{"slug": "google-play", "name": "Google Play", "category": "other", "category_name": "Other software", "description": "", "recommenders": 4, "commenters": 65, "warners": 52, "score": -41.368, "rising": 0.02, "first": "2025-11-12", "latest": "2026-10-31", "why": "just install the sandboxed Google Play Store and get your apps from there", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 4, "neutral": 8, "compare": 2, "warn": 52}, "spark": [0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "just install the sandboxed Google Play Store and get your apps from there", "kind": "", "icon": false, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://play.google.com", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["Google Play", "Google Play Store"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 800218912, "item_id": 50013682, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50013682", "by": "orionblastar", "date": "2026-10-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "But you can install the Google Play Store on a Fire Tablet. This is the hack", "excerpt": "But you can install the Google Play Store on a Fire Tablet. This is the hack: https://www.androidpolice.com/install-play-store-amazon-fire-tablet/", "context": "", "use_case": "Android apps on Fire tablet", "switched_from": "", "story": "Amazon phasing out Fire Tablets"}, {"id": 783189441, "item_id": 48949340, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48949340", "by": "Itoldmyselfso", "date": "2026-07-17", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "just install the sandboxed Google Play Store and get your apps from there", "excerpt": "Time estimate depends heavily on the apps you use (data migration in them) and maybe some features that don't easily work out-of-the-box in GOS like Google's find my device, where you'd ideally migrate to use foss alternatives like FMD[1]. For the easiest setup by far just install the sandboxed Google Play Store and get your apps from there. In general the more additional security features you enable, the more issues", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "GrapheneOS recommended for domestic abuse victims"}, {"id": 752828707, "item_id": 47051794, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47051794", "by": "strcat", "date": "2026-02-17", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "we recommend using the sandboxed Play Store", "excerpt": "Firefox 147 doesn't provide site sandboxing or even basic content sandboxing on Android. They enabled multi-process support by default but still don't provide any form of sandbox for the separate processes. They enabled the separation part of site isolation which is partially implemented for Firefox desktop and now mobile but do not have content sandboxing and partial site sandboxing as they do for the desktop browse", "context": "GrapheneOS developer/team", "use_case": "obtaining apps unavailable directly", "switched_from": "", "story": "GrapheneOS \u2013 Break Free from Google and Apple"}, {"id": 741170577, "item_id": 46323161, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46323161", "by": "teekert", "date": "2025-12-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "App Store search was so bad compared to the Play store (and f-droid, at least back then)", "excerpt": "When I switched to iOS from Android it took me a while to realize why App Store search was so bad compared to the Play store (and f-droid, at least back then). It was because the first option was never wat you wanted. The highlighted app at the top was always an ad, never relevant. I immediately lost some respect for Apple \u201cso this is the expensive luxury platform people talk about?\u201d I hate that \u201cwe\u201d focus on the sec", "context": "switched from Android to iOS", "use_case": "app search", "switched_from": "", "story": "2026 Apple introducing more ads to increase opportunity in search results"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 805039585, "item_id": 50314974, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50314974", "by": "throwaway89201", "date": "2026-10-31", "stance": "warn", "quote": "its reputation to randomly delay updates", "excerpt": "Someone in that thread notes that when you install the Signal APK from here [1] it \"doesn\u2019t get updates tho\", but this isn't the case. Signal will update itself; you get a notification to update. Often earlier than the Play Store, probably due to its reputation to randomly delay updates. [1] https://signal.org/android/apk/", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Molly (Signal fork) has not been updated since 3 months and is vulnerable"}, {"id": 803350960, "item_id": 50209435, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50209435", "by": "paimapi", "date": "2026-10-23", "stance": "warn", "quote": "the abattoir that is Google Play", "excerpt": "I'm somebody who likes lifting weights. I often lift weights heavy enough that, if done improperly, could harm me greatly and grossly. There are people at my gym who often have very bad form who I worry about. I will occasionally chat them up so they're not, for example, shoulder pressing with their arms outside of the scapular plane [0] or benching without any arch in their back [1]. Sometimes they appreciate it and", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Your Phone Is About to Stop Being Yours: 70 Days Until Lockdown"}, {"id": 802795361, "item_id": 50174710, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50174710", "by": "ForHackernews", "date": "2026-10-21", "stance": "warn", "quote": "GrapheneOS doesn't recommend installing Google Play", "excerpt": "> GrapheneOS doesn't recommend installing Google Play https://grapheneos.org/usage#sandboxed-google-play \u00af\\_(\u30c4)_/\u00af", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "MicroG: Free-libre re-implementation of Google's proprietary Android user space"}, {"id": 798701184, "item_id": 49918824, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49918824", "by": "woadwarrior01", "date": "2026-10-01", "stance": "warn", "quote": "they closed my Play Store account for a year of inactivity", "excerpt": "Same! I ported my free iOS utility app[1] to Android because a lot of people were asking for it. Just before I could publish it, they closed my Play Store account for a year of inactivity. Now, I haven't been able to re-create the Play Store account. Every time I try, money gets debited from my card, but the process ultimately fails. TBF, the money gets refunded after a month or so. I'm happy supporting iOS, macOS an", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Fuck Android Developer Verification Program"}]}], "who": [{"by": "strcat", "context": "GrapheneOS developer/team", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47051794", "date": "2026-02-17"}, {"by": "monegator", "context": "Makes BLE device companion apps", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46681227", "date": "2026-01-19"}, {"by": "teekert", "context": "switched from Android to iOS", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46323161", "date": "2025-12-18"}], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["app store", "android app store", "android apps on fire tablet", "android app distribution", "banking and vendor apps", "publishing apps"], "compared": [{"slug": "f-droid", "name": "F-Droid", "co": 21, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 1}, {"slug": "grapheneos", "name": "GrapheneOS", "co": 13, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "aurora-store", "name": "Aurora Store", "co": 10, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 1}, {"slug": "app-store", "name": "App Store", "co": 10, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "android", "name": "Android", "co": 5, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "accrescent", "name": "Accrescent", "co": 4, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "obtainium", "name": "Obtainium", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "firefox", "name": "Firefox", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49523754", "title": "Play Store blocks AuroraStore, hurting GrapheneOS users", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45908938", "title": "Android developer verification: Early access starts", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49855315", "title": "Breaking Up with Google Play: Why Conversations Is Now Free", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49724927", "title": "The Google Play app review process now regularly takes longer than a week", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49520022", "title": "AnkiDroid: Google Play no longer allowing Open Collective donation link", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49475079", "title": "Luanti removed from Google Play due to baseless AI copyright notice", "mentions": 2}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"warn": 5}, "2025-12": {"warn": 4, "recommend": 1}, "2026-01": {"warn": 5, "neutral": 1}, "2026-02": {"warn": 4, "recommend": 1}, "2026-03": {"warn": 4, "neutral": 4}, "2026-04": {"warn": 5, "compare": 1}, "2026-05": {"compare": 1, "warn": 3}, "2026-06": {"warn": 1, "neutral": 1}, "2026-07": {"warn": 4, "recommend": 1}, "2026-08": {"warn": 4}, "2026-09": {"warn": 8, "neutral": 2}, "2026-10": {"warn": 5, "recommend": 1}}, "quotes": [{"id": 805039585, "item_id": 50314974, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50314974", "by": "throwaway89201", "date": "2026-10-31", "stance": "warn", "quote": "its reputation to randomly delay updates", "excerpt": "Someone in that thread notes that when you install the Signal APK from here [1] it \"doesn\u2019t get updates tho\", but this isn't the case. Signal will update itself; you get a notification to update. Often earlier than the Play Store, probably due to its reputation to randomly delay updates. [1] https://signal.org/android/apk/", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Molly (Signal fork) has not been updated since 3 months and is vulnerable"}, {"id": 803350960, "item_id": 50209435, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50209435", "by": "paimapi", "date": "2026-10-23", "stance": "warn", "quote": "the abattoir that is Google Play", "excerpt": "I'm somebody who likes lifting weights. I often lift weights heavy enough that, if done improperly, could harm me greatly and grossly. There are people at my gym who often have very bad form who I worry about. I will occasionally chat them up so they're not, for example, shoulder pressing with their arms outside of the scapular plane [0] or benching without any arch in their back [1]. Sometimes they appreciate it and", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Your Phone Is About to Stop Being Yours: 70 Days Until Lockdown"}, {"id": 802795361, "item_id": 50174710, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50174710", "by": "ForHackernews", "date": "2026-10-21", "stance": "warn", "quote": "GrapheneOS doesn't recommend installing Google Play", "excerpt": "> GrapheneOS doesn't recommend installing Google Play https://grapheneos.org/usage#sandboxed-google-play \u00af\\_(\u30c4)_/\u00af", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "MicroG: Free-libre re-implementation of Google's proprietary Android user space"}, {"id": 800218912, "item_id": 50013682, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50013682", "by": "orionblastar", "date": "2026-10-08", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "But you can install the Google Play Store on a Fire Tablet. This is the hack", "excerpt": "But you can install the Google Play Store on a Fire Tablet. This is the hack: https://www.androidpolice.com/install-play-store-amazon-fire-tablet/", "context": "", "use_case": "Android apps on Fire tablet", "switched_from": "", "story": "Amazon phasing out Fire Tablets"}, {"id": 799513313, "item_id": 49969582, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49969582", "by": "xethos", "date": "2026-10-05", "stance": "warn", "quote": "", "excerpt": "This is just the Breaking Bad \"He can't keep getting away with it\" meme, for tech giants. Google has been ruling Android with an iron fist for over a decade, and they continue to do so. This came up in a different comment chain of mine [0] recently as well, and is probably more worth reading than a lot of the other comments here that are just now realizing how restrictive Google is with Android [0] https://tildes.net", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pixel 11 doesn't yet meet the GrapheneOS security standards and may be skipped"}, {"id": 798701184, "item_id": 49918824, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49918824", "by": "woadwarrior01", "date": "2026-10-01", "stance": "warn", "quote": "they closed my Play Store account for a year of inactivity", "excerpt": "Same! I ported my free iOS utility app[1] to Android because a lot of people were asking for it. Just before I could publish it, they closed my Play Store account for a year of inactivity. Now, I haven't been able to re-create the Play Store account. Every time I try, money gets debited from my card, but the process ultimately fails. TBF, the money gets refunded after a month or so. I'm happy supporting iOS, macOS an", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Fuck Android Developer Verification Program"}, {"id": 797752992, "item_id": 49859562, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49859562", "by": "999900000999", "date": "2026-09-26", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Google is doing everything they can to slowly remove those work arounds.", "excerpt": "Google is doing everything they can to slowly remove those work arounds. https://keepandroidopen.org/ I listed my reasons for IOS. It\u2019s ultimately just a much better user experience. You just have to give up on writing your own code to run on it.", "context": "", "use_case": "Android app distribution", "switched_from": "", "story": "Breaking Up with Google Play: Why Conversations Is Now Free"}, {"id": 797732960, "item_id": 49858310, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49858310", "by": "pjmlp", "date": "2026-09-26", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Google Play is only the main store if you configure it as such.", "excerpt": "Nothing prevents you from using Samsung, Xiaomi or Huawei stores and cloud services, Google Play is only the main store if you configure it as such. Google SDK naturally doesn't have the support for OEMs specific features. Leaving just one Samsung example here, too lazy to dump everything else, https://developer.samsung.com/mobile/galaxy-sdk-getting-started.html I am yet to see anyone disable OneUI, MIUI, HyperOS, EM", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Breaking Up with Google Play: Why Conversations Is Now Free"}, {"id": 797320308, "item_id": 49832519, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49832519", "by": "silverbluep", "date": "2026-09-24", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I need play store for them", "excerpt": "I use droid-ify as frontend; and it's been fine to use f-droid repos for most of my needs. I try to install my apps from there in general. Biggest issue for me is android auto capability usually requires the app to be installed from play store (CoMaps) and my music player app (GoneMAD) has a companion unlocker that is from paid app store. I need banking and bunch of vendor related apps. I need play store for them; so", "context": "", "use_case": "banking and vendor apps", "switched_from": "", "story": "F-Droid 2.0"}, {"id": 795630208, "item_id": 49726888, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49726888", "by": "wiradikusuma", "date": "2026-09-16", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Yea I noticed that as well", "excerpt": "Yea I noticed that as well. Even longer than Apple's. FYI Samsung's is even worse.. 6-8 weeks. Hope you get it right the first time you submit your app. I submitted Signage Sync (https://signagesync.app) last year, still on my third review. Fingers crossed:)", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Google Play app review process now regularly takes longer than a week"}, {"id": 795624481, "item_id": 49726530, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49726530", "by": "microtonal", "date": "2026-09-16", "stance": "warn", "quote": "the Apple/Google app stores are also full of scams", "excerpt": "For the former there is: https://github.com/privacyguides/verified-apps-android Key compromise sucks and is hard to protect against. That said the Apple/Google app stores are also full of scams where people lose a lot of real money: https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/27/apple-app-store-fake-bitcoin-wallet-lawsuit/", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Google Play app review process now regularly takes longer than a week"}, {"id": 793861459, "item_id": 49616341, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49616341", "by": "ysnp", "date": "2026-09-08", "stance": "warn", "quote": "GrapheneOS don't even recommend getting apps from Play anyway", "excerpt": ">The first ticket you link is not by someone who seems to work on GrapheneOS https://github.com/flawedworld for example as part of GrapheneOS organisation and has interviewed for GrapheneOS in the past (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkQ_OCzuLNg). >preventing basically nation state attackers who either compromise or compel a CA I don't think the compromising, self-compromise or compelling of a Certificate Authority ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Play Store blocks AuroraStore, hurting GrapheneOS users"}, {"id": 793105554, "item_id": 49569097, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49569097", "by": "ysnp", "date": "2026-09-04", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Play Store apps are extremely likely to include Google libraries and dependencies that expose even more data to Google.", "excerpt": ">Aurora is a lot less invasive while achieving that same goal, but they recommend installing Googleware instead... GrapheneOS vehemently opposes 'for security'.. It's more accurate to say they suggest improvements not vehemently oppose. The community/project have opened issues with the Aurora Store project to get them closer to that goal of making sure the app downloads cannot be intercepted https://gitlab.com/Aurora", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Play Store blocks AuroraStore, hurting GrapheneOS users"}, {"id": 792407649, "item_id": 49525478, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49525478", "by": "CivBase", "date": "2026-09-01", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I couldn't even install Balatro from the Play Store.", "excerpt": "This is exactly why I switched to Aurora. I couldn't even install Balatro from the Play Store.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Play Store blocks AuroraStore, hurting GrapheneOS users"}, {"id": 792342433, "item_id": 49521402, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49521402", "by": "renegat0x0", "date": "2026-09-01", "stance": "warn", "quote": "On Google end I had to verify my account. Which was not easy feat.", "excerpt": "I think there are more and more apps on f-droid. On my end the experience was more pleasant on f-droid than on Google. On f-droid I had to manually push some things, in repositories. That I solved in a week or so. On Google end I had to verify my account. Which was not easy feat. - had to provide my ID several times, because it got rejected multiple times - I uploaded driving license - the verification process was st", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "AnkiDroid: Google Play no longer allowing Open Collective donation link"}, {"id": 792340577, "item_id": 49521286, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49521286", "by": "account42", "date": "2026-09-01", "stance": "warn", "quote": "instead of the play store actually gives you some assurance", "excerpt": "Also F-Droid apparently: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/net.minetest.minetest/ And installing it from there instead of the play store actually gives you some assurance that it isn't full of spyware or will be full of spyware in the next silent update.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Luanti removed from Google Play due to baseless AI copyright notice"}, {"id": 792324400, "item_id": 49520275, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49520275", "by": "amiga386", "date": "2026-09-01", "stance": "warn", "quote": "a monopolist retains absolute control of what software can run on your devices", "excerpt": "Not Google's first rodeo. They pulled the same move in 2019: https://www.phoronix.com/news/WireGuard-Ejected-Play-Store This is why software should not be subjected to an \"app store\" type distribution system, where a monopolist retains absolute control of what software can run on your devices, and can capriciously deny distribution to developers for whatever reason it likes.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "AnkiDroid: Google Play no longer allowing Open Collective donation link"}, {"id": 791809730, "item_id": 49488108, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49488108", "by": "kdhskdh", "date": "2026-08-29", "stance": "warn", "quote": "The only sustainable solution to these kinds of problems is to diversify away from Google Play Store.", "excerpt": "Luanti is available on Obtainium: https://apps.obtainium.imranr.dev/apps?categoryMode=inclusive&sort=popular&q=luanti The only sustainable solution to these kinds of problems is to diversify away from Google Play Store.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Luanti removed from Google Play due to baseless AI copyright notice"}, {"id": 787441635, "item_id": 49215102, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49215102", "by": "terhechte", "date": "2026-08-07", "stance": "warn", "quote": "For any horrible web administration UI:", "excerpt": "For any horrible web administration UI: - Apple Appstore Connect (gazillions of forms of metadata to release an app) - AWS - DigitalOcean - Google Play Store Whenever I dread logging in because I know the simple sounding task requires me to click through countless menus I use an agent browser. With confirmations of course. However, while the agent clicks through these (oftentimes dog slow) UIs I can do other things. ", "context": "", "use_case": "publishing apps", "switched_from": "", "story": "Kitesurf: Agent-first browser that runs in V8 isolates"}, {"id": 787163680, "item_id": 49197730, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49197730", "by": "remuskaos", "date": "2026-08-06", "stance": "warn", "quote": "The play store is pretty bad.", "excerpt": "The play store is pretty bad. About half the time I search for an app, BY NAME, without any way to confuse it with another app, the top result is a scam or copy cat, or adware. And always, without fail, they are paid-for ads instead of real search results. How can it still be somehow advantageous to trick your users into installing an app they clearly don't want. I wish there was a real alternative to the play store.", "context": "", "use_case": "app store", "switched_from": "", "story": "Meta Ran Ads That Contained AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Imagery"}, {"id": 787036448, "item_id": 49189778, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49189778", "by": "ryanjshaw", "date": "2026-08-05", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Google Play Store showed my child an ad of a bloody body on a bed for a murder mystery game.", "excerpt": "Google Play Store showed my child an ad of a bloody body on a bed for a murder mystery game. The game was rated 18+ and the account had my daughter\u2019s correct single digit age. I reported the ad and a week later it was still there. I switched to Apple.", "context": "parent of a young child", "use_case": "app store for child", "switched_from": "", "story": "Meta Ran Ads That Contained AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Imagery"}, {"id": 784484801, "item_id": 49030300, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49030300", "by": "benoau", "date": "2026-07-23", "stance": "warn", "quote": "the ~20% scheme the EU has just told Google is illegal was largely copied from Apple", "excerpt": "> A second fine of 430 million euros ($689 million Cdn) targeted Google's restrictions on its app store Google Play preventing app developers from steering users free of charge to cheaper offers on rival app stores or websites. There must be a fine for Apple due any day now, considering the ~20% scheme the EU has just told Google is illegal was largely copied from Apple, who implemented it after being fined \u20ac500m in ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "EU fines Alphabet $1B US for Google Play, search infractions"}, {"id": 783189441, "item_id": 48949340, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48949340", "by": "Itoldmyselfso", "date": "2026-07-17", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "just install the sandboxed Google Play Store and get your apps from there", "excerpt": "Time estimate depends heavily on the apps you use (data migration in them) and maybe some features that don't easily work out-of-the-box in GOS like Google's find my device, where you'd ideally migrate to use foss alternatives like FMD[1]. For the easiest setup by far just install the sandboxed Google Play Store and get your apps from there. In general the more additional security features you enable, the more issues", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "GrapheneOS recommended for domestic abuse victims"}, {"id": 782917232, "item_id": 48932327, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48932327", "by": "b112", "date": "2026-07-16", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Meta doesn't lie, abuse, and misuse the Google Play framework to collect data", "excerpt": "If you gave me this description in isolation, I would assume you were talking about Meta, who are not on your shortlist despite also having AI models. You've mistaken me for the guy you originally replied to. It happens, no worries, but I'm not that guy. I'm just replying to the list I saw you state. Between Meta and Google? Oh sure, Meta collects info for sure. But Meta doesn't lie, abuse, and misuse the Google Play", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Grok Build Is OSS"}, {"id": 781269188, "item_id": 48829324, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48829324", "by": "bentley", "date": "2026-07-08", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Both Google Play and F\u2010Droid are just enough of a hassle (and I mildly dislike both of them)", "excerpt": "To be honest, I use Organic Maps over CoMaps simply because Organic Maps is available in Accrescent (which is in turn provided by the GrapheneOS App Store), and CoMaps is not. Both Google Play and F\u2010Droid are just enough of a hassle (and I mildly dislike both of them) to keep me on the map app that doesn\u2019t require either one.", "context": "GrapheneOS user", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "CoMaps \u2013 FOSS Offline Maps"}, {"id": 780152177, "item_id": 48759511, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48759511", "by": "Zak", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "warn", "quote": "The Play Store still has a problem with shady apps years later.", "excerpt": "The only time I've actually seen Android malware in the wild, it was because my mother installed a homescreen flashlight toggle widget from the Play Store that also displayed ads on the lockscreen. That was forbidden under Play Store rules, but there it was. I replaced it with something from F-Droid. The Play Store still has a problem with shady apps years later. If Google wants to be more like Apple, they should sta", "context": "", "use_case": "Android app store", "switched_from": "", "story": "A new Android malware from Google"}, {"id": 777265793, "item_id": 48579112, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48579112", "by": "anonymousiam", "date": "2026-06-17", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Google has a pretty good legal team.", "excerpt": "Google has a pretty good legal team. Their developer ToS that absolves them of any sort of liability for anything. So this means VW is just being lazy and not seeking legal protection. https://play.google/developer-distribution-agreement.html", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Volkswagen started blocking GrapheneOS users"}, {"id": 775217715, "item_id": 48451107, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48451107", "by": "scumola", "date": "2026-06-08", "stance": "warn", "quote": "They're so annoying to deal with!", "excerpt": "Some free side-loadable android apps: http://badcheese.com/android * Auto-Birthday - if you have a contact in your android contacts that has both a mobile number and a birthday in their contact info, you can choose to send them an automatic \"Happy Birthday\" message on their birthday at a specific time. Can do it with hundreds of contacts. Doesn't use hardly any battery or resources. * Wrecker - stupid simple \"throw a", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What are tools you have made for yourself since the advent of AI"}, {"id": 772914081, "item_id": 48307130, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48307130", "by": "MiddleEndian", "date": "2026-05-28", "stance": "warn", "quote": "If the Play Store were useful, they'd have banned Lyft until they fixed it.", "excerpt": "I use Android. Lyft put marketing notifications in the default notification channel on my device. If the Play Store were useful, they'd have banned Lyft until they fixed it. (haven't gotten one in a bit so maybe they did (or maybe I set something so that the app could only message me while it's active))", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "What Apple and Google are doing to your push notifications"}, {"id": 771433601, "item_id": 48214600, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48214600", "by": "js2", "date": "2026-05-20", "stance": "warn", "quote": "The Google Play Store support folks are almost, but not quite, as bad.", "excerpt": "My company recently transferred a few apps into our Apple Development Program account. When you transfer an app, the app ID prefix is updated to the destination account's team ID. For historical reasons, most of the apps in our account do NOT use the team ID as their prefix, but rather an alternate non-team app ID prefix. For various technical reasons, we needed the transferred apps to have this alternate prefix that", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Why is Inkwell stuck in review"}, {"id": 769960208, "item_id": 48122513, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48122513", "by": "sevenzero", "date": "2026-05-13", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I am soon forced to do so via the Playstore due to Google disabling sideloading on Android.", "excerpt": "Because if I want to provide an app to like 5 people I know personally, I am soon forced to do so via the Playstore due to Google disabling sideloading on Android. So now I am forced to inform myself about all the bullshit documents I never cared for beforehand. Yes I know what I am allowed to do with my users data, no I don't send it to some data brokers, yes I already comply to privacy laws and whatnot. Just requir", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "I Moved My Digital Stack to Europe"}, {"id": 769431346, "item_id": 48089459, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48089459", "by": "kajman", "date": "2026-05-10", "stance": "compare", "quote": "They also recommend using the Google Play store over F-droid IIRC.", "excerpt": "The graphene project seems to choose security over freedom in a few cases. They also recommend using the Google Play store over F-droid IIRC. Not my preference, but they seem so far ahead of other ROMs right now that I use it still. I do believe people have built and installed it on other devices without too much trouble, but I don't think that'll ever be supported.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Hardware Attestation as Monopoly Enabler"}, {"id": 767016352, "item_id": 47938522, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47938522", "by": "notrealyme123", "date": "2026-04-28", "stance": "warn", "quote": "The current malware situation at android store situation does not help to carry that point", "excerpt": "With that reasoning every action would be justified to stop scammers. Google should capture all your calls and check if there could be scamming going on, right? The current malware situation at android store situation does not help to carry that point: > https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2025/03/18/60-million-malicious-google-play-downloads-as-331-apps-bypass-security/ > https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/26/", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Phone is about to stop being yours"}, {"id": 766987457, "item_id": 47936716, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47936716", "by": "nine_k", "date": "2026-04-28", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Play Store being a cesspit is indeed a problem!", "excerpt": "Play Store being a cesspit is indeed a problem! But it still is making a constant effort to drive away scammers, so scams don't last too long there. Scammers show sleek-looking web pages offering to install an \"official app\" from their own apk. Or they have an app that clandestinely sideloads another app. This is being curbed. But it's limited to a one-time action, not encumbered by additional papers or payment. I do", "context": "", "use_case": "Android app store", "switched_from": "", "story": "Phone is about to stop being yours"}, {"id": 766679793, "item_id": 47917487, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47917487", "by": "ventana", "date": "2026-04-26", "stance": "compare", "quote": "Google had no problems with publishing the Android app normally though", "excerpt": "Not trying to defend App Store policies, but writing this just for those who are struggling with Guideline 4.2 trying to publish an app that is only intended for a small group of users. There is a less well-known option called \"unlisted app distribution\", similar to unlisted YouTube videos: the app is public and can be downloaded using the direct link, but it cannot be found in App Store search. The \"small, or niche,", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "I Bought Friendster for $30k \u2013 Here's What I'm Doing with It"}, {"id": 766381507, "item_id": 47898844, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47898844", "by": "d3Xt3r", "date": "2026-04-24", "stance": "warn", "quote": "the Play Store is full of rubbish and adware-riddled apps", "excerpt": "Portability and not having to install the app is a huge advantage. Especially on operating systems where there aren't any decent choices. Take Android for example, the Play Store is full of rubbish and adware-riddled apps, finding a decent app in there is like looking for a needle in a haystack. And whilst FDroid exists, most of the apps there are pretty basic in general, especially wrt this example (video editing). ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Why I'm Done Making Desktop Applications"}, {"id": 764463617, "item_id": 47778976, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47778976", "by": "srslyTrying2hlp", "date": "2026-04-15", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Playstore games, you get an update and now your progress is frozen unless you pay.", "excerpt": "F-Droid is amazing. I basically wont install anything from the playstore unless its my bank or something. Video games on F-Droid are how Android games should be. They have the spirt: No ads, no micro transactions, etc.. Kids educational games are the same. I have been using those games only for years and I've had 0 issues. Playstore games, you get an update and now your progress is frozen unless you pay. Guitar tuner", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Keep Android Open"}, {"id": 762441504, "item_id": 47652594, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47652594", "by": "haagch", "date": "2026-04-05", "stance": "warn", "quote": "presented with a gate screen that asks you to consent to google's privacy policy", "excerpt": "It really doesn't matter. When you power on an android smartphone with google play installed for the first time you are presented with a gate screen that asks you to consent to google's privacy policy. You can't use the phone without accepting. (for example https://forum.fairphone.com/t/finalising-the-setup-wizard-without-consenting-to-googles-tos/81716) Using smartphones with such a setup should not become required ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "German implementation of eIDAS will require an Apple/Google account to function"}, {"id": 761338992, "item_id": 47583687, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47583687", "by": "realusername", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Meanwhile, on the Play Store...", "excerpt": "Meanwhile, on the Play Store... https://ibb.co/DJKGM8d", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Android Developer Verification"}, {"id": 760912529, "item_id": 47557033, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47557033", "by": "Groxx", "date": "2026-03-28", "stance": "warn", "quote": "Play won't install it in my phone", "excerpt": "The permissions snippet they show also doesn't include location, and you can't request location at runtime at all without declaring it there. I'd verify all this stuff for myself, but Play won't install it in my phone so I can't really get the APK. Maybe because I use Graphene...? but I don't know all the ways they can restrict it, maybe it's something else (though for a pixel 9a it's rather strange if it's hardware ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "I decompiled the White House's new app"}]}