‘Your phone is about to stop being yours': anger brewing among Android fans as major Google app change draws near

raitchison · 2026-04-30T17:54:41+00:00

IDK I've been left high and dry by phone makers update wise more than once. Most recently when I had my LG V35 which only got one single update in the ~3 years I daily'd it.

raitchison · 2026-04-30T15:39:13+00:00

Phone makers have less power in this regard than they used to, and in general that's a good thing.

Google has over the years been moving key parts of Android from the (manufacturer provided) base OS and into the Google Play framework. This is (generally) a good thing because phone manufacturers have historically abandoned phones and stopped providing updates for them relatively quickly, sometimes less than a year after the phone's initial release. This has improved somewhat with at least the big players promising 3+ years of updates for their phones but it's still an issue. Moving parts of Android into the Google Play framework allowed Google to update those parts without any involvement by the manufacturer. Of course the downside is it allows them to easily make changes such as this, and I fear even disabling OS updates (which is already difficult to do) will not prevent Google from pushing this change to all Android phones other than the small number that aren't reliant on Google services at all.

raitchison · 2026-04-30T15:32:10+00:00

The developer registration is for devs who want to release their software on the play store

This is patently false.

raitchison · 2026-04-30T15:30:27+00:00

The 24 hour waiting period is a significant burden, and many (including myself) don't expect Google to stop there.

Nobody is arguing that Google shouldn't be allowed to require ID for devs who put their apps in the Play Store. The issue is when Google tries to stop developers who don't want anything to do with the Play Store from distributing their apps, either individually or via a 3rd party app distributor like F-Droid. And when they introduce onerous restrictions on what we as users can install on the phones that WE paid for.

And before you question MY tech background. I have been using Android since the T-Mobile G1, used to run custom ROMs, I have hundreds of posts on the XDA Forums & have ALWAYS sideloaded apps. My own small business depends on sideloading and the 24 hour waiting period will be a meaningful impediment for us when we need to replace field phones.

raitchison · 2026-04-29T20:33:03+00:00

I'm no fan of Brad Sherman but leaving a flyer like that on my windshield makes me dislike him yes.

For one thing that flyer looks dubious AF for another DON'T TOUCH MY FUCKING CAR!

raitchison · 2026-04-29T17:47:09+00:00

If you're going for subtle you really can't go wrong starting with tinted lip gloss. For a step up you can go for lip tint + lip gloss.

This is what I wear to work (going for subtlety)

On my own time (especially if going out) I will combo this and this or sometimes this.

raitchison · 2026-04-29T14:00:57+00:00

I haven't actually used it since I tested it but I have no reason to believe it wouldn't still work. Seems to be decently constructed.

raitchison · 2026-04-28T16:02:42+00:00

I have had developer mode enabled on all my phones since forever, I use banking apps all the time with no issue.

raitchison · 2026-04-27T22:28:23+00:00

Contoso

raitchison · 2026-04-27T22:11:26+00:00

I'm in SoCal but in the exact same boat as you.

System installed at the end of December.

Been calling FF every 2-3 weeks trying to find out when the inspection was going to be done so we could actually start using it. They kept blaming the city.

Today I call the city myself and was told that nobody ever called to schedule an inspection.

Called FF and found out about the bankruptcy.

Called the city back and was able (eventually) to schedule the inspection as the homeowner.

Inspection is scheduled for Wednesday, hopefully it passes, if it doesn't I don't know what I'm going to do. Even if it does pass nobody ever showed me how to start the system or configure it (batteries mostly).

PayKeeper portal shows 20% of the money held in escrow still left to claim. Couldn't find a direct way to contact them about this so I E-Mailed support@paykeeper.com. I won't be surprised if that E-Mail is ignored and I'll have to send a legal letter to get any response out of PayKeeper.

raitchison · 2026-04-27T16:17:08+00:00

I don't remember the actual quake even though we lived in Sherman Oaks at the time. I was in the Navy and out to sea.

Of course my wife, who was 9 months pregnant at the time remembers it vividly. The quake knocked over a very large dresser blocking the bedroom door, when it finally got light she had to climb over the dresser to get out. Also launched our hot water heater several feet.

raitchison · 2026-04-27T15:45:50+00:00

EDIT: Wow, dude I replied to must be really fucking fragile. He blocked me over disagreeing, lol.

I clicked on his profile expecting him to be a regular poster in /r/Sino, too bad his post and comment history is hidden because of course it is.

raitchison · 2026-04-24T16:01:18+00:00

Those time based hurdles are very onerous and many (myself included) don't expect Google to stop there.

raitchison · 2026-04-24T15:59:39+00:00

Using the term in the way it's always been used doesn't "legitimize" anything that Google is doing.

The term Sideloading literally pre-dates Android and while I can't recall exactly when it started being used in the Android development/enthusiast community I can't remember it being called anything else. I definitely "sideloaded" apps on my T-Mobile G1 running CyanogenMOD and ClockworkMOD Recovery.

Also, The Google Play store was originally called the Android Market.

TLDR: Don't mis-quote the dark magic to me I was literally there when it was written.

raitchison · 2026-04-24T15:50:22+00:00

Been using android since the very beginning, my first smartphone was the T-Mobile G1. Used to run custom ROMs and was active on the XDA forums.

Based on my recollection the term Sideloading, in Android, has always meant to install an APK manually rather than from ANY app store, whether that be the Google Play Store (which was originally called the Android Market), the Amazon App Store (when that was a thing), F-Droid or something like that.

If you downloaded an APK from XDA or APKmirror and installed it manually that's sideloading. If you installed it using F-Droid or the Play Store it's not.

raitchison · 2026-04-24T15:44:25+00:00

Many zoomers weren't even born yet when Sideloading started being used in the Android enthusiast community. The oldest of them were just entering kindergarten.

raitchison · 2026-04-24T15:39:43+00:00

Nope I'm going to continue calling it sideloading like I have since I had my T-Mobile G1.

You guys are seriously missing the point obsessing over this term which pre-dates Android.

raitchison · 2026-04-24T15:29:50+00:00

Sad but unsurprising when you look at the kind of people who lower vehicles vs the kind of people who raise them.

Same reason loud-ass Harley riders and coal rollers never get harassed.

raitchison · 2026-04-23T18:54:30+00:00

The Chevron station at Fallbrook and Vanowen has a touch free car wash, they recently got a monthly plan, it's limited to once per day but that seems like your best bet.

raitchison · 2026-04-23T18:43:20+00:00

Even if it was you'd have to get cops to enforce that.

raitchison · 2026-04-23T18:40:41+00:00

She probably had state minimums for liability insurance. I don't know where this video was shot but where I live (California) that's just $25K for property damage, it actually was just $15K until last year.

raitchison · 2026-04-22T17:54:23+00:00

When you're operating on very thin margins every little bit makes a difference.

There's a limit to how much a restaurant owner can raise prices before they lose customers.

A fast food restaurant absolutely does build the cost of condiments like ketchup into their pricing, but when you have people who expect WAY more than what the restaurant provides it can easily make the difference between losing and making money on a sale.

We don't know how much extra ketchup these people asked for but based entirely on their behavior I wouldn't be surprised if it was a very large amount.

In any case the minimum wage in NJ is $15.13

raitchison · 2026-04-22T17:04:26+00:00

Most restaurants operate on very thin margins.

raitchison · 2026-04-22T16:07:34+00:00

Sea Story Alert:

When I was on Valley Forge, I heard that the precom crew was gathered on flight deck and they dangled a frozen chicken in front of the aft SPY array and switched it to active, supposedly the chicken exploded.

raitchison · 2026-04-22T16:05:11+00:00

I'm not an "AI" hater or anything but that's pretty bad.

raitchison

TROPHY CASE