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Google's long term strategy with Android is baffling to me. Apple has had better mobile hardware for years. Apple has higher consumer trust. Apple has better app selection (for most people). Apple has been increasingly implementing the core features that differentiate Android devices, like USB-C and RCS. Every Android user lost to the increasing iOS market share is another customer Google has to pay exorbitant fees to a competitor to access.

And Google's strategy is to continue removing differentiating features from Android that also help them mitigate the threat of antitrust? Surely the marginal revenue from the inconsequential number of sideloading users isn't attractive enough to justify that kind of strategic blunder.

I don't see any iOS advantage with the apps anymore. That was maybe true in the very beginning, during the gold rush time of the app store. But not since then. In which category are there better iOS apps? Browsers? No, strictly worse. Youtube app? No, worse. Texting? Worse or equal (Whatsapp). Podcast client? I assume worse, since there is no Antenna Pod. Social media apps? The iOS variants of those apps are afaik in no way better. What else is there, where is the advantage?

Also, while the Play store is an equally ad-riddled and unsearchable hellhole, at least Android does have with F-Droid a high quality alternative. iOS has nothing.

But sure, removing the F-Droid advantage can only hurt Android, the direction of your comment still stands.

For context, I'm a long-time iPhone user, who switched to a Pixel 8a about 18 months ago.

> Apple has had better mobile hardware for years.

I can't say I noticed a difference in quality when switching. Maybe some people can, but for me it was just a different, but still well-made phone.

> Apple has higher consumer trust.

I can't speak for consumers in general, but this is certainly no longer the case for me.

I also used MacOS for 20 years, and switched to Linux about a year ago because I didn't like the direction Apple was headed. It may be my choice of reading material (HN), but I receive almost daily confirmation that this was a sound decision.

> Apple has better app selection (for most people).

Not selection, necessarily, but certainly quality.

As a side note, my iPad (my sole remaining Apple device) quietly updated to iOS 26 a few days ago. Despite having spent months reading about how bad it is, I was still genuinely shocked.

Again, I can't speak for "consumers", but for me Apple now has a far worse user experience.

Why the surprise, they do the same with search, they do the same with their Google workspace (the degree to which they are pushing AI is really hurting the product).

Google stopped being aware of their customer's needs a really long time ago, they are so arrogant they think the audience is now fully captive.

Not everybody wants/cares for an iPhone.

Realistically a 200 euros Xiaomi phone, to most users, is as good as they need it for seeing videos online and chatting.

If you want to spend more, at each price tier you have plenty of choice including: better hardware, better cameras, more memory, etc.

E.g. I do need dual (physical) sim phones. So I ain't buying iPhones ever for this very need.

Consumer trust is very debatable: I have been locked out of my apple id for 2 months in 2021, and that was a work machine I was locked out from. Tragic. Apparently it's not my hardware if Apple decides it's not.

Nowadays I only own an M3 Max because my employer gave it to me. But I don't even use it unless on the move, as I have a way more powerful desktop computer.

""Apple has better app selection (for most people). Apple has been increasingly implementing the core features that differentiate Android devices, like USB-C and RCS.""

You mean Apple has been forced by regulators to implement core features like USB-C and RCS?

https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-s...

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32...

"Google's long term strategy with Android is baffling to me. "

How does one know there is a long-term strategy

History has shown that so-called "tech" companies often act in a reactionary manner^1

1. Often, the act is of one of copying what someone else has done. Other times it might be response to regulation

One could argue Android itself was a reaction to iOS

This is one example of the reactionary copying phenomenon but HN replies may choose to focus only on this one example and not on the overall "tech" company phenomenon of reactionism as exhibited through endless copying

This isn't about pure revenue, it's about scams.

Android has a reputation for being unsafe precisely because of sideloading (as well as low Google Play fees, looser app review, accessibility services and remote access).

This policy is bad for us HNers, but objectively good for the 95+% of people who will never sideload a legitimate Android app, but are extremely likely to get caught by scammers.

The heavy US skew of HN really distorts the arguments here, as Android-based scams aren't as common in AMerica due to the prevalence of iOS in that region.

Apple only implemented USB-C due to pressure from the EU.

One area Android has a clear advantage is Android TV devices verified by Google, because there is a much wider array of streaming apps of all kinds available. However google doesn’t seem to focus on this very much, and if you look for forum recommendations for google android streaming devices it’s very often the NVIDIA shield pro from 2019. Hopefully that device will I’ll be supported for a few more years because there seems to not be good easily available alternatives.

Because antitrust laws are strong in a few countries. While most of the 2nd or 3rd world antitrust laws are non existent. Google's strategy is to squeeze those markets. They have higher population too and hence many more advertising to sell and much more control of the "online experience" in those countries.
Sideloading is a neologism to scare users and lawmakers, it just means "Installing software" and should be a basic right.

Also software installation in Android has been high friction for a while. Installing an APK on my phone is at least 10 clicks.

I take the opportunity to let people know that there are alternatives to Google/Apple duopoly on mobile. Link: https://www.ubuntu-touch.io/

Sure, GrapheneOS is often suggested but Ubuntu Touch is a really interesting alternative, their own store and ecosystem.

The community is amazing and welcoming. If there are Android apps which you can't do without, they can be emulated and used anyway. Imagine switching to Linux and then using Wine for the apps you really still need.

Yes, it's not perfect but Linux isn't either. If you think you're sufficiently tech savvy and want to make a change, give Ubuntu Touch a try. Find a cheap second hand supported device and play around, make some fun apps. (devices currently supported: https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/ )

To me it's like being back when there was only Windows and Macs as viable home computer OS, and people were getting their feet wet with Linux and all its flavours. Now, it's the same but for mobile.

I would like to see a high friction flow for installing all the crap from the Play Store to "protect and educate users". "Are you sure you want to install this app? It's only got a score of 2.8 and only 7 reviews, and will ask for all of these permissions?"
If the make sideloading high-friction, either via account-bound or apk upload or permissions from MNO/ISP, I will leave android. I have a bunch of my own apps that only I use, not released to the public, if I cannot use them, I have zero reason to stay on android.

I think one of the reasons they want to lockdown the system is to prevent guys like me from locking THEM out of my home/ecosystems, as and example, I build my own launchers, specifically for TCL TV's, which runs Android TV and has Developer Mode + adb. Which means I remove all the bloat & ad garbage, which they want to prevent.

We will get to the point where google will remove your ability to set custom dns servers and only use theirs.. just wait & see friends.

Anywhoo, when this side loading fence materializes, I will jump ship to apple.

> Matthew Forsyth, Director of Product Management, Google Play Developer Experience & Chief Product Explainer, said the system isn’t a sideloading restriction, but an “Accountability Layer.”

And... What about accountability for hosting distributing spyware, malware loaded apps from Google Playstore and hundreds of copy cat, misleading apps?

Why can't they pose a question when the phone is setup?

- Yes, I want to sideload

- No I dont want

If the user says NO then to later enable it to allow sideload Yes, the user needs to factory reset phone. Done.

So I was actually planning on upgrading from a Pixel 7 Pro to a Pixel 10 around the time this announcement came out last year, but have put it on hold as I wait to see what form these changes take.

Like if it was "you need to do the developer 7-tap of the version label in settings", it'd be like "whatever". But given how long this process has taken, I suspect that is not what they've planned - it wouldn't take this long to develop, it certainly wouldn't take this long to explain.

So I suspect that we're actually in the "Maybe Later" phase of "Google wants to control which apps you install: [ ] Yes [ ] Maybe Later". And I mean, if their proposed solution turns out to be "Me and 25 of my closest friends can install apps I make by phoning home to Google servers", then like, I can do that on iOS too. And if I'm not going to have meaningfully more control of my Android device, I may as well just go to iOS where Apple at least have a better privacy record and don't seem to have have an all-encompassing goal of "where can we put AI features to drive AI usage metrics up the most?"

When this whole thing got announced, I purchased a new Pixel 9 and flashed it with GrapheneOS.

I am hoping that in about 6-8 years (when I realistically need to update) the landscape might be a bit better. Or who knows, maybe I'll just continue using GrapheneOS.

So far I have not had a single issues with it. Apps the rely on attestation do not work, but honestly it's only two applications out of hundreds so I can live with it.

I also financially support GrapheneOS on a monthly basis (15$). This is just too important of an project not to.

I'm with Google on this one. Idiots and old people (the public) use these devices daily. These are the very same people that send money to Nigerian royalty and expect to hear back about a great reward. This is mostly a CYA move with hard data behind it. If they completely removed side load, that would be a different story.
As TFA does not mention it, and I don't see any top-level comments discussing it, this is a continued rollout of a "feature" first piloted in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. See:

https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/08/elevating-...

https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/11/android-de...

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/google-android-dev...

Of course, HN reaction has always been skeptical about this including in earlier news. But the reporting on it, and the countries in which it is piloted in, seems to me to involve government/banking industry cooperation with or pressure on Google to combat cyber fraud. These polities are prime targets for Android cyber fraud of this sort due to Android penetration, and seemingly (to me) also cultural proximity to scam operators, and tech-illiteracy among the vulnerable demographic. (And anticipating a reply I got from a previous article on my comment on this feature---no, it's just not feasible to comprehensively educate retirees against evolving tactics by scam operators and expect that to be a sufficient sole countermeasure.)

The image at the top of the article is actually what already happens in Android and has done for years. At first, I thought that this meant that the article was very outdated, but no, this is from January 2026.

I imagine the text of the article is fine, but I'm a little bit disappointed that Android Authority chose to lead with that image and caption and make it seem that this is what the future flow would look like. You'd think they'd know better.

Those of us who use Android phones now - and install FOSS apps form F-Droid or just any apps from elsewhere other than the church of Google - might be thinking: "Oh, I need to work out how I'll have decent app access after this happens."

But what we should really be thinking is: "Oh, I need to _donate_ to projects which aim to patch Android-based phones to remove these restrictions; or to projects which aim to replace (most/all of) Android completely".

We need to speak with our wallets in addition to just ranting about Google.

I heard that the frog boiling is a myth. You can't boil frog alive, it will jump out. As opposed to humans
In the technofeudal new world order, your smartphone is not just a device, it is your gov issued digital ID/wallet

The Apple/Google OS duopoly exists by design, they view bootloader unlocking and sideloading as threats because they break that control

They want to be able to define and/or revoke your existence in the system

No escape, because no alternative

The highest risk is the play store itself. Gambling and addiction. So, when does Google add "high friction" there, instead of encouraging it? Ah, well, it's the money! Than stop bending the truth.
Call me what you want but it is my belief that the reason google is locking down and Apple refuses to budge is that in the near term future our mobile devices will become our identity online and in public.

Apple already offers digital ID in some states. They can do this partly because they can guarantee to the gov’t the ID is genuine because the user cannot modify the system.

Google needs to be able to do the same thing.

Age verification laws for online services will actually require something like a digital ID and Apple and Google want to be the providers.

Guys, a discussion of which big tech company is better is equivalent to talking about which cancer is the best to have.... Can we all agree that each operating system has good features but they share a terrible feature of being strapped to a giant vampire squid exfiltrating your data and selling your secrets to the highest bidder? Instead of wasting bandwidth on these two companies can we go and figure out how to force cell phones (and consoles and numerous other things) open like the PC was/ mostly still is?
The real question is if you can still sideload:

1) a .apk that was not developer-verified

2) without informing Google of this

I wish the EU would step up and bring sideloading on iOS. iPhone hardware is great but the software is severely lackluster. I know a few developers there and they are not exceptional by any means. Chiefly because Apple pays much less than their competition so they do not attract the best talent
Some manufacturers like Xiaomi already have a very annoying flow for enabling developer options and using ADB. You need to have a SIM card inserted, need to create a Xiaomi account and there's several popups with timers you have to wait through.
Wait so did this rollback? Initially they were about to forbid any install from non verified accounts, then allow them but just a limited number, this article seems to suggest there will just be extra steps?
I was never an iOS user, or developer - exactly because Android was more "open", exerted less control over a user of the device.

The same reason I use Linux for 25 years (not ideological, but it just makes most sense by far). In time where this view (win11 vs. Linux) is starting to make sense to more and more people, few rare config nuances are getting easier to solve due to LLM-s, going into the opposite direction with a mobile OS calls for users to also start seriously considering more open alternatives and making a path for users of our app to do the same.

Semi-related question: how invasive is the Temu App on Google Play Store nowadays. Last time I read about it, it posed a bigger threat to users than the average side-loaded app.
The current system is already high friction. Enabling "advanced protection" in your google account additionally requires installing apps through adb.
If auto-updating apps stops working on fdroid, I'll be installing Graphene, Lineage or taking a shot at something like postmarket/ubuntu touch/plasma mobile. I've used Lineage as a daily driver before for a while, so I'll probably just go back to that and tell developers to support the platform I'm using. It doesn't rent seek on developers or users.
The Apple app store was ruled to not be monopoly.

When Google inquired in court how that could be if Apple doesn't even allow any form of side-loading, including other app stores (which Google does allow)

The judge said, I shit you not, Apple doesn't have any competitors on their platform, therefore they can't be anti-competitive.

Probably one of the worst most off the rails rulings ever. Google took notes and is now following Apple. You can thank the courts

"high friction" is a good euphemism for modern tech in general, how it feels to use.

reminds me of when theresa may said UK would become a "hostile environment", because it really feels like that in more ways than she meant.

a high-friction hostile environment is a good description for life.

Part of me thinks they wouldn't be doing this if their own ad team wasn't knowingly accepting money from fraudsters.
So, which 3rd mobile vendor and/or OS are you moving to?
If anyone wants to debate whether sideloading is a neologism, take it up with Sandisk circa 2007 https://xdaforums.com/t/sandisk-announcement.316860/

You're free to search XDA Forum. 2007 was the earliest mention I saw, but conversation seems to start in earnest around 2009 and never stops. Consistent hits in search from the last TWENTY YEARS.

This is not new. It may be new to you but any scary and evil connotations are your own ignorance. The term has been in common use for decades.

Side loading into a streaming box is an essential feature for me. I depend on a side-loaded app for Japanese TV.

But of course, I have that in a separate Android box, so I'm not forced to update to a new OS when replacing a TV (as I just did this week).

I'm sure I'm missing something but wasn't this already the case where the first time you try to install an APK, you had to go into Settings and mark the relevant application as a trusted source for installing APKs from?
The year of linux desktop unironically may be close. What is the situation with mobile?
Can we stop calling this "side loading" please.

There is nothing sleazy happening "on the side", I am simply installing an application of my choosing on some hardware that I purchased.

As long as it remains possible (without extra developer verification, etc, etc), a bit of extra friction is probably OK, as is assigning accountability to the person who chose to install an app outside of the "official" store.

But it has to remain possible. Otherwise can someone name any advantage that Android has over iOS?

Does high friction involve parties needing to identify themselves?
Eventually my so called smartphone will be a device for authenticating against a few services that require a special application, that I can also tunnel a serious device through for doing the things that I actually want to do.

It would be interesting to know why they're doing this, but it's unlikely it'll ever become public knowledge. I also don't think it is important, the people responsible should be in jail for a lot of other reasons anyway.

Add high friction to scammy ads on your platform, Google
Sideloading is already painful. I tried installing Sora (which is not available in my region's Play Store). The phone didn't allow me to start the app (complaining about integrity) unless I disabled the Play Store Integrity Checks. It wasn't straightforward in saying what the problem is and how can I bypass the check.
Can we please stop calling it "sideloading"? It's simply "installing" software on hardware that I own, and that I should have full control over.
Don't be evil