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#Google is making it necessary for #Android app developers to disclose their personal information to Google. This includes legal name, address, email, and phone number.¹

Here is the timeline given by Google.²

1. October 2025
Start as invite-only

2. March 2026
All developers can disclose their identity to Google

3. September 2026
"Regional enforcement begins" in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand

4. 2027 and beyond
"Global enforcement"

We will explain more in next posts.

(1/3)

#android #Google

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Fedilab Apps
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Fedilab Apps
• •

A "certified Android device" means a normal Android phone. If you haven't flashed a custom ROM or a different operating system like postmarketOS to your phone, you probably have a "certified Android device".

So, if you have a normal Android phone, you will not be able to install apps from developers who are not approved by Google. This gives Google power to block developers and apps it does not like.

This also applies to apps you might acquire outside Google Play, like from F-Droid.³

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in reply to Fedilab Apps

Fedilab Apps
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Fedilab Apps
• •

Not only this harms your freedom to install any app you want on your own Android phone, but also this is harmful for privacy/anonymity of Android developers who do not wish to give their personal information to Google.

Sources:

¹ androidauthority.com/android-d…

² developer.android.com/develope…

³ hackaday.com/2025/08/26/google…

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Google wants to make sideloading Android apps safer by verifying developers’ identities - Android Authority

Google wants to make sideloading safer on Android by verifiying the identities of developers who distribute apps outside the Play Store.
Mishaal Rahman (Android Authority)
in reply to Fedilab Apps

Murdoc Addams 🧛🏻:ri: 🇨🇦
mastodon - Link to source
Murdoc Addams 🧛🏻:ri: 🇨🇦
• •

Ah yes, freedom for "safety", a song as old as the hills.

So either I get a non-google phone by 2027, or this one becomes just a phone to me.

in reply to Murdoc Addams 🧛🏻:ri: 🇨🇦

Fedilab Apps
mastodon - Link to source
Fedilab Apps
• •
@murdoc Is it not possible to flash a different Android distribution (custom ROM) to your phone?
@Murdoc Addams 🧛🏻:ri: 🇨🇦
in reply to Fedilab Apps

Michal Ciesla 💙💛
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Michal Ciesla 💙💛
• •
To be fair, the lists of devices supported by non-Google Android distributions is a tiny subset of all the devices out there. None of the four Android phones I've owned are compatible with any of the other Android distributions. And I'm not keen on spending the money on a flagship phone so that I can have a different Android distribution (and risk bricking it in the process)
This entry was edited (1 week ago)
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Louis Dureuil
mastodon - Link to source
Louis Dureuil
• •

It might be possible, but also out of reach of the typical user.

Besides, banking apps require a "certified Android device", which also excludes custom ROMs. Banks pretty much require we own a smartphone to consult our accounts. The new European age verification thing also has a reference implementation that requires Android with Google Services.

So we have Google closing their ecosystem on one hand, and apps and regulations forcing us to Google on the other hand
@murdoc

@Murdoc Addams 🧛🏻:ri: 🇨🇦
in reply to Fedilab Apps

Deadly Headshot
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Deadly Headshot
• •
Is it just for new devices or will this be pushed retroactively to old ones too?
in reply to Fedilab Apps

tuga
mastodon - Link to source
tuga
• •
Wouldn't that mean they'd have to first force-upgrade PlayServices on **all** devices?
in reply to Fedilab Apps

genstar.service
mastodon - Link to source
genstar.service
• •
Google, Android, What it comes for small developers

⬆️1️⃣ toot.fedilab.app/@apps/1151081…

⬆️2️⃣ toot.fedilab.app/@apps/1151081…

⬆️3️⃣ toot.fedilab.app/@apps/1151081…

Fedilab Apps

2025-08-28 19:45:56


#Google is making it necessary for #Android app developers to disclose their personal information to Google. This includes legal name, address, email, and phone number.¹

Here is the timeline given by Google.²

1. October 2025
Start as invite-only

2. March 2026
All developers can disclose their identity to Google

3. September 2026
"Regional enforcement begins" in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand

4. 2027 and beyond
"Global enforcement"

We will explain more in next posts.

(1/3)


in reply to Fedilab Apps

Von Xylofon
mastodon - Link to source
Von Xylofon
• •
The sideloading part sounds super-illegal and monopolistic in the EU. IANAL, though.
in reply to Fedilab Apps

Xdej
mastodon - Link to source
Xdej
• •
What about distributing the sources, asking users to compile and install the app with Android Studio?
in reply to Fedilab Apps

Hu
mastodon - Link to source
Hu
• •
I never got a phone that supports a custom ROM. They say get a pixel but they are expensive as hell (also fair phones) in my country.
What I did so far was her a phone and remove all Google apps including play services. I don't know if this trick will work anymore.
in reply to Fedilab Apps

Stargazer
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Stargazer
• •

Well... shit.
Then again, I picked a phone precisely because there was a privacy-friendly Android version for it.

This may be the last straw to actually install it.

in reply to Fedilab Apps

Adam
mastodon - Link to source
Adam
• •

Might be worth including this in your thread:

chaos.social/@grote/1150953603…

Torsten Grote

2025-08-26 13:43:45


Google asks what we think of their plans to block Android app installs outside of Google Play (unless the developers let Google verify their identity and pay a fee).

Want to tell them your opinion, just submit this form:

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI…



Android developer verification requirements

Use this form to submit questions or feedback about the new Android developer verification requirements announced in August 2025. You can learn more about the requirements in the Android developer verification guide. Sign up for early access here.
Google Docs

in reply to Fedilab Apps

Rome0
mastodon - Link to source
Rome0
• •
@_aD Any Mobile Linux recommendations beside Android Phones and iPhones?
@Adam
Unknown parent

Fedilab Apps
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Fedilab Apps
• •

@christian_freiherr_von_wolff Then you probably can install apps without Google's restrictions. (assuming your phone isn't a "certified Android device")

@GrapheneOS

@GrapheneOS @christian_freiherr_von_wolff
in reply to Fedilab Apps

Mr.Computer
mastodon - Link to source
Mr.Computer
• •

these are some pretty bad news - once again served by google.

At this point i want to thank @iode once again for their great work.

@iodé
in reply to Fedilab Apps

DieMadColonizer
mastodon - Link to source
DieMadColonizer
• •
anyone know how this will affect microG users? Will they be unable to get apps? Asking so I can figure out what ROMs to recommend
in reply to Fedilab Apps

Dan Gero
mastodon - Link to source
Dan Gero
• •
The reason I purchased an Android phone was because I was tired of Apple telling me what I can and cannot do with my own device. What Google is doing now completely defeats the purpose of sticking with Android. I've mentioned here before that I can't access my downloads folder anymore for "security" reasons. By 2027, Android will officially be more limited than iOS. This needs to be stopped. #Android #SideLoading @apps
#android #sideloading @Fedilab Apps
in reply to Fedilab Apps

contrasocial
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contrasocial
• •
All these big tech companies racing to see who can enshittify themselves into irrelevance first.
in reply to Fedilab Apps

Eckes
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Eckes
• •
that’s suprising, I thought that’s mandatory since always. Didn’t they marketed this as a main feature of the central stores and wasn’t that needed for developer certificates?
in reply to Eckes

Fedilab Apps
mastodon - Link to source
Fedilab Apps
• •
@eckes If you're publishing apps to GooglePlay, you already have to give Google your information, but this new requirement applies also to people who do not publish their apps to Google Play. A develoer who just publish apks to git releases or to an own website, will have to give Google their personal infomation or people with normal Android phones will not be able to install their apps
@Eckes

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Remco IJpelaar
mastodon - Link to source
Remco IJpelaar
• •
Requiring developer verification can improve security: less anonymity makes it harder for spammers and scammers to spread malware, increasing trust in Android apps. But Google’s implementation is concerning: it could give them too much control over which apps run on certified devices. Security should never be an excuse to make the Android ecosystem less open or limit user choice.
in reply to Fedilab Apps

Ingo van Lil
mastodon - Link to source
Ingo van Lil
• •

I don't get it. As a developer, I only publish my source code in a Git repository. The F-Droid maintainers are picking it up, building an APK and distributing it.

So most likely the F-Droid project will have to become registered, but not I as a developer.

Of course it would still be massively inconvenient if I couldn't run my own app on my own device.

in reply to Fedilab Apps

FUCK OFF GOOGLE, AMAZON &Co !!
mastodon - Link to source
FUCK OFF GOOGLE, AMAZON &Co !!
• •

Time to make serious work of Linux on mobile , that is the only long term viable solution. All custom ROMs are in the end fully dependant on Google that can always kill these projects as soon as they become relevant or close to mainstream.

#LinuxMobile #LinuxOnMobile #Android #Google #FuckOffGoogle #CustomROMs

#linuxmobile #android #Google #linuxonmobile #fuckoffgoogle #customroms
Unknown parent

Fedilab Apps
mastodon - Link to source
Fedilab Apps
• •

@TeflonTrout But, Unihertz phones doesn't seem to have much support for custom ROMs?

@globcoco @christian_freiherr_von_wolff @GrapheneOS

@TeflonTrout he/him @GrapheneOS @Coralie Renée @christian_freiherr_von_wolff
Unknown parent

TeflonTrout he/him
mastodon - Link to source
TeflonTrout he/him
• •
@globcoco @christian_freiherr_von_wolff @GrapheneOS
Ok, but other android phone makers exist, for example Unihertz, which is my new favorite. Their phones are pretty great
@GrapheneOS @Coralie Renée @christian_freiherr_von_wolff
Unknown parent

Coralie Renée
mastodon - Link to source
Coralie Renée
• •

@christian_freiherr_von_wolff @GrapheneOS
Hold on. Maybe I am wrong but I thought that windows and mac impose conditions on the hardwares...

Idk if that is true or not...

@GrapheneOS @christian_freiherr_von_wolff
in reply to Fedilab Apps

TeflonTrout he/him
mastodon - Link to source
TeflonTrout he/him
• •

@globcoco @christian_freiherr_von_wolff @GrapheneOS

That is your area of expertise; until you said that I was under the impression it was akin to installing a new OS on a PC with some extra hurdles. Sorry if that's not a good brand suggestion, and thank you for the time replying

@GrapheneOS @Coralie Renée @christian_freiherr_von_wolff
in reply to Coralie Renée

Fedilab Apps
mastodon - Link to source
Fedilab Apps
• •

@globcoco Usually with a computer/laptop that came with Windows, you can install a different OS (E.g.: Linux, BSD) on it without much trouble.

Lot of Androd phone manufacturers make it difficult for people to change the operating system of their phones. Surprisingly, it's easier with Google's Pixel phones than lot of other brands.

@christian_freiherr_von_wolff

@Coralie Renée @christian_freiherr_von_wolff
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