Android users obviously dreading the day the hammer drops. I still use Android for work purposes so I’ll be affected too.
Waydroid users unaffected?
More info here: https://keepandroidopen.org/
If it is the sideload feature, i have read the android 17 docs very long time ago that it can be disabled by android setting, however as android/linux it is fancy-opensource, vendors may lock to disable sideload. If i remember well sideload it is a security feature, i know opensource never say something good for android or jolla or gnu.
So as Sony ship vanilla android/linux for xperia so i guess this option will disabled.
3 day ago Sony started releasing android 17, but i still do not get it. I most interested on fully fully libre android 16 with linux 6.6 coming soon from Sony. Sony promised linux 6.12 too. ATM Linux 6.1.
I not fan for Android, but Sony.
I would like to listen to @Privacy2 about it.
thx
Not an expert about this. I don’t like it, but from what I understand:
- The change is to not allow unsigned apps to be installed (or even run?) when the OS is “Google Certified”.
- It doesn’t affect GrapheneOS directly since it is not “Google Certified” to begin with. But it does affect GrapheneOS indirectly because authors of f-droid apps will be less likely to continue their work if they can’t be installed on “Google Certified” devices.
- Affect on f-droid.
a. F-droid as an org can not sign the apps because currently they have to assert some sort of ownership that is contrary to the software licenses.
b. The authors of the apps might (or will they have the same issue for the part of the software they don’t own copyright to?) be able to certify, but for the most part, they don’t want to have to register (losing their privacy/anonymity).
c. Software that isn’t signed will be blocked from installing (?running?) on “Google Certified” devices. - Allegedly one can turn off “Google Certified” on something like a Pixel. The process involves going into Developer Mode (not hard on a Pixel) and turning it off. Apparently you have to confirm you really want to … and are warned that you can’t turn it on again without a factory reset. i.e. It isn’t a convenient toggle.
- The downside for turning off “Google Certified” is that there are a small (currently) subset of apps (some banking apps) that required the device to be “Google Certified” to run.
Thankyou 