• @[email protected]
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    11610 months ago

    Those who complain about iOS being a “walled garden” should understand why Apple doesn’t allow sideloading.

    We already know. It’s because Apple wants their 30% cut, you fuckin’ dunce.

    What makes Apple think they’re the only ones who can “keep their users safe” from malware? Google can’t do it just as well? Amazon can’t? Samsung? Sony? Wal-Mart? F-Droid? Plenty of malware on the Apple app store.

  • @Stovetop
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    8810 months ago

    I don’t know why this is news. Most consumer Android phones, Google’s included, require you to acknowledge a warning before the ability to sideload is enabled. Their stance has always been “at your own risk, we don’t recommend it” and we always just laugh and say “okay, whatever dude” before we do it anyways.

    • Blastboom Strice
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      1610 months ago

      we always just laugh and say “okay, whatever dude” before we do it anyways.

      The thing is for people who aren’t used to modding and you try to side-load a random cool app on their phone (or somehow they end up doing it themselves) they might be frightened and may even cancel the installation.

        • @[email protected]
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          2010 months ago

          A family member always downloaded and installed APKs from the internet and didn’t know about the Play Store cause that is how you did things on Windows.

          The person is question has low tech literacy, and they were doing this for years

          • @TheGrandNagus
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            10 months ago

            Yup. Some people try out Linux (and to some extent MacOS, although their app store is a lot less all-encompassing) and attempt to do the same thing, finding random executables online that may or may not cause issues and may or may not even be from the actual developer themselves.

            The ubiquity of Windows means that MS’s software decisions - good or bad - have knock on effects to other software, such as people doing as you say to find apps, as well as things like ignoring security prompts because of how poorly they implemented Window’s User Account Control dialogues.

            It’s not always a bad thing, sometimes it can act as a positive pressure to improve - e.g. Window tiling/snapping becoming a much more widespread feature after Win7 included it. But man it really can be a bad thing sometimes.

  • Batman
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    5310 months ago

    Can someone please tell Pichai that I can do whatever I want with my phone that I paid for. (Also tell him to fuck off and that he can suck ma balls)

  • Gray
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    5010 months ago

    What he really means is “we want our 30% cut”

  • Dizzy Devil Ducky
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    4510 months ago

    Be Pichai.

    Tell people not to sideload apps fOr SaFeTy.

    Find out [Insert Malware App] has been on the play store for months and tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people have downloaded it.

  • Metal Zealot
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    10 months ago

    Could you imagine Laptop manufacturers saying “do NOT download apps from other websites. ONLY download from the Windows App Store”

    Like, fuck off Pichai, you’re insane

    Are phones the only devices out there that receive such scrutiny in the tech world?? My laptop can literally do the exact same thing but better

  • @mydude
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    3910 months ago

    FOSS via F-Droid is gaining momentum, they don’t like it.

  • m-p{3}
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    10 months ago

    I’ll keep sideloading if they don’t allow F-Droid, NewPipe and LibreTube on the Play Store.

  • @[email protected]
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    3510 months ago

    I agree with him. If you don’t know what you are doing and just blindly install something off the Internet, it’s a security concern. I would not recommend that most users side-load apps, either. You have to remember that this crowd is not representative of the average user.

    Just don’t take the option away from those of us who do know what they are doing.

  • LCP
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    10 months ago

    I own my device. I get to choose what I install on it.

    Google Chrome isn’t on the Microsoft Store on Windows or macOS Store on macOS. Should I stop “sideloading” it according to his advice?

    Edit: Found more about the quote on The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/14/23960811/pichai-we-dont-want-to-allow-you-to-completely-compromise-your-phone

    “We’re trying to strike a balance. Apple’s iPhone only allows the App Store, but we believe in choice, so on Android we allow you to sideload and install additional applications.”

    I’m so conflicted about it. I don’t want people to have to suffer for intentionally or unintentionally installing garbage on their phones, but I can’t let that take away from how I use my device as well.

  • danielfgom
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    2510 months ago

    Clearly this is BS. Sideloading is perfectly safe if you just reputable resources.

    What he’s really saying if that the average user is too dumb and will install any rubbish from anywhere. He’s not wrong but that shouldn’t prevent competent users from sideloading.

    At least they’ve made the process scary enough that the average user don’t even bother to do it

    It’s a non issue that shouldn’t be given any time.

    I’ve sideloaded for years and never had any malware.