Your phone is about to stop being yours.
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Your phone is about to stop being yours.
Keep Android Open
Your phone is about to stop being yours. In September 2026, Google will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with them.
(keepandroidopen.org)
125 days until lockdown
Starting September 2026, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID.
Every app and every device, worldwide, with no opt-out.
FWIW I turned my list of alternatives into an article. It's here:
Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone
Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone
: Both Cupertino and Google are imposing ever stricter limits on their phones – but you have alternatives
theregister (www.theregister.com)
Both Cupertino and Mountain View are imposing ever stricter limits on their phones – but you *do* have alternatives
<- by me on @theregister
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Spycrab, no you can't. Read the page carefully, it explicitly tells you that it won't work.
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@EricBono @theregister I've never tried either myself, TBH, so I can't even guess. Ask them?
The modern Punkt phone (review coming soon!) offers to preload the Protonmail client apps, so I'm guessing yes.
And if they run on that, that suggests they'll run on anything? Maybe? -
@EricBono @lproven @theregister on #SailfishOS I use hydroxide to bridge mail to the native email client. A bit hacky, but works.
It's been a while, but the last time I tried the Tuta Android client worked.
GitHub - emersion/hydroxide: A third-party, open-source ProtonMail CardDAV, IMAP and SMTP bridge
A third-party, open-source ProtonMail CardDAV, IMAP and SMTP bridge - emersion/hydroxide
GitHub (github.com)
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@InkySchwartz @codemonkeymike @gbsills @lproven
Yes, there -are: e. g. : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairphone
@antonproitzelhaimer @codemonkeymike @gbsills @lproven Fair, but that's pretty expensive for most people.
We need well priced, reliable, and repairable tech. And the best I seem to be able to do is try to find a oneplus nord n100 and then mod it to run on an established linux/unix os. Which is very afforadable for me but requires me to operate beyond the bleeding edge of my ability. And is a 4 year old phone with a built in battery, no 5G, and an uncertain repair environment. Sigh.
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@dezon Kind of what all the de-Googled Android vendors do right now...
And Google is trying to make it more difficult:
AOSP on a diet plan as Google halves Android code drops
: Two a year is for your own good, Mountain View insists
theregister (www.theregister.com)
@lproven yes, I am actually using one of those: GrapheneOS. Still I am curious if these kind of actions can't be stopped by such projects. Installing an APK should be possible, how to circumvent these kind of checks. What would it require. No Google Play Services? Couldn't those kind of checks be prohibited by firewalling or substituting those locally. So many questions, so less knowledge about this specific threat.
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@Milkman76 @lproven What are you gonna do? (So i can copy your homework)
@FrutigerAero00 @lproven we use a 'light phone 3', protonmail for mail.
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FWIW I turned my list of alternatives into an article. It's here:
Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone
Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone
: Both Cupertino and Google are imposing ever stricter limits on their phones – but you have alternatives
theregister (www.theregister.com)
Both Cupertino and Mountain View are imposing ever stricter limits on their phones – but you *do* have alternatives
<- by me on @theregister
@lproven Not sure if I wanted to read the word group "Foss fondleslab" today.
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@lproven Not sure if I wanted to read the word group "Foss fondleslab" today.
@weirdmustard I try to throw in some traditional Reg-isms occasionally.

Overall it's more about the general style, and a sincere irreverence, but many people can't get that... But even those folks can spot use of "boffin" or "fondleslab".
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@weirdmustard I try to throw in some traditional Reg-isms occasionally.

Overall it's more about the general style, and a sincere irreverence, but many people can't get that... But even those folks can spot use of "boffin" or "fondleslab".
@lproven Loved it actually, has a nice ring to it

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Alternatives!
Multiple companies will sell you a brand new phone with a de-Googled Android or a non-Android OS.
De-Googled Android phones:
Murena… https://murena.com/
Fairphone… https://www.fairphone.com/
FXtec… https://store.fxtec.com/
Punkt… https://www.punkt.ch/products/mc03-premium-secure-smartphone
Volla… https://volla.online/en/index.php
Not to be confused with…
Jolla… https://jolla.com/
Furilabs… https://furilabs.com/
Purism… https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/
The last 3 are pure Linux phones which do not run OSes derived from Android, but they can all run an Android VM or container and so allow you to install and use Android apps.
This is *not* an exhaustive list. They are just ones I know of or have tried.
If I missed anyone out, please, let me know.
Some real useful asssessments of the different Google-free phone OSes:
Credit @david_bardos
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