this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2025
335 points (99.1% liked)

Open Source

41437 readers
79 users here now

All about open source! Feel free to ask questions, and share news, and interesting stuff!

Useful Links

Rules

Related Communities

Community icon from opensource.org, but we are not affiliated with them.

founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I mostly use apps installed from F-Droid, so I’m not sure how I’ll use the phone, except that it’s sometimes required as a contact method.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] rosco385@lemmy.wtf 14 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I've been using GrapheneOS for a while, which should minimise disruptions, but I'm also hoping the Linux phone ecosystem improves before Google locks down Android completely.

[–] Kirk@startrek.website 2 points 1 day ago

Same. I have to imagine there are some devs out there who will start working on Linux ports of their apps.

[–] myfunnyaccountname@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Keep waiting for a Linux phone that actually works as a daily driver.

[–] DecentM@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 day ago

At that point I'd rather use a half functioning Linux phone than a locked down one. Hopefully stuff like Framework and Fairphone will follow through on making parts available for real old devices.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Continue using a custom ROM.

If more brands start locking down their devices I'll have a conundrum, and it'll start being about antique hunting. More apps requiring an "approved" OS would also do it, but geopolitics will stop that from going too far in the near future.

[–] Lyubo@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 days ago

DeGoogled Custom ROMs

[–] Echolynx@lemmy.zip 15 points 2 days ago

If it really interferes, same thing as when YouTube started enshittifying: use it less and likely be better off.

[–] jobbies@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I don't have to do anything. I use GrapheneOS btw.

[–] HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.org 2 points 2 days ago (2 children)

The problem for all these things is proprietary firmware.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Adderbox76@lemmy.ca 21 points 3 days ago (3 children)

I feel embarassed to say this as someone who is fairly techy, but I'm a little confused by the whole brouhaha.

Is Google making changes to Android, or to AOSP?

If Google is making changes to the Android fork they put on their own phones, then fuck 'em. Use Graphene. Use e/OS/, use Lineage...use something that forks their own branch of AOSP and Google can pound sand because those forks are in no way obligated to make the same changes as Google. AOSP is open source for that very reason.

If Google is making those changes to AOSP itself, which means that anyone who uses AOSP as a base have those changes by default, then isn't Google obligated to keep those changes as Open Source, in which case anyone else who uses AOSP can just remove them from their own fork?

Someone explain like I'm a particularly dim five-year-old, please.

[–] kixik@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 days ago

If you want to keep using google playstore and services, you no longer will be able to use f-droid, whether google or any aosp rom. grapheneOS claims it won't be affected given their sandboxed google play and services. Though I'm not sure if eventually google would come up with a counter measure or it won't ever care. They want to enforce that if anyone uses their proprietary stuff the apps interacting with it must be from register developers, which automatically exclude any libre/free app storage on which developers don't want to register to google. GrepheneOS being the exception.

If you use microG with any custom rom, I guess that might work through fake registrations, but can't be sure. But any custom rom without google play and services is supposed to be ok with f-droid. The thing is that google knows most if not all users need one app that depends on their stuff, perhaps bank apps, payment apps, and so on...

[–] umbrella@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

iirc they are enforcing this on the play services level, using the play protect system. so if you use a custom rom with google play, you are likely cooked too.

that is if the roms don't implement a system to circumvent it.

[–] Chulk@lemmy.ml 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I've also been confused about this, but this is my take on it.

You're correct that they are making these changes to Android and not AOSP. This means that an OS like Graphene or e/OS/ will still be able to use sideloaded apps and other appstores like F-Droid.

I think the reason everyone is freaking out about this, is that it hurts appstores like F-Droid. It has a chilling effect on apps that are released to alternative app stores and may cause those stores to fail over time, thus killing FOSS apps at the point of distribution.

That said, this is also over my head technically, so I would love if someone more knowledgable could weigh in.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Meowie_Gamer@lemmy.world 17 points 3 days ago

I'll just keep using grapheneOS.

[–] 17lifers@sopuli.xyz 98 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (22 children)

install them with adb. its a crucial feature for developers, so they won't easily get rid of it.

load more comments (22 replies)
[–] deathrattledregs@lemmy.ml 23 points 3 days ago

Staying on Graphene for the time being. AFAIK should be able to still install apps whatever way I see fit.

Graphene's team has stated that they are looking into OEM's to potentially work out a solution to make a suitable device to run GOS, since Google is locking things down.

If it really comes to it, (long term), I'll make the jump to a Linux mobile device, whether that's a phone or a custom solution.

Just because corpo's are making things difficult, doesn't mean I'm going to cave. I started this privacy journey 6 years ago and I'm not about to undo it because of greed and inconvenience.

[–] SuperDuperKitten@lemmy.blahaj.zone 13 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I'm currently using GrapheneOS on my Pixel phone I brought secondhand so think I should (for now) be okay?

Otherwise, Linux phone looks interesting but it just relearning both another OS (like iPhone users trying to learn Android and vice versa) and also just I have low income so buying new tech is just expensive.

I don't want to throw myself a deepend to an OS that I not as familiar with beside on my desktop and Raspberry Pi. Personally, I prefer to know what's there before I just go blind so at least I can manage my expectation than expected it to do 1:1 stuff that I do on my phone right now.

[–] AnimalsDream@slrpnk.net 35 points 3 days ago

I will switch to Android roms that don't have that defect, and continue to buy and tinker with Linux phones when I can afford it, until they become daily-drivable.

[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 2 points 2 days ago

Already can't find a phone with the hardware I want. Might as well get an iphone since I won't be able to do half the shit I want to either way.

[–] oyzmo@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] newaccountwhodis@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 days ago

It... works. barely. I tried it and kinda liked it but if you're looking for comfort custom ROMs are way better. (this was almost a decade ago so I don't know what it's like now)

[–] fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 37 points 3 days ago (6 children)
load more comments (6 replies)
[–] exu@feditown.com 62 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I've started donating to PostmarketOS this month, so hopefully I'll be able to buy a device with decent support once my current phone needs replacing.

I already run LineageOS on my phone with microG instead of Gapps, so not much is going to change for me. There'll also be an update to Android 16 for me soon, LineageOS just announced that last weekend.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] DarkAri@lemmy.blahaj.zone 13 points 3 days ago (8 children)
load more comments (8 replies)
[–] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Build a time machine and go back in time to stop WebOS from being sold to HP.

[–] CCMan1701A@startrek.website 5 points 2 days ago

You mean convince more people to not buy android phones. Man we used to be able to run custom kernel code on the palm pre to try and get more performance out

[–] Benchamoneh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 3 days ago

I moved to GrapheneOS about a month ago, not too long after the announcement. Bought a used Pixel and jumped. TBH moving to Graphene was something I'd considered for a while for privacy reasons but Google gave me that last push.

There are some different ways of doing things but I've really enjoyed the transition overall.

[–] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 3 days ago

Well, I did do app development for Android for a couple of years, so I'll be using ADB it install APKs in any device affected if needed.

I'll also never do development work for Android ever again, beyond making utilities for myself if need something like that.

Beyond that, I'll never buy an Android device that cannot be unlocked. Last one I got was a Xiaomi phone, which at the time could be unlocked (which I did and installed an alternative ROM on it before I started using it), but they stopped that so Xiaomi isn't going to be getting any more money from me.

Mid to long-term, I expect Linux devices are the solution. I'm especially interested in getting a Linux tablet (7" or 8") to replace the tablet I currently use mostly for book reading and internet browsing when I'm out and about (hence the size needs to be small enough to fit a back or jacket pocket).

When I started looking into it, my expectation was that Linux tablets would make even more sense as devices than phones since they're closer to notebooks in terms of how they're used, but I haven't really found all that many out there - there are more Linux phones than tablets - and all of them were 10" or more (so, too large for my use case).

(PS: suggestions welcome, even just stuff I can root and install something like Ubuntu Touch on it)

Am I so unusal in wanting an portable computing device with a big enough screen to read stuff, for the purpose of consuming media rather than working on (so no keyboard need), which is not so big that I need to haul it in a backpack, not a full-blown smartphone with all the bells as whistles (I already have a smarphone on my pocket with mobile data, camera and GPS, so why would I need that shit AGAIN on a tablet???) and not a locked-down system like iOS or Android?

[–] Malasaur@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] Wilmo@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

Droidify is just a wrapper for f-droid and various repos.. it's affected in the same way

[–] quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 41 points 3 days ago

I only use app from f-droid on lineage and I don't have a google account anymore, if that stops being an option I guess I'll use an old dumb phone and fuck all.

[–] rustyricotta@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Well because of this, I bought a new phone and am now using GrapheneOS. I'm hoping to last at least 5 years with this, and hopefully by the time I want a new phone, grapheneos will have made a deal to have more compatible phones.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)

Get a pocket pc, probably. And only use the phone for what strictly requires it.

It'll likely end up being more comfortable from a usability standpoint than it is now anyway.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] NauticalNoodle@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Cry, -as it would seem my carrier only supports Android & Apple phones and I am stuck with my carrier.

[–] Aeri@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Be fucked? I don't know I already hate most phones on the market and I'm going to need to buy a new one at some point, not looking forward to it...

[–] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 20 points 3 days ago

LineageOS user here, so nothing will change for me. Perhaps in the long-term Google might kill off AOSP for good, in which case I'll seriously consider a so-called real Linux device. Cautiously optimistic about the FSF's Librephone project, which right now is attempting to reverse engineer blobs in Android devices.

I already have a Pinephone sitting around so maybe I'll re-flash Mobian on it and play around with it. In the long term my ideal distro would be Guix or some Guix derivative.

load more comments
view more: next ›