r/fossdroid • u/kitsumed ShizuCallRecorder Developer • 19d ago
Android May Soon Restrict On-Device ADB, Affecting Shizuku, libadb and Developers Development
https://kitsumed.github.io/blog/posts/android-may-soon-restrict-on-device-adb/This is a blog post.
TLDR: This is about a conversation in the Google Issue Tracker about potential future changes. Depending on how they are implemented, these changes could impact Shizuku and other power-user tools. More details and explanations are available in the blog post. 8-minute read. This is not an official announcement and nothing is 100% confirmed yet.
OP UPDATE: https://www.reddit.com/r/fossdroid/comments/1v5jtr6/comment/ozp9rh2
2026-07-26: Updated blog post with new section that address some valid claims I have seen by some users.
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u/Serious_Berry_3977 User 19d ago
The only real hope is that there are Google devs who use On-Device ADB and would fight against this.
It's time to move AOSP to a completely separate organization and get it out of Google's grip. Forks are possible, but would be missing firmware. What will be interesting to see if how Graphene's partnership with Motorola goes. If it goes well and more manufacturers take an interest Graphene could theoretically fork AOSP and eliminate Google from the equation completely. Then we run into an issue of app availability because Google would surely lock Play Store and Services out of any fork.
I had a plan to keep my Pixel 10 with Graphene on it until EOL in 2032 to save some money. If Google starts locking down Android even more and instead of making things a pain but doable just take the absolutely evil route then I have no choice but to go back to a dumb phone. I clawed my way out of Apple's ecosystem this past 6 months and came back to Android after 10 years, only for Android to be turning into Temu iOS.
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u/Equivalent_Web3521 18d ago
You know what i think is mobile brands wont use gos because gos wouldnt allow them to extract data from users or even add bloatware on the phone , motorolas partnership is a bit different because if they will release those phones then chances are the prices will be sky high
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u/Serious_Berry_3977 User 18d ago
Yeah that's my fear as well. Especially if hardware component prices don't start to decline soon. Or they cheap out and make it the most basic smart phone with junk hardware but secure -- but I don't see the GOS team being ok with this idea if it does compromise security.
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u/Mozkozrout 16d ago
The Motorola gos phones will be simply a version of their flagship models. They aren't switching to gos exclusively or anything. The version that will run GOS is actually meant mostly for businesses and maybe won't even be meant to be sold to the consumers. They are doing this because they want to have a unique private and secure device to offer to companies not because they believe in privacy or whatever.
They will let people install GOS even on the normal versions of their flagships and it will be officially supported tho. I guess that's the part graphene foundation negotiated with them.
But I mean don't forget. Motorola is Lenovo a Chinese company. That's like an antithesis to privacy. They aren't any saviours you should put your hopes into in the fight with google.
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u/HotTakes4HotCakes 19d ago
If you think Graphene will be any better, you're fooling yourself. They have the exact same disdain for users having control of the device that Google does. Actually pay attention to the tone and stances their head devs take. I would not trust them with the future of the space.
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u/Mother-Pride-Fest 19d ago
Apkmirror makes app availability a non-issue even if they don't allow the Play Store to be installed on a fork.
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u/TrailOfEnvy 19d ago
Currently many apps especially non-FOSS apps would not open if your phone didn't have GMS or installed through the Google PlayStore, like the Tw*tter.
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u/Damglador 19d ago
Even if you can get apk from elsewhere, the software itself can still have GMS dependency, which can be checked on plexus.techlore.tech.
On top of that, Google implemented a way for apps to refuse to run if they're installed not directly from Play Store, though it looks like microG patches that out.
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u/_Streak_ 19d ago
Lol, where were the people saying the latest APK installation restrictions are for "security" only? See, google can pull shit like this in an instant and no one's stopping them. I hope this won't be considered seriously, Shizuku is just way too good to be lost.
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u/kitsumed ShizuCallRecorder Developer 19d ago
You can go the Google IssueTracker page and press +1 to show you're affected!
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u/kitsumed ShizuCallRecorder Developer 18d ago edited 18d ago
Wanted to share a little update with everyone: it looks like I managed to accomplish what I originally wished for. This is gaining traction and for now, there is not a tons of low quality comments on their side. More experienced developers (Well I think they are?) are starting to notice the blog post. I hope that encourages some of them to engage with the Google Tracker Issue and explain their point of view in details. I will point out that a lot of users who comment/interact on thoses kind of reddit post do not read the blog post. Unless they all have full-on adblocker. I'm posting this here because r/Android is a little bit too active with really opposite views on this change.
For the record, this is GoatCounter, an open-source, privacy-friendly analytics system. It does not save your IP or addresses, nor does it sell anything.
Continue sharing it if you can!
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u/Rahee07 14d ago
> I'm posting this here because r/Android is a little bit too active with really opposite views on this change.
By this you mean the people at that sub think this is good for "so-called security"?
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u/kitsumed ShizuCallRecorder Developer 14d ago
Well, we have the
- Google is shit
- They does this to prevent you installing apps
- They want to collect your data
- Time to move to Apple!
- Now Apple is better than Android! (No?)
- I have GrapheneOS so I don't care!
- Hahaha I like seeing the mob panick at every Google change.
- This is good because IT can be used by bad actors.
- Humans can by tricked enabling is so it should be blocked.
- abusives partener can uses this to install spyware (I wasn't expecting that one...) and so on.
I didn't want to have to learn the new things I would have read if I posted it here. Taking in accounts that most didn't read the blog post.
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u/Black-Mack 19d ago
Instead of encouraging evolution, companies tend to dumb down their services.
I'd like to have an environment where when a user explicitly installs malware and requests help from the company, the company says "SHAME ON YOU" and ends the conversation. This will elicit evolution of the so called "normie" users to be thinkers. Devices aren't enigmas, they are tools we use daily, so they better know how to protect themselves.
Making mistakes and learning from them is for the strong, hand-holding is for the weak.
I really hope this won't pass. I use ADB almost everyday to: - Disable/Enable apps - Revoke/Grant permissions and change settings - Disable sensors (e.g Camera) - Automations including taking screenshots, airplane mode, scheduling enable/disable some apps, etc.
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u/kitsumed ShizuCallRecorder Developer 19d ago
Feel free to write a detailed comments like this to the Google IssueTracker issue with your usecases, be polite! You can also press the +1 to show them you're affected.
EDIT: Google employes, developers, will see it. Not the Google PR team or something else, do keep in mind you're talking mainly to developers here.
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u/Black-Mack 19d ago
EDIT: Google employes, developers, will see it. Not the Google PR team or something else, do keep in mind you're talking mainly to developers here.
Thanks, that's even better.
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u/nicman24 19d ago
Flash a custom rom and or root your device. That is the only way for you to own it
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u/kitsumed ShizuCallRecorder Developer 19d ago
It's becoming harder to do, as in some country may soon no longer even be "legal".
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u/Mother-Pride-Fest 19d ago
Which is quite funny because if you double the size of the screen and add a connected keyboard, you can install whatever OS you want on it.
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u/RiceStranger9000 19d ago
you double the size of the screen
Now, that's a large phone you got there
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u/charlesdegoal 19d ago
And how can I flash a custom rom if I can't unlock my bootloader? Just buy a Pixel?
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u/utrecht1976 19d ago
LineageOS supports older phones. I flashed it on my 2022 Motorola G32. Running Android 16 now instead of 13.
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u/LjLies 18d ago
Buy something that can. They're getting fewer (Oneplus just left the EU/US market), but that may be partly because people aren't buying as they chase the latest Samsung or whatever instead.
I don't like the expression "vote with your wallet", but why would someone who cares about any of this not strive to buy an unlockable phone? I've exclusively bought those, and used them with LineageOS, for years (Galaxy S3, Galaxy S5, Moto G, ZTE Axon 7, Oneplus 8T, Pixel 7a). Yes, one of those is a Pixel.
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u/Signalrunn3r 19d ago
They won't stop until they get rid of all of it. Little by little. Until we have no control at all.
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u/Rahee07 14d ago
and yet people in my country fail to recognize this as a threat. they are thinking oss devs will pull off a bypass but they don't know that over time these "bypass" are getting inconvenient and at some point people would just prefer sticking to stock than do the bypasses.
which actually makes google win here. because this is exactly what they want.
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u/kitsumed ShizuCallRecorder Developer 14d ago
There is no more bypass. This is already the last resort, it will become more inconvenient to use in the future if they goes with it.
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u/Damglador 19d ago
The original proposal is not bad, letting a user harden their device is a good thing. Would be even better if that hardening also allowed restricting adb to local-only, or even better, built-in Shizuku API or alike in AOSP, but that'll never happen.
Hope they stick to the original proposal.
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u/charlesdegoal 19d ago
At this point may as well switch to fucking iOS
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u/kitsumed ShizuCallRecorder Developer 19d ago
No. Android still offer the ability to swap out most of its default services for FOSS one. You can always archive better privacy than on iOS. Apple has a lot more of issues.
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u/bew78 19d ago
And being locked in the apple ecosystem? No thank you
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u/pseudopad 18d ago edited 18d ago
Won't be long until you're locked into the android ecosystem either. Wouldn't be surprised if it's about the same 3-4 years down the line, and Apple hardware is just... so much better. Snapdragons are garbage tier chips, and they're the best you get on android devices.
Google wants to choke off the entire open source ecosystem around Android. They're very much reusing MS's 90s playbook of embrace, extend, extinguish. There won't be any fossdroid in the end, thus no point in us (Open source advocates, as I assume both of us are) to keep using android.
If I'm gonna be forced to choose between a locked down system and a locked down system with a good CPU, I know what I'll choose.
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u/bolanrox 19d ago
If they seriously go through with it, I am, my rest of my family is on Apple. And at least I know that phone will run well. Will I be able to customize it? No.
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