4 ms·

Ah yes, the many apps poor Android users are forced to sideload. As an Android user myself, so far I'm up to...zero?

twiceaday 3y ago
You are correct in lampooning the word "force" but don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. The point is still valid. Also, it seems obvious that the danger is in long-term ecosystem implications. "I haven't had to so far" is irrelevant. Android users had/have(?) to side-load Fortnite. Depending on who you are that might feel like being "forced." Is your argument "If you feel like you are forced to use some app you are wrong and should just stop" or is it "If an app gets big enough that a lot of people feel forced to side-load it, then it earned the right not to abide by any platform holder policies."
- WarOnPrivacy 3y ago
  > You are correct in lampooning the word "force" but don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. The point is still valid. I have yet to see one, client, customer, friend, acquaintance, relative (or rando who happened to know I'm an IT guy) sideload an app without knowing what they were doing & having a good reason to do so. The list of those who sideloaded is small. However, my list of technically hapless folks is much, much larger - and zero of them seem to have sideloaded anything ever. There's a fair chance I'd wind up knowing if they did. Even my often homeless ex who's down with plugging any connector into any port at any time of day (shapes need not match) doesn't seem to have sideloaded. Certainly her devices are always in a Sideloading=Off state when I check (she is not now a developer!). From an IT view, unintended sideloading looks like a low priority concern.
- TheCoelacanth 3y ago
  The reason for making Fornite sideloaded is informative. It's not because they wanted to get around any of the supposed user protections of App Stores; it's because the App Store was leaching too much money.
NotYourLawyer 3y ago
Presumably you don’t have any shitty hardware like this cable.
RajT88 3y ago
If you own a mainstream android device, you're probably not going to ever have to. If you have something a little weirder, the app store often will not let you install an app which doesn't state compatibility. Sideloading the APK more often than not works fine. Also, there's alternative sources like F-Droid which have stuff you can't get in the Google app store - ad-free Youtube apps - that will never be allowed on the Google app store.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
hedora 3y ago
Does Google ban apps that break if location information is denied? The last time I checked, Apple did and Google did not.
- vinay427 3y ago
  I wouldn’t expect better of Google. An app like Google Photos on iOS should (in my opinion) be banned because it requires access to all locally saved photos, breaking if either no access or selective/additive photo access is used.

You are correct in lampooning the word "force" but don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. The point is still valid. Also, it seems obvious that the danger is in long-term ecosystem implications. "I haven't had to so far" is irrelevant. Android users had/have(?) to side-load Fortnite. Depending on who you are that might feel like being "forced." Is your argument "If you feel like you are forced to use some app you are wrong and should just stop" or is it "If an app gets big enough that a lot of people feel forced to side-load it, then it earned the right not to abide by any platform holder policies."

WarOnPrivacy 3y ago
> You are correct in lampooning the word "force" but don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. The point is still valid. I have yet to see one, client, customer, friend, acquaintance, relative (or rando who happened to know I'm an IT guy) sideload an app without knowing what they were doing & having a good reason to do so. The list of those who sideloaded is small. However, my list of technically hapless folks is much, much larger - and zero of them seem to have sideloaded anything ever. There's a fair chance I'd wind up knowing if they did. Even my often homeless ex who's down with plugging any connector into any port at any time of day (shapes need not match) doesn't seem to have sideloaded. Certainly her devices are always in a Sideloading=Off state when I check (she is not now a developer!). From an IT view, unintended sideloading looks like a low priority concern.
TheCoelacanth 3y ago
The reason for making Fornite sideloaded is informative. It's not because they wanted to get around any of the supposed user protections of App Stores; it's because the App Store was leaching too much money.

NotYourLawyer 3y ago

Presumably you don’t have any shitty hardware like this cable.

RajT88 3y ago

If you own a mainstream android device, you're probably not going to ever have to. If you have something a little weirder, the app store often will not let you install an app which doesn't state compatibility. Sideloading the APK more often than not works fine. Also, there's alternative sources like F-Droid which have stuff you can't get in the Google app store - ad-free Youtube apps - that will never be allowed on the Google app store.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

hedora 3y ago

Does Google ban apps that break if location information is denied? The last time I checked, Apple did and Google did not.

vinay427 3y ago
I wouldn’t expect better of Google. An app like Google Photos on iOS should (in my opinion) be banned because it requires access to all locally saved photos, breaking if either no access or selective/additive photo access is used.