this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2026

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395

Google gives Android users a way to install unverified apps if they worked hard for it(including waiting 24 hours) (android-developers.googleblog.com)

submitted 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by Beep@lemmus.org to c/technology@lemmy.world

111 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Lobsters;
Hacker News.

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[–] Yaky@slrpnk.net 24 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Who are these smooth-talking scammers that can guide a regular-ass user to jump through hoops in settings to install a malicious app?

Maybe I should ask them how they do it, because I cannot convince my family to download and use Signal. You know, the legit app from the official app store.

[–] goldman60@lemmy.world 16 points 3 days ago (2 children)

People who can't operate a computer will somehow become gods at following instructions if someone calls "from Microsoft"

[–] d00ery@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Yes exactly this. I try and explain a computer thing to someone and get ignored. That same person talks to some sales rep in the electronics store and comes away "ohh they said I need to buy super expensive antivirus, that'll solve my issue with my screen resolution being too low". 🤦

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[–] smeenz@lemmy.nz 4 points 3 days ago

You mean from 'The Microsoft'

[–] sveltecider@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Who are these smooth-talking scammers that can guide a regular-ass user to jump through hoops in settings to install a malicious app?

you would be extremely surprised. I think lemmy users fail to realize that not everyone has an IT job and is a sys admin.

[–] favoredponcho@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Exactly.. there are a ton of older people falling for scams everyday. It's all over the news. They manipulate people by pretending to be a love interest or a family member.

[–] TotalCourage007@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I'm just going to eradicate Google once SteamOS supports mobile devices. Fucking control freak douchebags.

[–] MasterNerd@lemmy.zip 6 points 2 days ago

Bruh what? You're gonna be waiting a long time for that. Better to use one of the pre-existing alternatives than wait for an OS that probably won't ever exist, and probably won't support your hardware if it ever does.

[–] smeg 81 points 4 days ago (12 children)

enable developer options
confirm that you are not tricked
restart phone and re-authenticate
wait one day
confirm with biometrics that you know what you are doing
decide if you only want unrestricted installs for 1 week or forever
confirm that you accept the risks
enjoy the few apps that still have developers motivated to develop for a user-base willing to put up with this

[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 3 points 3 days ago

Combined with the news that they're going to start requiring developer age verification even in the alternate app repositories...

[–] Squizzy@lemmy.world 11 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Is this for all android systems because it is a huge rug pull if so

[–] AHemlocksLie@lemmy.zip 21 points 4 days ago

Pretty sure it's a change to AOSP, the basis for every single Android ROM in existence.

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[–] kbal@fedia.io 48 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Just think of all the other things that could benefit from a "protective waiting period" to enhance your safety.

Turning off location tracking, using a web browser other than Chrome, using a mail server other than Gmail, visiting duckduckgo.com — if Google really cared about your privacy and security they'd add a 24-hour delay to all these dangerous activities.

[–] zerofk@lemmy.zip 9 points 3 days ago

Downloading Linux? Mandatory psych evaluation. For your protection.

[–] darkevilmac@lemmy.zip 132 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Okay but, installing an apk is not the kind of thing a scammer does. They'll just install some standard off the shelf remote access software from the play store

This very much feels like they just needed to come up with a new justification for this process and opted for scammers for some reason. Even though they're completely disconnected

[–] cecilkorik@piefed.ca 69 points 4 days ago (3 children)

This very much feels like they just needed to come up with a new justification for this process

It feels that way because that's exactly what happened.

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[–] Ganbat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 66 points 4 days ago (2 children)

In addition to the advanced flow we’re building free, limited distribution accounts for students and hobbyists. This allows you to share apps with a small group (up to 20 devices) without needing to provide a government-issued ID or pay a registration fee.

Fuck you sideways, Google.

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[–] ada@piefed.blahaj.zone 63 points 4 days ago (1 children)

And again, confirming that my current phone will be the last android device I own.

[–] luthis@lemmy.nz 22 points 4 days ago (14 children)

What will you use instead though?

[–] ada@piefed.blahaj.zone 50 points 4 days ago (8 children)

At this stage, I'm thinking one of the Motorola phones that will run Graphene out of the box.

[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 34 points 4 days ago (9 children)

Isn't that Android?

[–] riptide@lemmy.world 20 points 4 days ago

I believe it’s a fork of android that is not managed by Google

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[–] Zetta@mander.xyz 12 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I use graphene on a pixel. Graphene is Android, albeit a much better version of Android.

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[–] tabular@lemmy.world 15 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Linux phone, landline, or tin can and string.

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[–] Fedditor385@lemmy.world 24 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Can we prevent this on the EU level? It really is just killing independent competition.

[–] reksas@sopuli.xyz 4 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

There are some places one can contact:

https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/antitrust-and-cartels/contact_en

Email Digital Markets Act team: EC-DMA@ec.europa.eu

Contact DMA team: https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/contact-dma-team_en ↗

Contact your Member of the European Parliament directly: https://zeyus.com/contact-mep-representative ↗

Email Antitrust: COMP-GREFFE-ANTITRUST@ec.europa.eu

https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/antitrust-and-cartels/contact_en

I tried sending a message to one one, i forget which, and they essentially replied that they see nothing wrong with it, so more people need to complain.

https://keepandroidopen.org/ More infromation from here.

[–] tired_n_bored@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago

Vote for the Pirates

[–] eager_eagle@lemmy.world 44 points 4 days ago

[–] rikviergever@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

Not happening on /e/OS! You can join us here: https://e.foundation/

[–] gary_d@lemmy.world 35 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I imagine that the demand for linux phones will only grow.

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[–] MountainMan@lemmy.zip 12 points 3 days ago

They will just redefine what 24h means!

Don't think for a second that these companies are working in good faith, and would change their evil plans due to some pushback from the rabble. They will just find ways to circumvent things. They have everyone by the nads, there are no competitors.

[–] shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip 11 points 4 days ago (6 children)

This would not have affected me since I use Lineage OS without Google Play Services, but I am now more seriously than ever looking into using a Linux phone like Postmarket OS.

[–] fluxx@mander.xyz 15 points 4 days ago

It would affect a lot of users, then it will indirectly affect you too, as a lot of devs won't be as interested in maintaining their apps for so few users. But I hope it will at least give a bit of a push to developing postmarket os. I personally am sure going to get a second hand phone to install postmarketos too and hope I can contribute at least a little bit. I am prepared to suffer, at least a little bit for the right cause.

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[–] Kissaki@feddit.org 8 points 3 days ago

Why is it called developer mode if it's supposedly an advanced flow? That has a bad implication.

[–] kalapala@sopuli.xyz 15 points 4 days ago

Rental devices tend to be bad investments for the individuals.

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