Have never looked back since i switched to gos… just buy a refurbed pixel to avoid giving big G ya monry.
Remember, though, in less than 200 days google kills all “sideloading.” It seriously fucks with gos, and they have hinted they will eventually disable flashing custom roms
TL;DR The above commenter is spreading FUD. GOS will work fine and allow sideloading.
Stop spreading FUD. Google kills sideloading on Google certified ROMs. Being Google certified doesn’t mean you have more features than ROMs which aren’t certified. Only Google certified ROMs lose the ability to sideload and have to adhere to all Google Play policies. Meaning GOS loses its certified status but doesn’t lose the ability to sideload. The only way in which GOS might be coerced to disable sideloading is if Google pushes these changes upstream to the AOSP and even then forking is always an option. Also when has Google ever hinted at disabling flashing custom ROMs? It might be right down their alley but I wouldn’t make such claims without citing sources.
Just as a side note: Android ≠ AOSP. This is relevant as many people misunderstand the news they read. When Google changes Android (Google’s proprietary AOSP “distro”) it doesn’t necessarily mean that changes are coming to the AOSP or GOS which is also an AOSP “distro”.
Im not trying to “spread fud.” The state of 3rd party software on android is where it is. Google is introducing a high friction system for unverified apps that includes fees paid directly to google, and is not releasing to aosp in advance at all… this potentially means things like f droid and aurora cant operate. It doesnt mean that gos wont “allow” sideloading, but that you wont have alternatives to load. It also means you will have to increasingly be limited to sandboxed google play, with more barriers to overcome to make those apps work on non-android. https://www.androidauthority.com/android-changes-third-party-app-stores-3613409/
Wish i could find where i read that google was planning to eliminate bootloader access… they walked it back in the end after expected uproar. Ultimately, the pressure from ‘verified by google’ and the changes to AOSP are enough pressure to push out ROMS as it is…
I don’t doubt that in the future Google will kill off the AOSP and disable installing custom ROMs like Apple does. But it just isn’t accurate to say that in 200 days sideloading on GOS won’t work or that Google disabling sideloading on their ROM even affects GOS in any way.
Fairphone 6. Google can suck it. As long as people support the company, competition is coming. Hopefully, they have the resources to keep on going after Google shits on everyone.
I don’t have any issues. I also deleted MicroG so have 0% google nonsense. If I need to make a transaction, I have a Linux laptop for that. One could get a FF6 and still make transaction with MicroG.
Did the same. I don’t want a Pixel (especially with the 10s being so AI focused) and I’m not convinced Google wouldn’t have a backdoor in their phones anyway. So the choice was wait and see what Graphene’s new phone is gonna be or grab a Fairphone now.
When I started my degoogle process some time back & researching options I literally laughed at loud at myself. Am I seriously going to hand over yet more money to the very beast I am trying to get away from? Talk about instant compromise of values
Years later, extremely proud of that decision. Just a non starter. Buying second hand also creates a market value for selling more google crap
Have never looked back since i switched to gos… just buy a refurbed pixel to avoid giving big G ya monry.
Remember, though, in less than 200 days google kills all “sideloading.” It seriously fucks with gos, and they have hinted they will eventually disable flashing custom roms
TL;DR The above commenter is spreading FUD. GOS will work fine and allow sideloading.
Stop spreading FUD. Google kills sideloading on Google certified ROMs. Being Google certified doesn’t mean you have more features than ROMs which aren’t certified. Only Google certified ROMs lose the ability to sideload and have to adhere to all Google Play policies. Meaning GOS loses its certified status but doesn’t lose the ability to sideload. The only way in which GOS might be coerced to disable sideloading is if Google pushes these changes upstream to the AOSP and even then forking is always an option. Also when has Google ever hinted at disabling flashing custom ROMs? It might be right down their alley but I wouldn’t make such claims without citing sources.
Just as a side note: Android ≠ AOSP. This is relevant as many people misunderstand the news they read. When Google changes Android (Google’s proprietary AOSP “distro”) it doesn’t necessarily mean that changes are coming to the AOSP or GOS which is also an AOSP “distro”.
Reading through this forum thread is recommended.
Im not trying to “spread fud.” The state of 3rd party software on android is where it is. Google is introducing a high friction system for unverified apps that includes fees paid directly to google, and is not releasing to aosp in advance at all… this potentially means things like f droid and aurora cant operate. It doesnt mean that gos wont “allow” sideloading, but that you wont have alternatives to load. It also means you will have to increasingly be limited to sandboxed google play, with more barriers to overcome to make those apps work on non-android. https://www.androidauthority.com/android-changes-third-party-app-stores-3613409/
Wish i could find where i read that google was planning to eliminate bootloader access… they walked it back in the end after expected uproar. Ultimately, the pressure from ‘verified by google’ and the changes to AOSP are enough pressure to push out ROMS as it is…
https://www.androidauthority.com/android-rom-calyxos-support-freeze-google-blame-3590268/
Anyway, listen. I LOVE graphene. Everyone should use it, BECAUSE google is demonstrably a band of fuckwits. Im not trying to dissuade but inform. I am excited for an announcement about who theyre working with when they say their future is a phone made in connjunction with a “major OEM” maker. https://www.androidheadlines.com/2025/10/grapheneos-may-break-pixel-exclusivity-with-a-new-phone-in-2026.html
I don’t doubt that in the future Google will kill off the AOSP and disable installing custom ROMs like Apple does. But it just isn’t accurate to say that in 200 days sideloading on GOS won’t work or that Google disabling sideloading on their ROM even affects GOS in any way.
Fairphone 6. Google can suck it. As long as people support the company, competition is coming. Hopefully, they have the resources to keep on going after Google shits on everyone.
Gah. I was really torn between replacing my broken Pixel with another Pixel+GOS or buying a Fairphone 6…
I ended up going with the Fairphone 6 cuz I want to support other players. I’m not completely off Google, but I keep moving away where I can.
I wish Fairphone and Graphene were friends… :/
If fairphone had the hardware support and kept up with modern android versions, GOS would have no beef.
I don’t have any issues. I also deleted MicroG so have 0% google nonsense. If I need to make a transaction, I have a Linux laptop for that. One could get a FF6 and still make transaction with MicroG.
Did the same. I don’t want a Pixel (especially with the 10s being so AI focused) and I’m not convinced Google wouldn’t have a backdoor in their phones anyway. So the choice was wait and see what Graphene’s new phone is gonna be or grab a Fairphone now.
I wish Graphene was friends with anyone else but stupid Google.
When I started my degoogle process some time back & researching options I literally laughed at loud at myself. Am I seriously going to hand over yet more money to the very beast I am trying to get away from? Talk about instant compromise of values
Years later, extremely proud of that decision. Just a non starter. Buying second hand also creates a market value for selling more google crap
what phone did you buy then and how did you get rid of and or block google play services?
Graphene coming with OEM phones other than pixel so it will solve those issues