Even Apple lets you do that... one imagines Google being less restrictive than Apple

I'll give it a try. I only have like two Android apps I really do need. And what do I have to lose but my shackles, right?

yes. from what I understand, you will get a developer key from Google, and then you will sign your APK with your key.

you'll still be able to sideload apps that have been signed with developer keys. the main point here is that Google is forcing the developer to identify themselves.

"I don't mind living under a dictatorship as long as it's just the people I don't care about getting murdered."

You can research a phone you like and check if it has an unlockable bootloader, root it, and install something like LineageOS on it. It's fairly straight-forward, not super technically demanding, but it does require some tinkering and time setting up.

xdaforums.com is where the rooting kids hang out, post guides for specific models, upload images et c, you can probably do it in an afternoon with GPT.

The issue is that some apps, notably banking and official type apps, usually don't work as they rely on google services for operation. I solve it by having a cheap secondary phone that I only use for that stuff.

Oh, I almost forgot: FUCK YOU GOOGLE

A phone that works with proper linux: PostmarketOS, Sailfish OS or Ubuntu Touch.

Fairphone is contributing directly to the linux kernel so they have my vote!

You don't need to sign anything just turn off play protect with 1 adb command:

adb shell settings get global package_verifier_user_consent
adb shell settings put global package_verifier_user_consent -1  # disable Play Protect

"No" is what I would prefer to say but for some reason "that is extremely unlikely" hits the point home harder.

My suspicion is that the main purpose of Googles decision is to stop F-Droid and Aurora Store from working.

Joke's on them, my phone only cost $300

pixels battery life is lacking, but they sacrificed that for an AI-spy ware machine anyways.

None of those have worked for me on Android since a couple of months.

Firefox with uBlock Origin is the last bastion, and don't think that's not on their radar.

This is the route I went years ago. Not only do i not feel like lugging around an obnoxiously long buttonless 1kg remote control, within two months the display will be shattered because I sneezed, and I will have to buy a new one because replacing the screen costs as much as a new phone.

I know they do that shit by design. Why would the back side of the phone need to be made of fucking glass? It's literally the only reason I ever buy new phones, the screen is the only thing that ever breaks, and they never survive long enough to be "too old" to use.

Hey don't mind me, I'm just gonna whip out my steamdeck (that I already have) to watch a youtube video using the desktop firefox. (Yes I know its 720p, but whatever lol, its good enough for gaming, its good enough for youtube)

Can someone explain how this affects graphene os users?

Not a solution to our problem, but this is a crumb in our favor.

I'll just buy and use decade old phones with unlocked bootloader till I can. There's barely any innovation in phones these days and I'm sure someone will come to fill the gap Android left (hopefully Linux). I'm still using my 5 year old phone degoogled with custom a16 and still going strong. I also have a backup pixel 6 in case the current one breaks. I can easily wait 10-15 years.

Does this mean the end for YouTube Revanced on Android?

Openness isn't just a nice to have. It is essential.

The difference between general purpose computing and gatekept walled garden computing is night and day.

Identifying the devs is not in the "need to know" for Google. Google sells or helps to sell a general purpose open device where it is on us to exploit that device however we will.

Now Google wants to switch to a walled garden, moderated development model.

If Google promises it won't use those dev IDs to moderate development, their promise is only worth the wind it moves and the sound it makes.