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?
The guardian project, f-droid, aurora store, etc etc would disagree with your statement that nobody installs outside of the playstore. GrapheneOS, /E/OS etc don't even have playstore as a default store, you choose to install the playstore if you want Google in your life
I didn’t say “nobody”, I said “practically nobody”, and that’s exactly the amount of users of those OSes/stores. Out of ≈7B smartphone users, even being giga-generous, maybe ≈1M use them (realistically, it's a fraction of that). That’s ≈0.014%, about the same ratio of people getting struck by lightning annually, or, you know, practically nobody.
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.
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.
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
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.
Not buying applications from monopoly markets isn't side-loading. Teach your friends & family about the pathetic semantic games they play. Your device - your rules!
Stop worrying about warranty & all this would make sense.
I have a few years old Pinephone in a drawer I never really got around to using, because back then the state of phone Linux easn't really usable. Failed calls, issues with battery life and the like.
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.
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