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Comments on How does Google's Android developer registration affect sideloading and other stores?
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How does Google's Android developer registration affect sideloading and other stores?
Google has announced that
Starting next year, Android will require all apps to be registered by verified developers in order to be installed by users on certified Android devices.
They claim (emphasis in original)
To be clear, developers will have the same freedom to distribute their apps directly to users through sideloading or to use any app store they prefer. We believe this is how an open system should work—by preserving choice while enhancing security for everyone.
But I don't think I understand. This sounds to me like full application control by the OS manufacturer.
What are the implications for submissions to third-party stores like F-Droid? What about sideloading APKs?
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While we don't know the details, and Google might back down with enough push-back, the effects on other stores seem fairly straightforward: They don't need to change anything, because they can still "distribute" apps, but official-Android might refuse any subset of those apps if the developer didn't pay tribute to Alphabet, which is a nice little dodge in their official statement.
Eventually, the other stores will probably get enough frustrated users that they'll want to check if each app is permitted, so that they can just de-list them from searches...but it's still perfectly acceptable to distribute whatever you want that way.
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