Android
Google's open-source mobile operating system for smartphones, tablets, and other devices.
HN commenters like Android for sideloading and software freedom,1234 a keyboard and text editing they prefer over iOS,5678 and being usable without a Google account.91011 The most common worry is that Google is restricting sideloading and moving away from openness,12131415 followed by reports of declining stability and buggy updates.161718
Why people recommend it
Software freedom · 3
Users choose it because they can sideload any app and stay out of Google's ecosystem.
“I use Android because it lets me install whatever I want on my phone”
“The fact that I can sideload whatever I need and stay out of Google's ecosystem is the whole reason I use Android.”
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“This is exactly why I use Android over iOS, for software freedom.”
Keyboard · 3
Commenters find its keyboard and text editing far better than iOS's.
“Android has a far better keyboard and notification system.”
“I'm going to an OS that works.”
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“In android it is as easy as clicking on the letter “b” and backspace then correct it to “d””
Works without Google · 3
Several run it without a Google account or Google Play, including for banking apps.
“I moved to Android in 2022 from the iPhone ecosystem. I've been thru one phone replacement cycle and it was glorious.”
“I use Android without a Google account”
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“Android without Google account 2024 - now”
Fewer annoyances · 3
iOS switchers report fewer usability bugs and less nagging than on iPhone.
“there's just aren't any usability bugs that I deal with on Android anymore.”
“I switched to android because everything iOS does is to continually put focus on iOS.”
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“Android does not suck anymore.”
Caveats and dissent
Lockdown concerns · 3
Users warn that restricting sideloading or F-Droid would remove their reason to stay.
“If the make sideloading high-friction, either via account-bound or apk upload or permissions from MNO/ISP, I will leave android.”
“it may be time to abandon Android as a whole, now that it's moving away from its open source model”
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“This is exactly why I use Android over iOS, for software freedom.”
Stability · 3
Some report Android getting less stable with releases, with bugs requiring daily reboots.
“I have felt Android get less stable with pretty much every release for many years now”
“Rebooting is the only way, android is like windows currently.”
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“Looking back at android in 2026, I don't see any remaining upside.”
User control · 1
One commenter finds it hard to just do things without a real shell outside sandboxing.
“There's a powerlessness to using Android.”
Accessibility, languages · 2
Braille support is called poor, and multilingual setup is reported as broken.
“If Google can stand having poor Braille support on Android, fine, I'll use an iPhone.”
“They've broken Android too, you can't even set it up with multiple languages”
Security, networking · 2
Its sandboxes are called weaker than Qubes, and it still lacks DHCPv6 support.
“Android's sandboxes are weaker and AFAIK rely on closed, non-auditable hardware”
Desktop mode · 1
Desktop mode on an external display is described as only passable, with apps scaling poorly.
“I would describe the experience as... passable.”
Often compared with
5 moved from iOS to Android
6 moved from Android to iOS
4 moved from Android to GrapheneOS
1 moved from Android to Sailfish OSWindows Phone5 comments mention both
1 moved from Android to /e/OSiPadOS1 comment mention both
1 moved from Android to iPadOSMeeGo3 comments mention bothmacOS2 comments mention both
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- Google confirms 'high-friction' sideloading flow is coming to Android 3 mentions
- Ask HN: Is it just me, or is software buggier across the board? 2 mentions
- A new Android malware from Google 2 mentions
- If IPv4 were land 1 mention
- Google Search is now less than half of Alphabet’s revenue 1 mention
- Your Phone Is About to Stop Being Yours: 70 Days Until Lockdown 1 mention
Data: android.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 37
“And Android _still_ doesn't support DHCPv6.”
“Android, Maps and Chrome I use it almost daily for years.”
“I moved to Android in 2022 from the iPhone ecosystem. I've been thru one phone replacement cycle and it was glorious.”
“Android has a far better keyboard and notification system.”
“you may as well just fork Android and go from there. Because Android is open source and already has billions of apps.”
“Looking back at android in 2026, I don't see any remaining upside.”
“I would describe the experience as... passable.”
“I use Android without a Google account”
“They've broken Android too, you can't even set it up with multiple languages”
“I switched to android because everything iOS does is to continually put focus on iOS.”
“Android has been so thoroughly disappointing through the years.”
“Android is pretty much on par with iOS”
“I'm going to an OS that works.”
“Android (the only current realistic alternative; I don't have the time nor care to fiddle with technical details on a device that I need to be a reliable tool.”
“There's a powerlessness to using Android.”
“If Google can stand having poor Braille support on Android, fine, I'll use an iPhone.”
“I think it makes the most sense to stick with stock Android.”
“I realized how awful of an OS modern android is when I bought an iPad.”
“I use Android but I do not use Google”
“I have felt Android get less stable with pretty much every release for many years now”
“Rebooting is the only way, android is like windows currently.”
“The obvious, both contemporaneous and in hindsight, choice was to go with Android”
“I'm increasingly not a fan of Android in any form”
“This is exactly why I use Android over iOS, for software freedom.”
“I use Android because it lets me install whatever I want on my phone”
“it may be time to abandon Android as a whole, now that it's moving away from its open source model”
“The fact that I can sideload whatever I need and stay out of Google's ecosystem is the whole reason I use Android.”
“there's just aren't any usability bugs that I deal with on Android anymore.”
“Android does not suck anymore.”
“I was never an iOS user, or developer - exactly because Android was more "open"”
“If the make sideloading high-friction, either via account-bound or apk upload or permissions from MNO/ISP, I will leave android.”
“until I used an Android, and it just worked”
“Android without Google account 2024 - now”
“I stayed with Android because I think Google will win here.”
“In android it is as easy as clicking on the letter “b” and backspace then correct it to “d””
“Still miles better than Android though, in which the OS is still an active warzone”
“Android's sandboxes are weaker and AFAIK rely on closed, non-auditable hardware”