I’m using F-droid and it’s still the same, I haven’t noticed any difference :P
Furthermore, there’s that annoying Google law that blocks Android apps from being installed, and downloading apps like f-droid is quite complicated after that.
It has indeed gotten better more pleasing to look at.
I’ve just tried it. The UX is great and the downloads are faster than ever. It’s soo much better noww!
WTF, why is the download on the Fdroid front page still giving me 1.3.2?
Enable beta.
Could be a gradual rollout.
From the website apk download link?
I don’t know, could be. I just tried downloading and I’m getting the 1.x version too.
yea I can’t figure out how to update either.
open the app’s page and expand versions. the last one was just not marked recommended yet, in case there are serious bugs
I use droid-ify. It didn’t pop any updates for F-droid, but I updated it manually, since the 2.0 version is there.
I downloaded the apk directly from the website and it still installs 1.3.2 or whatnot, what am I doing wrong ?
UX is much better. I wouldn’t say it’s great. At all.
But I’m really happy to see big improvements! And I’m finding things I had no idea were on the “store” before at all. Which ultimately is the goal.
what things you don’t like?
I’ve been on neo store for a couple of years for the apps that have no APIs ready in git repos (for those, Obtainium is just the greatest). I tried the new F-Droid app, and it is way smoother than the last time I tried it, and the UI improvement is amazing. They still show you apps that haven’t been maintained for over a year up front, but that’s not a deal killer.
But does it allow you to backup your app list to move to a new device? This is why I moved to obtainium from Fdroid. In reading the article, I don’t see a mention of a backup feature.
This is being worked on now, after 6 years in the pipeline: https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroidclient/-/work_items/1484#note_3869078109
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know.
So F-droid “evolves” to become F-droid Basic?
Google says “power users” can “still install” unverified apps. Here’s what that actually looks like:
Delve into System Settings, find About Phone
Tap the build number seven times to enable Developer Mode
Dismiss scare screens about coercion
Enter your PIN
Restart the device
Wait 24 hours
Come back, dismiss more scare screens
Pick “allow temporarily” (7 days) or “allow indefinitely”
Confirm, again, that you understand “the risks”
Nine steps. A mandatory 24-hour cooling-off period. For installing software on a device you own.
Worse: this flow runs entirely through Google Play Services, not the Android OS. Google can change it, tighten it, or kill it at any time, with no OS update required and no consent needed.
Worse - that 24 hour timer? You only have a short window of time once it finishes to continue, otherwise you have to wait another 24 hours.
The worst part is for non tech savvy people.
Non-tech savvy people don’t even care, don’t even think about this, and don’t know anything about it.
No, some of they do care, but just have problems learning tech stuff or were excluded from digital education at the critical age, or have in general learning difficulties.
My mom wants to still be able to install and uninstall anything she wants on her phone, but she’s elder (and is neurodivergent, too, as me) and has difficulties understanding and learning about tech stuff.
You’re making a hasty generalization based on just a composition fallacy (some non tech savvy people don’t care at all, yes, but those are not all of the non tech savvy people).
You shouldn’t be conflating both things as if it were the same, and even if they were the same (which they’re NOT), that wouldn’t make your comment less bad. They’re still victims of the Big Tech propaganda and marketing and of their massive social, cultural and political influence campaigns.
Please, don’t be such a dickhead.
Show me one non-tech savvy person that is installing anything that isn’t in the Android Play Store already. And that person has to have come up with this on their own and it wasn’t somebody like you who maybe tech savvy showing them how to do this I’ve been in IT for 21 years and I can guarantee no one is doing that.
… and are probably already happy with the factory installed apps.
i hadnt thought about it before but i just had the realization that im not even gonna be able to have 3rd party apps AND my banking app in the same phone (cuz it doesnt like developer options being enabled). uhm shit
Latest Android update will hide developer options supposedly from apps. However, it’s on Android 17
I unlocked my phone’s bootloader. I’m on the oem OS, up to date, no root, just unlocked the bootloader. Now my device is “not certified” and a lot of apps that have no business caring about my “certification status” don’t work (like my phone operator app). That’s if the playstore lets me download it in the first place: “this app is not compatible with your device”
This is why rooting is great.
We don’t hear this enough. Google doesn’t hear this enough.
I recently learned that this setting actually persist after migrating to another phone.
that would be only if you chose to backup and restore your android settings
Which is perfect for them to keep tying your profile information across the board in yet another way. Fuck that.
Do you create a new Google account every time you change phones? They’re already tying everything to you
I have 1 Google account use specifically for spammy shit. That account is tied to a completely fictional person and lives inside 1 chromium browser.
My phones and computers have never seen a Google account other than inside the VM that runs that browser.
It won’t be a problem on a de-googled phone. Get it running LineageOS or GrapheneOS. Then install F-Droid (and probably Aurora store too). Some Google junk won’t work, but you’ll soon be more limited by having Google services on your phone than not having it.
Hardly the point though. For us this is a bother at most, but we can cope because we’re already doing our own thing and know what we want. Imagine trying to get your non tech-savvy friends to “sideload” (install) an app from outside the Play Store. Right now it’s not a big deal, so if they’re interested in the app, they’ll likely install it. But this amount of friction and scary warnings is way more likely to stop them.
Can anyone ELI5 for the nontechy how things are going to work once Google rolls out the new bullshit? I’m seeing so many of my apps put out notices that they will no longer work once Google goes through with the verification system. Will I still be able to install shit through f droid?
the problem here isnt that users cant do what they want, its that developers might stop developing because not enough people cant be arsed to jump through googles hoops. Everyone who can should support opensource developers more than ever now.
Will I still be able to install shit through f droid?
yeah, with extra hoops the first time though (24 hr wait etc etc)
I already have developer options turned on, are they gonna fuck me out of that again? :/
I really hate this shit
I really hate this shit
If you have Play Services running, Google owns your phone (and also tracks you, and sucks 50% of the juice for it). Just rip 'em out.
I genuinely don’t know that I’m techy enough to do that. I depend on banking apps and such and I don’t understand how to get around that. I would, if I could be taught lol
Look at Universal Andriod Debloater. Makes it very easy to remove whatever you want.
Your banking apps may not work if you remove Google Play services but i’ve found i can just log in through the browser instead.
Not as convenient but it feels good knowing Google can’t have any of your data.
Let me know if you have any questions about UAD!
How’s microG these days? Is it working with bank apps yet?
Ya there’s going to be wait periods to turn on developer options, and it sucks cause some apps don’t work with developer options turned on, like banking apps for example.
This whole thing sucks, imagine on your laptop not being able to install software and only being locked to getting everything through the Microsoft Store App.
I have been using droidify for some time now since the updates and install part has always been a bit weird and the notifications too. Hope it is better now. Not super happy with my current option either.
What I really want is a way to use it properly on the TV, because all the current store apps are so, but so so bad and horrible in a screen controlled with a remote control that is almost a joke.
This kind of news always terrifies me. Will see though.
I’ve only started using F-Droid recently, but it’s UI is a clusterfuck. I welcome an overhaul.
Been using it since the alpha came out, absolutely love what they’ve done with the app. The installation flow is much smoother with the instant prompt for confirmation, the more granular categories and improved search make browsing so much better. I tried other stores before, but I couldn’t get myself to like any of the actively maintained ones, v2.0 is good for me.
well … i’ll stick with droidify
Almost exclusively use F-Droid. Great news!
