Android becoming iOS?!

The only thing I can contribute to this, is that I read that Pixel has a feature that allows you to lock your device only to the Google play store. As I understood it, however, it was an optional feature.
https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/7391672?hl=en

Its called auto blocker and it blocks sideloading, i turned it off

It does a few other things too

There's already a setting that's disabled by default to prevent you from installing sideloaded apps. I understand why they're doing this to a point, and I agree it's beneficial for the average user that doesn't know any better, but this behavior is extremely frustrating for power users like me. There's a reason I stopped using iOS. Hopefully there will be workarounds for this, just like we can still bypass GateKeeper on Mac with a little extra work.
Maybe this isn't such a big deal though. From what I read, all developers need to do is verify their APK files using some kind of console application, and from what I can tell, that's a free process unlike signing Mac apps or submitting them to any of Apple's App Stores.

For the most part, I don't mind this, as Google still seems to be quite flexible as to what they allow apps to do, so you can still do a decent amount more system modification on Android. I can see why they are doing it. Still quite happy having traded in my Apple ecosystem for a similar one from Samsung and Alexa for the home automation side of things.

Here's something I found on YouTube. This seems like a lot of speculation thus far, so we'll see what the future holds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxGjwtiI8uM

I agree it's concerning if Google has the ability to block any app just because they don't like it. It's similar to the current situation where third-party app stores on iOS are supposedly open in the EU, yet Apple has the ability to arbitrarily remove any app they don't like. I wish Orca had touch support so these Linux phones would be a viable option for us. If I had my way, Linux would rule the world, but oh well.

Quoted below is a clarification comment that I made to a thread regarding this subject on the /r/apple subreddit explaining the general implications to our freedoms if this moves forward.

It's pretty simple really, Google wants to force all software loaded to Android devices to be digitally signed by a developer that they have already approved, with no option to load anything that isn't ultimately trusted by Google. It still doesn't have to be published to Google Play, but the simple fact that the chain of trust originates from Google themselves means that they are closing the platform in a way that grants them the ability to revoke any developer certificate found doing things that Google doesn't like, such as providing ad-blocking applications for Youtube and other Google services, so a platform that used to be open will now become closed with Google acting as the gatekeeper.

Since Apple has been doing exactly the same on iOS for many years, and since iOS and Android completely dominate the mobile software platform market, this means consumers will no longer have a viable alternative platform where they can run whatever software they wish without the blessing of Google or Apple, unless governments step in to regulate the industry, which is likely the worst case scenario for Apple's position in particular given how much they've been trying to protect their App Store exclusivity on iOS.

This isn't even a new or unpredictable development, as the original idea of using the public key infrastructure to gate keep software installation on user devices can be traced all the way back to a Microsoft project called Palladium in 2002. Given the current political environment in the US, where both Google and Apple are based, Google's intentions to establish this kind of control is especially concerning, as it gives the US government leverage over an almost absolute platform duopoly that the rest of the world unfortunately depends on without any viable alternatives that could be feasibly considered, unlike Windows in 2002 that could be feasibly replace with Linux with state-backed funding to produce or improve already existing open alternatives.

I posted the above comment in reply to someone else asking for clarification of another comment where I explained why this actually weakened Apple's position outside the US, as well as pointing out that this is precisely the reason why I and many other people have been demanding for and defending regulations like the DMA here in the EU as opposed to just moving to Android, as suggested regularly by many Apple cult followers on that subreddit.

Finally, and if someone thinks that the concerns that I express about the US government's leverage on domestic companies are far fetched and unrealistic, I'd like to point out that's already happening with the US government illegally acquiring a 10% stake on Intel (illegally because those 10% are funded from the Chips Act but justice is no longer a fundamental right that Americans can take for granted).

If it's true this is only managed by Google Play Services, then there's the possibility we could get around it by using Android versions that don't have it installed and/or are using something like MicroG. However, I wouldn't put it past Google to put restrictions in place to block this. The sad reality is many apps rely on Google Play Services to function at all.
I was wrong. There's a big difference between improving security which I generally support and maliciously restricting what people can run. Apple has GateKeeper on Mac and while it can still be bypassed, it wouldn't surprise me if they close that loophole at some point. If they do, I'm not buying anymore Apple hardware at all. It's a shame the vast majority of the population doesn't care about digital freedom.

So, we have this article from Android Authority, which goes into more detail on the topic at hand:

https://www.androidauthority.com/android-developer-verification-requirements-3590911/

, and then there's thy announcement from Google themselves:

https://developer.android.com/developer-verification

My question for now at least, is will Google block the Commentary/Jieshuo screen reader since it's far superior over Talkback in many respects? Along with the need of having to use PayPal to buy the premium version vs directly going through Google Play?

Surprised that they let Prudence screen reader back onto the Play Store.

It's thanks to the guys over at F-Droid for helping me find the links I shared above:

https://forum.f-droid.org/t/google-will-require-developer-verification-to-install-android-apps-including-sideloading/33123/8

My question for now at least, is will Google block the Commentary/Jieshuo screen reader since it's far superior over Talkback in many respects? Along with the need of having to use PayPal to buy the premium version vs directly going through Google Play?

Nobody here can really tell. At the moment I don't think that's a likely scenario, but once the restrictions are in place, there are no guarantees of anything in the future, as they can either just stop there or it might end up becoming a slippery slope where people's freedoms are slowly eroded over time. Furthermore and given the political environment in the US right now combined with the aforementioned illegal acquisition of a 10% stake on Intel, effective Republican control of the Congress, SCoTUS, a sitting PoTUS, the promise to acquire stake on other publicly traded private companies, and threats to the digital sovereignty of the EU, I'd say brace for the worst. The rumored Project 2025 is behind schedule but seems to be making progress.

What's going on in the US right now, and the effects that it can have on the rest of the world, is much bigger than this community, so Android screen-readers and payment gateways are tiny concerns in comparison.

This is all about corporations wanting control to make more money. Apple does it, Google is going to do it, X11 is being phased out on Linux because corporations want to force everyone to use Wayland which reduces user choice, etc, etc, etc. Custom Android versions may be able to let us get around this problem, but I doubt it. Google made it harder to create ROMS for Pixel devices, and I wouldn't put it past them to make it impossible to unlock the bootloader on future models.

Samsung has recently locked the boot loader in the few places it was unlockable in one UI 8

Am I understanding this correctly, that this will eventually be making its way overseas as well?

Unless you live in China or live in a country where Google Play services are not needed for whatever reason...
Then yes, I could see it happening.

Thanks to

https://grapheneos.org/build

, I did find out that Talkback is built-in to the OS. So for those who have Pixels and wish to go down that route, its a possibility.

I'd like to learn more about GrapheneOS. How did you learn about it supporting TalkBack? Can you use the same accessibility shortcut after installing the OS to enable TalkBack? How does the Google Play implementation work? I'll consider this when official support runs out for my Pixel 7 in 2027.
Actually, it looks like that's not an option. They stop supporting devices when Google does. That's not good.

from what they said they have talkback but no TTS engine, this was back in may mabey June of this year so idk if anything changed

Since Google is pulling this shady move and I'd rather not go back to the iPhone unless absolutely necessary, I'm curious if anyone has experience with the Fairphone devices? Are they available to purchase in the United States, and how well do they work in general? I don't plan on getting a new phone for at least a couple years, but I'm still curious.