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

F-Droid Basic 2.0 alpha is now available for early testing. Feedback is encouraged and appreciated. More information in the blog post: https://f-droid.org/2026/01/24/fdroid-basic-2.0-alpha.html
#fdroid

The @commonsguy has some uncomfortable Questions About Android Developer Verification for Google: https://commonsware.com/blog/2025/08/26/uncomfortable-questions-android-developer-verification.html

Android published new APIs that seem to confirm that your phone will phone home when you install apps. It will refuse installation when you are offline or developer got blocked by Google:
https://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/pm/PackageInstaller#DEVELOPER_VERIFICATION_FAILED_REASON_NETWORK_UNAVAILABLE

Google asks what we think of their plans to block Android app installs outside of Google Play (unless the developers let Google verify their identity and pay a fee).

Want to tell them your opinion, just submit this form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfN3UQeNspQsZCO2ITkdzMxv81rJDEGGjO-UIDDY28Rz_GEVA/viewform?usp=dialog

Google won't allow you to install Android apps whose developers' identity Google hasn't verified. Starting in 2026 in some countries and in 2027 everywhere: https://www.androidauthority.com/android-developer-verification-requirements-3590911/

We need to fight Google's new ID requirement for app developers. It isn't like showing ID at the airport. More like showing it at the printing press and only IDed authors are allowed to print books.

What Google doesn't talk about is that they build this ID system to ban developers and their apps.

Unfortunately, developers on Google Play are already used to this system and people have accepted Apple, so I this will be a hard fight. Digital ecosystems being closed "to keep us safe" isn't seen as a bad thing.

People saying "But I use a degoogled custom ROM, so I won't be affected" are missing the point. Apps not on Google Play are already a niche. Banning them on most people's devices is a big issue, even if some people can still escape.

Also the general trend of Google becoming more closed may make even custom ROMs impossible eventually.

In the past, when books were censored and forbidden, people could still print them in their basements and spread them. Everybody who got their hands on one, could read it. This won't be possible anymore in our new digital age.

Under-reported detail: If you don't pay a fee to Google, they limit how many people can install your apps and how many apps you are allowed to have.

Source: https://developer.android.com/developer-verification/guides/android-developer-console

@apps Congrats! Why does it need native code? Is this a Flutter/React thing?

Great news! @NGIZero will fund me to overhaul the @fdroidorg app! More info here: https://f-droid.org/en/2025/04/29/mobifree-client-funding.html

@apps
About and maybe even Account could go into the top right overflow menu.

@apps
They'll probably tell you to use workmanager for that.

@apps I was confused why I am still on 3.24.1, but it turns out that I am on the @fdroidorg version and that is the latest one it has, since you didn't tag 3.25.x releases.

@apps
This is just because regular @fdroidorg does not target recent SDK levels (like malware does). Already fixed for basic and soon in regular F-Droid.

Over the last few months, I put a lot of work into the @fdroidorg app. Here's what's new: https://f-droid.org/en/2023/03/01/new-repo-format-faster-smaller-updates.html

Android 14 introduces financed devices, where the financing entity has the capability to lock(!) the device in case of a missed payment ? https://commonsware.com/blog/2023/02/11/random-musings-android-14-dp1.html

@apps
I really like #Fedilab, thanks a lot for that!

I am just worried that you are creating a huge pile of technical debt by adding lots of random features that you won't have fun to maintain in a few years from now.