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To be fair, if an alternative App Store was available and popular, I’d probably have to use it to download Spotify, Audible, etc. Its existence would affect me.

To be fair, if an alternative App Store was available and popular, I’d probably have to use it to download Spotify, Audible, etc. Its existence would affect me. It would benefit in some way (like being able to subscribe to Audible in the app) but also it could be less safe (because if Amazon can, anyone else also can, possibly without supervision)

deleted 6y ago
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techntoke 6y ago
This isn't really a problem on Android, which already allows you to install apps outside the app store.
- Daneel_ 6y ago
  Android also has global issues with malware infections and crapware, primarily due to people downloading software from third-party app stores. I’m not saying the apple model is how I want things (far from it), but it certainly has been effective at controlling malware on the platform.
  - techntoke 6y ago
    Can you please tell me what app stores you're referring to, and which apps on F-Droid currently contain malware?
    - TheSpiceIsLife 6y ago
      Here's an article from from April this year 2020 https://www.techradar.com/news/phantomlance-malware-breaches-google-play-store-security https://www.techradar.com/news/phantomlance-malware-breaches... Dozens of malicious apps infected with the malware are being distributed via the Play Store and alternate app stores such as APKpure and APKCombo, often targeting users to spy on their habits and steal data. According to security firm Kaspersky, this malware campaign has been live for over 4 years, and is likely the work of the OceanLotus advanced persistent threat (APT) group, thought to be based out of Vietnam.
      - ClumsyPilot 6y ago
        So its on playstores and has no relevance to alternatibe playstores or sideloadimg
        jsjohnst 6y ago
        > and alternate app stores such as APKpure and APKCombo From GP’s quote directly above.
        ClumsyPilot 6y ago
        So? If it already on the pfficial appstore, its not the fault of alternative apstores.
    - scarface74 6y ago
      I can tell you about an app that you might have heard of that bypassed the Google Play Store and was a security nightmare. https://www.cnet.com/news/just-as-critics-feared-fortnite-for-android-came-with-an-epic-security-risk/ https://www.cnet.com/news/just-as-critics-feared-fortnite-fo...
      - im3w1l 6y ago
        > Fortnite became available for Android on Aug. 9, starting with Samsung Galaxy devices, and then became available for all of Android on Aug. 12. Google brought the vulnerability to Epic Games' attention on Aug. 15. Epic Games immediately acknowledged its mistake and fixed the bug with version 2.1.0 of the launcher on Aug. 16. Iirc the issue was that they first downloaded a file and then ran it. Thus there was a short window of time where someone can tamper with the file before it's running. Far from being a security nightmare it was a subtle flaw, and fixed quickly.
  - toyg 6y ago
    The problems with Android are typically caused by apps that actually make it to the official Play Store. The cause of that is poor reviewing by Google, nothing to do with OS issues. A mac-like system for iOS would work just fine.
- bamboozled 6y ago
  For people who want different app stores and all the issues that go along with it can use an Android?
  - techntoke 6y ago
    I've had no issues with F-Droid. What issues have you had?
    - TheSpiceIsLife 6y ago
      I was under the impression F-Droid only hosts free open source software? That's the impression Wikipedia seems to give: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-Droid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-Droid So, for my use case: I want to run some proprietary software, F-Droid will be insufficient. Happy to be proven wrong.
      - techntoke 6y ago
        Yes, however in cases like that an app store that only distributes officially signed packages and does some scanning as well as allows community to report issues should handle issues for packages that aren't open source. Nothing stopping something like that from existing if app creators wanted to start using it.
      - crtasm 6y ago
        For the official/default repos, yes. You can add custom repositories in the fdroid app, as I understand it anyone can host a repo and put whatever they like on it.
    - bamboozled 6y ago
      I had enough issues with Androids over the years and switch to iPhone, I consider the slightly more "closed" ecosystem a feature, not a bug. I work with free software too so this was a very conscious decision for me. Run open-source software everywhere else though.
      - 6y ago
- wonderlg 6y ago
  Is that why I occasionally find random apk files in my downloads? It is a problem, there’s a bunch of malware on android.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

techntoke 6y ago

This isn't really a problem on Android, which already allows you to install apps outside the app store.

Daneel_ 6y ago
Android also has global issues with malware infections and crapware, primarily due to people downloading software from third-party app stores. I’m not saying the apple model is how I want things (far from it), but it certainly has been effective at controlling malware on the platform.
- techntoke 6y ago
  Can you please tell me what app stores you're referring to, and which apps on F-Droid currently contain malware?
  - TheSpiceIsLife 6y ago
    Here's an article from from April this year 2020 https://www.techradar.com/news/phantomlance-malware-breaches-google-play-store-security https://www.techradar.com/news/phantomlance-malware-breaches... Dozens of malicious apps infected with the malware are being distributed via the Play Store and alternate app stores such as APKpure and APKCombo, often targeting users to spy on their habits and steal data. According to security firm Kaspersky, this malware campaign has been live for over 4 years, and is likely the work of the OceanLotus advanced persistent threat (APT) group, thought to be based out of Vietnam.
    - ClumsyPilot 6y ago
      So its on playstores and has no relevance to alternatibe playstores or sideloadimg
      - jsjohnst 6y ago
        > and alternate app stores such as APKpure and APKCombo From GP’s quote directly above.
        ClumsyPilot 6y ago
        So? If it already on the pfficial appstore, its not the fault of alternative apstores.
  - scarface74 6y ago
    I can tell you about an app that you might have heard of that bypassed the Google Play Store and was a security nightmare. https://www.cnet.com/news/just-as-critics-feared-fortnite-for-android-came-with-an-epic-security-risk/ https://www.cnet.com/news/just-as-critics-feared-fortnite-fo...
    - im3w1l 6y ago
      > Fortnite became available for Android on Aug. 9, starting with Samsung Galaxy devices, and then became available for all of Android on Aug. 12. Google brought the vulnerability to Epic Games' attention on Aug. 15. Epic Games immediately acknowledged its mistake and fixed the bug with version 2.1.0 of the launcher on Aug. 16. Iirc the issue was that they first downloaded a file and then ran it. Thus there was a short window of time where someone can tamper with the file before it's running. Far from being a security nightmare it was a subtle flaw, and fixed quickly.
- toyg 6y ago
  The problems with Android are typically caused by apps that actually make it to the official Play Store. The cause of that is poor reviewing by Google, nothing to do with OS issues. A mac-like system for iOS would work just fine.
bamboozled 6y ago
For people who want different app stores and all the issues that go along with it can use an Android?
- techntoke 6y ago
  I've had no issues with F-Droid. What issues have you had?
  - TheSpiceIsLife 6y ago
    I was under the impression F-Droid only hosts free open source software? That's the impression Wikipedia seems to give: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-Droid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-Droid So, for my use case: I want to run some proprietary software, F-Droid will be insufficient. Happy to be proven wrong.
    - techntoke 6y ago
      Yes, however in cases like that an app store that only distributes officially signed packages and does some scanning as well as allows community to report issues should handle issues for packages that aren't open source. Nothing stopping something like that from existing if app creators wanted to start using it.
    - crtasm 6y ago
      For the official/default repos, yes. You can add custom repositories in the fdroid app, as I understand it anyone can host a repo and put whatever they like on it.
  - bamboozled 6y ago
    I had enough issues with Androids over the years and switch to iPhone, I consider the slightly more "closed" ecosystem a feature, not a bug. I work with free software too so this was a very conscious decision for me. Run open-source software everywhere else though.
    - 6y ago
wonderlg 6y ago
Is that why I occasionally find random apk files in my downloads? It is a problem, there’s a bunch of malware on android.