I try to avoid the play store at this point. I even switched Tasker from the Play store version to the standalone non-google APK from João himself (Patreon-exclusive; or you can email him for a license, it’s like $4).
Any time I implement an open-source project that offers an Android app, I immediately search their github/gitlab or F-Droid. I don’t even try to look on the play store anymore. Too much tracking bullshit.
If you haven’t, take a look at “Obtanium”. It searches F-droid, github, gitlab, and a few other sources for android releases of open source projects.
Oh yeah, I have at least 10 apps on that haha. Fantastic piece of software. I use it for apps that aren’t hosted on any sort of marketplace.
Great example: If you shop at Harbor Freight (American bargain tool store), then you’re probably aware that they always have coupons for various tools. Someone created a database that catalogs all of their current coupons, HFQPDB, and they also provide an app (android only). The app isn’t found anywhere else except that site.
Oof, there’s a reason you use an app store. Dont download shit direct from the internet. Thats how you get malware
Buddy, pal, my absolute friend.
It’s not like I’m not vetting the source code. Are you out here installing from sources that don’t let you vett your source code?
Enjoy your spyware I guess 🙄
I do verify signatures, yes. If it isnt singed, I don’t install it.
Thats why you use fdroid.
While a fully functional version is available on F-Droid, the Play Store edition is subject to Google’s imposed limitations.
I think that’s the cause and solution rolled into one sentence right there. Use F-droid instead of Play Store.
Unfortunately I think this is going to be an inevitable problem with any software repository. F-Droid just expects users to go to the repository and inspect the code if they have concerns, or to trust the developer. Google can verify their own code isn’t malicious. They can’t audit the code of potentially millions of apps submitted to the Play Store that will inevitably ask for access to your entire filesystem, if given the option. Because let’s face it, the majority of mobile apps these days are just spyware whose primary purpose is hoovering up as much data as humanly possible to sell to data brokers.
I agree, at least partially. I do think that in most cases, this will actually protect not-so-tech-savvy users from installing spyware.
What i do not like is the “babysitting” approach which is now really bad on ios and android. They act like all users are babies who can’t be trusted with making their own decisions. If I trust the app developer and I am aware that it has access to all files and what that means, I should be able to decide to use my smartphone that way, not the billion dollar corporation behind the app store. However Google can and should protect me by making this decision process easier and more informed, for example by showing what permissions are requested and maybe even a flag which indicates permissions that are not needed for any core functionality. I think that most users should be able to tell malicious permissions apart from actually needed ones.
My messaging app wants access to all my files? I don’t think so. My popular open source file synchronization app requests the same? Sure, go ahead.
They act like all users are babies who can’t be trusted with making their own decisions
Because most of them can’t.
That explains why some files don’t sync on my device … just more reasons to fully switch to Lineage/Linux
Though, I’ve never seen any warning from Nextcloud that there might be an issue due to using the gplay version
a fully functional version is available on F-Droid
Jup, I just assumed that I had the F-Droid version. I just downloaded dev from there
I was wondering why my custom sync folders weren’t syncing anymore.
