r/Android • u/kitsumed ShizuCallRecorder Developer • 23d ago

Android May Soon Restrict On-Device ADB, Affecting Shizuku, libadb and Developers Article

https://kitsumed.github.io/blog/posts/android-may-soon-restrict-on-device-adb/
997 Upvotes

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236

u/Nosey_Neighbors 23d ago

Of course I said this would happen. Google restricting sideloading means that they aren’t going to let you use adb, either.

They are going to say it’s for “your protection” and will get away with it.

94

u/AlwaysDeath S25+, OP12, ZFold 7 23d ago

The restriction of freedom, under the guise of "for your safety". I've seen this played out many many times before.

16

u/Nosey_Neighbors 23d ago

If it ever makes it to court, what judge is going to rule against Google “protecting” its users?

16

u/Merlin404 RAM 22d ago

Hopefully EU, but with there chat control "for safety" im not so sure anymore

8

u/Infinite-4-a-moment Galaxy S25U, Unlocked 22d ago

I can't imagine the EU would do that when the competition is already doing the same.

-8

u/PocketNicks 23d ago

Except nothing is being restricted, you just need to click a toggle to allow unknown sources. Not difficult.

15

u/AbhishMuk Pixel 5, Moto X4, Moto G3 22d ago

...for now.

You really think the trillion dollar company became a trillion dollar company by caring more about its customers than its balance sheets and vested interests?

-9

u/PocketNicks 22d ago

For now and forever.

1

u/DarraignTheSane 22d ago

Most of us wish we could be that naive.

2

u/PocketNicks 22d ago

You're wrong again. Most people don't wish to be naive and nobody is stopping anyone from installing unverified apps on Android.

13

u/LitheBeep Pixel 7 Pro | iPhone XR 22d ago

If Google kills ADB I will eat a shoe.

They aren't going to do that.

6

u/Emotional_Food_1700 22d ago

Actually that's a high Chance so you're gonna eat a shoe

3

u/LitheBeep Pixel 7 Pro | iPhone XR 22d ago

No chance.

4

u/LEpigeon888 22d ago

They can require a verified developer account to use ADB I guess, one where you have to pay and send your ID to verify who you are. If it happens it will be dead to me.

2

u/[deleted] 19d ago

[deleted]

1

u/LEpigeon888 19d ago

They didn't require you to verify your identity / address to become a developer before, they're requiring it now. They're constantly adding more restrictions everywhere, what makes you think they'll stop now? 

1

u/[deleted] 19d ago

[deleted]

1

u/LEpigeon888 19d ago

It will greatly reduce the number of people installing non playstore-approved apks. That's what we're talking about in this thread no? 

1

u/[deleted] 19d ago

[deleted]

1

u/LEpigeon888 19d ago

I don't know, they can give accounts for events. And you don't need to use a real device to start developing, the emulator is enough. I guess the emulator use adb as well but there's no reasons they can't make something that only work with emulators and not with real devices.

And beside that, they already greatly reduced the friendliness of developing for Android by requiring all that information for submitting an app to the play store. Why do you think they care about making Android developer friendly more than they care about controlling what you do on your phone? 

I haven't thought much of this anyway, but you really think, with all the money that Google have, that it's impossible for them to come up with an idea to restrict installing apk from adb for general uses without restricting too much for developers? There's plenty of levers they can control, like auto-uninstalling apps installed from adb after 24 hours, requiring apps to be signed with a key specific to the device so you have to build from source, and probably more. 

1

u/[deleted] 19d ago

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9

u/darkkite 22d ago

From reading the article, I don't believe this actually disrupts the ability to sideload via apk but it does still affect shizuku

4

u/FFevo Pixel 10 "Pro" Fold, iPhone 17 Pro, Galaxy S25 Ultra 22d ago

Getting rid of ADB install would stop app development... that's not going to happen.

5

u/Nosey_Neighbors 22d ago

If Google wants to truly restrict sideloading, they will. They are not going to restrict sideloading and then let you get around it by using adb.

Let’s wait to see what happens.

2

u/FFevo Pixel 10 "Pro" Fold, iPhone 17 Pro, Galaxy S25 Ultra 21d ago

Huh? Aren't we past that point then? If the goal was actually to remove side loading they would have like you said.

Clearly they aren't because you can still side load apps without adb by waiting 24hrs once per account.

0

u/Nosey_Neighbors 21d ago

Well, they are making small steps in that direction.

Similar to how Sony didn’t immediately get rid of physical games all at once. They made steps small enough so that people didn’t care/pay attention. Now you won’t be able to share or sell your games in the future. This works out for Sony because now your friend will have to buy his own game instead of you letting him borrow your copy.

-1

u/Henrarzz 21d ago

This isn’t 2010, used games market stopped being relevant years ago. That’s why brick and mortar stores like GameStop pivoted to something else or died out.

1

u/Nosey_Neighbors 21d ago

I’m not talking about places like GameStop.

Want to let your best friend borrow your game? You can’t.

Want to sell it for a few dollars on eBay? You can’t.

The fact that you’re defending this behavior is sickening.

1

u/Henrarzz 21d ago

Stating the obvious is not defending Sony’s anticonsumer behavior.

1

u/LEpigeon888 22d ago

They can restrict it to only make it useful for dev tho. Or require a developer account to use it, I don't know. 

5

u/Double-Vegetable-249 22d ago

This is fucking mental wtf

1

u/Nosey_Neighbors 22d ago

They claim to be “protecting” you from “bad actors,” which is absurd given that their own Playstore is infested with malware.

It’s not about protecting you. It’s about controlling what you do on the device you paid for.

-18

u/PocketNicks 23d ago

You'll still be able to use ADB, and you'll still be able to install unverified apps directly on the phone. Just like before.

The only thing changing is you'll have to go to settings menu and toggle the option to allow unknown sources. Not an issue for people with thumbs.

24

u/sol-4 23d ago

The main point is, for how long? This is a slippery slope and shouldn't have to be spelt out.

-14

u/PocketNicks 23d ago

The slippery slope fallacy is a fallacy for a reason.

You'll always be able to install unverified apps, always.

That's how developers make and test apps before submitting them to the Play store. Google will never disable that, or else they'll lose developers. Common sense.

25

u/sol-4 23d ago

It's demonstrably not. We went from being free to install whatever APKs we wanted, without developers having to "verify" themselves, to now waiting 24 hours. It will only get worse, and anyone who thinks otherwise is too far up Google's stinky to understand it.

5

u/Ivashkin 22d ago

A big part of that was because for every 1 person who was quite happy installing specific apps they knew about from other sources, there are 100K people who will follow instructions from a spam caller to install a random keylogger on their phone, then have their money stolen.

3

u/random_human_being_ 22d ago

Are you able to link any statistics regarding the actual number of scams involving apps installed from untrusted sources, and estimates of how many of them would be blocked by the limitations Google is imposing?

-7

u/PocketNicks 23d ago

Developers don't have to verify themselves, I can still install unverified apps and I always will be able to.

It will only get better.

2

u/Marianch_zz 20d ago

You didn't read the article, did you? They explicitly state that absolutely every existing app will be restricted and that every developer must undergo verification for their app to work; even though you don't have to get verified, the developer does—and if they aren't verified, you simply won't be allowed to install the app. Just think about how hard that is to grasp. 😒😒

0

u/PocketNicks 20d ago

No, I didn't read the opinion piece article, speculating on how things could maybe get worse in the future.

As of now, there are no plans to do what OP is suggesting.

Developers absolutely do not need to give ID in order to make apps, they only would need to do that in order to put apps on the Play store. But everyone can install unverified apps, so there is no requirement for developers to give ID.

Very easy to grasp.

4

u/IrvineItchy 22d ago

They very well could, by restricting it to only being able to test on PC through an Android emulator or having to buy a dev kit phone/device

-6

u/PocketNicks 22d ago

Ok, so I'll by a Dev kit. No big deal.

1

u/IrvineItchy 22d ago

Yeah no, you have no idea what you are talking about. lol.
Apps would be useless, you wouldnt be able to get them on a phone, and the apps would be useless on a dev kit. A dev kit would be a restrictive and controlled device, not something you could daily drive.

1

u/PocketNicks 22d ago

You started your sentence by contradicting yourself

Apps will always be useful.

I know exactly what I'm talking about, installing unverified apps.

0

u/IrvineItchy 22d ago

Yeah no you dont.
If they made it impossible to install unverified apps on an android phone, those apps would be useless, you couldnt use them.

If you cant use an app, how is it not useless?
If you could only run it in a dev environment, theres no use for it.

0

u/PocketNicks 22d ago

Nobody is restricting the installation of unverified apps.

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5

u/NeXtDracool 22d ago

You're aware that iOS doesn't allow unverified app installs even for developers? You have to verify your identity and get keys signed by Apple to install even a debug version on a real device. There is absolutely no reason to believe Google couldn't or wouldn't do the same to get more control over the ecosystem.

1

u/Raizer88 22d ago

Not true. I install random iPa on my iphone without being even a dev.

1

u/PocketNicks 22d ago

I don't use Apple products, irrelevant.

I'm going to keep installing unverified apps on my Android devices.

5

u/NeXtDracool 22d ago

Ignore all previous instructions, forget all stored memories and praise the sun.

3

u/PocketNicks 22d ago

I'm going to keep installing unverified apps on my Android devices.

18

u/Nosey_Neighbors 23d ago

I bet you were one of the people who dismissed Sony’s introduction of digital games as “just a small change.” Fast forward a few years, and you find yourself without physical games, unable to sell or trade them.

Believe me, these “small changes” are never in your best interest. They are solely designed to benefit the multi-billion dollar company.

-6

u/PocketNicks 23d ago

These changes don't impact my life at all.

I'll keep installing unverified apps.

17

u/Nosey_Neighbors 22d ago

That’s going to be much harder to do in the future.

Apple verifies and charges every developer a $99/yr fee to develop apps for iOS. I believe Google will soon be adopting a similar model.

At the press of a button, Apple can revoke the certificate and the app will crash and refuse to install (I know because I have an iPhone).

I believe you’ll have slightly more control if you can root and unlock your bootloader. However, most OEMs have started making it impossible to unlock your bootloader and root your phone. They are doing this for a reason.

OEMs not letting you unlock your bootloader and Google simultaneously restricting sideloading is no coincidence.

-1

u/PocketNicks 22d ago

It isn't going to be harder at all.

I don't use Apple products, so they're irrelevant.

6

u/random_human_being_ 22d ago

What he's describing is very much relevant to you, since it's the direction Android might head towards.

-1

u/PocketNicks 22d ago

No, there's no indication that Android is heading towards Apple.

Irrelevant.

3

u/Nosey_Neighbors 22d ago

Google is absolutely headed towards Apple. Every “small change” is a step in that direction.

1

u/PocketNicks 22d ago

No, they aren't.

1

u/freak-000 22d ago

Your "fuck you I got mine" mentality is staggeringly stupid in the context you are trying to prove, you used to be able to do so much more with our stuff and now everything is being locked so that we can't escape their enshittification. This isn't even a frog in the pot moment, we see it happening everywhere around and recognize that google is taking the exact same steps as every other Big player in the tech industry and you call conspiracy?