Google CEO Pichai advises Android users not to sideload apps

I can advise Pichai to lick my nuts

It's not often I upvote a comment suggesting someone lick their nuts.
- I on the other hand will always upvote someone suggesting nut licking
Surprised Pichai face
Second
I would not made those assomption. You would be surprised.

Those who complain about iOS being a "walled garden" should understand why Apple doesn't allow sideloading.

We already know. It's because Apple wants their 30% cut, you fuckin' dunce.

What makes Apple think they're the only ones who can "keep their users safe" from malware? Google can't do it just as well? Amazon can't? Samsung? Sony? Wal-Mart? F-Droid? Plenty of malware on the Apple app store.

I don't know why this is news. Most consumer Android phones, Google's included, require you to acknowledge a warning before the ability to sideload is enabled. Their stance has always been "at your own risk, we don't recommend it" and we always just laugh and say "okay, whatever dude" before we do it anyways.

we always just laugh and say "okay, whatever dude" before we do it anyways.
The thing is for people who aren't used to modding and you try to side-load a random cool app on their phone (or somehow they end up doing it themselves) they might be frightened and may even cancel the installation.
- But there are also users who interpret dialogs like that the old way:
Because it's an excuse.

Can someone please tell Pichai that I can do whatever I want with my phone that I paid for. (Also tell him to fuck off and that he can suck ma balls)

Be Pichai.

Tell people not to sideload apps fOr SaFeTy.

Find out [Insert Malware App] has been on the play store for months and tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people have downloaded it.

Could you imagine Laptop manufacturers saying "do NOT download apps from other websites. ONLY download from the Windows App Store"

Like, fuck off Pichai, you're insane

Are phones the only devices out there that receive such scrutiny in the tech world?? My laptop can literally do the exact same thing but better

People should do that though
It’s good security practice to use your package manager and if you have to download off the internet then you should build it yourself
- You usually can add more repo/source to your package manager though.
- Not really planning on sacrificing privacy and safety from monopolies by doing that thanks. Not everybody's threat model is that ridiculous.

I advise him to stfu

That is great advice.

What he really means is “we want our 30% cut”

What he really means is “we want to take your freedom away and lock you into our proprietary ecosystem so we can mine all of your data and extract as much profit from you as possible”
That's why you should use GrapheneOS

FOSS via F-Droid is gaining momentum, they don't like it.

They don't like Epic Game Store gaining momentum. They don't care that much about F-Droid.
- It's kinda funny to watch two garbage corporations fighting each other

I agree with him. If you don't know what you are doing and just blindly install something off the Internet, it's a security concern. I would not recommend that most users side-load apps, either. You have to remember that this crowd is not representative of the average user.

Just don't take the option away from those of us who do know what they are doing.

I'll keep sideloading if they don't allow F-Droid, NewPipe and LibreTube on the Play Store.

I own my device. I get to choose what I install on it.

Google Chrome isn't on the Microsoft Store on Windows or macOS Store on macOS. Should I stop "sideloading" it according to his advice?

Edit: Found more about the quote on The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/14/23960811/pichai-we-dont-want-to-allow-you-to-completely-compromise-your-phone

“We’re trying to strike a balance. Apple’s iPhone only allows the App Store, but we believe in choice, so on Android we allow you to sideload and install additional applications.”

I'm so conflicted about it. I don't want people to have to suffer for intentionally or unintentionally installing garbage on their phones, but I can't let that take away from how I use my device as well.

Google Chrome isn't on the Microsoft Store on Windows or macOS Store on macOS. Should I stop "sideloading" it according to his advice?
Yes, actually no one on this planet should be using Chrome or any proprietary browser when superior FLOSS alternatives like Firefox and LibreWolf exist.

To late already formatted and installed lineageOS and f-droid

Google CEO Pichai can go fuck himself.

Fuck you Pichai, fuck you Google, fuck you Big Tech. I'm not doing what you are telling me, I'm not using your crappy proprietary services that are built to spy on everyone, I'm not watching your shitty advertisements, I'm definitely not giving you any of my data. I hope your piece of shit company goes bankrupt and you end up on the street, that's where you belong to. I'm not a slave of your totalitarian system, I'm free to choose where I download my software and what software I want to run on my devices. I do everything to avoid your surveillance capitalism, I use FLOSS software wherever I can. Your business model is a piece of trash, it will inevitably fail at some point. I am sure that you will try to do everything to mislead the public and to get them to believe your lies, but not everyone is as stupid as you would like them to be.

Fuck you I won't do what you tell me 🎵

Pichai advises Android users not to sideload apps for security reasons

s/security/financial

/g

Well, not all the apps I want are on your store, so 🤷‍♀️.

Yeah and it feels like there's a "study" coming out every other month how many hundreds or thousands of apps on the playstore are filled with spy- and malware, I'd think that can also "really compromise your safety, very significantly." So 🤷‍♀️

If we're not careful there will be a new generation of users who have no concept of "apps" at all, and will conflate sideloading (or anything 'not authorized') with an illegal process.

naa i'll keep doing what I'm doing

That's the only right option

I advise Pichai to suck my dick

Ok asshole I won't sideload apps from the Play Store anymore.

Use GrapheneOS, it's a completely independent non-profit mobile security research project that has probably created the most secure mobile operating system out there. GrapheneOS doesn't use any Google services by default, and it makes fundamental security improvements to the entire Android operating system stack. It also doesn't have an official app store that comes with system privileges, so technically every app installation on GrapheneOS is 'sideloading'. In my opinion, it's by far the best option for a mobile OS.
I really hope linux phones take off by then at which point I'll switch for certain

Id rather become a hermit than pay for and give up all my privacy like these assholes want. Boycott everything, enough is enough. Even grocery companies are gouging us with record profits.

Stop spending $$.

Oh well, I guess I'll return the Pixel 8 I just ordered.

Nah, I'll just install Calyx, and invite Sundar to suck my dick.

If playstore wasn't utter shite maybe I wouldn't sideload apps

As long as an advertising company that spies on everyone owns and controls the Play Store, it will always be a complete and utter piece of garbage
- What's Apples excuse? Their store seems worse then Googles.

Of course i do, and install more and more sideload apps. Newpipe is good, smarttube is great, youtube premium is lame ;)

Also check out LibreTube

K thx bye I'm not logging in with a google account on my phone

Based

Yeah I'd advise that too if that was a source of income

Haven't he heard of F-Droid?

He obviously wants people to use his crappy centralized proprietary store that collects all of your information instead of a superior FLOSS platform

Hope there will be movement from some governments to forbid having no choice about store for apps. I don't know about iPhone but is there really no other way but apple store to install app? Apart from jailbreaking? If so I am concerned nothing has / is already been done about forcing their stores on users.

There is already one in the EU. Regulation just passed a while ago, will be in effect in March. Windows is getting a less shitty EU version because if it for example.
Look up the Digital Markets Act.