- A site called ‘Keep Android Open’ is counting down the days until Google requires app developers to get verified
- The site maintains that when this happens, your phone will no longer be yours.
- There is also growing discontent over the upcoming change on Reddit.
We’ve known for a while that Google plans to make app developers verify themselves by handing over their ID, even when listing apps on third-party stores, but anger over this upcoming change continues to grow.
Now, there’s even a site called Keep Android Open, with a countdown to when the change will be implemented (currently 125 days) and an explanation of your problems with it.
The site maintains that “your phone is about to stop being yours,” since Google will be able to prevent you from installing applications that do not come from verified developers. Google claims this is to reduce the risk of people downloading malicious apps, and it will likely reduce that risk, but it also has some clear downsides.
Article continues below.
Since developers must present their government-issued ID, pay a fee, and agree to Google’s terms and conditions, this will discourage some aspiring developers, and this also makes it easier for governments to remove apps they disapprove of, as this requirement applies even for third-party app stores.
The site also argues that this is a betrayal of Android phone owners, as Google is retroactively blocking devices that were sold as open platforms.
Too complex a solution
Now, there will supposedly be a way to still install unverified apps, but it’s a nine-step process that requires a 24-hour wait in between, and many Android users won’t even notice. Additionally, as Keep Android Open points out, the process for doing so runs entirely through Google Play services, meaning Google could change or remove this solution at any time, without the need for OS updates.
Many Android owners on Reddit seem equally unhappy, saying things like “it’s time for Linux phones,” “so the open ecosystem was just a phase,” and “yet another unnecessary requirement.” So, it’s fair to say that this is not a popular change.
Unfortunately, there are no signs that Google will change course, so as things stand, this change will happen in September. And unfortunately it is not easy to even vote with your pocketbook, since the main alternative to Android is iOS, which in comparison has always been very blocked.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
