this post was submitted on 14 May 2025
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[–] corroded@lemmy.world 148 points 1 day ago (1 children)

As the article mentions, this isn't a security "feature," it's anti-competetive. The worst part is that Nextcloud isn't even really in competition with Google. Setting up a Nextcloud server isn't hard, but it's not a trivial task. Sharing it outside your local network also requires a bit of skill, especially if done securely. That is to say, Nextcloud users probably tend to be more tech-savvy.

The people using Nextcloud aren't going to suddenly decide to switch over to Google Drive. I'll get it from FDroid before I downgrade to Google Drive. If that wasn't an option, I'd set up an FTP server or even WebDAV.

[–] 486@lemmy.world 59 points 1 day ago (2 children)

The worst part is that Nextcloud isn’t even really in competition with Google. Setting up a Nextcloud server isn’t hard, but it’s not a trivial task. Sharing it outside your local network also requires a bit of skill, especially if done securely. That is to say, Nextcloud users probably tend to be more tech-savvy.

That's only true for those who self-host this. There are lots of companies offering Nextcloud hosting. That's probably why Google doesn't like Nextcloud. I'm not saying Google is right. Actually what Google is doing here is quite pathetic.

[–] Sturgist@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 day ago

Actually what Google is doing here is quite pathetic.

So business as usual then?

[–] Damage@feddit.it 2 points 1 day ago

There are lots of businesses hosting their own nextcloud as well, this is a serious problem for them.

[–] AnonomousWolf@piefed.social 141 points 1 day ago

Thankfully the full feature will still work if you get the app from F-Droid

Hopefully this will motivate more people use F-Droid

[–] MintyFresh@lemmy.world 69 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (7 children)

Unfettered capitalism is just fucking exhausting. What a bunch of assholes. I really need to degoogle my life. Idk how to strip android off my phone and replace it with whatever, but I guess I'm about to find out.

Edit: ty all. I'm gonna check out f droid and go from there!

[–] Humanius@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

The problem in this case is the Google Play Store, not Android.

Google is blocking Nextcloud from updating their app on the Play Store unless they remove this vital permission. But nothing is stopping Nextcloud from making their app available on third party app stores with the approriate permissions.

If you download the app from F-Droid instead, it should work correctly.


That is not to say that what Google is doing isn't monopolistic. I'm just pointing out that you can bypass this restriction by not using their app store.

[–] MintyFresh@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

I hear ya. I'm feeling the need to cut ties with Google all together. They're not getting any less evil. I'm gonna look into graphene os I think

[–] themadcodger@kbin.earth 12 points 1 day ago (10 children)

I've been wanting a Linux-based degoogled phone for a while now, and though it sorta exists if you happen to have the right phone model, it definitely isn't ready for the everyday consumer. But if it's something you really want to do, there are a few options out there. I've done the best I can from not using the google ecosystem at all beyond android, which is my last big hurtle.

[–] death@infosec.pub 3 points 1 day ago

I've been looking at possible phone options too. There are several degoogled Android options but it's still Android of course. And switching to a Linux phone seems like it would be really limiting without access to Android/iOS apps. Do Linux phone users just use the browser to replace all those apps? I guess it could work, though it seems less ergonomic.

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[–] wintertag@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Take a look at GrapheneOS.

[–] MintyFresh@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

I think I'm gonna do just that

[–] jonne@infosec.pub 3 points 1 day ago

You can just install it off f-droid instead of the play store.

[–] pHr34kY@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Android without Google services is basically taking the capitalism away.

Install LineageOS or GrapheneOS without installing Google Play.

Slap on F-Droid for apps and you have a phone that doesn't talk to Google at all, and is completely beyond their control.

[–] gradual@lemmings.world 3 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

It's definitely exhausting.

The silver-lining is that we really don't have to go along with it. We have the choice to use alternatives, we just choose not to.

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[–] pHr34kY@lemmy.world 61 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So, all the family phones that are using this feature for handset backups. They're just gonna stop backing up?

Thanks, Google. Thanks for protecting me from free software that scans files on my own phone and transmits it across my own network to my own server. Such a privacy nightmare. /s

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 17 points 22 hours ago

Guessing they want you to use Google One, eh.

[–] higgsboson@dubvee.org 49 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I never use a Play Store version of anything I can find on F-droid or other repos I trust. Then I try it using Aurora Store. Only as a last-resort I try Google. Play Store is only for things I cannot obtian or replace another way.

[–] Ekpu@lemmy.world 28 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (5 children)

Learned the hard way that android auto compatibility (on GrapheneOS) works only with the playstore Version of an app because andoid auto checks the install source. Thats the same gatekeeping at play...

Thanks I hate it.

[–] phx@lemmy.ca 9 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

AA is also EXTREMELY vpn-unfriendly. It fails to work period of I've got a wireguard VPN without app restrictions, even if there are only a handful of routes using the tunnel. Then, if I restrict the VPN to just certain apps, it'll still give me the big ol' middle finger running those apps via AA, which means I can't stream from my home media host over VPN while using AA because Papa Google apps no.

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[–] higgsboson@dubvee.org 5 points 1 day ago

Yeap, same. I have given up on Android Auto because of that. I am not going to let Google hold my phone hostage so they can force me to pay ransom (with my data.)

[–] Astral08@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

You can fake the install source

[–] bss03@infosec.pub 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Fiery@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Obtainium has a toggle to set the install source to Google Play. It uses shizuku

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[–] tiddy@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago

Can't fake googles key signature

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[–] geography082@lemm.ee 42 points 1 day ago (2 children)
[–] xeekei@lemm.ee 4 points 2 hours ago

I check for all apps on f-droid first, play store second.

[–] TerHu@lemm.ee 4 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

does that issue not exist in the f-droid version? if so, i’m glad there’s a workaround when i try graphene😅

[–] r0ertel@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago

The issue does not exist with the version installed from F-Droid. I think the Play Store version is a different build with the feature disabled as a condition of hosting it on the Play Sore.

The Android app itself still works with the permission, and we released new versions on the external F-Droid store. So the limit is a “purely” Google Play Store-related problem.

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[–] kokesh@lemmy.world 34 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Google works on making Android shit for the past few years. For example idiotic green dot showing me "something is using gps". Why don't I have a choice to remove it? Or not allowing apps to get a process list? It will end up dumb as iOS to within couple years.

[–] Fiery@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

To be fair, not allowing the user to remove an indicator that something could be tracking them is probably not the worst idea. Otherwise it'd be too easy for someone to install an app like that and hide it.

[–] kokesh@lemmy.world 3 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

It's been in the corner of my amoled screen practically nonstop for 3 years now. I'm really surprised that i don't have burn-in in that corner.

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[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 27 points 1 day ago

I'm assuming that Nextcloud handles all it's moneymaking outside of the app (indeed it appears to be free if you host the server yourself).

If Google were making 30% on a ton of in-app purchases, they'd let it harvest your fucking organs.

[–] death@infosec.pub 15 points 1 day ago

I don't have an Android phone currently but I thought I'd check on iOS and, yep, Google Drive has access to all files. Well that's a bit hypocritical.

[–] Redex68@lemmy.world 8 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

It seems that Google just gave them back the permission, 2 days after they publicly complained about it and after 6 months of ignoring it. What scumbags.

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[–] EncryptKeeper@lemmy.world 7 points 9 hours ago

When I switched to iOS, the biggest pain point for me was Apples stranglehold on background processes meant file syncing didn’t work very well. Now it looks like Android has completely killed it?

[–] fireshell@kbin.earth 6 points 1 day ago

Great news. Maybe someone else will think about the rejection of Google.

[–] dmtalon@infosec.pub 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

So, I totally remember this pop-up and luckily until now it has not directly impacted me. I auto-backup my photos/videos off my phone and do move non photos/videos on/off nextcloud on occasion but haven't noticed I could no longer upload regular files.

Luckily...

I self-host Nextcloud I already use F-Droid

So, it wasn't much work to uninstall the play version and instlall the f-droid version. I should probably go through all my apps and see what's available on f-droid and swap. But 1) that's a lot of work and 2) there are some features that break when you do that. I know some mapping software won't work on Android Auto if not from the play store.

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[–] JTskulk@lemmy.world 3 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

I use FreeFileSync and it syncs whatever files I point at it, not just videos and music. I installed it from the Play store.

[–] Landless2029@lemmy.world 8 points 18 hours ago

Yeah this is Google cockblocking

[–] kalpol@lemm.ee 3 points 3 hours ago

I had no idea this was going on. Is it because I'm running Lineage?

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