/e/OS statement about Google developer-verification

/e/OS Smartphone Operating System
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Hi there /e/OS team,

Google announced a game changing policy change which they refer to as Developer-Verification, more on that here: https://developer.android.com/developer-verification

There are some serious concerns about the future ability to direct-install (“sideloading” in evil Google language) any none Google tolerated applications/bits.
See more details here: https://keepandroidopen.org/

Could we have a statement, even with assumptions, around these changes and what will this means to /e/OS users?

Thanks a lot,
Kind regards,
o.

7 Likes
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I also would very much like to know what this means for e/OS. Should I start thinking about going back to Google’s Android or iOS later this year?

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I don’t think they know what it means. They’ll likely be an open version of AOSP like there currently is, but “sideloading” apps from the Play store will likely be impossible as devices running Murena, Lineage, etc are “not secure” and not trusted.

This is basically an expansion of safetynet, and if Murena updates to the next AOSP they likely won’t have a connection to the Google App Store at all.

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This topic applies to Android – Certified devices. It seems a given that it is unlikely that any device running a custom ROM could be in this category. It certainly seems an extra effort or attempt to marginalise AOSP.

5

This is something that will impact Google prebuilt apex and does not impact /e/OS. You can check official documentation which should be available in the Android Open Source Project under “APEX file format” and “Vendor APEX”

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@Manoj Just to be absolutely sure: are you saying that with the new Google policy nothing changes for users of /e/OS, not even for downloading apps without Google account?

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Developer verification is mostly required for stock phones with google services. De-googled phones aren’t affected. As of now it does not impact /e/OS or the apps on it. What changes Google may bring about in the future is not known and no point in speculating on what is not available in the code now. These changes will impact stock phones which are dependent on Google services.

1 Like
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@manoj Great to know. Thanks for clearing that up.

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Actually, as a user of /e/OS, I didn’t expect the announcement of Google would change anything in the process of app installation. However, I’m sure that the requirements for app developers cause some effect on the app community. Not every developer will register with Google and may terminate their app development.
I.e. even if we’re still free to install or sideload any app, the availability of the apps may decline.