Calling installing applications on your own hardware "Sideloading" really grinds my gears. Ugh.
I know Google was lost a long time ago, but it's a bit sad to see Android go down this path. Was good for the twenty or so years it lasted. Miss my HTC.
Way back in the day when it was introduced, I had no idea what they meant with sideloading. Then when I understood that it was installing software, I thought that there had to be some form of special process or something like that, because it had such a strange name...
Then I figured out it's just a ploy so that people don't get any ideas about their phone actually being theirs, and that it's just installing software as far as they allow you to, on your own fucking device.
On the one hand. I don’t like this, since I install apps off of Google Play all the time. This is beyond stupid and I hope OEMs doesn’t include it.
On the other hand I just helped a colleague try to get a cheap fitness tracker to work on her phone and the manual took her to a random website for the required app. Thankfully the link was dead but even after I said “I don’t trust this link” she proceeded to try and download it twice.
For her I hope this is enabled by default and scares her from disabling it since I feel she will have her banking details stolen if she is left to her own devices.
If you buy sleazy-ass hardware just because it’s cheap you already made a grave mistake. I would not trust their app/drivers even if they were listed on a legit app store.
Why is everyone so upset about the term sideloading. It's not "denormalizing", the "normal" way for your average joe is using the app store. Y'all need to take a step back and be aware that the average lemmy user is by far more tech savvy than your average smartphone user.
And of course it's not a term used in the context of windows or Linux, because the normal way there simply allows installations.
If Google does that as they describe they do - an additional layer, that I can disable in some settings, if I want to, why are we upset about that? It does help protect users that are not aware of what the consequences may be.
And of course Google wants to maximize device control. Just as Apple. And Microsoft. And any other company. You want full control over your device, use the according software for that.
We're upset about it because Google is attempting to change the norm in an authoritarian, self-serving way. It's a war on general-purpose computing, and "average smartphone users" -- especially ones who don't also have a PC to understand what they're missing -- are victims of it.
Google has never been doing anything else. How is showing yet another popup a war on general-purpose computing? All they are interested in is their profit and market share. You always will be able to install external APKs, worst case using adb. And the more they'll lock it down, the more workarounds, jailbreaks and tools will pop up.
Literally every company is doing the same, from your smart TV to your smart fridge. Further restrictions on external installations (as in non-PlayStore) is at least something that arguably brings some benefit to some users, given the current state of cyber security.
"Anti-property-rights propaganda" is a very big term in the context of the sideloading change, when you should assume that your device might get fully and remotely bricked anytime when Trump or one of his cultists finally loses his shit and orders a cease of operations e.g. in Europe to put pressure down.
Anyone who is concerned about Google's ethics has moved to another ROM where Google can't do shit. Others don't care, and keep using it as-is. And that's all there is, like it or not, move on or don't, but yapping about propaganda for a term preceding the play store by about 20 years is not doing anything.
If we hadn't let them call it sideloading for so long it would be easier to have the conversation about the implications with less savvy people more easily.
Why is everyone so upset about the term sideloading. It’s not “denormalizing”, the “normal” way for your average joe is using the app store. Y’all need to take a step back and be aware that the average lemmy user is by far more tech savvy than your average smartphone user. And of course it’s not a term used in the context of windows or Linux, because the normal way there simply allows installations.
I can't root my current phone, but its over month out of date. I'm pretty dependent on a number of currently 'sideloaded' apps, what should I expect really? Also phone recommendations for US are appreciated, maybe not google hardware but I may try the graphene route.. before I just switch to a pager and MP3 player maybe
E: reading through some more on this, it doesnt sound like the worst. I'm sure this will inevitibly be used regionally on some basis initially then expand. But it is pretty frictionless for some scam app to be downloaded and trick say my grandpa into installing some real shoddy adware+whatever else.. that was fun to deal with. But also to act like google play store doesn't already have absolute muck is a joke
You don't sideload an app on your PC, you install it. The language they're using is specifically to demonize a normal function of a phone, so they can take control.
You basically do already. Most cheaper PCs come with S mode enabled from the store. Turning it off requires accepting a scary disclaimer that it's a permanent change and you're likely to fuck up your computer.
I have to be honest though, I kinda like it for older relatives that I can't convince to switch to Linux. Prevents tech support calls to me. And if Android was setup the same way with a one time prompt, I'd be perfectly happy.
Sideloading is just a normal term for a specific kind of installing, different than the default method of using the preinstalled store app. Practically nobody actually installs applications on phones from outside those stores. It's a useful and meaningful distinction, and much shorter than saying "installing apps by means other than official stores". You don't "sideload" an app on your PC because that distinction is useless, as it's the default approach anyway.
In fact, the term itself has existed since like the 90s, and has just been adopted for use with smartphones.
In fact, the term itself has existed since like the 90s, and has just been adopted for use with smartphones.
for transfering files to your companion devices from a device where you downloaded the files down to.
Installing an APK is not sideloading, as you can download the APK directly on your Android enabled Device. Is your Android Smartphone a companion device?
It's not side-loading, ffs! They are making it difficult to install apps on your own hardware. Stop calling it "side-loading". What the fuck is sideloading anyway? It's some crApple-specific thing.
A GrapheneOS developer (@springonion) points out that it seems like that's due to Revolut using Play Integrity API incorrectly (from what I understand). If they were to update the app and actually use the result, it might lead to Revolut not working on GrapheneOS either.
With my complaint, I'd like to get Revolut to work on all degoogled phones and not have any risk of an update suddenly killing support.
So they're addressing students and private hobbyists, but not open source and hobbyists willing to publish.
Sounds like it will be a kind of sideloading onto your own devices.
that allows experienced users to accept the risks of installing software that isn't verified
So for F-Droid, a vetting and curating publisher, users will have to go through this expert process. The announcement that activation under pressure will be prevented makes me thing of a time cooldown, like activate now, and it becomes active by tomorrow, 24 hours later.
Scamming is a real problem, and to a degree, it may end up being a good thing. As long as Google does not take this opportunity to push hidden agenda of increasing accessibility and choice, to seize more control not for security but as market and platform strategy.
F-Droid says they don't want to impersonate other projects in order to be able to publish their projects, arguably decreasing security, which is a valid concern. As long as there's a setting to allow this kind of sideloading and the use of F-Droid like before, I guess it is what it is, and may be acceptable.
If only they had started from where they are now. It's plainly obvious there's these kinds of users and use-cases. Did they really need "the community feedback" to learn about everything outside of their primary "linear" users?
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