[fyrn_]

Forcing ADB may as well be a ban, if you don't see that, you're pretty out of touch with consumers. Sideloading is already hard enough for many, forcing the use of an extra computer, a dev tool in the CLI, and dev mode is way way outside what people will do

[gdulli]

Also if the majority of sideloaders go away because it's become more difficult, what will happen to the development scene? Will it stall out from lack of developer interest because there's such a small audience compared to before? (Despite it still being possible.)

[cyanydeez]

I see googles actions as lashing out at everyone because theyre being attacked for their monopoly activities.

They want to punish customers for electing regulators who care about consumer protections.

This is large scale abusive boyfriend behavior, doubling down.

Anyone who defends google/Android has been heeled in fear.

[gdulli]

There's no spite or emotion, it's a company. They want to kill NewPipe etc. to force everything through apps they control and can monetize. It's just about money.

[anticensor]

A company is a group of individuals acting together for a goal that could not individually be achieved, the legal personality of the company exists to reduce (not eliminate) the liability and coherently steer the members of it. Those shareholders/business partners individually wouldn't be able to earn this much money nor have this much work done by employees of each.

[cyanydeez]

Yes, there is. The people who got rich absolutely think they deserve it all.

[kgwxd]

The number of people that don't even own a general purpose computer is huge. And for those that do, ADB is a ridiculous thing to get setup for a particular device. I get paid to work on android software, and I don't even want to put up with the hassle.

[xp84]

Yes. And a bigger question is, why should I have to? This is a perfectly functional computer, it is more than capable of downloading a file and running it.

It's really sad that Apple and Google (and to some extent MS though they're just behind in this race to the anti-consumer bottom) happened upon this "solution to malware" (note: not a real solution) of "OS vendor vets and controls all software." It's a lazy way, it's an ineffective way, and it has made computers - incredibly flexible, programmable devices - more like cable boxes or telephones from past decades, that you had to rent from a monopolist and had no control over.

[dvngnt_]

you don't need a computer to run adb. there's install with options

[ashirviskas]

For now

[wkat4242]

You could make a glossy PC client around it. On the meta quest there's an app called SideQuest that does just that because meta doesn't permit apps to install other apps. It's still a fairly big thing there.

[unscaled]

I'm happy about the adb loophole, but I'm worried this would be just the start of the slippery slope, and Google would find a way to lock down adb next, citing the risk of malware sideloaded by fancy tools wrapping adb, once they start popping up.

[wkat4242]

True though I don't believe Google's goal is truly security here. I think it's more an excuse and the real reason is tightening control.