What is your opinion on this new Google announcement?

[jafo]

Keep Android Open

In August 2025, Google announced ↗ that as of September 2026,it will no longer be possible to develop apps for the Android platform without first registering centrally with Google.This registration will involve:

• Paying a fee to Google
• Agreeing to Google’s Terms and Conditions
• Providing government identification
• Uploading evidence of the developer’s private signing key
• Listing all current and future application identifiers

Any experts willing to weigh in and flash a light for the rest of us who are in the dark?

 

[Columbus]

Any experts willing to weigh in and flash a light for the rest of us who are in the dark?

So currently as a dev you can publish your app on google play very easily, some devs confirmed that you can even publish malicious apps if done correctly. Fake casino apps were a thing not long ago.

They want to add a new layer of verification, google itself will verify the app too (not only play market). I guess they will be a special checkmark saying “Verified by google”.
So it’s done to prevent scammers.

 

[Columbus]

I mean, the rules for app publishing change a little bit. But you still can install an .apk on a “jailbroken” device on your own risk 🙂.

 

[CEO]

Solution.

GitHub - woheller69/FreeDroidWarn

Contribute to woheller69/FreeDroidWarn development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

 

[Filda]

It is combined with the Epic Games lawsuit result that forces them to allow payment processing with external platforms and with lower fees.

This decision makes sense for the sake of Google keeping the Play Store clean to allow it to stay at least a bit competitive with the App Store but also goes against the promise that Android is mostly open and allows APKs from any sources, yet they will now require signing with a Google key. I am not an "Apple Fanboy" but their UIs and systems are still superior to anything else on the market - M-series chips beat out Intel chips to an embarrassing level, MacOS and iOS are just more comfortable than their Android/Linux/Windows counterparts.

 

[jafo]

Solution.

GitHub - woheller69/FreeDroidWarn

Contribute to woheller69/FreeDroidWarn development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

Thank you! I'll be getting a new Android here tomorrow and installing this because the Android phones here come with non-GMS Android ecosystems. In hardware terms, the China method is: ship a phone built on AOSP or a fork, remove Google, then replace Google’s stack with OEM app stores, OEM cloud, OEM maps/location, OEM push, local payment rails, and local services. Your link would be perfect for me here and I get to look like an all-star again to my suppliers here (assuming they already don't know about it 🤣 ). It's hard to tell here....if you don't specifically ask, they won't tell you. I feel like I'm cross examining MFs here all the time just to get to the basic answers

...BUUUUTTTTTTTTT....the Chinese ask 1 million and one questions...

 

[CEO]

Thank you! I'll be getting a new Android here tomorrow and installing this because the Android phones here come with non-GMS Android ecosystems. In hardware terms, the China method is: ship a phone built on AOSP or a fork, remove Google, then replace Google’s stack with OEM app stores, OEM cloud, OEM maps/location, OEM push, local payment rails, and local services. Your link would be perfect for me here and I get to look like an all-star again to my suppliers here (assuming they already don't know about it 🤣 ). It's hard to tell here....if you don't specifically ask, they won't tell you. I feel like I'm cross examining MFs here all the time just to get to the basic answers

...BUUUUTTTTTTTTT....the Chinese ask 1 million and one questions...

I posted something here.

Post in thread 'Secure communication devices' Secure communication devices