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| feed_post | The call is coming from inside the house. Keep Android Open. | 180fce21-460a-4cd6-a2b3-f22466422747 | 2026-04-16 11:30:00 | feed | /feed/2026-04-16-keep-android-open/ |
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Google have announced that, starting September 2026, they will silently update every Android device to block apps from 3rd-party sources.
They will become like Apple. If you want to create an app for Android phones, you will pay Google for the privilege. Never mind that they're taking it away.
Make no mistake: destroying third party app stores (like F-Droid) and locking down devices we own is not about "security" -- it's about control.
We paid for these devices because Android is less restrictive than iOS, not in spite of it. This non-consentual change is a betrayal and a fundamental broken promise of the Android ecosystem.
I've been a loyal Android user and supporter since its early days. This support was never based on "I like Android's UI better." It was the open platform. As a broke middle-school student, I could actually build things for Android.
Destroying that is a race to the bottom that benefits no one in the long-term, not even Google.
I fully agree with this open letter signed onto by many of the biggest names in the open-source community.
Learn more at Keep Android Open.