Cirrus app dev informing the app will stop working on certified android devices in '26/'27

Degoogled android ROMs will not have this restriction, as they will just have googles verification system removed. So until linux for mobile is a bit more ready you can still use graphene/lineage/etc.

Linux on phones no where near as private or usable

Android (AOSP) is really solid as a platform. Even with Google trying to turn it into a proprietary hellscape projects like Lineage OS still work to build a open platform

Not an endorsement, but I just found out about the existence of this phone today: FLX1 which purports to be based on Debian.

Except the economics for it are trash. Google uses Android as a loss leader to make money on Google's services.

Ah yes cause that's the only part of any platform that requires a full name and address and will absolutely make a dent when the walled garden servants now have to use their slave names people sure will Exodus in droves

This is about all app makers, not just ones in the Google Play Store. This also applies to third party app devs and hobbiests making open source apps to put up on alternative app stores like the all open source F-Droid.

Technically, this would allow the identification of malware providers in Google's app store.

play store publishers are already needed to submit (and publish) their name and address. they made it a requirement ~5 years ago.

Install a custom ROM. Or buy a Chinese made phone, such as Xiaomi (which I do not recommend***).

Edit: some custom ROM links in no particular order:

• https://lineageos.org/
• https://grapheneos.org/
• https://calyxos.org/
• https://e.foundation/e-os/

*** Edit 2: I don't recommend the route of a Chinese brand, because I've had only bad experiences.

Root it

To your first question: Google released a list of all "certified" android devices and it's basically every phone from every halfway known brand. So yeah, you will be effected. The only devices unaffected by this would probably be no name Chinese phones (probably also Huawei, but I am not shure) and IOT devices like smart fridges. The best way to avoid this would probably be installing a custom ROM, like Graphene OS.

To your second question, the Android System already controlls the package Installation process, do you know the "Do you want to install this APK" popup, you geht every time you want to install an app outside of the playstore? That's controlled by the android operating systen and by extension Google. In the future, every android apk would have to have a unique "developer key" attached to it and if it isn't verified by google, the android system can just refuse to install the apk. For that, you don't have to go through the playstore, but you still would have to go through a verification process with Google for every app, you make. How that will be implemented in detail is not yet quite known.

Google could have done this much earlier, it isn't hard to implement, but you can't make it in a way that only negatively impacts ransomware or pirated apps. And most sideloading on Android is perfectly legitimate, so the reason, why Google hasn't done it, because there is (deservately) a big pushback from developers.

certified android devices are those you can get in most stores. the play store is important for many people, ajd many apps don't work correctly without the google mobile services components, and device makers can only legally install these on their phones if they certify their device. the certification process requires an array of quality controls and restrictions.

How can they enforce this for apps not on the play store?

certified devices will need to integrate an app verifier that will check if an app has been approved by google. the public AOSP project is said to also get this, but anyone basing on it can rip it out or modify it to their advantage. but certified device makers don't have a choice thn to include this restriction.

Like if I write my own APK will my phone just refuse to run it if I don't go through some paperwork with Google?

what we know so far, apps you made can be installed through a development tool. but app store aps like fdroid don't have access to this tool, it's difficult to enable, and somewhat risky too

Those are both really bad options

Use Lineage OS

The same president that paused cybersecurity defense program, the same that first blocked funding for Radio Free Europe and when judge reinstated it he just blocked the satellites over Russia, the same president that suggested to have joint cybersecurity program with Russia?

If anything, this move is there to restrict further access to information for us.

Of course american sabotage is encouraged.

Let's go ahead and not accuse alternative app stores of injecting code into apps they distribute with absolutely no evidence, hey?

If it is whoBIRD it's the same author.

As far as I know F-Droid are adament about builds being easily to reproduce.

They are the only alternative market that worked for hours for free to come up with a build system that let's you get the same APK with every builds.

So basically you are accusing an alt market that makes it a point that you can recreate any APK on their market. They are the only actually making sure you can check there is nothing "injected" in an APK.