• NarrativeBear@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    https://keepandroidopen.org/

    Google says “power users” can “still install” unverified apps. Here’s what that actually looks like:

    Delve into System Settings, find About Phone

    Tap the build number seven times to enable Developer Mode

    Dismiss scare screens about coercion

    Enter your PIN

    Restart the device

    Wait 24 hours

    Come back, dismiss more scare screens

    Pick “allow temporarily” (7 days) or “allow indefinitely”

    Confirm, again, that you understand “the risks”

    Nine steps. A mandatory 24-hour cooling-off period. For installing software on a device you own.

    Worse: this flow runs entirely through Google Play Services, not the Android OS. Google can change it, tighten it, or kill it at any time, with no OS update required and no consent needed.

    • 8uurg@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      Worse - that 24 hour timer? You only have a short window of time once it finishes to continue, otherwise you have to wait another 24 hours.

      • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        Under the assumption this is a non negotiable thing…

        They should at least let you alter the timer if you know you might not be able to

        Like if in the post 24h window you know you’ll be busy, let you make it 28h instead of 24h

    • pHr34kY@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      It won’t be a problem on a de-googled phone. Get it running LineageOS or GrapheneOS. Then install F-Droid (and probably Aurora store too). Some Google junk won’t work, but you’ll soon be more limited by having Google services on your phone than not having it.

      • devfuuu@lemmy.world
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        8 days ago

        If one looks at the supported devices pages (which I do regularly hoping that it supports mine) it’s easy to see that 99% of devices on the market simply can’t use them.

        • pHr34kY@lemmy.world
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          8 days ago

          Yeah, it’s been getting harder as time goes on. It’s basically only pixels that are supported and still on the shelf.

    • themachinestops@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      9 days ago

      This is why rooting is great and if you re worried about banking apps, KernelSU is very good at blocking detection and keyboxs for the hardware attestation get leaked weekly.

    • rotten@lemmy.today
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      8 days ago

      The same procedure applies if you want to unlock the bootloader?

      Edit: OK nvm it must be done to unlock the developer’s option

    • polle@feddit.org
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      9 days ago

      I recently learned that this setting actually persist after migrating to another phone.

        • youmaynotknow@lemmy.zip
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          9 days ago

          Which is perfect for them to keep tying your profile information across the board in yet another way. Fuck that.

          • boonhet@lemmy.zip
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            9 days ago

            Do you create a new Google account every time you change phones? They’re already tying everything to you

            • youmaynotknow@lemmy.zip
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              8 days ago

              I have 1 Google account use specifically for spammy shit. That account is tied to a completely fictional person and lives inside 1 chromium browser.

              My phones and computers have never seen a Google account other than inside the VM that runs that browser.