- A site called ‘Keep Android Open’ is counting down the days until Google will require app developers to self-verify
- The site claims that when this happens, your phone will stop being yours
- There is also growing discontent with the upcoming change on Reddit
We’ve known for a while that Google plans to make app developers self-verify by providing their ID even when listing apps on third-party stores, but the anger over this upcoming change just keeps growing.
Now there’s even a site called Keep Android Open, with a countdown to when the change will be adopted (currently 125 days), and an explanation of their problems with it.
The site claims that “your phone is about to stop being yours” as Google will be able to block you from installing apps that don’t come from verified developers. Google claims this is to reduce the risk of people downloading malicious apps, and it will likely reduce that risk, but it also comes with some definite drawbacks.
The article continues below
Since developers have to submit their publicly issued identification, pay a fee, and agree to Google’s terms and conditions, this will deter some potential developers, and this also makes it easier for governments to remove apps they don’t approve, as this requirement applies even to third-party app stores.
The site also claims that this is a betrayal of Android phone owners, as Google is retroactively locking down devices that were sold as open platforms.
An overly complex solution
Now, there will supposedly be a way to install unverified apps, but it’s a nine-step process that requires a 24-hour wait in the middle, and many Android users won’t even be aware of it. Plus, as Keep Android Open points out, the process of doing this runs entirely through Google Play Services, meaning Google can change or remove this solution at any time without requiring any operating system updates.
Many Android owners on Reddit seem similarly disaffected, saying things like “time for Linux phones”, “so the open ecosystem was just a phase” and “yet another unnecessary requirement”. So it’s fair to say that this is not a popular change.
Unfortunately, there are no signs that Google will change course, so as things stand, this change will happen in September. And unfortunately, it’s not easy to vote yourself with your wallet, since the main alternative to Android is iOS, which has always been very locked down by comparison.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, video unboxings, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
