Do you use Fdroid or simply get apks online, like we all used to before these walled gardens?
Comment on Android won't kill sideloading after all, but new verification rules will make it harder
termaxima@slrpnk.net 21 hours ago
“side” loading is just normal loading for me. I have one single app from the google app store. (It’s cookie clicker 😂)
Gsus4@mander.xyz 20 hours ago
termaxima@slrpnk.net 15 hours ago
Neither ! I use Obtainium, which allows you to get apps directly from the source, with the convenience of a normal app store for updating !
I usually look for apps on droid-ify, which is an alternative front end to f-droid, then whenever possible I copy the link of the source repo and install via Obtainium ; when I can’t I install the f-droid version via Obtainium as well (as a result, I have 0 apps installed by droid-ify, I only use it for search)
When I need an App Store exclusive app, I install it via Aurora Store (which downloads apps via shared anonymous accounts)
The only thing this system can’t get around is paid apps from the App Store. I have exactly one : Cookie Clicker. (I like the game in general so I paid to support the dev)
Joelk111@lemmy.world 19 hours ago
I use fdroid whenever possible, but I do use Google Play for most everything else.
Buckshot@programming.dev 19 hours ago
Obtainium can solve that. It will check websites for updates and then download the new apk and install it. I use it more than fdroid now, can get apk straight from the developers github repo usually.
Joelk111@lemmy.world 12 hours ago
Interesting, I’ll have to play around with that.
TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 20 hours ago
Even calling it side loading is an attempt to delegitimise the practice. To make it sound like you’re doing something dodgy by the side.
It’s just installing an app.
Nobody calls installing an app from outside the Microsoft store on their Windows PC “side loading”.
Likewise for Macs regarding their app store, or installing an app from outside your distro’s repository on Linux.