Opening my weather app this morning I was greeted by this warning:
Google has announced that, starting in 2026/2027, all apps on certified Android devices will require the developer to submit personal identity details directly to Google. Since the developers of this app do not agree to this requirement, this app will no longer work on certified Android devices after that time.
It’s the first time I hear about this, seems to be about:
Cirrus app: Github
Was this a big thing I somehow missed? I hope more devs will follow suit.
Yes, you must have missed it. And so it begins.
Google is moving to make Android less open source. I’m not sure more devs following suit is going be good for them or their users. The G doesn’t give an F.
What we need is an OS fork that gets maintained. If not that, some other workaround that fools the Google servers. Because you can bet money that nobody made from flesh and blood is going to look at this inside Google.
Maybe devs can band together and form Middle Finger Corp. and designate one willing person as their contact to serve as registered dev for a gazillion apps. Follow the letter of the law, not the misguided spirit of it, in a manner of speaking.
If you are sitting on a mobile OS and you were afraid to fail like Windows, maybe now is the time to give it a go?
GrapheneOS
are you kidding? only available for google phones. are we supposed to give money to google for this situation?
LineageOS has good support for other devices
e/OS too, if Graphene fails or isn’t available. Or Murena.
Murena has had questionable policies…
And what policies would that be?
Kids these days won’t search answers on the internet…
graphene only works on a very limited set of devices though
Will graphene be able to avoid this?
Well for this case in particular yes, the dev will continue to develop the app on f-droid, the platform as a whole takes a hit through this though, so who knows how long they will continue out of goodwill.
They’re not “pulling” the app from anywhere, it’s just simply not going to work on “certified devices”. This is the end of Android as we know. It’s been a good run.
Only works for those of us who own a pixel or bought one for the reason but this won’t effect Graphene users
Yes you’re right. I’ve worded that wrong in the title!
You can edit it 🙂
Done! for the curious, original title, “Cirrus App dev pulling app from certified android devices in '26/'27” new, “Cirrus app dev informing the app will stop working on certified android devices in '26/'27”
I believe you can sideload with ADB.
Nope, from how Google puts it, play services will block any and all apps without a valid signature from working at all on play certified devices.
You’ll be able to install them via adb probably, but when you run them play services will stop you.
Play services already prevents certain apps from starting until you say a yes/no on a popup, so the framework for this is already in place.
Yet another possible antitrust lawsuit series. Some day maybe a judge will do something to help the consumers.
Google just came out of the biggest antitrust suit since 1998 completely unscathed so you can expect this sort of anticompetitive measures to continue.
I’m going to look into adding this to my app https://git.allpurposem.at/mat/Sudoku Indeed I do not agree with this, so it will become unavailable when the terms go into effect. I will look into making it available for Linux Mobile.
First of all thank you for providing a foss app!
I think it’s a big difference if the platform tolerates you or actively wants to stop you from doing it. You got my fullest sympathy.
Thank you so much for the kind words! It’s indeed a bad time to be an app delevoper. At least the framework I use is portable-ish, so the work won’t be fully lost.
Just to clarify:
Will my apps installed from F-droid be unaffected by this?
Even apps installed outside the Play Store will need to have a “verified developer”, and this change will affect any devices that use Google Play Services, so it will be a problem even to old devices.
There won’t be Fdroid on Google OS phones period
If you don’t have Google Play Services installed, then you’re not affected. Of course, how many custom ROMs will live to that day is unknown.
The Mihon dev team has already announced that they’re going to get authorized and continue their work.
It’s… and interesting choice given what they’re working on, but they also took steps to stay legal
From what I gather, yes. But will you be allowed to install F-Droid? No.
I’ve heard that it will still be possible to install unverified apps via ADB, so theoretically it wouldn’t be hard to make an app installer that uses Shizuku (tool that allows you to ADB into your own device) and have a website that automatically installs that using WebUSB or something
You’ll be able to install them, but play services will very probably stop them from starting.
They already have the framework for this in place, “unrecognised” apps get blocked by Play services already asking you if Google can scan the app before you start it, the app will not start at all unless you click yes or no.
Would people be able to circumvent this by downgrading their version of Google Play Services? …or not updating it in the first place?
And so it continues… Google trying to shoehorn themselves into a position of authority of the internet. Imagine they get as much sway as the banks now have? Private entities controlling the masses for massive profits. Fuck off Google.
It is a big thing at least in developer circles. It made the front page of Hacker News multiple times.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45087396
Thank you for these links they are fantastic! I was aware of the procedural lock in via play integrity services and also the lockdown on side loading so that didn’t get past me, but I wasn’t aware google also wants to alienate developers now by requiring ID. It seems to me google want to now fully commercialize the platform, transforming it into the ad infested network that web2+3.0 already became. I think their plan, by alienating non commercial devs, is that all apps will run on their ad models and non without them will be left.
I think Google wants someone to go after if malware gets pushed onto the Play Store.
How does this do that. To get in the play store you already have to be registered. This is for apps not on the play store.
I’ve only ever used Android, dating back to the T-Mobile G1. I think I’m now ready to switch to iPhone. If I’m going to be pigeonholed into a completely walled garden, it might as well be with a company that knows what they are doing.
I really don’t want to switch, but probably will for my next upgrade.
Screw that!
Get a Fairphone with /e/OS before you switch to the rotten apple.I absolutely get what you’re saying, and a good part of me agrees with you. Here is the thing, I’m tired boss. I’ve made an effort my whole life to use open source, privacy friendly everything.
I’m now to the point where I don’t have time for messing with phones. Fixing broken stuff, compatibility, etc etc.
I need a powerful phone with a great camera that just works.
But be warned, the camera app is borked (at least on the FP6)
Honestly considering the same. Sideloading is the only reason to stick with Android and that’s now going away. Apple devices have more power, better battery life, better displays, etc etc etc. Especially considering the “base” 17 is now actually a really good value while Pixel prices have skyrocketed in recent years to iPhone levels (presumably for AI shit I don’t even want).
I was also looking at the 17, and it looks like a great option. A 16 pro might also be a good option
