F-Droid: "Keep Android Open"

F-Droid just went full megaphone, adding in-app banners to warn that Google’s much-criticized plan to lock down Android installs is still coming—and the crowd lost it. The devs say Google’s “advanced flow” promise hasn’t actually shipped anywhere, so they’re rallying users to speak up now. Other indie app stores like IzzyOnDroid and Obtainium are flashing warnings too, turning your app updates into a save-Android PSA.

Cue the comment fireworks. One Pixel owner groaned that Android keeps getting buggier, dropping the spicy line: “Are Google so high on their own supply…? Because frankly it’s not very good.” Another skeptic went nuclear with “Android was never open,” urging everyone to ditch the whole fight and push real Linux phones instead. Meanwhile, cooler heads tried to ground the drama, quoting Google’s blog about making room for students and power users, while a practical EU commenter bragged they got an actual human reply from the regulators and told everyone to write Brussels next.

There’s even banner PTSD jokes—people hate pop‑ups, but they hate losing control of their phones more. Between fears of a walled garden, concerns about security, and a dash of “just make phones that work,” the vibe is pure open‑phone panic. F-Droid also shipped a new Basic alpha and a pile of app updates, but let’s be real—the headline today is the banner war over your phone’s future.