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Google Trends is telling me that "peak modding" for android was around 2014, and has steadily been decreasing since. [0] What happened since then? Are people m

Google Trends is telling me that "peak modding" for android was around 2014, and has steadily been decreasing since. [0] What happened since then? Are people more satisfied with stock ROMs and see less use for them? FWIW, my own phone is on LineageOS, and love the freedom it provides. [0] https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2009-11-01%202021-04-01&q=lineageos,cyanogenmod,android%20rom https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2009-11-01%202...

nfriedly 6y ago
Yea, I'd say stock ROMs are definitely improving. I used to mod phones they day I got them. Then I got a Pixel 2 and since then I've just left it on stock firmware. I'm probably going to have to go back to a custom ROM sometime soon, now that Google has stopped supporting it... but it was perfectly fine to use as-is for the past 3 years.
johnnycerberus 6y ago
My 2 cents, I've abandoned custom ROMs (circa 2015) because many financial apps that I was using were very anxious when it came to my OS and they stopped working. Even multiplayer games stopped running and required me to use a stock version, without root. The majority of games on mobile are masked casinos, a pure microtransaction fest so they behave like actual financial apps.
arsome 6y ago
A lot happened - many more recent phones, especially from big brands like Samsung heavily restrict unlocking of their bootloaders. Google implemented SafetyNet, meaning anyone who wants to use things like Google Pay, Netflix, even Pokemon Go and others now has to jump through hoops. Additionally, things like Netflix are still restricted from HD playback on unlocked devices due to hardware DRM. Android has also gotten a lot better - many of the modifications people were doing just aren't as necessary anymore, most of the features I used from GravityBox back in the day are now part of the OS. The difference between major versions has dwindled. Back in 2014 we had some of the most hackable devices just starting to age out when new Android releases with major changes were hitting and manufacturers refusing to support them. Personally I still root and stick to Pixel and OnePlus devices where it's easy to do so. Magisk makes it relatively easy to achieve a safetynet bypass and having things like Advanced Charging Controller around means my device is going to last for years longer, but it's no longer as simple as it once was. With the Android improvements though it's hard for even me to rationalize the need to load custom ROMs until my manufacturer has abandoned my device though.
- tumblewit 6y ago
  DRM is a problem everywhere including linux and running ChromiumOS. There is a protected path from the stream to the display that needs to be "certified" in order to support something like 1080p. I guess for payments it's similar. Its really unnecessary and waste of resources imo. But creators probably want some kind of assurances and so we are stuck with it.
  - ddalex 6y ago
    > payments it's similar Without the protected path, how do you know that a malicious program doesn't use a low-level API to start a payment from your account without you noticing ?
    - berdario 6y ago
      1- You don't, but it's not a real problem since non-cryptocurrency payments are reversible and trackable, so scammers won't use them. They'll rather exploit analog ways to get money out of you, recent example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrKW58MS12g#t=7m18s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrKW58MS12g#t=7m18s 2- You don't, but sandboxing should be enough to isolate untrustworthy apps from OS-level APIs that could do what you're afraid of.
    - anoncake 6y ago
      The problem is that people have to run untrustworthy software to begin with.
  - skynet-9000 6y ago
    You are forgetting that DRM stopped all that piracy that bankrupted the movie industry. That's also why there were so few movies released in the last 15 months or so. It really debunks that myth that open source software could ever handle the strong encryption that's so desperately needed to protect new movies and TV shows from showing up on The Pirate Bay. I for one welcome this cogent and secure technological response to a market issue.
    - 6y ago
dartharva 6y ago
Google and OEMs gradually kept adding mechanisms that discouraged ROM tampering by locking features, etc. Many apps nowadays refuse to run on phones that aren't using authentic OEM software. With every new version, the tradeoff kept getting steeper for rooting or customizing Android phones. Also, Android has huge fragmentation with a large diversity of devices one has to cater to if someone wants to release a customized ROM.
therealmarv 6y ago
For me it was fintech apps. They all stop working on Android mods.
- azalemeth 6y ago
  I just left one of my financial services providers over this. I could use Magisk and get around the check. I wrote them a detailed email highlighting how using LineageOS meant that I got updates for my post-EOL device and it was more secure. The 1st level tech support guy agreed with me and forwarded it to his boss. His boss closed the ticket without a response. I moved my account.
astrod 6y ago
I personally lost the appeal once Android One devices became more available.
JeremyNT 6y ago
Personally, the Pixel line has greatly reduced the need for third party distributions, which I used primarily to get rid of vendor garbage. Pixels are the only phones I will buy now. Pixels still have junk - but it's only Google's junk. There's value in getting rid of the base image and switching to LineageOS (or another distribution) but the situation isn't so dire as it is with other vendors. I love that LineageOS is still going strong and it fills a huge gap once official software updates cease. I just no longer view it as a hard requirement.
BugsJustFindMe 6y ago
The decay and death of CyanogenMod. Lineage never achieved the same level of accessibility. It always felt like you had to dig through a wasteland of forum posts for random "unofficial" builds where the camera wouldn't work or LTE wouldn't work or bluetooth wouldn't work or Snapchat wouldn't work.
- jlkuester7 6y ago
  Hmm, that has not been my experience with Lineage at all. Over the last couple of years I have flashed several devices with Lineage and it has always worked almost seamlessly. Maybe the difference is that these devices have mostly just been popular Nexus/Pixel with official builds. (Except for my Nexus 7 where I flashed an unofficial build since Lineage no longer official supports the greatest tablet ever made shakes fist angrily)
  - LanternLight83 6y ago
    From the article posted: >>> Build roster >>> Added 18.1 devices >>> Google Nexus 7 2013 (Wi-Fi, Repartitioned) Sure soujd like official support for 18.1 on the Nexus 7 is available! Commentors below note that the repartitioning process required for these newly supported versions can be tricky, but that doesn't scare me off, and I'll be taking to updating mine this weekend c:
    - jlkuester7 6y ago
      Woah! Back by popular demand! That is awesome!
rcxdude 6y ago
Stock ROMs have gotten better, modding had gotten less convenient. Safetynet is a huge problem there, especially for fully custom ROMs (there's workarounds which allow you to root an OEM ROM and still pass safetynet most of the time but for a custom ROM you're SOL and they often aren't even trying due to fearing google's wrath). Safetynet especially is really bad: it's not good enough to actually give a meaningful level of protection against malware or modifications, but it is good enough to basically make it not worth the while of running a custom ROM.
sigmar 6y ago
I have a unique perspective as someone that has maintained unofficial builds for LineageOS, and used both CM and LineageOS as daily drivers. I stick with stock pixel these days for various reasons, mostly security. I think many users of aftermarket firmware were trying to get rid of the awful stock apps (browsers, keyboards, mem hogs) that manufacturers and cell service providers forced onto users. As Android has matured, Google has been enforcing stricter rules for what vendors put on phones. Also newer android versions allow you to uninstall much of the preinstalled apps. That could explain part of the decrease.
arbitrage 6y ago
> Google Trends is telling me that "peak modding" for android was around 2014 Netcraft confirms it.
techrat 6y ago
For me it was because more devices were coming with unlockable bootloaders and stock roms that didn't suck. Motorola is a good example: Very minimal bloatware and all of their devices come with unlocked bootloaders off-carrier now. This means the most I need to do is install Magisk. No need for a third party rom when stock is nearly as clean.

nfriedly 6y ago

Yea, I'd say stock ROMs are definitely improving. I used to mod phones they day I got them. Then I got a Pixel 2 and since then I've just left it on stock firmware. I'm probably going to have to go back to a custom ROM sometime soon, now that Google has stopped supporting it... but it was perfectly fine to use as-is for the past 3 years.

johnnycerberus 6y ago

My 2 cents, I've abandoned custom ROMs (circa 2015) because many financial apps that I was using were very anxious when it came to my OS and they stopped working. Even multiplayer games stopped running and required me to use a stock version, without root. The majority of games on mobile are masked casinos, a pure microtransaction fest so they behave like actual financial apps.

arsome 6y ago

A lot happened - many more recent phones, especially from big brands like Samsung heavily restrict unlocking of their bootloaders. Google implemented SafetyNet, meaning anyone who wants to use things like Google Pay, Netflix, even Pokemon Go and others now has to jump through hoops. Additionally, things like Netflix are still restricted from HD playback on unlocked devices due to hardware DRM. Android has also gotten a lot better - many of the modifications people were doing just aren't as necessary anymore, most of the features I used from GravityBox back in the day are now part of the OS. The difference between major versions has dwindled. Back in 2014 we had some of the most hackable devices just starting to age out when new Android releases with major changes were hitting and manufacturers refusing to support them. Personally I still root and stick to Pixel and OnePlus devices where it's easy to do so. Magisk makes it relatively easy to achieve a safetynet bypass and having things like Advanced Charging Controller around means my device is going to last for years longer, but it's no longer as simple as it once was. With the Android improvements though it's hard for even me to rationalize the need to load custom ROMs until my manufacturer has abandoned my device though.

tumblewit 6y ago
DRM is a problem everywhere including linux and running ChromiumOS. There is a protected path from the stream to the display that needs to be "certified" in order to support something like 1080p. I guess for payments it's similar. Its really unnecessary and waste of resources imo. But creators probably want some kind of assurances and so we are stuck with it.
- ddalex 6y ago
  > payments it's similar Without the protected path, how do you know that a malicious program doesn't use a low-level API to start a payment from your account without you noticing ?
  - berdario 6y ago
    1- You don't, but it's not a real problem since non-cryptocurrency payments are reversible and trackable, so scammers won't use them. They'll rather exploit analog ways to get money out of you, recent example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrKW58MS12g#t=7m18s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrKW58MS12g#t=7m18s 2- You don't, but sandboxing should be enough to isolate untrustworthy apps from OS-level APIs that could do what you're afraid of.
  - anoncake 6y ago
    The problem is that people have to run untrustworthy software to begin with.
- skynet-9000 6y ago
  You are forgetting that DRM stopped all that piracy that bankrupted the movie industry. That's also why there were so few movies released in the last 15 months or so. It really debunks that myth that open source software could ever handle the strong encryption that's so desperately needed to protect new movies and TV shows from showing up on The Pirate Bay. I for one welcome this cogent and secure technological response to a market issue.
  - 6y ago

dartharva 6y ago

Google and OEMs gradually kept adding mechanisms that discouraged ROM tampering by locking features, etc. Many apps nowadays refuse to run on phones that aren't using authentic OEM software. With every new version, the tradeoff kept getting steeper for rooting or customizing Android phones. Also, Android has huge fragmentation with a large diversity of devices one has to cater to if someone wants to release a customized ROM.

therealmarv 6y ago

For me it was fintech apps. They all stop working on Android mods.

azalemeth 6y ago
I just left one of my financial services providers over this. I could use Magisk and get around the check. I wrote them a detailed email highlighting how using LineageOS meant that I got updates for my post-EOL device and it was more secure. The 1st level tech support guy agreed with me and forwarded it to his boss. His boss closed the ticket without a response. I moved my account.

astrod 6y ago

I personally lost the appeal once Android One devices became more available.

JeremyNT 6y ago

Personally, the Pixel line has greatly reduced the need for third party distributions, which I used primarily to get rid of vendor garbage. Pixels are the only phones I will buy now. Pixels still have junk - but it's only Google's junk. There's value in getting rid of the base image and switching to LineageOS (or another distribution) but the situation isn't so dire as it is with other vendors. I love that LineageOS is still going strong and it fills a huge gap once official software updates cease. I just no longer view it as a hard requirement.

BugsJustFindMe 6y ago

The decay and death of CyanogenMod. Lineage never achieved the same level of accessibility. It always felt like you had to dig through a wasteland of forum posts for random "unofficial" builds where the camera wouldn't work or LTE wouldn't work or bluetooth wouldn't work or Snapchat wouldn't work.

jlkuester7 6y ago
Hmm, that has not been my experience with Lineage at all. Over the last couple of years I have flashed several devices with Lineage and it has always worked almost seamlessly. Maybe the difference is that these devices have mostly just been popular Nexus/Pixel with official builds. (Except for my Nexus 7 where I flashed an unofficial build since Lineage no longer official supports the greatest tablet ever made shakes fist angrily)
- LanternLight83 6y ago
  From the article posted: >>> Build roster >>> Added 18.1 devices >>> Google Nexus 7 2013 (Wi-Fi, Repartitioned) Sure soujd like official support for 18.1 on the Nexus 7 is available! Commentors below note that the repartitioning process required for these newly supported versions can be tricky, but that doesn't scare me off, and I'll be taking to updating mine this weekend c:
  - jlkuester7 6y ago
    Woah! Back by popular demand! That is awesome!

rcxdude 6y ago

Stock ROMs have gotten better, modding had gotten less convenient. Safetynet is a huge problem there, especially for fully custom ROMs (there's workarounds which allow you to root an OEM ROM and still pass safetynet most of the time but for a custom ROM you're SOL and they often aren't even trying due to fearing google's wrath). Safetynet especially is really bad: it's not good enough to actually give a meaningful level of protection against malware or modifications, but it is good enough to basically make it not worth the while of running a custom ROM.

sigmar 6y ago

I have a unique perspective as someone that has maintained unofficial builds for LineageOS, and used both CM and LineageOS as daily drivers. I stick with stock pixel these days for various reasons, mostly security. I think many users of aftermarket firmware were trying to get rid of the awful stock apps (browsers, keyboards, mem hogs) that manufacturers and cell service providers forced onto users. As Android has matured, Google has been enforcing stricter rules for what vendors put on phones. Also newer android versions allow you to uninstall much of the preinstalled apps. That could explain part of the decrease.

arbitrage 6y ago

> Google Trends is telling me that "peak modding" for android was around 2014 Netcraft confirms it.

techrat 6y ago

For me it was because more devices were coming with unlockable bootloaders and stock roms that didn't suck. Motorola is a good example: Very minimal bloatware and all of their devices come with unlocked bootloaders off-carrier now. This means the most I need to do is install Magisk. No need for a third party rom when stock is nearly as clean.