Torsten Grote2d ago

Google has news on what you will need to do for still being able to sideload apps:

* enable developer options
* confirm that you are not tricked
* restart phone and re-authenticate
* wait one day
* confirm with biometrics that you know what you are doing
* decide if you only want unrestricted installs for 1 week or forever
* confirm that you accept the risks
* enjoy the few apps that still have developers motivated to develop for a user-base willing to put up with this

https://goo.gle/advance-flow

Show threadTim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE2d ago
@grote But what about companies that develop their own internal apps to interface with their own internal systems to be installed on company-supplied devices?
Show threadTorsten Grote2d ago
@TimWardCam That's not my main concern, but I think there's exceptions for device management solutions. Also they could just register with Google if needed.
Show threadTed Mielczarek
@grote @TimWardCam Google has a whole "Managed Google Play" as part of Enterprise Android support: https://support.google.com/work/android/answer/9495634?hl=en
I don't think companies doing such things will be fussed by this at all. A company using Android devices but not using enterprise management would already be in a pretty self-inflicted state of badness.
Edit: https://developer.android.com/developer-verification/guides/faq explicitly says this doesn't affect enterprise apps.
Distribute private apps - Android Enterprise Help

Private apps are automatically approved for distribution via all EMM bindings associated with the same Google Workspace or Cloud Identity account when they're published. They can be distributed just l

Mar 19 at 7:59pmWeb
Show threadTim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE2d ago
@tedmielczarek @grote I'm thinking of a small company with a dozen or so developers who have one Android app that talks to their back end, for use by a few dozen installation crews. Anything with "enterprise" in its name would be *vastly* too expensive to be of any use to a company like that.
Show threadTed Mielczarek2d ago
@TimWardCam @grote I feel like you're inventing a weird fictional scenario here to be mad about, but Google Play already has support for limited distribution of apps for internal testing without requiring all of the steps required to publish an app in the Play Store: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9845334?hl=en
Set up an open, closed, or internal test - Play Console Help

  Important: Developers with personal accounts created after November 13, 2023, must meet specific testing requirements before they can make their app available on Google Play. Read

Show threadTorsten Grote2d ago
@tedmielczarek My weird fictional scenario is normal people using @fdroidorg to get their apps. They have apps that are downloaded millions of times per week. A hobbyist exception to distribute one app to 20 people who need to first opt-in doesn't cut it for those. Also your link goes to Google Play testing, so you may not have understood the issue.
Show threadTed Mielczarek2d ago
@grote @fdroidorg sorry, that was directed at Tim, not you. I understand and appreciate what F-Droid provides and agree that this sucks badly. I just also think that people have a tendency to get off in the weeds instead of focusing on the things that matter.
Show threadTim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE2d ago
@tedmielczarek @grote No, it was a real job I had at a real company. I just wondered whether people would still be able to do that.
Show threadderptron2d ago

@TimWardCam @tedmielczarek @grote Looks to me like you'd disable this silly stuff on all the phones you manage and call it good...you're just back to the situation as it exists.

The real pain here is that people install fdroid from the play store thinking they can then install apps but they won't be able to without "disabling security". Other than that it seems like it's a one time annoyance -- less than if you just load lineage or something to begin with.

Show threadmatejrokos2d ago
@TimWardCam @tedmielczarek @grote I think it opens opportunity for linux phones. Purism, Jolla, Volla, postmarketOS... Apps work both on desktop and phones, saving costs all around.