Google is working on a change that may let users install updates for sideloaded apps right from the Play Store.

  • skuzz@discuss.tchncs.de
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    3 months ago

    Really wish there was a real third OS choice. Hilarious that Apple (by force) is having to open up their platform to third-party stores. Meanwhile Google is continuing their enshittification of the entire platform full steam ahead. At this point, Samsung, bring back Tizen, or…someone do anything.

    I really wonder how this is going to work, there are odd scenarios like the offline Wiki app Kiwix. If you install it from the Play Store, it can’t see your filesystem and you can only download wiki images in the app itself and they live in the container directory with their own user:group assigned by the app. (One is also not even allowed to modify the user:group on files even via ADB anymore without root, so copying a sideload into the app container directory still won’t work, as the app won’t “see” it.)

    If you sideload from the Kiwix web site, the app is then allowed to have access to what remnants of the filesystem apps are still allowed to see, and you can just copy the 100GB wiki file to your phone over USB and access it in the app.

    If the app is then updated in the Play Store, will it inherit the neutered permissions of the Play Store variant and suddenly not see your wiki images?

    • limerod@reddthat.com
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      3 months ago

      Did you not see the news about Autoblocker being enabled by default on Oneui 6.1.1 blocking sideloading of apk files by default.

      • Virkkunen@fedia.io
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        3 months ago

        Only on new phones that ship with 6.1.1, so your existing phone won’t change this setting with the update. There’s also a page during the OOBE setup with a toggle for this block where you can simply tap to disable it before proceeding.

        • limerod@reddthat.com
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          3 months ago

          But, the precedent is there. Samsung is not pro sideloading or custom ROMs. In fact tizenOS was more locked down than android.