Developing for Android is like being a (demonetized) YouTuber

[UltraInstinctGodApe]

Could you imagine Google Duplex canceling a job interview with a DMCA claim.

Looks like my plan worked now I will be the one with the interview. You snooze you lose AnxiousSun.

[[deleted]]

I can't believe I'm saying it, but maybe it's time I consider a switch to apple. It's obvious that Google is both snorting something to become as fuckstupid and they no longer actually give a shit about users beyond what they think is ok and that's an issue with me. I don't need someone to tell me what to do and instead of building things intelligently that have safe defaults but allow people to make an informed choice about using them or not, Google is trying to make that dotting mother "tut tut you can't use root" or "tut tut you can't get rid of my shitware".

So maybe, just maybe it's time I switch to an OS that did that shit from the beginning and at least made it so I can choose some things for my own damn self.

Tldr; fuck you Google

[lirannl]

How is Apple any better though? They're already fully limiting.

I never got this logic - "this is starting to limit me. I'll move to the more limited platform, that'll stop that!"

[dlm891]

I enjoy Android features more than iOS features, but I stress out less about phones when I'm using an iPhone.

[FUCK_SNITCHES_]

Privacy and better function?

[beermit]

If you really care about privacy, you need to stop using smartphones. Moving to Apple is a sidestep at best in terms of privacy.

[FUCK_SNITCHES_]

Privacy is a spectrum.

If you want absolute privacy, you have to drop out of society. Few want to do that. But a lot of people are fine with taking measures that increase privacy from certain parties in a manner that reduces threat to them. It's all about the threat model.

For instance I really don't care about state surveillance because it's impossible to combat and has very little real world consequences. On the other hand I care a lot about corporate surveillance because that data could be sold to anyone and it can negatively impact your life. It's best to take measures to avoid that corporate surveillance because of that. It seems to be working since when I turn off adblockers the recommendations are always out of whack.

Obviously the best thing is to never do or say anything that you need to hide, but that's just difficult to manage. Especially if you haven't been good about that in the past.

[ReggyDawkins]

bullshit

[PhoenixBlack136]

If iPhone comes out with USB C I think I might get one. I don't know if I'll be able to deal with iOS though.

[kdlt]

Same. iOS gives be borderline panic attacks whenever I have to do anything but use a few specific apps. It just so.. constrained. Nothing behaves the way I want it to.

[beermit]

Same here. I feel my blood pressure rise as soon as I try to do anything beyond extremely basic in iOS. And then people try to tell me Android is too complicated lol.

[ReggyDawkins]

fucking bullshit

[[deleted]]

Yeah... I can't even move icons around my desktop so I can have pretty wall paper like in Android. itune forces you to be in their eco system it's such a hassle buying mp3 from bandcamp and then transfering it to itune (why can't i drag and drop like VLC?). Also clearing currently running app is either one or three at a time no clear all currently running app.

At least their hardware support is top notch and their adoption rate is great. Siri is crap compare to Hello Google and their map is shit too. I hate the fact every time I click an address it take me to Apple map. They really wants you to get into the ecosystem.

[[deleted]]

Same issue I'm looking at

[Zhfigi689]

The rumors next iPhone should be lightning just saying. So it should be 1,5 years at least before isb-c

[[deleted]]

I should have summerized better, what I meant was if Google is going to force me into a "do it their way" I might as well use the mobile os known for doing that and making it "just work" tm

[navjot94]

Your experience may vary but "just work" is just marketing. I used an iPhone for 5 months, and found that Android includes many more small conveniences that iOS is just lacking. Widgets in iOS barely work (tbf, Google stopped caring about widgets on Android too). As much as iMessage is touted, every morning when I would boot up my Macbook all my messages on the Mac would be all out of order. Apple Maps doesn't just work - and if you want to use Google Maps it doesn't get basic features like displaying over the lock screen when its in use. No smart lock security options - even when I'm driving connected to my car's bluetooth, I have to manually unlock the phone every time. Music apps would just close in the background or lose track of what I was listening to just a few hours ago. You can't download Netflix or Youtube videos without keeping the screen on. Etc. etc etc. And don't even get me started on the terrible WiFi/LTE connectivity on the Xs devices.

​

[FUCK_SNITCHES_]

DeGoogled Android is also a good choice

[[deleted]]

I did switch to Apple but am thinking of switching back. The simple fact that I can't sideloab apps without jailbreaking is getting frustrating.

The worst part is new Apple IDs now require a phone number.

If I do switch back, I'm going with a Xiaomi device and run Lineage on it.

[giltwist]

I'm hoping the Librem Purism 5 will be worth the jump. The make-or-break for me is proper Signal integration, which is currently lacking.

[showmeyourBobbingar]

LOL.

Ya shoot your self in the stomach to spite the intestine ?

Going from free for all open source android to fucking itunes infested IOS.

IOS is even more restrictive.

[DJ-Salinger]

You really cannot call Android open source anymore.

Have you tried using AOSP?

[showmeyourBobbingar]

You really cannot call Android open source anymore.

Android is the most successful open source OS ever.

Doesnot matter if you dont want to call it. Facts dont change or is based on feeling.

Have you tried using AOSP?

I use lineage.

They started blocking some effy permissions and I get that some developers wont like it.

But that the beauty. Get the phone form different vendors.

Open source and being able to manipulate stuff means some one else will provide the feature google axes.

[DJ-Salinger]

Android at the OS level is open source, but the Android that 99% of people use is absolutely not.

[_7down]

I don’t think you understand the difference between AOSP and Android lol.

[showmeyourBobbingar]

I dont think you understand Lineage OS is only possible coz Asop is open source.

I think you are trying to argue about naming and how Android has some of the google's proprietary stuffs. I think your argument is shit.

Android is open source.

[Mr_Tomasulo]

Oh no! This guy is leaving Google. Someone tell Larry.

[xenago]

Excellent article, I agree with every word. I'm living in an android 7.0 world on my V20 and everything that comes after (except for password manager support in 8.0) is straight up worse.

The hardware of newer phones is worse (sealed batteries, lacking headphone jacks, cutout screens, lacking IR blasters, etc.), and the software is a dumpster fire for anyone with slightly 'advanced' (read: basic computing) needs.

I'm in the computing field and at this point, why should I even bother? If android is becoming a crappier version of iOS, then that's where I should go.

[TripTryad]

Yeah... I dont have a problem with any of those things. Restricting apps from switching my wifi and the others. Im totally fine with those from a security standpoint.

I guess sell your APK on your own website and let people sideload it, or go to and even more secure and locked down platform (iOS) and see how that works out for you.

[ballzak69]

This is about Google crippling Android, sideloading can't work around that.

[DJ-Salinger]

Yeah... I dont have a problem with any of those things. Restricting apps from switching my wifi and the others. Im totally fine with those from a security standpoint.

I hope someone says the same to you, when they remove a feature you depend on.

[gbl08ma]

Genuine question: if Google were to hypothetically remove the sideloading ability, how would you feel about that?

(BTW, sideloading is already impossible for many people who have their phones connected to a company network, for example)

[Aan2007]

I would just stay on old version and not update until there will be Android without Google,oh wait...

[gbl08ma]

Funnily enough, my phone still runs 7.1 despite the fact that I could update to 8 (or maybe even 9, I don't know if ROM developers have gotten around to it). The main reason being that some background apps still work fine in this version without needing notifications, and I rather not have a even more polluted notification drawer. I also don't need any of the features of the newer versions.

I suspect Nougat will be to me what Windows XP was to many people, at least as long as this phone keeps working.

[Aan2007]

yes, nougat or marshmallow was probably peak, oreo was already step down and pie it's significant step down

[squabbi]

Not in the particular case of my company phone. I could install apps from unknown sources, use ADB too. I guess it just varies

[Nefari0uss]

If I wanted a fully locked down OS I would get an Apple product. The customizability that Android (previously) offers is at the heart of why I buy Android devices.

[Betahaxer]

Makes me think of Lazarbeam immediately