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People have been crying wolf about "ZOMG! GOOGS GON REMOVE SIDELOADS" for years now. It's still present. AOSP still exists and is still updated. Pixel device
by techrat 5y ago
People have been crying wolf about "ZOMG! GOOGS GON REMOVE SIDELOADS" for years now.
It's still present.
AOSP still exists and is still updated.
Pixel devices still have unlockable bootloaders.
Your fear is still unfounded.
- unethical_ban 5y agoAOSP is neigh unusable in its own form without heavy modifications on a phone. Going from "all phones" to "one brand and modified" is a significant barrier to sideloading. Being concerned is valid given Google's history. It may not happen. It may happen. It may happen a long way now. But when has Google opened a service or product in a purely consumer friendly, community friendly way?
- Avamander 5y agoAfter SafetyNet, unlockable bootloaders are quite useless, you instantly lose access to a bunch of apps. It's a no-go for many.
- vinay427 5y agoWhile you lose access to some apps if you switch to many unofficial ROMs not based on stock firmware, which is problematic as it's almost always unnecessary unless a device is rooted or obviously compromised, this is far from the only use for unlockable bootloaders. Flashing updates more rapidly, region changes, bloatware removal, and other use cases are still possible with unlocked bootloaders while preserving safety certifications.