for the consumer to not restrict them.

[–] dismay3915@lemmy.world 2 points 41 minutes ago

Those who have the expertise should start contributing and working more on Linux for mobile. Postmarket has made great progress it just needs more manpower

[–] eightys3v3n@lemmy.ca 10 points 3 hours ago

Fuck you Google. I won't do further updates on my Pixel and the moment I run into an issue I'll move operating systems or phones if required. Half my apps don't come from Google Play and I don't want the developers to have to register with Google for anything.

[–] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 hour ago

its the reason why i turned off auto software updates on my phone

[–] Rennmaeuserich@feddit.org 7 points 4 hours ago

Guys, can't we Just use e/OS? I thougt it wouldn't be affected?

[–] TheSeveralJourneysOfReemus@lemmy.world 17 points 5 hours ago

Starting in September 2026, Android will require all apps to be registered by verified developers in order to be installed on certified android devices.

I wonder... I know that we used to mod our consoles due to the limits of 'certified' official software.

[–] Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world 17 points 6 hours ago (2 children)

On the one hand, google is obviously evil, and it's intentions here are undoubtedly evil as well. On the other, I do think some kind of verification of developers should exist. Just not in google hands. But who. There really isn't anyway to create an organization that could be trusted to do this. And of course, the user should be able to chose to install apps from an unverified developer.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 18 points 5 hours ago

Google has their own store, that's how they verify.

[–] SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world 5 points 5 hours ago

That’s how it works on Windows already. You buy a cert from a third party vendor so your setup file can pass Windows security checks and doesn’t show a big warning to the user when they open the setup file.

[–] arcine@jlai.lu 46 points 8 hours ago (6 children)

If this happens, I guess it's Linux Phone time for me... I'm pretty certain GrapheneOS will be able to get around this abuse of power for a while, but it wouldn't take much effort from Google to kill them too ; they almost already have...

Or maybe dumb phone time ? But I like browsing Wikipedia and playing chess and RetroArch on my phone, I don't want to lose that just because big G$ said so...

[–] arschfidel@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 6 hours ago

The new requirements will "only" apply for "certified" Android devices. I'm pretty sure, devices running a custom ROM aren't certified, especially if you don't even have Google Services installed. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to a bright future for Linux phones.

[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 5 points 5 hours ago

Fwiw, just because a dumb phone doesn't give you access to "smart" features doesn't mean the capabilities aren't present on the phone. It's just a matter of what could be hidden on the circuit board (lots can be hidden in chips), and what can be hidden in usual expected traffic (if bandwidth requirements are low, even timing of packets could be used to encode hidden data that would never show up in any logs).

Plus the simple tracking of cellphones is necessary for them to function at all.

load more comments (4 replies)

[–] eleefece@lemmy.world 6 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

Maybe it's time to bring back MeeGo

[–] HalfSalesman@lemmy.world 13 points 7 hours ago

Fuck, I don't have the money to replace my phone. I probably wont by September either. Too many expenses.

[–] sturmblast@lemmy.world 34 points 9 hours ago (8 children)

Linux phones look more and more attractive

[–] Mohamad20ZX@sopuli.xyz 9 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Couldn’t agree more Especially when the Pine Phone Pro is improving every year since its has came out and with Posh shell and Waydroid nothing will stop Linux from succeeding in the modern era

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 21 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

sadly

The PinePhone Pro was officially discontinued in August 2025, as it didn’t sell well enough to keep production going.[7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PinePhone_Pro

[–] hellomoto@lemmings.world 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

So what can I buy now?

[–] HertzDentalBar@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 22 minutes ago

My tears, maybe I can afford to eat today.

[–] Mohamad20ZX@sopuli.xyz 2 points 4 hours ago

Aw shucks now that’s something you don’t see often on the internet

load more comments (7 replies)

[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 18 points 10 hours ago

So basically they wanna be Apple.

load more comments