this post was submitted on 26 Dec 2023
323 points (99.1% liked)

Technology

59424 readers
3379 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Japan to crack down on Apple and Google app store monopolies::TOKYO -- Japan is preparing regulations that would require tech giants like Apple and Google to allow outside app stores and payments on their mobile

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[โ€“] [email protected] 25 points 10 months ago (9 children)

How are other stores not already possible on Android? Wondering as a long time F-Droid user that is also forced to have "Galaxy store" too.

[โ€“] [email protected] 31 points 10 months ago (5 children)

I think it's more about the defaults included, plus Google hides sideloading more with each new version of android. They have a semi-reasonable worry of "If we show off how easy sideloading is or can be, that enables bad faith actors." Like Microsoft and IE/Edge.

But on a fresh install of Android, if you download f-droid from Chrome or Firefox, you need to:

  • Allow the browser to install apk files
  • Install the apk
  • Then enable f-droid to install apk files

Meanwhile Play Store doesn't have any of that, it's enabled and allowed to download and update anything without user prompt, it's an opt-out.

Plus with how anything that conflicts with a default app like a Clock app, there's a decent shot it might not work due to the default battery optimizations, the internal syscalls for "Google's Clock" instead of "Default Clock" it just kinda makes using anything that's not the one included with your phone more of a headache.

It's easier with SMS, Dialer, browser, and Home launchers, but if you wanted to change any other important apps like your calendar or email it's kind of a headache.

load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments (7 replies)