Google will soon be requiring android app developers to pay $25 to register their governments ids to make apps outside of the play store.
The package (com.google.android.verifier) will be introduced on devices running Android 8 or higher, granting Google the ability to block the installation of unverified apps.
Complete your migration plans before Google puts up the barbed wire making it much harder to leave.
The alternatives are Graphene, Calyx, Sailfish, FuriOS, Ubuntu Touch and Postmarket OS.
95 days: 30 September 2026: Indonesia, Brazil, Thailand and Singapore.
188 days: 2027: Globally.
No mention of /e/OS? It’s de-Googled Android, is available preloaded onto a new Fairphone (selecting the e/OS option), and even comes with a locked bootloader. It comes with Micro-G preinstalled, and its built-in store can pull from both F-Droid and Google Play.
It’s literally the most turnkey, minimal tinkering option on the market. I know a couple non-techie normies who have one.
I have one because I don’t want a second job out of tinkering and tweaking my phone - fun hobby, but that’s an admission that it’s high labor. If we’re actually going to change the market, we need easy, non-scary solutions for non-technical users.