You must log in or # to comment.
I am fine with it if they let you install stuff through adb.
This is why we should use things like GPL.
So, does it mean that degooglized android phones will suffer as well?
This will take effect for only google “certified” phones. If you’re using a custom rom with no gapps (including play services) installed, you will most likely be not affected.
If some of your apps rely on play services, i can heavily recommend microg as replacement for it.
Do I have to install microg or graphene or whatever on my Google Pixel before that date or miss the boat?
Have been putting it off.
GrapheneOS has sandboxed play services that you can easily install to make sure apps work. my banking app only works with play store services so I installed them and set them to zero permissions. You can also make a second profile with nothing installed and switch when you need those apps. MicroG has never worked for me on any phone.
Call your representativesHire a lobbyist to donate millions of dollars to election campaigns for your representatives
Doesn’t even take that much. Most can be bought with a couple thousand.
Guys, can’t we Just use e/OS? I thougt it wouldn’t be affected?
Hoping that phones running e/OS wouldn’t count as certified android devices anymore. Especially if they don’t have Google Play Services on them.
“Starting in September 2026, Android will require all apps to be registered by verified developers in order to be installed on certified Android devices”
EDIT: Found this from last August:
https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/26/android_developer_verification_sideloading/
The restrictions will apply to certified Android devices, meaning Google-approved and including the core Google apps and services. Most Android devices fall into this category, though niche options exist, such as mobiles running /e/OS, a de-Googled version of Android, or the open source LineageOS. The downside of using non-Google Android from a consumer perspective is that some apps might not install, such as those that use the Play Integrity API to verify that the app is “installed by Google Play, running on a genuine Android device.”
Has anyone tried a Murena (/e/os) phone?
I am thinking about it.
What does this mean for GrapheneOS and similar degoogled android versions?
While it does not affect them directly, it is unlikely most app developers will give significant effort to only support a small percentage of Android users running custom ROMs. So while GrapheneOS users will be able to install apps, there will likely not be that many apps to install.
Edit: What I mean is that most applications will have to choose to either agree to google terms and identify themselves, or develop only for custom ROMs, or stop developing altogether. And I don’t think many will choose the 2nd option. Also, 1st option may not be available if google does not like your app.
It’s the other way around. GrapheneOS users will be able to install all the apps but stock Android users will not be able to install apps from F-Droid and other alternative sources*. F-Droid will lose access to about 99% of the market.
*Technically it will still be possible for open source devs to distribute apps to stock Android users but it will require handing Google your personal information and setting up way more complicated build configuration.
Please see the edit with clarification, since I guess I wrote it poorly and multiple commenters did not get my point.
Yeah, uh, no alarm bells in the market watchdogs? None at all?
The european movement away from american stuff however is increasing, I’m hopeful that Jolla, Fairphone and the ROM world will actually increase in importance and numbers
I’m writing this on a GOS Pixel tablet with only free/libre installation sources. There are quite enough applications to install.
Please see edit of my comment. Since it seems my point did not get across, I elaborated. Of course there are plenty right now since there are no barriers yet.
GrapheneOS is not limited by Google, as long as the bootloader is unlockable and Google contnues releasing the sources. Longterm, the GOS project needs to support alternative hardware platforms.
There are Linux tablets, so if Android is dead open source developers will support these.
I think the problem is your second assumption of “will continue releasing sources” is the one to fail.
Hence, a new OEM.
The OEM makes the hardware tho. How does that help if Google stops releasing the Android source code?
It means they fork and they’re going to need funding to keep up with security work at least.
Nothing changes for now but other moves by Google clearly show they are trying to kill 3rd party ROMs by locking down Android’s code. In my opinion, unless EU steps in and mandates phone manufacturers and Google to support google free apps we’re fucked.
It is surely called competition law?
I’m dumb But using grapheneos How would them locking down the code affect graphene?
The EU has no interest in allowing privacy on devices, since it is increasingly attempting to control alternative narratives. We’re in touching distance of the Fourth Reich now.
Would not be sure about that. There has been steps in opposite directions in the past. Remember the regulation regarding 3. party app Stores on IOS, or even further back in the past the “Free Brwoser Choice” in MS-Windows.
Europe has explicitly no problem with this. They showed they have the power to censor Russian media but refuse to do this with European far-right, they just want the local fascists to win.
This describes the EU, in a nutshell https://theuaob.substack.com/p/the-comprador-calculus-why-europes The fascists have already won.
Even the premise is too generous:
Why would the leaders of the EU—a project ostensibly built on peace and sovereignty—
How on Earth is the literal cradle of Fascism and colonialism built on peace and sovereignty? The EU is built on neoliberalism and anticommunism, it cannot be built on peace or sovereignty.
Remember that the EU arose in part from the institutions set up to deter the same type of nationalist fascism rising again, such as the ECSC. Sadly, we may have encouraged Russian -funded American -spread international fascism in its place, although they don’t seem to control the EU yet.
Fascism is not even Russian funded or American spread, Europe is perfectly capable of growing its own fascism as we saw 100 years ago, sadly we’re going down the same road.
EU wants phones to be locked down so they can then make Google implement mass surveillance for “national security” reasons
What are you basing this on? If you say “Chat Control” I will just ignore you.
Chat control is an issue tbough why ignore it?
Chat Control is not implementing mass surveillance and has nothing to do with national security. I that’s their only argument they are confused and there’s nothing to talk about. If they have other arguments I would like to hear them.
You live under a rock my friend.
Look at history. Look at the anology of how a frog will not jump out of boiling water if the temperature is slowly increased.
They are slowly increasing the temperature, and chat control is a big step for them. If you cannot see that then there is no hope for you
Repeating some scary conspiracy theories you read about online doesn’t make you informed. It makes you naive.
It likely is not their only grievance as other things exist like porn blocking, ID implementations and VPN discussions.
Also chat control is reviewing private conversations. It is a provacy breach. There is no circumstance where this is not abusable. Here are some truths to how the law is presented:
1: nothing can be seen, only if certain pre registered files are recognised 2: politicians, military and associated personnel are exempted.
Meaning it can see more than nothing or else it is acceptable for these people to possess these materials.
It is also able to controlled a granular level person to person.
Porn blocking? In EU? I heard about it only in UK. Which EU countries block porn?
ID implementation… yes, all EU countries have ID. Many have digital IDs. What’s with it?
VPN discussion isn’t really proof of anything. Even Chat Control 2.0 isn’t approved yet, it’s just a project. VPN blocking is not even a proposal. It just someone mentioned in some report. Hardly a reason to claim that EU is becoming a surveillance state.
This move doesn’t look like a co-incidence,first google acquires android ,then you now have to use your ‘‘google account’’ as user detail to signup for most services, Now they’re tip toeing towards This techno Lockdown kwowing full well how many pesrsons use Adroid phones…Who owns google Satan?
Maybe it’s time to bring back MeeGo
How do we defend our privacy on Android now?
Privacy isn’t really in their interest. They feed off our data.
That’s obvious, but before, we could use GrapheneOS and F-Droid etc to defend it ourselves. I’m not expecting Google to help, just hoping the resistance has something up its sleeve too.
I’m basically am doing exactly this. But I’m only on GrapheneOS as I had to compromise on some closed apps that refused to run on LineageOS. GrapheneOS means I can compromise on Google a bit without being completely compromised by Google. The market and geopolitical problem remains.
Never could. Power of thousands of paid developers against a few. That’s like finding all needles in a haystack, and power determines the size of that haystack and the amount of needles.
You can’t use something that cost that much to make and expect to divert from what the producers intended.
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.
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.
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.
But then you are trusting that 3rd party vendor. Who approved them… MS probably.
Google has their own store, that’s how they verify.
Feels a lot more interesting to just pick up a feature phone, and use it as a hotspot modem for a laptop.
Fuck, I don’t have the money to replace my phone. I probably wont by September either. Too many expenses.
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…
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.
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.
You can still use a dump phone. You can play and browse Wikipedia on a Steam Deck which has WiFi. If you are outsid, you can use a Mifi device of a USB LTE/5G dongle for the SteamDeck.
Steam decks are expensive and relatively bulky when compared to a phone. I don’t think it’s really a practical solution for most of us.
The new Jolla phone can’t come soon enough. I truly believe the future of tech independence lies with linux, for us, europeans. Anyone welcome ofc.
I do hope it’ll be a good enough device, even if there will be no NFC phone payments possible.
I wonder if there is a dumb phone with tethering currently. Cause if you don’t mind carrying 2 devices, that may be viable for your use case
If you just need a mobile data connection there’s alot of sim based wifi routers
Good point!
/e/os
