Google is shutting down the ability to sideload apps from unverified developers

[DYING_S0UL]

Google explained in their blog post that starting next year, they will be shutting down the ability to sideload apps from unverified developers or sources. This means every app developer will need to be verified, and apps will only come from the Play Store, as I understood it. So, you won't be able to install apps from unknown sources anymore, sayonare mod apps . According to them, this will add another layer of security intended to prevent bad actors from spreading malicious apps.

Do you think this is a bad initiative or a good one?

What made Android different from iOS was freedom. As a custom ROM user I did all kind of modifications, tested out different ROMs, as I pleased. I had total control over my system. I had all the freedoms to do anything with my system. But day by day, it seems google is restricting that access to freedom. Just my two cents...

• https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/08/elevating-android-security.html?m=1

[nicolas222]

It seems to me like a huge limitation on the freedom of users. Once I've bought a cell phone, I should be able to modify it and install whatever I want on it.

[rodskee]

It seems to me like a huge limitation on the freedom of users. Once I've bought a cell phone, I should be able to modify it and install whatever I want on it.

you are gonna have to download a different browser instead like tor for example you can even use it on desktop it’s just google limiting due to scams i suppose so if you really want freedom then don’t use google

[MystPhysX]

We're definitely going to see a rise in un-Googled flavours of Android at this rate. It's a pity so many manufacturers are making it close to impossible to unlock bootloaders now.

[DYING_S0UL]

We're definitely going to see a rise in un-Googled flavours of Android at this rate. It's a pity so many manufacturers are making it close to impossible to unlock bootloaders now.

Lol, we are already using the non-Google version of Android OS. When the devs makes their custom ROMs they come with 2 builds. One is called Gapps (google's apps & service included) and the other one is called Vanila (not even a shread of Google included here). We even have to manually install camera app here. Yeah some of the apps doesn't work in the vanila build since they are google service dependent but the phone itself isn't useless. We can use the rest of the things as usual.