I will be switching to Graphene OS🇨🇦 full time to keep my access to f-droid.
I am running LineageOS with MicroG for now but I still feel im not degoogled enough lol. Relying on that horrendous company in anyway (even if it is to maintain and contribute to the AOSP) still makes me feel a bit sick. So I have a second phone (FP6) Running pmos thanks to @TheMightyCat@ani.social which im waiting for it to become stable enough to daily drive and then ill be satisfied.
I moved to GrapheneOS a few years back and dumped their services for an Immich server and proton mail
I too have been Graphene’d up for years. I’m slowly working on ditching the last few bits of Google, just about the only thing left is an old gmail that’s tied to a bunch of accounts, which I might keep around as a forwarding thing for a little while yet.
What’s the hardware? Pixel?
Yep started with a 7, now I’m on the 9. It has been great
Waiting for Motorola linux phone.
Supposedly 2027 onward their top line phones will be Graphene compatible.
Cross that road when it happens. Likely, next phone purchase will be a lot more annoying.
Man I wish we could all agree to use the most superior date format:
YYYY MM DD
[Angry ISO-8601 noises]
That’s Canada’s standard.
Only because it’s the global standard. This isn’t our flag to wave, we’re just in the sane majority here.
It’s relevant for OP being Canadian. The requested standard is what they would use.
Though the way they wrote it is conventional in Quebec.
Continue to not own a mobile phone as I have done since the 80s
I’m assuming, then, though, that you do have a computer, in order to receive emails and such. Too much in society is attached to having other stuff: mailing address, email, phone number, two factor authentication, running privacy violating software on Windows, etc…
If you’ve been doing it since the 80s, have there been eras that have really challenged your desire or whatever to not have a mobile phone?
Do you think life would be much easier if you did have a mobile phone?
Why do you not have a mobile phone?
Do you think other or younger people should follow your lead?
I’m so curious about your story. I’ve thought about it many times, and as much as I think the technology is super cool and amazing, I also really wish it wasn’t all but legally required to participate in so many aspects of society. It makes me wonder where you’re from and where you live and if you’re American or not.
I’m assuming, then, though, that you do have a computer, in order to receive emails and such.
You assume correctly. My computer (which is not a laptop btw) is indispensable. I have a strong desire to keep my digital life all in one spot and a PC is my best option, since I also like to make software and play video games.
If you’ve been doing it since the 80s, have there been eras that have really challenged your desire or whatever to not have a mobile phone?
I have never once looked at a smartphone and thought “man, I wish I could do that.” I’ll admit, once in a while I do daydream about how easy they make it to send and receive money, but that’s about it. I don’t make or spend enough of it for it to be a huge concern.
Do you think life would be much easier if you did have a mobile phone?
Believe it or not, it has gotten slightly easier to live without a smartphone in recent years. Medical providers started providing online portals where you can do everything. In years past, they were pretty dogmatic about doing everything over the phone.
It helps a lot that I live in a very rural area full of boomers (in America, yes). People here still go to the bank in person, restaurants have paper menus, people still use paper atlases to get around, etc. So I haven’t run into any barriers to conducting life business without a phone.
Why do you not have a mobile phone?
They simply never interested me when they started becoming popular while I was in college. I grew up in a time when you left the house in the morning, and no one knew where you were or what you were doing until you told them when you got home in the evening. I like that, so I keep doing it.
Do you think other or younger people should follow your lead?
I think they should do it if they want to, and fight to keep it possible. And always remember: if someone tries to tell you you can’t do something without a phone, they’re just bluffing. Everything is negotiable.
Wow, thank you for taking the time to give such thoughtful answers.
I have one more slightly more complex question, though, since I run into it occasionally and absolutely abhor it: do you ever have to use a scan-only pay-to-park or anything like that? You said you live in a rural area that has paper/physical things, still - does that imply that you never encounter these digital-only things? Or that maybe you do and just choose not to engage with them? If you don’t, what would you do if you did?
For example, you go into town and the available parking at a restaurant is pay to park, and there is no physical meter, only a scannable code on the signs everywhere, telling you you scan it and pay with an account at a website or through their app.
A real parking garage I often really visit has a system that scans your license plate on entry. Then on exit, there is no booth anymore, but another camera that scans your plate at the exit. If you don’t have an account or haven’t paid, the bar blocking your way doesn’t lift. The system is designed to be interactionless, but only as long as you’ve made an account with a valid payment option on it.
do you ever have to use a scan-only pay-to-park or anything like that? You said you live in a rural area that has paper/physical things, still - does that imply that you never encounter these digital-only things? Or that maybe you do and just choose not to engage with them? If you don’t, what would you do if you did?
I have not encountered anything like that myself. And frankly, I stay as far away as I can from big cities because of reading stuff like this. That is pure cancer. If I ran into something like that with no alternative, I would definitely give somebody a piece of my mind over it. Maybe not everything is negotiable in the moment after all.
A wall parking garage I often really visit has a system that scans your license plate on entry. Then on exit, there is no booth anymore, but another camera that scans your plate at the exit. If you don’t have an account or haven’t paid, the bar blocking your way doesn’t lift. The system is designed to be interactionless, but only as long as you’ve made an account with a valid payment option on it.
This makes no sense to me. how are you even supposed to know this the first time you use it? So they just trap people inside with no recourse? That’s ‘calling the cops for false imprisonment’ territory.
I’m definitely hoping I die before bullshit like this catches up to me.
Hahaha there are a bunch of big colorful signs at the entrance, but yeah, you are correct, it is cancerous bullshit. That parking garage constantly has issues with lines of people getting stuck and having to wait.
It’s also a new system, as of maybe 2023, which was bad enough, being automated and only accepting card, before.
Another bad detail to ruin your day is that it’s at a hospital and is basically the only parking available.
Kinda looking forward to the response on that
RIGHT?!
Like, I am perpetually curious and interested in knowing more about other people, especially those older than me.
Just enable the bypass now in preparation. Only took at second Google search:
Google provides a built-in “escape hatch” in the settings, though it is intentionally designed with significant friction to prevent social engineering attacks. [1] (https://keepandroidopen.org/), [2] (https://www.gadgets360.com/apps/features/how-to-bypass-android-24-hour-delay-and-install-third-party-apps-on-your-phone-11243027)
Unlock Developer Mode: Open your device Settings, go to About Phone, and tap Build Number 7 times.
Enable Unverified Packages: Go to Settings > System > Developer Options and scroll until you find Allow Unverified Packages.
Verify Intentions: Flip the toggle, confirm that you are not being coerced by a third party, and enter your device PIN or password.
Reboot: Restart your smartphone.
Wait out the Delay: You must wait exactly 24 hours. Google enforces this mandatory cooling-off period.
Finalize: After 24 hours have passed, return to the Unverified Packages menu to select either a temporary (7 days) or indefinite installation window.
It must be stated: Google is malicious! The language used here and elsewhere conceals the fact that: a) Google is a for-profit company with no morals (they work with militaries and surveillance-agencies to kill); b) they operate in a monopolistic manner; c) they’re eroding control of your personal-property.
This is just another move by Google to consolidate control over the AOSP. It doesn’t matter that this convoluted sequence can temporarily ‘bypass’ Google’s wishes–in fact I would state this is clearly worse. Removing the ability to install non-Google-endorsed software on your own private-property could be illegal. This is perhaps the only thing they could do to prevent lawsuits, only they’ve made it so asininely convoluted that only 0.01% will actually complete the process that it should be illegal monopolistic behaviour. American courts have absolutely failed everyone by allowing this rampant malicious behaviour to be the norm in American-software.
Google’s Android already created friction for installing software outside their ecosystem. There is no justification for this behaviour. It cannot be defended. Stop following their market-speak. This is belligerent and malicious behaviour!
To put a finer point on this: Google is charging a recurring fee to anyone who wants to distribute software to phones–Android-phones. If you have a need to distribute software to your organisation’s mobile-computers you now need to pay a recurring fee to Google, or… jump on one foot, spin around, touch the ground and hope Google doesn’t bully you further. Oh, and you have to do this dance personally for all 438 mobile-computers you manage. The absurdity of the situation is appalling! The fact you have users defending–and that is what these sort of responses are doing: defending one of the most profitable companies in existence–“oh, just do the dance now so it won’t inconvenience you later”.
The “escape hatch” is down that corridor, to the left, left, right, left, left, up, right & behind the book-case; take the stairs up, down five flights; depart at Washington D.C. and on arrival you’ll see a button. Press it. It might not do anything.
–Google
No doubt it’s a pain in the ass and it’s not just a protective measure. But pretty much every company isn’t doing stuff in the best interests of customers anymore (the bigger the company, the worse it is).
But I work with what I’ve got available at the moment.
I’d love for a free uncontrolled option to become available, but there’s not really any good choices at the moment.
My wife picked up a blister pack of gum recently, the package has 10 spots for gum but they now give you 9 and have modified the vaccuum forming machine to close out one of the 10. Lol. Just a blantant FU consumer.
Fyi mine was under “apps from unverified developers” in developer options.
Thank you. Truly insane they added all those steps to the process.
if they kept 24 hour cooling off period, but it was just in general options, it would be theoretical defensible… but hiding it under developer settings is malicous.
I guess gotta protect those who don’t understand tech or something. At least there’s a mildly inconvenient way to bypass it
The idea is to make it so convoluted that normal users won’t go through with this, if a friend tells them this is how to install an app that actually acts in the interest of the device owner. Either that, or it becomes so normal that most people will just do it without a thought, and then it fails to protect anyone from anything.
I like the cooldown as a protection, though. But given what else you can do with an unlocked phone without a cooldown, it seems overkill.
I know there are scams that convince people to install malicious apps that steal crypto or whatever. So long as there’s always a workaround, I guess I’m not super opposed to protecting people who are… easily scammed. I don’t like the waiting period part though.
Gonna be pretty embarrassing when people still get scammed even with this feature in place. I’ve already heard stories of some old person buying like $2500 worth of gift cards and the cashier, who has been prepped for this exact scenario, is powerless to stop them.
“Is someone telling you to buy these gift cards to settle a payment?”
“…n. n. no I need them for Christmas gifts.”
“It’s common for scammers to tell people to lie about why they’re buying the gift cards. If someone told you to say that to me, they’re lying to you. No legitimate business or government agency will require you to settle a payment using gift cards.”
*clearly nervous but also now getting angry*
“No I need these for my grandkids!”*sighs. Starts scanning cards*
I wouldn’t stop at “mildly”
Took too long for this comment to show up. It seems that too few people know this, which suits Google just fine, I assume.
Mine was also named “Apps from unverified developers”. However, I’m not sure it actually got applied when I did it just now. Pressing on that quickly flashed something on the screen, but it disappeared before I could see what it was. I didn’t get to flip a toggle nor enter the PIN. Pressing “Apps from unverified developers” again doesn’t do anything now (not even the quick flash from the first time).
Appreciate any help!
EDIT: I restarted my phone just in case it did work, and checked again, the option is just gone. I’m unsure if this means something went wrong, or if it means it did work, and I’m currently in the 24 hour cooldown period.
It makes you wait 24hr before you can confirm if you want it set permanently. You’ll have to go back to that setting tomorrow to continue.
Ah yeah, I understood that part. It’s just that this step never happened for me: “Verify Intentions: Flip the toggle, confirm that you are not being coerced by a third party, and enter your device PIN or password.”
Mine, it was difficult to find in the list and didn’t come up at all when searching the menu. But it was still there, I’m just waiting for the countdown to complete. Maybe it got buried in the list? 🤷
Just had the same issue. Now I will have to try and remember to tap this fucking button again at 4am tomorrow…
So, I just checked and the button is back. Looks like the fuckers actually made it two days to wiggle out from under their entrapment-like gimmick. Now I have to wait another 24 hours.
Yup, just checked and it’s the same here. Button is back and I was able to turn on the countdown.
I just did this and now I have a timer, but the toggle is still off.
I can’t seem to access any of your links.
Keep android open leads to dead github page; and I’m getting an “Access denied” error for gadgets360.com
I just copied the summary from a Google search, just search “bypass Android install verification” and you’ll get the same info
Or, you know? Just use Shizuku with install with options. Aurora store and Droid-ify both support built in install options with Shizuku.
MVP here. Thank you for posting this.
I own, and love, my samsung Fold7, so afraid im kinda screwed.
I’m still on my Fold6. I got a Pixel Pro Fold to use Graphene and it was great for a while, but the device itself kinda fell apart, so I’m back on the Fold6.
A folding Linux phone would be really cool, and also $3000.
yea
I love my fold since i play OSRS for a couple hours a day, and can watch youtube on half the screen while still having a decent sized screen.
Its also great professionally, since i can call up blueprints and not have them postage stamp sized.
I recently learned Samsung makes a durable phone with a removable battery, and it has no lineage os support. So IDK, I’ll troll around eBay for a good deal on a used phone I guess. Sooner than later this phone is dying.
I’m gonna split my phone from my smart device entirely. Buying a Maker 2 phone when it drops tomorrow. Maybe this won’t work out as well as I’d hoped… but it will actually cost me about the same for 2 lines cuz I’m already overpaying on my regular plan.
Switches to Graphene OS earlier this year when my old phone kicked the bucket. Super happy with the change!
I’m fairly happy with my Linux phone. Not too worried :P
I’ve been on Ubuntu Touch for a couple of months now! I’m enjoying it so far
Which device and cell provider are you using?
The phone is a Fairphone 3, and the provider is Lebara (I don’t think it exists outside the UK, but there you go)
Stuck with Samsung phone so it looks like I’m fucked
I have a furilabs phone i got in anticipation of this… turns out no service provider supports it in my neck of the woods. Kinda fucked
Ouch. I once crowdfunded a phone that was compatible with Ubuntu Touch and it came out two years late, downgraded, and mine didn’t even work. It sounds like yours might at least have resale value.
Dumbphone/grapheme combo
