Your phone is about to stop being yours.
157 days until lockdown
Starting in 2027*, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID.
Every app and every device, worldwide, with no opt-out.
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In August 2025, Google announced a new requirement: starting in 2027, every Android app developer must register centrally with Google before their software can be installed on any device. Not just Play Store apps: all apps. This includes apps shared between friends, distributed through F-Droid, built by hobbyists for personal use. Independent developers, church and community groups, and hobbyists alike will all be frozen out of being able to develop and distribute their software.
Registration requires:
If a developer does not comply, their apps get silently blocked on every Android device worldwide.
You bought an Android phone because Google told you it was open. You could install what you wanted, and that was the deal.
Google is now rewriting that deal, retroactively, on hardware you already own. After the update lands, you can only run software that Google has pre-approved. On your phone: your property, that you paid for.
A teenager's first app, a volunteer's privacy tool, or a company's confidential internal beta. It doesn't matter. In 2027, none of these can be installed without Google's blessing.
F-Droid, home to thousands of free and open-source Android apps, has called this an "existential" threat. Cory Doctorow calls it "Darth Android".
Google has a documented track record of complying when authoritarian regimes demand app removals. With this program, the software that runs your country's institutions will exist at the pleasure of a single unaccountable foreign corporation.
The EFF calls app gatekeeping "an ever-expanding pathway to internet censorship."
Google says "power users" can "still install" unverified apps. Here's what that actually looks like:
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. And as of today, it hasn't shipped in any beta, preview, or canary build. It exists only as a blog post and some mockups.
If Google can retroactively lock down billions of devices that were sold as open platforms, every hardware manufacturer on the planet is watching.
The principle being established: the company that made your device gets to decide, after you've bought it, what software you're allowed to run. In software, this is called a "rug pull"; but at least you could always install competing software. In hardware, it is a fait accompli that strips you of your agency and renders you powerless to the whims of a single unaccountable gatekeeper and convicted monopolist.
Android's openness was never just a feature. It was the promise that distinguished it from iPhone. Millions chose Android for exactly that reason. Google is now revoking that promise unilaterally, on devices already in people's pockets, because they've decided they have enough market dominance and regulatory capture to get away with it.
Ars Technica: "Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy."
The security rationale is a smokescreen. Google Play Protect already scans for malware independent of developer identity. Requiring a government ID doesn't make code safer. It makes developers identifiable and controllable. Malware authors can register. Indie developers and dissidents often can't. The EFF is blunt: identity-based gatekeeping is a censorship tool, not a security one.
Nine steps, 24-hour wait, buried in Developer Options, delivered through a proprietary service that Google can revoke whenever they want. That's not sideloading. That's a deterrence mechanism built to ensure almost nobody completes it. And since it runs through Play Services rather than the OS, Google can tighten or kill it silently.
Whistleblowers, journalists, and activists under authoritarian governments will be the first victims. People in domestic abuse situations are next. All these groups have legitimate reasons to distribute or use software without putting their legal identity in a Google database. Anonymous open-source contribution is a tradition older than Google itself. This policy ends it on Android.
Apple has been a walled garden from day one. People chose Android because it was different. "Apple does it too" is a race to the bottom and a weak tu quoque argument. And under regulatory pressure (the EU's Digital Markets Act), even Apple is being forced to open up. Google is moving in the opposite direction: attempting to further entrench its gatekeeping status.
Maybe, if you're a developer in the US with a credit card and a driver's license. Try being a student in sub-Saharan Africa, or a dissident in Myanmar, or a volunteer maintaining a community health app. The cost isn't only financial: you're surrendering government ID and evidence of your signing keys to a company that routinely complies with government demands to remove apps and expose developers.
Do not sign up. Don't join the program by signing up for the Android Developer Console and agreeing to their irrevocable Terms and Conditions. Don't verify your identity. Don't play ball.
Google's plan only works if developers comply. Don't.
If you know something about the program's technical implementation or internal rationale, contact tips@keepandroidopen.org from a non-work machine and a non-Gmail account. Strict confidence guaranteed.
71 organizations from 23 countries have signed the open letter
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Google's story that this move is motivated by security is obviously bullshit. The idea that Google can improve Android's safety by certifying developers, rather than code, is obvious bullshit."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Although Google's claim is that this is for 'security', it does not prevent the regular practice of scammers buying up existing verified developer accounts."
Maya Posch, Hackaday
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours. Google decides which apps are allowed to be loaded on Android and which are not."
Tuta Blog
"The proposed Android Developer Verification program isn't a security update; it's a kill switch for the open ecosystem."
Hillary Keverenge, Tech-ish Kenya
"Once there is no such thing as 'sideloading', there's virtually no difference between iOS and Android. I see no reason to buy Android over iOS at this point."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"Innovation may be the biggest casualty in all of this. This new rule erodes your right to make informed decisions about your own devices."
MakeUseOf
"Android is not open anymore. It's not an alternative. It's not even trying. It's iOS with ads and spyware bolted on."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"There is also the very real possibility that Google will leak your identity with the result that any apps with political implications could result in persecution and worse."
I-Programmer
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"Destroying F-Droid isn't some 'oops.' It's the mission. It's Google finally cutting the last remaining escape route and locking every single user inside their store."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Google isn't certifying apps, they're certifying developers. This implies that the company can somehow predict whether a developer will do something malicious in the future."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Google has announced what can only be described as a death blow to the open ecosystem that made Android. Under the guise of 'security,' Google is implementing draconian developer verification requirements."
AndroidSage
"This is not about protecting users. This is about control. This is about Google cutting out the last remaining artery of independence in Android."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"Google is turning sideloading from a right into a permission slip, and the open-source community has until September to convince it otherwise."
Reclaim The Net
"Google's attempts to make Android 'more secure' are, in fact, increasing the risk for Android users. The more friction you introduce in the name of security, the more likely users will attempt to bypass security completely."
Ken Buckler, Enterprise Management Associates
"Developers from sanctioned countries or those without Google Play access cannot verify themselves. This creates systemic discrimination against developers based on birthplace rather than conduct."
agnostic-apollo (Termux developer), GitHub
"The $25 isn't the real cost. The chilling effect is. Submitting government ID to Google is a non-starter for pseudonymous contributors and privacy researchers."
Arafat Alim, DEV Community
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"This policy represents a dramatic departure from Android's decades-old tradition of openness, in which developers could build and share apps freely without first submitting to a centralized authority."
Biometric Update
"Sideloading, a longstanding pillar of Android's openness, is now being marginalized, placing the Android platform closer to the walled-garden approach of Apple's iOS."
Purism
"Google has announced that they are altering the deal. And telling us that we should pray that they don't alter it further. Block this policy change now before they wrap their cold metal hands around our necks."
Jesse Wilson, PublicObject.com
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Developers who choose not to use Google's services should not be forced to register with, and submit to the judgement of, Google."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Google will cut off independent developers to Android if they do not register with Google first. This will kill independent platforms like F-Droid and severely impede FLOSS devs from creating apps for Android."
KDE
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"A centralized global registration system for Android will inevitably chill this work. Those communities are likely to drop out of developing for Android altogether."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"Google's abusive approach to the Android operating system has only gotten worse in recent years. Software freedom is sorely lacking in the 'computers in our pockets' we call cell phones."
Free Software Foundation
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"This extends Google's gatekeeping authority beyond its own marketplace into distribution channels where it has no legitimate operational role."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations
"Changes would impose barriers to entry for individual developers, small teams and volunteer projects by imposing fees, identity checks and terms that may not align with the principles of an open ecosystem."
Infosecurity Magazine
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"Google's developer verification policy creates a centralized database, controlled by a single corporation, containing the real-world identity of every person who writes software for Android."
Brave
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"There are governments who might very much like to know the names of the developers of those applications so that they can go after them."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"When you set up a gate, you invite authorities to use it to block things they don't like. And when you build a database, you invite governments to try to get access."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"If it were to be put into effect, the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open source app distribution sources as we know them today."
F-Droid
"Developers who build privacy-first browsers, encrypted messaging apps, VPNs, Tor-based software or tools for journalists and activists would be required to upload government ID to Google. These developers are unlikely to trust Google and might stop developing for Android."
Brave
"This invasion of privacy of developers is not just an overreach of Google's authority over Android, but also jeopardizes developer safety."
Software Freedom Conservancy
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"A policy that forces every Android developer to hand their identity to Google, regardless of whether they use Google's services, makes Android a less-open and less-private platform."
Brave
"For developers building tools specifically designed to protect user privacy, being forced to surrender their own personal data as a precondition for distribution is deeply contradictory."
AdGuard
"This is a profound change, one that shatters the entire premise of the Android ecosystem, long regarded as the antithesis of the closed Apple ecosystem."
AdGuard
"Google isn't testing this in the US or Europe first. They're starting in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Why? Because these are massive growth markets where regulation is weaker. By the time regulators catch up, the damage will already be done."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"I'm not using the word 'phone.' I'm using the word 'computer.' This has over 8 GB of RAM, a terabyte of storage. It's a computer. And I'm also not going to be using words like 'sideload.' When you download an exe file onto your Windows computer, you've installed an application. You haven't 'sideloaded' something."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google is setting a requirement that only they can fulfill, forcing developers to go through Google and killing off thousands of apps. Countless users stranded."
Techlore – YouTube
"This represents the last real safe place for free and open-source software in the entire mobile ecosystem. Once it's gone, it's gone. And we're going to spend the next decade trying to claw it back."
Techlore – YouTube
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"This means you can't sideload an app from an unofficial source. But it could also be used to lock the ecosystem so we're forced to install only Google apps on approved Google OS versions."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."
Techlore – YouTube
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google keeps getting in as much trouble as Apple when Google is half evil and Apple is full evil. So there are probably people inside Google saying, 'Why not just go full evil?'"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Imagine Dell told you that you could no longer install any operating system other than Windows on your laptop. That's what Google is doing to your phone."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"A world where two tech companies from the same city that dominate all of our mobile devices both require centralized developer registration is a world with one more lever for surveillance, one more checkpoint for censorship."
Techlore – YouTube
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"F-Droid is basically saying that the new Google developer registration process will likely kill the open-source app store entirely."
The Linux Experiment – YouTube
"I have really no more strong reason to not recommend you all get iPhones, because this just is pretty much an iPhone with a Google logo on it at this point."
Techlore – YouTube
"The fact of the matter is, this is my device. I paid a lot of money for it. I should be able to do with it what I want."
Switched to Linux – YouTube
"This is an iPhone now. I didn't want to buy an iPhone. I use Android because it gives me freedom. If you are not going to give me freedom with my computer, then why would I buy your stuff anymore?"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"Google is doing to Android what Microsoft once tried to do to the web. Embrace, extend, extinguish. Just wrapped in a shinier open-source package."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"Follow the money. Google makes money when apps are downloaded from its store. Google has completely forgotten about its earlier company motto: Don't be evil."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"The widely-circulated narrative that Google already backed down from this is false. They didn't, and that misunderstanding may be the most dangerous part of the story right now."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"We all need security and FOSS apps! "
Chris, change.org
"The life of Android is its openness. If I make an apk, I don't have to jump through hoops to install it on my device. If I install an apk from the internet, that is my choice. Verification in this regard is like requiring a government stamp on a written statement before it can be said in public: a gross overreach. I am not benefited as a consumer nor as a developer with this move, but I am harmed in every single way. "
John, change.org
"Completely Unacceptable "
Joe, change.org
"I am a lifelong android user who uses 3rd party apps and would lose much of the functionality of how I use my phone if this update goes through. I would likely stop using the app store and use platforms like F-Droid even more. "
Emily, change.org
"My money goes to the people with a specific contract implicitly in mind. I own the device, and the manufacturer cedes control to me in totality. If google wishes to contiunue with this course of action, the monetary value of any android phone as a product drops to zero - I cannot own one in totality. I cannot purchase one in truth. I'm only thankful that Linux-based phones are now (more than ever) becoming a viable, if still niche choice. "
Benjamin, change.org
"Pαrα sαlvαr Αndroid "
Jhon Harrison, change.org
"I want my freedom to install any app I want on MY DEVICE!!! "
Aswin, change.org
"The people will ask if they feel they need to be represented. "
Catherine, change.org
"I am concerned for my privacy with this change. I chose Android under the impression that I can customize my device in ways that can help me protect my online privacy. That's something that can't be said for Apple. The decision to change Android to a closed system is going to hurt people like me who care about online privacy. Google, You're not helping your customer base by doing this. Only making them more likely to switch to iphones or flip phones. This is not the Android I've always known, It's another platform falling into the proprietary capitalism that a significant amount of the android customer base has been trying to steer away from since the early days of smartphones. "
Patience, change.org
"WE WANT CHOICES! "
Cindy, change.org
"dear android, you are doing what you did to unlimited photo storage and making it limited. i have been eyeing the linux cell phone ecosystem for awhile and hope that is my option if you decide to limit and cripple the ecosystem you helped build. i have been degoogling my services like photos, drive, gmail, and calendar. if you change for the worse, i will change for the better "
michael, change.org
"Limiting the installation of APK files (sideloading) is bad because it turns Android, known for its openness, into a "walled garden" similar to Apple's. This restriction strips users of their freedom, treating them as if they cannot make decisions about their own devices. Furthermore, it stifles competition and innovation. Alternative app stores, like F-Droid (focused on open-source), and developers testing their apps are directly harmed. This forces everyone to depend exclusively on the Google Play Store, giving Google total control over the market and what you can or cannot install, often under the guise of "security." In the end, it's a trade-off of Android's fundamental freedom for centralized corporate control. "
Lucas de arruda, change.org
"As someone who's used Android since Android 5.0 & 4.4.4, I think being able to download and install 3rd party applications is important for EVERYONE who uses any Android device. Sideloading is a key reason why Android is beloved by most of its users and a key advantage for most power users of many different devices which gives it a major edge over Apple's iOS platform which has many of these restrictions. The difference between Android and iOS for as long as both of them have existed is that Android has been designed since the beginning as an Open-Source operating system that was ALWAYS designed to be tinkered with by the user without needing to be beholden to the whims of the big company that owns it. TL;DR, Android is an open-source OS that is better than iOS because it doesn't restrict user freedoms, even if that freedom isn't always needed by every Android user. Keep Android Open! (save Android X86 too maybe as well!) "
Andrew, change.org
"Freedom of expression and choice, without filtering. "
Ralph, change.org
"Purchasing objects means ownership. If ownership is only given to the haves, the have-nots become slaves. Google, if you are doing this of your own free will, shame on you. Governments of the world: attack evildoers directly, don't punish the populace with slavery. For one sin, all Man suffers. But we don't have to live in that slavery to sinfulness! Return hate with love! "
Jame, change.org
"Forcing developers to pay fees and hand over identifying documentation will never be the solution to malware. It creates opportunities for censorship, removes one of the major reasons uses android over apple products. As a hobbyist developer, I do not wish to throw my identity left and right just to run my own app on my own phone that I have no intention of publishing. If I do, it would be open source for others to use and when the time comes that I wish to sell an app, sure I will register to the Google play store or any other store as needed. "
Christopher, change.org
"Dear Google, As a life-long Android user, the perspective of this program ever coming into place is simply devastating. The Android Project was built with the promise of open-source software, community-driven development and digital freedom at its core. This promise has been a vital part of its success, from its humble beginnings to the widely popular and prolific ecosystem we have today. Any measure that does not fully respect these core values is a direct threat to the Android Project as a whole and a betrayal of its community. I believe the "Android developer verification requirements" program as it stands is such a measure. Therefore, I urge everybody involved at Google to seriously reconsider this program to the benefit of the Android Project and its community. Sincerely- "
Yoann, change.org
"Keep Android from being like Apple controlling every aspect of what can be installed or not, that's why i don't own iPhones never will. If android is going in the same direction ill get a flip phone I don't need big brother telling me what i can do or can't on my phone, i worked hard to pay for! in the name of safety always same bullshit excuse when they want to violate people's rights... "
melvyn, change.org
"Stop this madness !! Don’t you have better things to do like stop governments looking at the peoples emails, pictures etc. It’s ridiculous you are tracking and legally hacker everyone’s as it is. Do the right thing and stop trying to track and sell everyone’s Data. You have enough money and data. LEAVE APK AND DEVELOPERS ALO E. "
Brian, change.org
"This COULD end piracy of some games, paid apps, viruses/spyware and modded apps/cheats. But as a Brazilian, I'm against this, because there is a lot of Open source apps on github and F-droid with really useful functionalities. "
Gianluigi, change.org
"If this forced update happens. I definitely will be finding a new operating system for my phone or a new phone without Google. You can take that to the bank...!!! "
James, change.org
"The restriction of an end-user's ability to control what they can and cannot do with their device that they legally own is inherently malicious and should be illegal. Google is pushing and overreaching in a way that is invasive and threatening to users' privacy and freedom. "
Weston, change.org
"This is, I believe a really dumb decision on Google's part. Personally one of the primary reasons I choose to use Android devices over IOS is because I loathe Apple's locked down environment ... Is Google now wanting to follow in Apple's coat tails with this policy ? I thought Google was about leadership and innovation, if it now wants to play second fiddle to Apple, I hope another OS comes to the forefront, I'm pretty sure one will. It may take a little while, but freedom will out in the end. And personally if Google thinks they can control what I choose to do with my own devices ... well I'm sorry Google, but THAT WILL NOT WORK FOR ME. As it is I already have to sideliad apps I want on my tablet because " they are not compatible with my device " at least according to the Play Store they are not... So tell me Google, if they are so incompatible, WHY DO THE FUNCTION PERFECTLY one I sideload them from a device that you deem to be "compatible " ?? And now you think you can stop me ? and stop me from writing my personal little apps to do other neat stuff that I like ??? I really THINK NOT and if I can no longer work on Android Devices, we'll I WILL FIND / CREATE A WORKABLE ALTERNATIVE. "
Paul, change.org
"Please reconsider this decision. Android has always been about freedom and open source. Being able to support small developers and having choices to sideload apps is integral to Android's success. "
Jay, change.org
"This "security" feature will stop independent non-commercial projects. We don't want to be locked in commercial CRAP "
David, change.org
"We chose Android because it is OUR device that we have control of. Soon it will be fully controlled by Google. "
Montana, change.org
"We need to stop the monopolies and surveillance of big tech corporations "
Tyler, change.org
"Google is stupid and annoying and I hate them let me do what I want with my phone or imma just use grapheneOS "
David, change.org
"the staple and main "selling" point of android is how open and free it is. Without that it's no different than any other os. This decision is completely asinine on Google's part. "
Thomas, change.org
"If google makes this change i will find any alternative OS and switch to that. "
Ron, change.org
"Android libre. "
Fernando, change.org
"At the age of 41 I have had the blessing of watching the smartphone grow. From its infant day's, through to the Blackberry fad and into something I couldn't have imagined when I had my first "brick" cellphone. Front end center, the consumer was offered 2 brand's in the modern era of handheld devices. The giants, Apple and Android. Google's "open platform" and their freedom to develop, modify and create kept me loyal my entire life in regards to ownership of said technology. It's a great shame to hear Google is planning to end open user development, following Apple as if it's creating massive net profit loss. If followed through, I'll end my lifetime commitment to using Android and follow the path I swore not to follow... becoming an Apple ID number and forever locked in their digital cage. "
Charles, change.org
"I make little tools for myself and little games for my son, I don't usually distribute apps and when I do it is for free with no ads. Adding a license, divulging personal info and a cost to Android development will make me leave the platform. Allow people to use their computing devices the way they want, don't be evil. "
Paul, change.org
"Might as well be an iPhone at this point. The whole point of Android was customization, and this kills that. Do better Google. "
William, change.org
"Communities survive and thrive based on their ability to collaborate and share. Android is the superior platform in my eyes because it's not a closed garden that requires tithe to be paid to some arbitrary group to function. Requiring developers to cede to Google for the simple opportunity to exist would greatly hinder creativity and limit the scope of what an app could do. Were this to go forward, I would certainly be looking to alternatives for my phone and app needs, even if it is inconvenient and difficult. "
Joel, change.org
"Why would you change what is by far the most appealing aspect of your operating system? Why would you choose to take the thing that set Google apart from Apple and imitate them? A locked down, dumbed down, "My way or the highway" approach to your user base is insulting, and now people will be desperately trying to find out create a new option, and you'll have no way to compare favorably even against your biggest competitor because you're choosing to be in the same boat. "
Michael, change.org
"APK or go away "
Joshua, change.org
"I've been an user of Android based phones for a very long time. I am fully against the idea of this move Google is trying, as it is just another notch in the attempted censorship and surveillance of the internet as a whole. If this move is allowed to go through, I will find workarounds or work towards getting a third party phone deal where I don't have to deal with this. These big tech companies should not have the authority to force us to bend to them. We have the power to make them back down. Let our voice be heard. Boycott these companies and make them lose money. The moment their financial gains are threatened, they will surrender. "
Brandon, change.org
"We ned open source application PLEASE "
french, change.org
"When I purchased my Android product, it was with the understanding that I could use it how I pleased. This doesn't make anything better, they are doing this in a bid to control what their consumers are able to access. It is predatory and they must be held accountable. "
Phillip, change.org
"Android for me has always been the freedom to choose. The right to find alternatives that won't actively gather my information. I want to keep my freedom. I trust my open source small developers more than I trust corporations who put profit over my rights. "
Yeshua, change.org
"Google, don't be evil. "
Eric, change.org
"Я считаю, что запрет на установку неизвестных файлов является произвольным ограничением моей личной свободы. Такой запрет лишает меня возможности самостоятельно выбирать программы и приложения, которые я считаю нужными, и тем самым ущемляет мои гражданские права — право на свободный доступ к информации, свободу выбора и безопасный цифровой опыт. Я прошу отменить этот запрет, чтобы каждый пользователь мог самостоятельно решать, какие файлы устанавливать, без необоснованных ограничений со стороны государства или компании. "
Павел, change.org
"Just saying that Android is not becoming locked down because of sideload restrictions, it closed was from the start, but people don't care if bootloader unlock is not under their control, they are being abused from the born of android but they only now scream that sideload is getting restricted. I'm of course mad at this sideload situation but Android before WASN'T OPEN! "
Hidden, change.org
"It really seems like part of a conspiracy to turn the entire digital world into a tool for psychological and mass control. Let's raise our voices together against this immense idiocy, most likely promoted primarily by governments and not directly by Google. 👁️📐👌⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐❤️ "
Alessio, change.org
"Please reconsider "
Calvin, change.org
"that's the only reason i actually use Android, this should not be an actual project of Google "
Theodore Thomas, change.org
"I am from Brazil, and having an android closed here makes it impossible for Brazilians, who in our situation, most people cannot have an economic situation that can have video games, PCs to enjoy the culture, with emulators, we can have access to this, even with simpler cell phones, because here even the simplest cell phone, it costs almost 1 minimum wage, I wanted to leave my support so that we can change this bad future "
Icaro, change.org
"To block sideload in all newer Android devices, not only for Pixel phones that Google own, is not going to enhance user's safety. It makes life more difficult for developers and you are taking away one of the only things that made Android better than Apple. If Google really wanted to enhance users' safety, they would verify better apps on their Play Store or implement a better antivirus that could scan apks and check for malware. I bought my phone and my tablet with my hardwork and money, I am not a child to not know what I should or shouldn't install inside my phone. Imagine if I couldn't install a necessary software in my computer or test my code just because Microsoft didn't approve of it? That would be absurd. It is my responsibility to know what I can or cannot install in my device, that is not up to a multi-billion company to decide. By blocking sideload, Google is breaking the trust they had from thousands of developers and millions of users of this OS. "
Bianca, change.org
"https://c.org/ztGgdyG2f4 "
Rosita, change.org
"There is no valid reason to do this except greed and control. If someone installs malicious software on their own device thats their issue. "
Jonathan, change.org
"Please don't close off the Android ecosystem. I'm an Android user because it gives me the freedom to install apps while taking responsibility for my installations. That's what differentiates it from iPhone and the reason I chose it. "
Víctor, change.org
"Closing off the ability for the average consumer to engage with their device on their terms is outright dystopian and also part of why so many younger people struggle with computer literacy. "
Joseph, change.org
"This change would defeat the core purpose at the heart of what the Android platform is. Remember when Google used to use the slogan "Don't be Evil"? Well this is about as evil as it gets. "
Justin, change.org
"After dithering for ages, I finally did what I've always wanted to do, I installed a de-googled android it's, E/Os. Its great! If google persist in this, I'm sure more non technical users will too! I also wrote to my mp & to the UK monopoly commission. Search E/Os murena see if you can too! "
ed, change.org
"IT'S ABSURD WHAT GOOGLE IS TRYING TO DO ON ANDROID, ANDROID USERS AND ANDROID DEVICES ABOUT LOCKING THE SYSTEM SO WE CAN'T INSTALL APPS DOWNLOADED FROM WEBSITES AND DOWNLOADED FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE. GOOGLE DOES NOT OWN OUR DEVICES AND WE HAVE THE FULL RIGHT TO DO WHAT WE WANT WITH OUR DEVICES BECAUSE WE PAY FOR THEM. "
Wagner, change.org
"This is going to change android into a half functional game console locked down to anyone who won't kiss the G, a sure sign of drm, not consumer protection. If only google approved apps are allowed, will we only be able to call google approved phone numbers, visit google approved websites, see google approved images, listen to google approved music? We are not google. "
Willem, change.org
"With the rising price of X86 hardware, ARM devices may be the future of personal computing, but that won't happen if Google smothers development for the largest operating system for ARM based hardware. I should be able to run a program on my machine without the developer needing to pay a fee to Google and dox themselves. "
Dwight, change.org
"I despise ALPHABET's manipulative and self-serving gestures, toward gate-keeping OUR FREEDOMS and coyly investing themselves in THEIR PROMOTION, of our best intetests! 601=VC1 "
Ian, change.org
"Android is designed to be free. We own OUR devices. This is not up for discussion "
Brandon, change.org
"Mobile devices have become such integral, personalized focal points in our lives over the last few decades, but not everyone uses their devices the same way. Having the choice of what software we choose to use and where to install from has been a key part of Android since its beginning and has been an important keystone of consumer choice. Removing those choices and putting up barriers to entry for development would be a huge blow to consumer rights. "
Scott, change.org
"Android has always stood for user choice that’s what made it different. Taking away freedoms like sideloading apps goes directly against that foundation. Not every developer wants to go through approval processes just to create or use their own apps. Many of us build things for personal use, experimentation, or learning not for distribution under strict control. These changes don’t just limit developers they set a dangerous precedent. This is how censorship and platform control begin, slowly turning an open ecosystem into a closed one. Android was meant to be open. What made it powerful was the freedom it gave its users. Stripping that away doesn’t protect people it restricts them. If Android continues down this path, it risks losing what made it great in the first place. "
Jared, change.org
"Open source exploration is too important to add any additional barriers to entrance. I expect it's bad for all of us, including alphabet and Google, the aosp... a new open model may rise from a push such as this. Really though, don't be evil, please "
Eric, change.org
"On veut pouvoir faire ce que l'on veut quand l'on veux "
Philippe, change.org
"I have a bunch of applications that are not on the Google Play Store that I would lose access to if this feature were to be removed. Security Concerns are not a reason to screw over your customers, and just like you and me, we're all people too. People have the right for freedom, and you're revoking that freedom from the devices that we bought and paid for with our own money. This is extremely monopolistic and anti-competitive. There is now essentially no competition between iOS and Android Devices if this feature gets removed. You are doing a disservice to the entire existence of Android by removing this feature. This hurts more than it helps. "
C., change.org
"The ONLY reason why i stay with android is because of the freedom. That is literally the only thing that makes android stand out compared to apple and is the reason why I stayed with android my whole life . If this change does happen and that freedom gets taken away . Im definitely going to switch to apple as there is no reason to entertain android/google anymore . Google , take note of your communities feelings on this matter and understand the risks from an financial stand point on how negatively this will impact your sales. I'm flat out saying you will lose me at least who is a loyal android and google supporter. If im willing to leave , imagine the rest of the community. "
Vincenzo, change.org
"Please don't do this, I have always been opposed to the apple mentality, I view this as my device and have loved the openness of the android ecosystem. I used to root my phones and load my own os, replace boot animations, design my own UI. Those are my fondest memories of owning an Android phone, I no longer do those things but I still occasionally side load an app, or go to FDroid, Amazon's app store, if you revoke my ability to do these things I can no longer argue against owning an iphone, as my biggest argument now is Google's android open ecosystem versus apples closed ecosystem. Don't be Apple, be Google, be better. "
Jake, change.org
"Google has painted developer verification as 'security' but the Play Store already hosts malware and Play Protect scans for it already. This is simply another attempt at Google to try and monopolise (see Chrome or the RCS protocol) and no one should be wanting this to happen. This affects anyone who develops outside of the Play Store (including F-Droid or GitHub repos), privacy or anonymous apps, it suffocates our OSS devs, and introduces another way for Google to oversee everything or another vector for data to be leaked. Android has always been about freedom and user control and Google should not have a say in how users use their devices. I have been an Android user since Ice Cream Sandwhich and there are multiple reasons as to why I have never owned an iPhone. I would not be able to have the phone I do today or be able to use it to its full extent without the contributions of FOSS/OSS devs and their community. Shame on you, Google. If this goes through, I'll take my chances with Linux. "
A, change.org
"As a developer, a main appeal of Android has been that I can write my own software for it. I've shared some of my more polished and completed apps with others, although my primary motivation has been to "scratch an itch". Although F-Droid doesn't track download or usage stats, I can tell from comments in my github issues that the majority of the users of my apps have found and installed it from F-Droid. Likewise, most of the software I've installed on my own device comes from F-droid. I like the focus F-Droid apps have on privacy and find the quality to be much higher on average than on the Google play store. I strongly recommend that F-droid, other 3rd party stores, and the ability to install an .apk file from any other source is retained. Users deserve the freedom to use their device as they see fit, and should be respected enough to decide that for themselves. Google has already shown itself to be a poor gatekeeper when it comes to deciding what is allowed in the Play Store. High quality and immensely useful apps have been removed for being incompatible with increasingly restrictive policies (such as Termux), while low quality clones of existing apps, ad spam, scams, and outright malware, continues to be allowed. I will not use, recommend, nor develop for an ecosystem where Google has the only say in what I'm allowed to do with it. "
Matthew, change.org
"This is about Freedom! I want to be in control of what apps I install on my phone! And How I install them! I choose freedom! Do Not block or limit my freedom under the the guise of helping me according to your beliefs! "
Henry, change.org
"My name is Lawrence Wider Jr. I am a huge fan of Android. The ability flawlessly download the individuals files (APKs) of smartphone apps on my smartphone is the reason why I decided to choose Android as my first ever smartphone OS to use over iOS a couple of decades ago. In short, it was Freedom Of Choice that caused me to choose Android over IOS decades ago. If Google decides to go through with their plan to limit APK usage this September, then I will no longer have that awesome choice and I will no longer be able to choose the awesome smartphone OS known as Android as my smartphone os. The ability to flawlessly download the individuals files (APKs) of smartphone apps on my smartphone had also caused Android to be a fun smartphone OS for me to use. Another advantage of the ability for me to download individual files (APKs) of APKs on my Android smartphone has given me is the ability for it to be easier for me to use Android. If Google decides to limit APK file usage this September, then it would cause me to no longer choose Android as my smartphone is to use. Thank you. "
Lawrence, change.org
"Android is the best platform for testing and developing applications. It would be a shame if such an absurd decision caused many users to abandon the operating system and migrate to another. Google, please reconsider this decision. "
Angel Uriel, change.org
"I want Android to remain an open operating system and platform. "
Eric, change.org
"If I wanted an iPhone, I would chuck my phone into the nearest dumpster and walk into the Apple store that very same day and buy an iPhone, but that is not what I want. I want the freedom to install the software of my choice and the right to use my device (that I have purchased!) in the way that I want. Google claims that developer verification is for the user's safety. However, forcing developers to disclose their identities will put their safety at risk if they live in countries where censorship is rampant, or make them a target for doxxing if any shady third parties wish to abuse this verification system for whatever petty reasons. "
David, change.org
"Stop Google from limiting APK file usage! "
Daniel, change.org
"Android is dying but we shall together to save Android. "
Elmer, change.org
"As an android guru who runs a blog on getting the best out of android who often recommends and personally use many side loaded apps since a lot of the best apps are on places like f droid and sinilar places but not on google. Ultimately its sad to see android and apple be these walled gardens "
L, change.org
"As an ex user of legacy iOS devices, I felt so frustrated by the base system that I always had to try overcome limitations through jailbreak. What a fresh breeze it was when I finally switched to android more than a decade ago! The openness and flexibility of the system was, even from a simple user POV, a liberation. Fast forward, we're at an era where being an indie dev is accessible. And when this era is flourishing, you tell me Google wants to lock up all machines relying on its system? This is terrible. We don't want a locked ecosystem. There are plenty already. We want flexibility and keep power in our decisions. Simple. So I'm signing this petition. "
Christopher-Harold, change.org
"This is absurd and down right offensive that Google ever thought the thought that contradicts the core ideals for the Android OS! An android device that's no longer open might as well be Apple 2.0. In saying that, it will turn away not only the tech savy users in completion by 100% of them looking for another OS but in turn having the user who wants to express themselves in their Android device... If we wanted a closed source environment we'd conform with the rest of the world who knows nothing else but how to have the "hive mind" think for them and buy an apple. They do it, have done it and will continue to do it the best. Which, tbh, is ok!! Let them have their space in that of the most boring OS, app store, etc... If Google follows suit and actually closes up Android, clearly it will not kill the giant that Google purchased but it will turn away hundreds of millions of users to that "boring side" as in comparison, it makes NO SENSE for one to keep an Android over an iPhone when iPhone already has side loading and other exploitations to help us at the very least feel like we have some sort of control while going with the leading IP of closed OSs.... Android and closed should never be in the same sentence and I can guarantee when it happens Google will see lows they've never experienced in recent years nor could have predicted. However if the corporate overlords didn't think a backlash would occur when Google, likely the most predatory tech company in terms of their business practices who already enables the largest black market empire in that of call centers and scammers across the world to operate by selling our data to them and pushing their ads to the top of its results for the right amount of money. Who tf you think is gonna want to use a phone backed by said company when it's closing it's OS and changing it's TOS to basically "we can see and use everything on your screen for whatever purposes we please?? Literally the largest data broker in THE UNIVERSE???? YEA RIGHT, WE'RE NOT FOOL GOOGLE, WE'RE THE PHONE USERS WHO ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO THINK FOR OURSELVES, Y'ALL FORGET THIS POINT?? "
Steven, change.org
"I chose to use Android devices specifically due to the control that I, as an end user, have over my files and the programs I chose to install on them. Even if a program comes from an independent programmer, even from other countries stores (like RuStore), even if it an open source app (like the ones from F-Droid), or just choosing to use Telegram from the first and most reliable source ever- the developer's website itself. I once had an iOS device and I totally detested how locked up it was, it was almost as if I were digitally "high jacked", depending on authorisation to do anything! Please don't remove us our freedom of doing to our devices our own experiments, finding and developing emulators for our old games and apps that suit our needs even if they're not economically viable. Plus: Don't take away the one tool many persecuted Christians around the world have to download Bibles to their phones. That's cruel and inhumane. "
Barbara, change.org
"Fight for internet freedom/anonymity! "
m, change.org
"Android phones letting me control my apps in my way is why I love and stick with Android. I can't support upstart developers without our current APK framework. A future without one of the lead reasons I own an Android phone, is a future where I just stop owning a phone. "
Kyle, change.org
"I strongly believe that Android used to be the go to for app developers and it is essential that they keep their open policy because it only opens up more users to test their apps for them before a full official release "
Garrette, change.org
"Android has been the bastion for users who did not want to accept companies deciding what we do with our devices, it is imperative that users are granted the freedom of choice to install any software they wish, and to develop software to innovate and solve issues that Google or its partners decide is not worth their time. "
Hassan, change.org
"If you buy a computer, you rightly expect to be able any software, developed by anyone, one that device. Why should phones be any different? This is a shameless power grab by google, and a huge step backwards for user's rights "
Christopher, change.org
"Developer verification can improve security, but requiring centralized registration for all apps on certified devices risks creating new barriers to competition and innovation. Security shouldn’t come at the cost of openness and choice. "
Caleb, change.org
"Android being open source and accessible to everyone to install and modify as they choose is the most import thing. It's why android has the market share that it does, without developers being able to build for the platform as they wish android will wither and inovation will be stiffled. "
Guy, change.org
"Android Freeeeee!! "
Tymmi, change.org
"Android should not become a locked down plarform. Especially since its built upon a lot of open source technologies. It should be the open mobile platform. Not just another walled garden. If it does that, it will just be an inexpensive version of iOS. "
José Javier, change.org
"Keep android free and open or a lot of people will revolt. Developers and users alike. Don't be horrible. Keep it open. "
Gregory, change.org
"a recently convicted monopolist extorting developers and committing further anticompetitive behavior? not in my pocket it's not. "
Marc, change.org
"Android promised us a choice. We shouldn't let them take it away from users and developers alike just to have more control. "
Cross, change.org
"this is the opposite of the free and open source platform that they set out to make. "
Denzel, change.org
"I use sideloading everyday. A lot of the apps I use are open source and not on the play store, taking away sideloading would remove a lot of the freedom android has, and then I might as well use an iPhone "
Gabriel, change.org
"Most of the apps I use are not on the play store! "
Samuel, change.org
"Why did I even buy an android phone?? They think I went iOS to android for no reason? WE WANT IT OPEN! "
David, change.org
"I, as an Android user for 17 years, believe in, and chose Android for, device openness and the freedom of choice. To choose my device, the services I use, from where I download my applications, and to choose FOSS apps that don't require developer registration or sacrificing personal privacy by accepting trackers and/or unnecessary permissions being tied to my app usage. Choice and freedom is what built Android and differentiated it from other platforms, like iOS, Windows Mobile, and other early smartphone operating systems. The trend of destroying user choice through the inability to unlock bootloader and easily root devices, the effective and increasing destruction of the custom ROM community and options, and now the elimination of third party app stores that offer incredible FOSS apps with greater focus on user privacy is one more step Google and Android are taking towards an undesirable ecosystem for many of us who still choose Android for its few remaining, and quickly disappearing, advantages. The argument that Google is requiring developer registration and restricting the ability of alternative app stores, like F-Droid, to continue to thrive as legitimate and worthwhile options is anti-consumer and isn't to protect users. Rather, it's to give users and consumers less control over their devices and data and, in my opinion, that is unacceptable. "
Roger, change.org
"Literally one of the only things Android has going for it compared to iOS. You want this gone, fine -- then what advantage do you possibly imagine Android would have over iPhones? Do you really think people are going to continue to buy crap Pixels with Tensor chips at the same price as an iPhone? Android has ALWAYS been about uplifting device ownership. You get rid of APK side loading, you kill the damn OS once and for all. "
Jeremy, change.org
"We cannot allow Google to further restrict android, to become a sort of increasingly dystopian corporate restrictive service, that we are paying more over the years, to recieve less features from. "
Bo, change.org
"Android's strength has always been its openness. Closing or limiting this system violates users' trust in the principles that led them (or rather, us) to choose Android as their (our) OS. That's why we urge you to keep Android open and not implement any developer or app registration system. Build bridges and educate your users to venture beyond them, rather than erect walls trying to isolate them. "
Edoardo, change.org