Your phone is about to stop being yours.
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@aburka @AAKL @janvlug @zetabeta @ferricoxide @geomaster337 @MattMerk @johnhenrythe3rd @lopta @InkySchwartz @gbsills @lopta
There *are* some alternatives, and I've written about several.
New Jolla, Sailfish 5, offer break from iOS-Android monopoly
hands on: Powered by the original mobile Linux OS with crowdsourced specs
theregister (www.theregister.com)
Mobian brings Debian 13 'Trixie' to phones and tablets
: Another phone Linux? The Reg attempts to disentangle the options
theregister (www.theregister.com)
FuriPhone FLX1: A Debian-powered smartphone
: Fun with a FOSS-focused Phosh fondleslab
theregister (www.theregister.com)
/e/ OS 3.0: Slightly less clunky, slightly more private
: Probably the easiest way to a Google-free smartphone or tablet
theregister (www.theregister.com)
Punkt MC02: As private, and pricey, as a Swiss bank account
A de-Googled Android phone with extra security – and a subscription
theregister (www.theregister.com)
First 'Focal' based Ubuntu Touch – its mobile OS – is out
First version built on 20.04 hits smartphones and tablets of UBPorts fans
theregister (www.theregister.com)
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@spycrab @aoeuidhtns Nope. This is the OS's built in app-source control measures.
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@zetabeta @scottytrees @lproven GrapheneOS and lineageOS is still open source.. Isn't it better to improve those than to switch to ios?
@covert_czar @zetabeta @scottytrees
I did not mention iOS. I don't personally like it much and don't tend to recommend it except to extreme technophobes.
But you do realise that Google is attempting to close off and thus shut down the rebuilds, too?
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)
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@contrasocial @Radio_Azureus @joshg @aburka @lproven Google isn't removing support for installing arbitrary apps but rather adding friction to it including an initial one-time 24 hour wait. Switching OS is much higher friction than the upcoming process for enabling using apps from unverified developers so it's not a solution.
Privacy and security are the real reasons to switch away from mainstream Android devices. /e/ won't provide good privacy or anything close to reasonable security though.
@GrapheneOS @Radio_Azureus @joshg @aburka @lproven
Sure, but I'm not really interested in using Pixel device to begin with which is why Graphene isn't really an option. Expecting security and privacy on Google hardware seems like a bit of a fool's errand.
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@lproven re: "with no way to opt out" — i have seen a post which says there will be a *highly* convoluted way of opting out, which involves turning on developer mode and waiting 24 hours, but of course we won't really know until september.
@fishidwardrobe Do read the whole web page, eh?
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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.
@lproven@vivaldi.net
And it's not like you can easily find alternatives. Too many device-makers benefit from turning device "owners" into data-sources to sell to aggregators to want to equip their devices with more-open device-OSes. -
@lproven like, WHAT? Whoa! I'm thinking it might be time to ditch my smartphone, and just go to the laptop when I wanna get online
@2ruth I'm increasingly thinking much the same.
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@lproven good luck finding a carrier that supports something other than Apple or Android
@JoelBarr I don't know where in the world you are but where I am it is no problem at all.
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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.
@lproven @keepandroidopen anyone yet filed complaints with regulators like @BNetzA & @EUCommission ?
- I heard some independent #Android #AppStore from the #EU filed something but I didn't find the details…
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@GrapheneOS @Radio_Azureus @joshg @aburka @lproven
Sure, but I'm not really interested in using Pixel device to begin with which is why Graphene isn't really an option. Expecting security and privacy on Google hardware seems like a bit of a fool's errand.
@contrasocial @Radio_Azureus @joshg @aburka @lproven Pixels are the most secure Android devices. They're currently the only Android devices providing both reasonable updates and proper support for using another OS. They're the only Android devices with important hardware-based security features needed for reasonable security where those can all be used by another OS. The only serious alternative that's available is an iPhone. Fairphones don't provide reasonable privacy or security with any OS.
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@contrasocial @Radio_Azureus @joshg @aburka @lproven Pixels are the most secure Android devices. They're currently the only Android devices providing both reasonable updates and proper support for using another OS. They're the only Android devices with important hardware-based security features needed for reasonable security where those can all be used by another OS. The only serious alternative that's available is an iPhone. Fairphones don't provide reasonable privacy or security with any OS.
@contrasocial @Radio_Azureus @joshg @aburka @lproven Apple and Google both try to protect their users from exploits. /e/ claims protecting users from exploits is primarily useful to criminals and doesn't provide proper standard privacy and security patches or protections.
If you care about privacy and security then there's a lot more to choosing an alternate OS and a device than avoiding one particular company.
Most OEMs bundle privileged Google apps/services but weaken privacy beyond that.
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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.
@lproven I'm still looking for definitive answers for my Fairphone 4 running e/OS/.
This is a mess. On the bright side, there is (or was) a proper open source version, which should gain support as a result of this.
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@fishidwardrobe Do read the whole web page, eh?
@lproven the web page agrees with what i said.
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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.
@lproven The EU and Asia REALLY need to offer Google free AFFORDABLE phones and pronto (along with efforts to de-meta, de-X)
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@lproven It would be nice if (non-Android) Linux phones were an option.
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@lproven all the android elitists for years saying android was the best, look at them now. always found it super weird to be in google's back pocket...
@scottytrees @lproven "signed, a resentful apple elitist"
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@ottercynical @lproven Perhaps it depends where you live. Are there certain makes and models to look for?
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@lproven Damn it all! I switching to Apple... er, no wait...
Okay ! You wanted to say:
#Switching to #Linux...
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@lproven the web page agrees with what i said.
@fishidwardrobe @lproven it doesn't seem *that* convoluted, but I'm intrigued by the ramifications of going through the process.
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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.
@lproven thank you for posting this on at least two different platforms, always interesting to compare and contrast the difference in responses.
