[anoncake]

Android is better, but far from acceptable. Alternative app stores cannot install and update apps in the background. Without root that is – which Google also fights against.

[imtringued]

How is that far from acceptable? It's perfectly fine. This battle is not about who has the nicest store. It's about who has the right to a store at all.

[anoncake]

If prompting the user for every package update and installation is perfectly fine, why doesn't the play store do it?

[nodamage]

To be honest, it seems like a really bad idea to give third-party app installers root access to your phone though...

[danielscrubs]

You do it with Epic Game Store or Steam on Windows... why would it be any different here?

[nodamage]

As far as I am aware Steam does not need administrator privileges to install third-party games. I am not sure about Epic Game Store.

[jonny_eh]

Shouldn’t that be possible on Android too then?

[anoncake]

If Google would permit it, it would.

[anoncake]

It's a bad idea to run software you don't trust, with or without root.