this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2025
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Google getting rid of all the things that made people want an android phone over an iPhone.
Yup my first thought was “Where is your God now?”
Google ditched “Don’t be evil” a long time ago.
Yep, if this happens there is no benefit to android.
I mean, there is still UI/UX, app store policies, and general cost/options.
This definitely makes Android a lot less appealing. But it is also questionable to act like the biggest reason to use android was sideloading apps since the vast majority of users don't even know that is an option (and probably shouldn't since they have no understanding of how to vet them). Especially since Apple isn't any better (?).
Ui/ux is honestly worse on android compared to something like ios. The playstore is honestly stuffed with ads and seems to be actively regressing in ux (the update apps menu is hidden behind like 3 layers of dialogues). Cost wise a used iPhone is probably a better deal than a cheap new android phone.
I used android primarily because I could install apps Apple basically doesn't care about (and after the 5th time gba4ios broke).
Maybe it's because I'm used to android, but iOS feels user hostile in ways that android never has been, especially when it comes to storage management and pushing iCloud subscriptions.
Well android phones dont have removable sd card slots anymore, the only way to transfer files is over the weird protocol that's slower than directly writing to disk, if you use pixel or Samsung youre already inundated with annoying ads. The ecosystem is pretty awful now. Installing a custom rom is a good idea, but depending youre phone model it could be a step down and if your on any Samsung phone with knox it basically irreparably damages some attestation fuse. Apple ain't much better. I might try a Linux phone next.
There is a lot wrong with android, but it's super easy to transfer files over USB or just download them. I use Nextcloud personally. Then you can manipulate them with your choice of file manager.
I got a new phone recently, Samsung with Knox, the worst part about it so far compared to other Android has been how it is quick to kill background apps, and the UI is honestly disorienting compared to how I'm used to doing things. I haven't been shown ads yet, but I did go ahead and disable all the Samsung apps I could find. This includes not being able to control how quickly it kills background apps, but it's the lesser of two evils.
I'm not sure what Knox attestation is, but it sounds really unfortunate, and I want to search it now. I agree the phones of today are awful and the only reason I got this one was the price.
Comrade, the ignorance of the masses should not dilute our anger
So... "the ignorance of the masses" should be combatted by willful ignorance and nonsense that falls apart the moment anyone looks at it?
Get angry. I sure am. Look for alternatives. Graphene sure ain't it but I hope it will be in the next four or five years. But this is something google are willing to futz with for a reason: The vast majority of users don't care about it and even with the changes it isn't significantly worse than the competition.
Yet everywhere I see "Well, I guess I have to buy Apple now" which is just... buy it if you want to but don't pretend this shit is why.
It's still a step up from iOS, which has had similar restrictions since they started.
“This ad company restricting anything you can load is better than iOS” is decently a thing you can say hahahaha
Apple allows sideloading (somewhat), this is would be demonstrably worse (if enacted)
Yes. Only in the EU and only since 2024 when Apple was forced to do it by new laws. It's reasonable to assume Google would be subject to the same laws.
If you live outside if the EU, it's "no sideload for you!" There are computer programs that can do sideloading to iPhones, but they have limitations, like having to refresh the sideloaded apps every seven days.
Wholly incorrect. You’re allowed to sideload up to 3 apps (or 10 appIDs, whichever comes first) without being a developer, and that arbitrary restriction is removed if you pay for a dev license, regardless of which part of the world you’re in.
In the EU you’re allowed to install third party app stores (still have to be notarized by Apple) which isn’t sideloading
The limitations depend on which program you're using - there's more than one - which is why I only gave a simple example. And if you have to pay for a function that is otherwise free to many others, that's a limitation.
Side loading is installing an app from anywhere but the official store. So by definition "third party" is side loading. Whether it's another store or authorised is irrelevant.
No it doesn’t. It’s in all the documentation, official and otherwise
You can’t just make up a definition, believe it, and then share it like it’s true. We’re going by the legal definition as that’s the only one that matters.
Apple only allows up to 3 apps or 10 appIDs to be sideloaded, wherever you are in the world. Period.
Youre not getting it. The developers of the tools can and do impose their own additional limitations. They're still limitations of the programs which is what we were taking about.
And it doesn't matter what limitations Apple imposes in its walled garden, their phones can still be jail broken and side loaded in the more traditional way.
The concept of sideloading is a general term that applies to multiple platforms, not something Apple owns or gets to dictate. No one is making up anything here.
https://www.twingate.com/blog/glossary/side-loading
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sideload
https://zimperium.com/glossary/sideloading
Etc.
If your argument requires cherry picking, ignoring key points, and baseless ad homenims, it's not a good point.
I said Apple allows sideloading, you tried to correct me, and then changed your argument when you realized you were wrong. It’s just you not getting it.
Your “tools” that bypass the limitations set by apple wouldn’t even be relevant if they were real since you’re arguing with the factual statement that Apple allows you to sideload your apps, regardless of where you are in the world.
P.S. Even your links prove that you’re wrong about sideloading. Unless you’re now trying to argue there’s nothing official about governmentally mandated Apple-certified App Stores, in which case… just walk
No, Apple doesn't generally allow you to sideload apps outside of the EU.
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/does-apple-officially-allow-si-TH8GECqoR4CqgzWD8uH6TQ (Note that Perplexity cites sources)
If Apple officially allows sideloading outside of the EU, please show us the specific pages where Apple states you can sideload any app and the steps to do it? If you're right, I'll happily spin on a dime and support you and admit my mea culpa. I have no horse in this race, and I'll be happy to learn something new. People think admitting they're wrong is a weakness, when it's actually a strength.
I didn't try to correct you because nothing you wrote was wrong. All I did was try to add information to clarify to other readers what "somewhat" actually means so they have an idea what they might be getting into if they wanted to do it. You know, provide simple helpful extra information, so people don't waste their time trying to find a feature they don't have if they live outside the EU for example. You even agreed that there are limitations, and that people would have to fork out money to overcome some of them.
But if someone correcting you seems to upset to the point where you come out swinging a baseball bat over a trivial matter, maybe the internet isn't the place for you just now.
I have no idea what you're referring to here. So being vague again weakens your argument.
You seem to be stuck on this idea of Apple setting limitations. I said from the start there were limitations.
The tools are very real:
Again, you didn't cite anything specific here in what I linked to. The definitions clearly supported that I wasn't making anything up as you claimed. And all you did was repeat your claim which I've already addressed. You didn't respond to my actual counterpoint or add any additional information. So again, this was vague and pointless.
Ok, this is getting ridiculous. You keep stating incorrect information, you're relying on cherry picking, you've stooped to using yet another ad hominin weakening you argument, and you're getting repetitive and vaguer with each new comment.
I've posted plenty of links to show the reality and limitations I originally mentioned, so people can read them and make up there own minds.
If sideloading wasn’t allowed, there would be no apps on the App Store If you read the links your AI provided you, you’d see they’re all confirming what I said. All of them.
Generally, common knowledge doesn’t need to be cited, so here:
https://developer.apple.com/support/compare-memberships/
https://developer.apple.com/support/dma-and-apps-in-the-eu/
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/devicemanagement/
Also, you should probably learn what Ad Homenim is before trying to use it in a sentence https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem
The fact is, and will always be, that Apple allows sideloading on all iphones in all regions, and their limits apply even in the EU. I’m sorry if you feel like that’s a personal attack.
And to finally, to address your attempt at changing subject (because you stopped being vague and finally admitted it), Jailbreaking is not within Apples rules (the hint is in the name). Hope this helps!
Linux phones are moving fast but it feels like Android is moving faster on the other direction 😥
(Yes I know Android is built over Linux, I mean more traditional and open distros like postmarketos)
Are they moving fast? It’s been like 18 years since the iPhone came out and there really isn’t a viable Linux phone.
There was a viable Linux phone 15 years ago: Nokia N900. Microsoft took care of that when they bought Nokia. At least Windows phone was a resounding success...
Wasn't the viable Linux phone Android at first? (I am younger than the iPhone so maybe I don't really know how it was)
By Linux I mean “FOSS” phone. Android is based on Linux, but it is also loaded with spyware out of the box. If you’d asked me 18 years ago whether there would be a viable FOSS phone by now, I would’ve thought yes. But, postmarketOS still advertises itself as “not ready yet” and Ubuntu Touch is still pretty niche.
Whatever things made people get into Android some 20 years ago are no longer relevant to the majority of people.
The biggest benefit will remain the apps. People love apps. In that regard, their only competition is Apple. It's why no one can make a new phone OS.
The other reason is cost. If you want a cheap device, Apple has no such thing. There are hundreds of Android devices you can buy for a couple hundred dollars.
For those who buy Samsung flagships for more than an iPhone, well those people I can't explain.
Well, it could be explained before: Flagship hardware without the restrictions of iOS.
Now..... After this bullshit..... yeah.......
I can see apps becoming less important over time. PWAs were basically what Apple originally planed for the smartphone anyway and now they are capable of damn near anything you would want an app to do. No store to rely on. No updates to install. No storage space being eaten into. The browser engine functions as a layer of abstraction between the scary untrusted app and your own OS. It’s kinda perfect.
You might think so but PWAs have been around for a long time and seen very little adoption.
They haven’t been promoted or supported well until fairly recently. Also, Firefox is not compatible with PWAs but chrome, edge, and safari are.
They've been well-supported for many years.
Open Firefox and pin a PWA. I’ll wait.
Wait for what? I've done this many times.
Firefox doesn’t have PWA support. They pulled it years ago.
I don't know about vanilla Firefox but I use IronFox and it works great so I suspect you're wrong.
Holy crap, Firefox put it back in! https://www.askvg.com/enable-or-disable-pwa-support-and-add-tab-to-taskbar-button-in-firefox/
Unfortunately, that is 0.1% of their global market that is affected. So, they don't really have much to lose.