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Cirrus app dev informing the app will stop working on certified android devices in '26/'27 (lemmy.ml)

submitted 3 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by Akip@discuss.tchncs.de to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

123 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Opening my weather app this morning I was greeted by this warning:

Google has announced that, starting in 2026/2027, all apps on certified Android devices will require the developer to submit personal identity details directly to Google. Since the developers of this app do not agree to this requirement, this app will no longer work on certified Android devices after that time.

It's the first time I hear about this, seems to be about:

Tech crunch article from august, "google will require developer verification for android apps outside the play store"

Cirrus app: Github

Was this a big thing I somehow missed? I hope more devs will follow suit.

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[–] FriendOfDeSoto@startrek.website 148 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Yes, you must have missed it. And so it begins.

Google is moving to make Android less open source. I'm not sure more devs following suit is going be good for them or their users. The G doesn't give an F.

What we need is an OS fork that gets maintained. If not that, some other workaround that fools the Google servers. Because you can bet money that nobody made from flesh and blood is going to look at this inside Google.

Maybe devs can band together and form Middle Finger Corp. and designate one willing person as their contact to serve as registered dev for a gazillion apps. Follow the letter of the law, not the misguided spirit of it, in a manner of speaking.

If you are sitting on a mobile OS and you were afraid to fail like Windows, maybe now is the time to give it a go?

[–] pibfyhd7g57gd5u64f@piefed.social 54 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

GrapheneOS

[–] birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zone 28 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

e/OS too, if Graphene fails or isn't available. Or Murena.

[–] Goodlucksil@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

Murena has had questionable policies....

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[–] ReversalHatchery@beehaw.org 21 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

are you kidding? only available for google phones. are we supposed to give money to google for this situation?

[–] daniskarma@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

I think they are looking to partner with a phone manufacturer to move graphene platform to other brand of phones.

Specially since it's unlikely that google pixels will keep providing the spec info and openness that GOS need to work.

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[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 114 points 2 weeks ago (13 children)

They're not "pulling" the app from anywhere, it's just simply not going to work on "certified devices". This is the end of Android as we know. It's been a good run.

[–] Akip@discuss.tchncs.de 19 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes you're right. I've worded that wrong in the title!

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You can edit it 🙂

[–] Akip@discuss.tchncs.de 27 points 2 weeks ago

Done! for the curious, original title, "Cirrus App dev pulling app from certified android devices in '26/'27" new, "Cirrus app dev informing the app will stop working on certified android devices in '26/'27"

[–] wolfiedafloof@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

When one thing dies, another thing is born.

[–] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

UBPorts is ready to go and isn’t tied to Google hardware like Graphene.

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[–] blimp@lemmy.world 80 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It is a big thing at least in developer circles. It made the front page of Hacker News multiple times.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45087396

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45256651

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45082750

[–] Akip@discuss.tchncs.de 16 points 2 weeks ago

Thank you for these links they are fantastic! I was aware of the procedural lock in via play integrity services and also the lockdown on side loading so that didn't get past me, but I wasn't aware google also wants to alienate developers now by requiring ID. It seems to me google want to now fully commercialize the platform, transforming it into the ad infested network that web2+3.0 already became. I think their plan, by alienating non commercial devs, is that all apps will run on their ad models and non without them will be left.

[–] mat@linux.community 59 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm going to look into adding this to my app https://git.allpurposem.at/mat/Sudoku Indeed I do not agree with this, so it will become unavailable when the terms go into effect. I will look into making it available for Linux Mobile.

[–] Akip@discuss.tchncs.de 32 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

First of all thank you for providing a foss app!

I think it's a big difference if the platform tolerates you or actively wants to stop you from doing it. You got my fullest sympathy.

[–] mat@linux.community 16 points 2 weeks ago

Thank you so much for the kind words! It's indeed a bad time to be an app delevoper. At least the framework I use is portable-ish, so the work won't be fully lost.

[–] Babalugats@feddit.uk 56 points 2 weeks ago

And so it continues... Google trying to shoehorn themselves into a position of authority of the internet. Imagine they get as much sway as the banks now have? Private entities controlling the masses for massive profits. Fuck off Google.

[–] Ugurcan@lemmy.world 44 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

Wording of the message implies it’s possible to have uncertified version of Android… Such a thing possible?

[–] unixcat@lemmy.world 69 points 2 weeks ago

Yes, like GrapheneOS

[–] Akip@discuss.tchncs.de 44 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

any version of android that's not vendor or downloaded from the official android website

like https://lineageos.org/
https://e.foundation/e-os/
or the aforementioned GrapheneOS
~~calyxos.org (paused)~~

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[–] fodor@lemmy.zip 38 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Yet another possible antitrust lawsuit series. Some day maybe a judge will do something to help the consumers.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 39 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Google just came out of the biggest antitrust suit since 1998 completely unscathed so you can expect this sort of anticompetitive measures to continue.

[–] birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Aaand the reason's called ✨c o r r u p t i o n ✨

Whenever a politician comes from a big company or goes to one after retiring from politics, that's when you know they've been bribed.

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[–] oeuf@slrpnk.net 28 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

Just to clarify:

Will my apps installed from F-droid be unaffected by this?

[–] arthur@lemmy.zip 43 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Even apps installed outside the Play Store will need to have a "verified developer", and this change will affect any devices that use Google Play Services, so it will be a problem even to old devices.

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[–] muhyb@programming.dev 27 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

If you don't have Google Play Services installed, then you're not affected. Of course, how many custom ROMs will live to that day is unknown.

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[–] didnt1able@sh.itjust.works 22 points 2 weeks ago

There won't be Fdroid on Google OS phones period

[–] DrDystopia@lemy.lol 15 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

From what I gather, yes. But will you be allowed to install F-Droid? No.

[–] KSPAtlas@sopuli.xyz 10 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I've heard that it will still be possible to install unverified apps via ADB, so theoretically it wouldn't be hard to make an app installer that uses Shizuku (tool that allows you to ADB into your own device) and have a website that automatically installs that using WebUSB or something

[–] vodka@feddit.org 10 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You'll be able to install them, but play services will very probably stop them from starting.

They already have the framework for this in place, "unrecognised" apps get blocked by Play services already asking you if Google can scan the app before you start it, the app will not start at all unless you click yes or no.

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[–] Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 21 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

Would people be able to circumvent this by downgrading their version of Google Play Services? ..or not updating it in the first place?

[–] daniskarma@lemmy.dbzer0.com 27 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

I think you could still adb install unverified apps into your phone.

That untill they'll block that path too.

Also I suppose that you'll need to adb every update. So apps that would want to go this way should self check updates instead of relying on an external store.

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[–] plyth@feddit.org 21 points 2 weeks ago

Was this a big thing I somehow missed?

It's one of the many small things that hide the big thing. In 2027 android will be fully locked down, unnecessarily.

The big thing is whatever the lockdown is for.

[–] Alfredolin@sopuli.xyz 17 points 2 weeks ago

This news makes me actually sad. I have had high hopes in the last years in the FOSS world, having myself and three other persons move to use Linux as daily driver on Desktop/Laptop.

My phone has FOSS apps only except for banking, health, transport tickets and 2/3 work rekated stuff. My messaging, files and pictures are handled by FOSS apps installed from third parties (F-Droid, Obtainium) on selfhosted servers... I was finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

This news sound to me like the tunnel ahaead is collapsing.

[–] kokesh@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

We'll be able to install via adb hopefully.

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[–] HiddenLayer555@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (5 children)

How easy is it to convert an Android app to a Linux mobile app of you're the developer? If it's written in JVM languages it shouldn't be that hard right?

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