POV: You’re Google and think EU didn’t fine you enough lately.
“Cost of doing business”
Not really with the huge EU fines. Google eventually does what EU wants, though it takes a while because EU is fucking slow.
all it does is prevent sideloaded apps from having access to sensitive permissions by default, which is a good thing.
True, but if it’s good for users, it should be the rule for ALL apps
This is why I decided to not use Google services this Graphene install. I have zero doubt Google is going to try and lock down the ability to use anything outside of the PlayStore in an IOS type move. Just hope a better Linux based phone gets done quickly because I’m not sure how many iterations of alternate Android OS generations will be able to exist as they lock things down.
Though I understand the reason, I find this ironic given how invasive play store apps can be. My cars official app requires full location access all the time, otherwise it pops up asking for it every time you open it. Meanwhile some FOSS app that can be code reviewed and sideloaded is more difficult to give needed acess.
and FOSS apps that can be fully code reviewed and confirmed safe, unlike anything proprietary, will still cause banking apps to refuse to run on your unrooted device. I had to go back to carrying a physical key around with me. (the foss apps were there first)
Not to defend the shitty app, but it’s probably Google’s fault. Location access is needed to just query WiFi or do a hotspot. Probably features the app needs. They should’ve make that more granular.
They need it for 2 things I believe.
- They show a map where vehivle last parked compared to you.
- They could use it for their proprietary phone as key feature that doesn’t work and is unreliable compared to using UWB.
- Gonna add this one since its totally the reason, sell your data. They store the car data, why not get the phones location data so you can get them all the time!
Sure they sell the data…my point was just that they would probably need the permission even if they didn’t want your actual location.
I haven’t deved android since before all of the permission overhauls but I believe aprpximate would suffice for those cases, and I don’t think they are actually needed. Luckily with a little bit of work and someones open source project I was able to get a home assistant integration to use their API and give them 0 of those permission requests.
I’m no android pro Dev, so no absolute confidence in my point. You’re probably right. And good you managed to bring it into HA without the permissions.
Sideloading is the only reason i use android over ios…
Ironically sideloading is pretty easy on iOS nowadays
But if you need notifications Gl and gl with apple removing the app
Same
Anything short of “it’s your device, it obeys you” is theft.
Will the permissions still be allowable by goinv to the app info page from the settings, clicking the 3 dot menu in the corner and taping to allow restricted settings?
The pros for Android is sadly gone :(
For what it’s worth, iOS sure has a lot of cons.
- Camera app has icons at top of screen to control things like flash, but to adjust all the settings like “flash always on” you have to tap an arrow at the top, that then exposes another second flash control at the bottom with the same icon for the full menu.
- Music app has a checkbox in albums and playlists that when tapped brings up a menu to delete your music, wat?
- eSIM-only is terrible, cell service falls apart from time to time and you have to go deploy a new eSIM to make your phone be a phone again.
- Dual-SIM support is convoluted. You’ll find yourself accidentally calling people on the wrong SIM until you manually configure every. one. of. your. contacts. to use the line of your choosing.
- Touch is anemic, especially if using a screen protector. Try to take that photo? It will be zero or three photos, thanks!
- Their swipe UI is barbaric, difficult, and mostly stupid, twitch your finger wrong and you go directly back to the previous app, or go into app switcher view, or nothing happens. Trying to “go home” you’re basically trying to give it an orgasm with all the up-swipes.
- Missing common software buttons like Android’s back/app switch/home buttons means you’re constantly tapping at the very top, then the very bottom, or trying to use the back-swipe gesture, the UX is maddeningly inconsistent.
- Left/middle swipe brings down notification drawer, right swipe brings down control center. Not nearly as consistent a behavior as swipe down once, or twice, for the respective drawers in Android.
- New AI junk has added menus in settings for “Apple Intelligence & Siri” to every. single. app. that you have to switch 3 switches off per app to disable. Even if you don’t have their AI crap installed.
- The silly FaceID waste of space dent makes it so you can’t see all icons like “am I on a VPN or not? Gotta check one of those top drawers to find out.”
- Lack of in-screen fingerprint sensor and use of FaceID makes the phone unlock on you without intent if your face is near and it wakes for a notification, and also not unlock when you actually want to use it, in general.
- The screen randomly wakes during phone calls if you’re using a headset and nowhere near the phone and just stays on for the duration of your lock timeout unless you manually force it to sleep, and then it’ll just wake again.
- Trying to swipe out of active phone calls to get to the lock screen or apps will take multiple swipes dangerously close to the call hangup button, godspeed!
Those are just the things I can recall off the top of my head.
We need more mobile OSes. This duopoly is pure stagnation.
Extra cons:
Sidelining is not a option(yes you can do sideloady way but it will get deleted later the sideloaded and libre app support (like a invidious client for ios)
I don’t think it’s quite a bad as the title implies, though I wonder how long this slow process of locking down Android will
containedcontinue for. Hopefully the EU demands from the likes of Epic will stop too much control being taken away from the user.I’ve been an Android user since the HTC Desire in 2010.
I’m unsure what the author of the article is advocating, since the “raw deal” appears to be geared towards making the Android environment more secure.
The author laments that they now have to manually enable security bypass settings and that some (they call it developers, but I’m not sure if they’re referring to Application Development or Phone Platform Development) “developers” can lock down with further API checks.
I’ve been an ICT professional for over 40 years and security is always a balance. On the one end it looks like a phone in a locked room, inaccessible to anyone, on the other end it’s a free-for-all, open to anyone.
I’m not at all sure what the author wants, except for wanting to roll back time to something less secure.
I just wish the system had a global setting for “I know what I am doing, stop trying to protect me”. Stop revoking permissions you think I don’t need. stop restricting everything. Just turn all of those things off by default. I only have a couple apps installed, let me be the judge of me. And stop having me reconfigure every app individually just so you’ll let it run for as long as I want it to.
Ultimately, the user should be able to decide for themselves how much security they are willing to compromise for power and flexibility. Whether this particular compromise is acceptable would depend on just how annoying it is in practice, but it’s a trend I’m not a fan of.
On the plus side, if this compromises third party app store usage even more, it may be more fuel for the anti-trust lawsuits aimed at Google (although who knows how that will play out given who is becoming president).
These new security features do not (and can not) apply to apps distributed outside of the Play Store, so it won’t compromise third party stores whatsoever.
They do apply to Apps only distributed Outside Play Store and certain Approved third Party stores, did you even read the article?
they do. that’s the definition of sideloading. or why do you think the opposite?
As someone who’s always been side loading apps and doing custom configs, it’s just so much harder compared to what it used to be. So many hidden settings. So many menus you have to go through in the right order. So many reverts that happen each update.
You say it’s in the name of security, but I don’t see it. Something is fundamentally broken here, if Google really believes this is the best path forward
Edit: and btw, I work in big tech too. I know how this update came to be. Some L6 looking for his packet decided to “decrease infected devices by 10%” by adding this friction, and everyone nodded along since the negative impact isn’t measurable.
Users are further forced to sacrifice their privacy to Google and Google Play rather than use something like F-droid.
It makes it frustrating to use, not secure. When installed program stops working after 30 or whatever days of me not using it because my great white master decided that it doesn’t need what was granted by me at installation is not security it’s just spitting in my face. I don’t care about what “developers” want why should anyone?
Removed by mod
Somehow No One needs that much Holding Hand or “Security” on the Computer, where No revenue streams of Google/Apple are affected
You have a very distorted view of security. The Apple computer ecosystem closely mirrors their phone and tablet system.
Microsoft Windows is an absolute shitshow and continues to get worse at every iteration.
I can Install on a Mac without any Roadblocks another Operating System, and I can Install Apps without the need for a Developer Account or a certificate unrestricted.
Otherwise I’m using GNU/Linux which also doesn’t try to “protect” me in the interest of some Corporation
Actually, no you cannot. You need to adjust and grant permissions for anything you install on a Mac OS system today.
Source: I own a Mac, it’s less than six months old. Installing stuff is full of permission requests.
As for Linux, I’ve used and installed it for over 25 years. It’s not ready for 3 billion home users and at the rate it’s going, it won’t ever get there.
Yes, I know, Android is Linux, well done, here’s an elephant stamp.
I’ve also been using Linux for a similar amount of time, and it’s only at work now I have to use Windows.
And as for home users using Linux? I have a few family members quite happy with Ubuntu / Firefox since all they need is a browser and VLC for their “PC”, so I don’t know where you got that “it’ll never get there” metric from.
Alright they don’t have a clue how Jellyfin works on that box, but they sure do appreciate and use it a lot these days now they’ve got used to it / dumping Netflix.
Of course you can Install Asahi Linux on a modern Mac, and you can Sideload Apps too. Both Things which are Not possible on iOS without Major Roadblocks
Yeah, the author and people are fussing over without reason. Regular users do not understand the implication of sideloading apps. I have had people get their telegram/whatsapp hacked because someone sent them a malicious link and they sent their login credentials to that website/app.
Restricting sensitive permissions will mean such people are better protected from such mistakes. Advanced users can still bypass the requirements even though it may be slightly complicated.
One can justify it however they like but it’s going to end up making the experience worse for competent users anyway. Much like this Android 12 security change that made it permanently more annoying to manipulate files.
Yeah, this change (scoped storage) is annoying. You need adb, root or system level apps to bypass the requirement. File access is also slow. That’s the reason image loading and image deletion is slow in Google Photos app compared to the native gallery app of my smartphone.
Anyway, the trend is clear. More security for the end user. You can root, flash a custom rom, or use a linux based smartphone if you do not like the restrictions. It’s more friction but that’s not going to change for the better.
