Android Developer Verification: Difference between revisions
Another reason this is diabolical and why Google won't change their minds. |
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==Background== | ==Background== | ||
Android has historically allowed users to freely install applications from any source (sometimes called [[sideloading]]). This openness differentiated Android from competitors like iOS. It enabled alternative app | Android has historically allowed users to freely install applications from any source through APK files (sometimes called [[sideloading]]). This openness differentiated Android from competitors like iOS. It enabled alternative app repositories, including open-source repositories like [[F-Droid]], & direct developer-to-user distribution, offline installation with no Internet connection and Google account required, installation of applications not available in the Play Store (such as ''Flappy Bird'', after it was taken down by its developer), and installation of earlier versions (such as non-adware versions of ''ES File Explorer''). | ||
The only technical requirements were that applications follow Android's technical guidelines for functionality & be signed with any certificate to maintain a chain of trust during updates. | |||
This openness has been a defining characteristic of Android since its inception, supporting many different use cases from enterprise deployments to privacy-focused distributions. Google has defended this approach in antitrust proceedings, with Google's lawyers arguing in the [[Epic Games]] case that "Android and Google Play provide more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-11 |title=Fortnite maker Epic Games wins its antitrust fight against Google |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/11/epic-games-google-antitrust-win/ |access-date=2025-08-29 |website=TechCrunch}}</ref> & that the company's app store practices were "part of its fierce competition with Apple".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-12 |title=Epic Games wins antitrust lawsuit against Google |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/12/11/epic-google-trial-verdict/ |access-date=2025-08-29 |website=The Washington Post}}</ref> | This openness has been a defining characteristic of Android since its inception, supporting many different use cases from enterprise deployments to privacy-focused distributions. Google has defended this approach in antitrust proceedings, with Google's lawyers arguing in the [[Epic Games]] case that "Android and Google Play provide more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-11 |title=Fortnite maker Epic Games wins its antitrust fight against Google |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/11/epic-games-google-antitrust-win/ |access-date=2025-08-29 |website=TechCrunch}}</ref> & that the company's app store practices were "part of its fierce competition with Apple".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-12 |title=Epic Games wins antitrust lawsuit against Google |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/12/11/epic-google-trial-verdict/ |access-date=2025-08-29 |website=The Washington Post}}</ref> | ||