What is the future of F-Droid and apps it distributes now that Google is hell bent on stopping sideloading and forcing developers to register at google? A large portion of what F-droid distributes are apps that are not at Google’s good graces.
https://hackaday.com/2025/08/26/google-will-require-developer-verification-even-for-sideloading/
If you disable advanced protection, you can bypass their check
This is true today, but when the new iron curtain goes up and all of our devices are goog-lag’d next year, it won’t be possible, especially with all of the handset makers that distribute in the US being complicit.
Samsung just removed my ability to unlock the bootloader or load any alternate OSes for my handset devices, this summer.
Soon my only options will be to import phones that are only partially compatible with the networks here in the US and that come with their own security and privacy concerns.
Does that require rooting and does it work with every android device?
Nope, it’s just an option in the main settings.
Settings -> Security & Privacy -> Advanced Protection
And if that UI optiondisappeared with your next carrier update? What recourse would you have?