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"This is why Apple will always be a second-class citizen to Android." Android wouldn't allow an app to be installed on official phones if Google didn't want so

"This is why Apple will always be a second-class citizen to Android." Android wouldn't allow an app to be installed on official phones if Google didn't want so, and unofficial ones are built in China anyway plus often already ridden with spyware. The only workaround would be a 100% FOSS phone where the user is king and decides what would run or not. Pine64.org devs, are you listening?

shadowgovt 7y ago
Can Android kick out APKs that are side-loaded? And if they can, what stops a user from swizzling identifiers for the APK and reinstalling it?
- squarefoot 7y ago
  The problem with Android is its mostly closed nature, so there are multiple places where malicious software could be placed by design, system apps and to a greater degree device drivers being the first obvious choice. By malicious I mean software that limits or acts against the user choices, not necessarily behaving like a virus.
  - computerex 7y ago
    Not sure what point you are making. Android isn't closed, the entire os is open source. If anything is closed it is iOS.
    - dwaite 7y ago
      AOSP, which is hardly ever run on its own, is open source. Things like the Play store are entirely closed source. A majority of the API shipped by the Play store are closed source. Many hardware drivers are closed source. The majority of the operating system is Apache licensed, allowing a handset maker to ship modified components without publishing their changes. Many vendors also prevent the user from installing their own custom ROMs, so even a sophisticated user may not be able to run AOSP on an arbitrary device.
      - computerex 7y ago
        Google Play store is a very small part of Android. Just the fact that vendors can ship modified components is a testament to Android being open. Even Huawei shipped a modified version of Android with Google services such as the Play store removed due to sanctions. Also in comparison to iOS, Android is a heck of a lot more open. Apple can ship whatever they want and no one would be none the wiser. Plus you can't install whatever software you want on an Apple device, and are restricted to what Apple thinks is acceptable.
parliament32 7y ago
Android has no way to prevent an APK from being installed. The only thing they can do is add the signature to Play Protect, which will just prompt you that the app may be unsafe, and you can disable it.
- xenospn 7y ago
  Google bans developers from the Play store all the time. As a developer who builds D2C products - Good luck getting your average person installing an APK.
Nuzzerino 7y ago
> The only workaround would be a 100% FOSS phone where the user is king and decides what would run or not. This is why we need to support efforts to create and maintain such platforms. Even taking a moment to spread the word is helpful here.

shadowgovt 7y ago

Can Android kick out APKs that are side-loaded? And if they can, what stops a user from swizzling identifiers for the APK and reinstalling it?

squarefoot 7y ago
The problem with Android is its mostly closed nature, so there are multiple places where malicious software could be placed by design, system apps and to a greater degree device drivers being the first obvious choice. By malicious I mean software that limits or acts against the user choices, not necessarily behaving like a virus.
- computerex 7y ago
  Not sure what point you are making. Android isn't closed, the entire os is open source. If anything is closed it is iOS.
  - dwaite 7y ago
    AOSP, which is hardly ever run on its own, is open source. Things like the Play store are entirely closed source. A majority of the API shipped by the Play store are closed source. Many hardware drivers are closed source. The majority of the operating system is Apache licensed, allowing a handset maker to ship modified components without publishing their changes. Many vendors also prevent the user from installing their own custom ROMs, so even a sophisticated user may not be able to run AOSP on an arbitrary device.
    - computerex 7y ago
      Google Play store is a very small part of Android. Just the fact that vendors can ship modified components is a testament to Android being open. Even Huawei shipped a modified version of Android with Google services such as the Play store removed due to sanctions. Also in comparison to iOS, Android is a heck of a lot more open. Apple can ship whatever they want and no one would be none the wiser. Plus you can't install whatever software you want on an Apple device, and are restricted to what Apple thinks is acceptable.

parliament32 7y ago

Android has no way to prevent an APK from being installed. The only thing they can do is add the signature to Play Protect, which will just prompt you that the app may be unsafe, and you can disable it.

xenospn 7y ago
Google bans developers from the Play store all the time. As a developer who builds D2C products - Good luck getting your average person installing an APK.

Nuzzerino 7y ago

> The only workaround would be a 100% FOSS phone where the user is king and decides what would run or not. This is why we need to support efforts to create and maintain such platforms. Even taking a moment to spread the word is helpful here.