Mastodawn

Joaquim Homrighausen May 13

@Karlitschek Google is clearly not liking what Nextcloud is doing. That, in itself, is a good thing.

Google's behavior, however, reeks from their standard operating procedure; suffocate everything that's not us 😑

#google #nextcloud #playstore #oss #foss

Ray1992xD May 13

@joho @Karlitschek even more reason to install F-Droid alongside Play Store

Joaquim Homrighausen May 13

@Ray19922xD

You probably have a point there 😉

Sounds like a Play problem. @fdroidorg to the rescue?

lunchy May 13

@DoomBananas already has been on fdroid for years

DoomBananas 🇳🇴May 13

@lunch yeah, I've seen it there. I guess it's the not nerfed version?

forekickerofuberbilk May 13

@Karlitschek @rollingsafespace_duesseldorf

4F6C69766572

@Karlitschek The reason why F-Droid is more than an alternative these days and should be the main choice when getting apps on Android. They lose control and they know it - keep up the good work and the pressure!

diesUndDasMitTassen 🇺🇦May 13

@oliver 👍 or droid-ify and if an app is only available in playstore try aurorastore with anonymus user

any google service should be completely blocked by dns filter in addition 😁
@Karlitschek

#eu #technology #legislation

Toni Aittoniemi May 13

@Karlitschek Of course they would. And Donald Trump would have their backs.

The question is, why would Europe go along with this?

Our legislation keeps bowing to US technology dominance time & again.

gilbert geewhiz garden May 13

@Karlitschek @toolsdiamond it was googles fault the whole time!!

we were so confused why we weren't able to upload files from the android app even after allowing it access. this is really uncool behaviour google!

Rynn the Cyberwitch 🌙May 13

RejZoR May 13

@Karlitschek Why can't it simply ask users "Do you allow access to all files"? Isn't that the whole point of those permissions? It should be up to user whether they allow such broad access or not, not up to Google.

lunchy May 13

@rejzor @Karlitschek well then every spyware app (facebook) would ask for that permission and steal a ton of data from users, since users tend to just approve every permission request

RejZoR May 13

@lunch @Karlitschek Weird, I was just installing office apps and bunch of them were asking just this. Polaris Office, WPS Office, both asked for full file access...

Ryan May 13

@Karlitschek this makes me want to set up nextcloud alongside my Synology Drive setup.

https://www.virtualizationhowto.com/2025/04/synology-just-locked-down-your-nas-drives-heres-what-to-use-instead/

clergyman May 13

@ryan @Karlitschek Just be careful with Synology to have the "right & approved" hard drive ... #entshittification

Synology Just Locked Down Your NAS Drives Here’s What to Use Instead

Synology is locking the hard drives you can use. Take a look at Synology alternatives for 2025 and find NAS devices that are unlocked.

Virtualization Howto

Strange Quark May 13

@Karlitschek It's a good time to sign WeMove's petition to the European Commission asking them to break up Google https://action.wemove.eu/sign/2025-05-breakupbigtech-petition-EN The EC will finish their investigation into Google's anti-competitive behaviour any day now.

Break up Big Tech

Every time you open a news site, Google gets paid, but independent journalism dies. Big Tech monopolies like Google are sucking up ad revenue that used to fund journalists, leaving newsrooms struggling or shutting down. A US judge called Google’s ad monopoly illegal. Now it’s Europe’s turn. The EU is investigating Big Tech’s stranglehold, and could decide to break it up. Tell the EU: Break up Big Tech now!

WeMove Europe

Elias Probst May 13

@strangequark #WeMove is a toothless tiger just sucking up people's energy & ambitions, while making them feel they acted in their best interest. #Clicktivism at its finest.

Something like this needs an official petition at the @EUCommission 's platform:
https://commission.europa.eu/get-involved/engage-eu-policymaking/petition-eu_en

Petition the EU

Individuals or organisations in the EU can submit petitions to the EU on issues related to EU policy or law. Find out how to create, sign and when to submit one.

European Commission

Strange Quark May 13

@eliasp @EUCommission @Karlitschek EU petitions allow citizens to petition the European Parliament, not the Commission itself. Of course it would be better if the Commission had more democratic oversight, but while we wait for EU structures to be reformed, WeMove campaigns are an effective way to make citizen's voices heard, https://www.wemove.eu/en/victories

WeMove Europe

WeMove Europe is a community of action that campaigns to build people power, transforming Europe for our community, future generations, and the planet.

WeMove Europe

Jonas Köritz May 13

@Karlitschek I once fought Google for a permission for two years... didn't move forward the tiniest amount beyond automated responses or plain wrong assessments. They just don't care if you're not a cash cow.

SynQ (Koen de Jonge)May 13

@Karlitschek perhaps it would be good to let all the national antitrust institutions in Europe know this too!
#unfair #monopolist

Hermannus Stegeman May 13

@synq @Karlitschek lezen jullie mee @acm

⠠⠵ avuko May 13

“The Register repeatedly asked Google to comment, but it failed to respond.”

Google: If we smother you long enough, you won’t exist to complain.

EikeZiegler May 13

@Karlitschek wouldn't it be smart to offer the app also or mainly on frdoid ?

g-play is malware somehow *-)

with the full and best functionality .. nextcloud with fdroid works fine for me at the time

mschomm May 13

@Karlitschek After reading this I went ahead to check where I installed the Nexcloud app from. Relieved to see that I installed it from f-droid.

stux⚡May 13

@Karlitschek Is Apple any better with this? I’ve had so much issues with them trying to even explain what certain basic permissions are used for

Thomas Mauer May 13

@stux @Karlitschek Apple has its own issues with virtual sync of a storage space and such. Sometimes folders are empty when I‘m connected to my work wifi on MacOS, right now I can‘t delete files in Finder for whatever reason. The iOS app is working more consistently.

RubenWA May 13

@Karlitschek Well, no need for Google Play. Just put it in the Aurora Store, F-droid and offer an APK via the Nextcloud website.

cafeinux May 14

@RubenWA
It's already the case, but less tech-savvy people might not have the know-how or simply the self-trust to know how to do that.
@Karlitschek

hokid May 13

@Karlitschek "SAF cannot be used, as it is for sharing/exposing our files to other apps, so the reviewer clearly misunderstood our app workflow."

That is incorrect. SAF can be used to access files from other apps, as long as it's not in private directories, and as long as the user gave consent.

M Berberich May 13

#nextcloud #fdroid #Google #playstore

Maybe google wants to make #FDroid more popular?

Hint: if it is available from FDroid don't install it from Google.

Stefan 'lerothas' D.

@Karlitschek
Reads like a case for the DMA as other apps clearly can upload and sync every file type.

For comparison, what apps then are granted these broad access rights?

I never understood how these access right restrictions improved security, since apps are already prevented from using the private space of other apps. So how does restricting access to common storage areas keep the system safer?

#^https://f-droid.org/packages/com.nextcloud.client/

Martin Kostera May 13

Nextcloud | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository

Synchronization client

Ulrich Popp

@Karlitschek That is exactly the understanding of "capitalism" of #GAMAM.
Micro$oft started with that decades ago. Result: The worst operating system ever is intalled on nearly every PC.
Communism is inhibiting competition - but this capitalism do it also.

Koen 🇺🇦May 13

@Karlitschek The "do no evil" motto has long gone - all US tech companies are now fascist enabling nazi companies

Flauschfläche

@Karlitschek https://f-droid.org/ is there for the rescue!

F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository

F-Droid is an installable catalogue of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) applications for the Android platform. The client makes it easy to browse, install, and keep track of updates on your device.

Hermannus Stegeman May 13

@Karlitschek lezen jullie mee @acm

Autoriteit Consument & Markt May 15

@hermannus @Karlitschek We lezen mee, ik stuur het artikel door aan de toezichtsfadeling

Hermannus Stegeman May 15

@acm @Karlitschek dank!!!

Autoriteit Consument & Markt May 16

@hermannus graag gedaan

Anisse May 13

@Karlitschek do you have more technical details on why SAF does not work for Nextcloud's usecase? See https://github.com/nextcloud/android/issues/14409#issuecomment-2876895888

GPLAY: Google revoked "all files access" permission · Issue #14409 · nextcloud/android

Hello, this is a meta ticket to explain current state. Google revoked our "all files access" permission. This means that auto upload only works with photos and videos custom auto upload folder can ...

GitHub

Ati May 13

@Karlitschek That was forseable. But why downloading Nextcloud from Google Store anyways? I'd say use F-Droid or even better -> use F-Droid on Lineage OS / eOS etc and stop worrying about Google nasty corpo moves 💁‍♂️

Fabian Kern

May 14

@ati1 @Karlitschek I ve removed the F-Droid Version because the option "scan from Camera" was / is only available in the PlayStore Version.

Has that changed?

Ati May 14

@fabzgy @Karlitschek No not really. I use 3rd party app called OSS Document Scanner from IzzyOnDroid F-Droid repo for that. They say Nextcloud code responsible for scanning has a binary form so that would require extra work to make it work on F-Droid version and I guess nobody has done it yet.

Internet Rando May 13

@Karlitschek oh, it's NOT my imagination. my #nextcloud app started working much better when i got a @murena phone.

s3nnet.de May 13

@Karlitschek F-Droid IS THE WAY

Cecil B. DeMented May 13

@Karlitschek
I don't get this point:
"The more tech-savvy of you are certainly able to use the alternative app store, such as F-Droid. But for our user base of roughly one million users on the app store, this will hardly be an option."

Are #google users so dumb?
@nextcloud Why don't you say it clear and loud: F**k google and install @fdroidorg, because it is better for everyone to use #FOSS! Especially for #nextcloud users in this case.

Support GrapheneOS 667 May 13

https://github.com/ImranR98/Obtainium

Encourage your nextcloud users to write reviews on play store that the github version has all functions.

Try to get into #accrescent store with the nextcloud app.
Another option is to use #obtainium app to update apps directly from github, gitlab etc.

GitHub - ImranR98/Obtainium: Get Android app updates straight from the source.

Get Android app updates straight from the source. Contribute to ImranR98/Obtainium development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHub

Gustavo May 13

@Karlitschek I remember having a discussion on mpv-android's GitHub repo about Google restricting access to files. Same issue, same discussion. At that time I thought it was easy to make Google allow this permission, but time shows how wrong I was.

Nowadays I'm REALLY annoyed at Google's anti-competitive behaviors: while they are forcing Gemini on their users, it's simply not possible to one to make a competitive alternative to Google Assistant, it uses permissions that are restricted only to system apps.

An Inhabitant of Carcosa May 13

@Karlitschek The "All Files Access" permission has wrecked so many apps. The Play Store only allows it for file managers, but there are lots of other apps that either need it, or would have much simpler interfaces if they had it.

That said, do wonder if they could get by with SAF and a user interface change (add folders to sync through a SAF dialog).

zvhxxl May 13

@Karlitschek
"Google is fighting Nextcloud by harming our Android app"..
It is a bad idea to begin with: putting your data on an unknown location that is owned by an unknown country or billionaire. When politics change or connection is damaged you are the loser.
Buy your own memory and control your own data.

@Karlitschek
#FuckGoogle #FuckCapitalism

Red Hood May 13

Anselm Schüler May 14

@Karlitschek On my phone, Google Drive doesn't have the "all files" permission. I don't see the comparison. But I agree, I believe, that this is a bad move.

OMG 🇪🇺 🇺🇦

May 14

@Karlitschek
That's you could focus on open standards and favor f-droid or other 3rd party stores.

Everyone who focusses on googles playstore centralizes power there.

We need decentralization and interoperable software ecosystems granted by EU members.
@EU_Commission

What I can see is that northern german states like SH and NS going the Open Source way. Maybe its a good idea to get support there instead of breaking through Bavarian concrete walls (Microsoft's lobbying in Munich).
@CIO

txt.file May 14

@Karlitschek So you are at stage 3 of Gandhis saying "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

Back To Analog May 14