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With Android 12, anyone can make an app store. Previously you had to let the user approve a bunch of prompts for every install or update, but the new API allows

With Android 12, anyone can make an app store. Previously you had to let the user approve a bunch of prompts for every install or update, but the new API allows silent background updates just like on manufacturer apps. Of course you need explicit permission from the user to install apps (that just makes common sense) but I've been using F-Droid Basic which works like a treat. Only Amazon has tried to launch an alternative app store so far, and I'm it sure if they use the new API that makes automatic updates possible. However, there's nothing standing in anyone's way to bring competition to this market. If you can come up with a better store, you can take one of the many open source app stores out there and add a sales feature to turn it into a business venture and take on Google and Samsung. I'm not sure how this will go down on iOS when they will eventually allow installing external apps, but I imagine the situation may be quite similar.

luxuryballs 3y ago
sounds risky if they can release a following Android version that gimps it
- jeroenhd 3y ago
  The EU would lose its shit if they tried that. Google has actually been on a path that makes it easier to create competing app stores, no doubt pressured by EU legislation.
  - crote 3y ago
    The EU hasn't lost its shit about Android slowly moving from open source to proprietary Google SDKs yet. We won't be safe until they force a Ma Bell-style split, freeing Chrome and Android from Google's tentacles.
    - jeroenhd 3y ago
      The EU hasn't made any laws mandating that all software must be open source, so I don't see why they would care about Google closing the source on new Android components. For all the EU cares, Android 14 (or at least its non-GPL parts) may as well be closed source under license, which was the norm before Android came along in the first place. The EU has made anti-gatekeeper laws, targeting Apple, Google, and other gatekeepers.

luxuryballs 3y ago

sounds risky if they can release a following Android version that gimps it

jeroenhd 3y ago
The EU would lose its shit if they tried that. Google has actually been on a path that makes it easier to create competing app stores, no doubt pressured by EU legislation.
- crote 3y ago
  The EU hasn't lost its shit about Android slowly moving from open source to proprietary Google SDKs yet. We won't be safe until they force a Ma Bell-style split, freeing Chrome and Android from Google's tentacles.
  - jeroenhd 3y ago
    The EU hasn't made any laws mandating that all software must be open source, so I don't see why they would care about Google closing the source on new Android components. For all the EU cares, Android 14 (or at least its non-GPL parts) may as well be closed source under license, which was the norm before Android came along in the first place. The EU has made anti-gatekeeper laws, targeting Apple, Google, and other gatekeepers.