Keep Android Open

17 min read Original article ↗

In August 2025, Google announced that as of September 2026, it will no longer be possible to develop apps for the Android platform without first registering centrally with Google. This registration will involve:

  • Paying a fee to Google
  • Agreeing to Google’s Terms and Conditions
  • Providing government identification
  • Uploading evidence of the developer’s private signing key
  • Listing all current and future application identifiers

What this means for your rights

➤ You, the consumer, purchased your Android device believing in Google’s promise that it was an open computing platform and that you could run whatever software you choose on it. Instead, as of September 2026, they will be non-consensually pushing an update to your operating system that irrevocably blocks this right and leaves you at the mercy of their judgement over what software you are permitted to trust.

➤ You, the creator, can no longer develop an app and share it directly with your friends, family, and community without first seeking Google’s approval. The promise of Android — and a marketing advantage it has used to distinguish itself against the iPhone — has always been that it is “open”. But Google clearly feels that they have enough of a lock on the Android ecosystem, along with sufficient regulatory capture, that they can now jettison this principle with prejudice and impunity.

➤ You, the state, are ceding the rights of your citizens and your own digital sovereignty to a company with a track record of complying with the extrajudicial demands of authoritarian regimes to remove perfectly legal apps that they happen to dislike. The software that is critical to the running of your businesses and governments will be at the mercy of the opaque whims of a distant and unaccountable corporation.

Update: Google has revealed the “advanced flow” — it is not a solution

On March 19, 2026, Google published details of the “advanced flow” mechanism intended for “power users” to allow installation of applications from unverified developers after the lockdown takes effect. It goes like this:

  1. Enable Developer Mode by tapping the software build number in About Phone seven times
  2. In Settings > System, open Developer Options and scroll down to “Allow Unverified Packages.”
  3. Flip the toggle and answer a scare screen confirming that you are not being coerced
  4. Enter your device unlock pin/password
  5. Restart your device
  6. Wait 24 hours
  7. Return to the unverified packages menu at the end of the security delay
  8. Scroll past additional scare screen warnings and select either “Allow temporarily” (seven days) or “Allow indefinitely.”
  9. On the next scare screen, confirm that you understand the risks.
  10. You can now install unverified packages on the device by tapping the “Install anyway” option in the package manager.

This entire flow is delivered through Google Play Services, not the Android OS, meaning Google can modify, restrict, or remove it at any time without an OS update and without any user consent. The advanced flow has still not appeared in any Android beta, dev preview, or canary release. As of the date of this update, it exists only as a blog post and UI mockups. The community is being asked to accept a product announcement as a functional safeguard five months before the mandate takes effect.

Until Google provides a shipping implementation that can be independently verified, our position remains unchanged: all apps from non-registered developers will be blocked once their lockdown goes into effect in September 2026.

How you can help

Developers: Resist and refuse

If you are an app developer, do not sign up for the early access program, perform identity verification, or accept an invitation to the Android Developer Console. Respond (politely) to any invitation with a list of your concerns and objections.

—— It is only through developer acquiescence and capitulation that their takeover plan can possibly succeed. ——

Discourage fellow app developers and organizations from signing up to the program. Use community forums, social media, and blog posts to spread the message. Include the FreeDroidWarn library in your code to inform your app users. If you manage a web site, consider adding the countdown banner to the top of your page.

If you are a Google employee or contractor of good conscience and have additional insight about the program, including planned technical implementation details or additional rationales for the program, please reach out to tips@keepandroidopen.org from a non-work machine and a non-gmail account. Your information will be kept in strict confidence.

Everyone: Make your voice heard

Web Site Owners: Show your support

Add the countdown banner to your site with a single <script> tag — no dependencies, 20 built-in localizations, fully customizable.

Consumers: Contact national regulators

Regulators worldwide are genuinely concerned about monopolies and the centralization of power in the tech sector, and want to hear directly from individuals who are affected and concerned. When contacting regulators directly, you should be polite and specific about the harm you believe these policies will cause, both to consumers and to competition.

Complaints are especially impactful when they are authored by a citizen of that country or region, and when the language of the email is written in one of the official languages of the region's governing body. Request a written acknowledgement of the complaint, and consider forwarding any responses you receive to victory@keepandroidopen.org so that we might highlight and reference them.

United States
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
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Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
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Ohio
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Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
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Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
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European Union
Austria
Denmark
Czech Republic
Poland
Lithuania
Hungary

United Kingdom

Brazil

Singapore

Thailand

Indonesia

Switzerland

Australia

Aotearoa / New Zealand

Japan

South Korea

India

Canada

Taiwan

Hong Kong SAR

Turkey

Argentina

Mexico

Philippines

Poland

Czech Republic

Ukraine

Chinese Mainland
  • Contact the State Administration for Market Regulations (SAMR) by calling 010-88650000.
  • Calling your local 12315 hotline. Note this may take extra time, as monopolies are usually dealt by the State Council directly. They are required to respond by law.
  • Online at 12315.cn. Platform only accessible in the Chinese Mainland to prevent cyber attacks.

Saudi Arabia

Egypt

Hungary

Colombia

Peru

Contact These Consumer/Digital Rights Groups

References

Overview

Editorials and Blogs

Press Reactions

Video Responses

  • “I Signed a Letter to Google. Here's Why.” — Techlore — YouTube | Invidious
  • “Google: 'Your $1000 phone needs our permission to install apps now'” — Louis Rossmann — YouTube | Invidious
  • “F-Droid Will Die in 2026 Unless We Act Now” — Techlore — YouTube | Invidious
  • “Google is Removing Sideloading” — LMG Clips — YouTube | Invidious
  • “Google's changes to sideloading could end F-Droid” — Linux Weekly News — YouTube | Invidious
  • “Is F-Droid in Trouble? Google Developer Verification” — YouTube | Invidious
  • “Google is Applefying Android: The End of Openness” — ChiefGyk3D — YouTube | Invidious

Discussions

Official Documentation

Miscellaneous