If you didn’t know, Google and Android (and iOS for that matter) are rather awful for harvesting your data. They’ll usually collect your location, voice assistant interactions, calendar activity, payment information and diagnostic telemetry data. Back in the day, many people would probably have described software collecting that much information as spyware, though today it’s often dressed up as making your experience “better”.
But it’s not getting better at all.
There’s a small, yet seemingly increasing, number of people looking to move away from the smartphone duopoly of Android and iOS. One option is using systems based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), many of which reduce the telemetry that Google’s version of Android collects. Examples include iodéOS, /e/OS and the more hardened, privacy-conscious GrapheneOS. All run on stripped-down versions of Android, but with a greater focus on privacy and user control.
Others are looking to leave Android entirely. Sailfish OS from Finnish company Jolla has maintained a dedicated following for years and recently launched a new phone that reportedly attracted around 10,000 pre-orders. There are also open source alternatives such as PostmarketOS, Ubuntu Touch and other niche operating systems aimed at people who want something genuinely different.
The irony is that Android itself became successful because it was open. When the iPhone first arrived on the scene, it was underestimated by many of its rivals, but it quickly became a juggernaut. Palm OS, Symbian and BlackBerry OS all attempted to push back against the iPhone and ultimately failed. Android, meanwhile, was originally intended as software for digital cameras before being repurposed as a smartphone operating system.
The open nature of Android was hugely appealing to phone manufacturers. There were no licensing fees, manufacturers could customise the experience as much as they liked, and it allowed companies to sell smartphones at prices Apple simply couldn’t match. By the early 2010s, you could pick up the likes of a Samsung Galaxy Ace for around $100, something that helped Android spread rapidly into markets Apple wasn’t targeting. Where rivals such as Microsoft and Nokia struggled to compete with iOS, Android gained a foothold and eventually helped create the smartphone market we know today.
Android remains open source today, but over the years Google has increasingly moved important functionality into proprietary services. Google Play Services, Google Location Services and Google Wallet are not part of open Android, and many modern apps depend on them to function properly. You only need to look at what happened to Huawei in 2019 to see the impact this can have. Locked out of official Google services, Huawei was forced to develop HarmonyOS, but without access to many of the services people rely upon every day.
This is where things become concerning. Google has announced further changes aimed at tightening control over Android app installation and security. Google says these changes are intended to protect users from malware, which has historically been an issue on Android. Critics, however, argue that requiring developers to verify themselves through Google, even when distributing apps outside of the Play Store, represents another step towards restricting Android’s openness and strengthening Google’s control over the platform.
Many open source applications are distributed through alternative stores such as F-Droid, which is filled with privacy-focused and community-developed software. Supporters of these projects argue that Google’s increasing emphasis on official channels isn’t simply about security, but also about keeping users within Google’s ecosystem.
Since around 2020, Google has seemingly taken more and more steps to assert its position as the dominant force in the technology world. They want you using Google services, Google accounts and Google-approved apps. That’s not particularly surprising; they’re a business. But it does raise questions about what the future looks like for genuinely independent alternatives.
This concern is only amplified by moves such as Google’s QR-code-based CAPTCHA verification system, which increasingly assumes users have access to an official Android or iOS device. Whether intentional or not, decisions like these make life more difficult for people using alternative platforms, older devices or more privacy-focused setups.
Frankly, Google wants you on official Android. Not GrapheneOS. Not Sailfish. Not Ubuntu Touch. They want you using official Android, complete with Google services, Google accounts and Google-approved software. Android succeeded because it was open, but from the outside looking in, it increasingly feels like that openness is being chipped away.
Google is now in such a dominant position that meaningful competition feels increasingly difficult. The question isn’t whether alternatives exist today. The question is whether they’ll still be viable in ten years’ time.
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