I mostly use apps installed from F-Droid, so I’m not sure how I’ll use the phone, except that it’s sometimes required as a contact method.
TL&DR; PinePhone. Longer explanation below
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I’ll prepare for sacrifices. I should not blame the Open-Source alternatives that they’re not on par with Android yet. It was Android’s decision to become more closed, and I’ll keep remembering it.
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I’ll start using my PinePhone that I already own anyway. I’ve used it for a while, but there was less push for me to use back then. Without F-Droid, I’ll press myself hard to adapt to PinePhone and will just stay there until it improves. I have 1-2 decades of experience of using non-mainstream software and see it improve with time. I’ll learn. I’ll adapt.
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I guess just don’t by one of these “certified Android devices”. Might become a selling point. Other option would be to run SailfishOS (buy a Jolla phone) or install Ubuntu Touch / Mobian and use Anbox.
I’ve been using GrapheneOS for a while, which should minimise disruptions, but I’m also hoping the Linux phone ecosystem improves before Google locks down Android completely.
Same. I have to imagine there are some devs out there who will start working on Linux ports of their apps.
I feel embarassed to say this as someone who is fairly techy, but I’m a little confused by the whole brouhaha.
Is Google making changes to Android, or to AOSP?
If Google is making changes to the Android fork they put on their own phones, then fuck 'em. Use Graphene. Use e/OS/, use Lineage…use something that forks their own branch of AOSP and Google can pound sand because those forks are in no way obligated to make the same changes as Google. AOSP is open source for that very reason.
If Google is making those changes to AOSP itself, which means that anyone who uses AOSP as a base have those changes by default, then isn’t Google obligated to keep those changes as Open Source, in which case anyone else who uses AOSP can just remove them from their own fork?
Someone explain like I’m a particularly dim five-year-old, please.
If you want to keep using google playstore and services, you no longer will be able to use f-droid, whether google or any aosp rom. grapheneOS claims it won’t be affected given their sandboxed google play and services. Though I’m not sure if eventually google would come up with a counter measure or it won’t ever care. They want to enforce that if anyone uses their proprietary stuff the apps interacting with it must be from register developers, which automatically exclude any libre/free app storage on which developers don’t want to register to google. GrepheneOS being the exception.
If you use microG with any custom rom, I guess that might work through fake registrations, but can’t be sure. But any custom rom without google play and services is supposed to be ok with f-droid. The thing is that google knows most if not all users need one app that depends on their stuff, perhaps bank apps, payment apps, and so on…
iirc they are enforcing this on the play services level, using the play protect system. so if you use a custom rom with google play, you are likely cooked too.
that is if the roms don’t implement a system to circumvent it.
I’ve also been confused about this, but this is my take on it.
You’re correct that they are making these changes to Android and not AOSP. This means that an OS like Graphene or e/OS/ will still be able to use sideloaded apps and other appstores like F-Droid.
I think the reason everyone is freaking out about this, is that it hurts appstores like F-Droid. It has a chilling effect on apps that are released to alternative app stores and may cause those stores to fail over time, thus killing FOSS apps at the point of distribution.
That said, this is also over my head technically, so I would love if someone more knowledgable could weigh in.
Yes, this is an important point overlooked by the ‘But I have root’ crowd.
Also: https://f-droid.org/en/2025/09/29/google-developer-registration-decree.html
If it really interferes, same thing as when YouTube started enshittifying: use it less and likely be better off.
I will switch to Android roms that don’t have that defect, and continue to buy and tinker with Linux phones when I can afford it, until they become daily-drivable.
GrapheneOS
Giving more money to Google after they fucked u in the arse. Brain dead move
- In what way?
- What do you suggest, live brain dude?
Linux or bust. We need to humble these companies at any costs. Open software open hardware
This is a good idea, except that it requires money. I already have an old Pixel right here that I can put Graphene on.
I guess my point is, it’s not necessary to harass people about their choice of phone OS before you know their situation. 🤷
Okay, I’ll just install debian on my phone then, thanks for the advice.
Jesus!
Which phone do you suggest then? Like I ALSO have a Librem 5, it’s just a lot of quirk. Its also not an answer to someone with an Android phone already unless they just have extra money for it. Hopefully we see better Android emulation on Librem type phones though and that gap closes.
Staying on Graphene for the time being. AFAIK should be able to still install apps whatever way I see fit.
Graphene’s team has stated that they are looking into OEM’s to potentially work out a solution to make a suitable device to run GOS, since Google is locking things down.
If it really comes to it, (long term), I’ll make the jump to a Linux mobile device, whether that’s a phone or a custom solution.
Just because corpo’s are making things difficult, doesn’t mean I’m going to cave. I started this privacy journey 6 years ago and I’m not about to undo it because of greed and inconvenience.
I’ll just keep using grapheneOS.
I hope there will be a good Linux phone in a few years that I can switch to. Would be great with it was compatible with the latest Fairphone by then, for a true FOSS and ethical phone.
From what I’ve been researching, Fairphones pretty much work after a year or two on at least Ubuntu Touch. It uses Halium though for that. It seems like the older ones mostly work after a couple years on postmarketOS, but crucial stuff like audio from the speakers is still broken or whatever. Security is pretty obviously gonna be worse than an Android phone no matter what you use though.
I moved to GrapheneOS about a month ago, not too long after the announcement. Bought a used Pixel and jumped. TBH moving to Graphene was something I’d considered for a while for privacy reasons but Google gave me that last push.
There are some different ways of doing things but I’ve really enjoyed the transition overall.
DeGoogled Custom ROMs
Keep waiting for a Linux phone that actually works as a daily driver.
At that point I’d rather use a half functioning Linux phone than a locked down one. Hopefully stuff like Framework and Fairphone will follow through on making parts available for real old devices.
I’m currently using GrapheneOS on my Pixel phone I brought secondhand so think I should (for now) be okay?
Otherwise, Linux phone looks interesting but it just relearning both another OS (like iPhone users trying to learn Android and vice versa) and also just I have low income so buying new tech is just expensive.
I don’t want to throw myself a deepend to an OS that I not as familiar with beside on my desktop and Raspberry Pi. Personally, I prefer to know what’s there before I just go blind so at least I can manage my expectation than expected it to do 1:1 stuff that I do on my phone right now.
I’ll root and/or use ADB to install APKs. Fuck Google.
Same here. I already use ADB for each new phone setup because it is so much faster, anyway.
