Why is AdGuard not on Google Play?
adguard.com
AdGuard for Android is a powerful app that blocks ads and protects your privacy. But why it's not available on the Google Play Store? Read on to find out.

The article is AdGuard centric but it sheds light on the whole process where Google suddenly decided to ban ad blockers.

    • glockenspiel@programming.devEnglish
      211·
      1 year ago

      For now. Google is locking down certificates in Android 14 which absolutely cannot be changed even by devs (barring exploits, which will be patched because this is Alphabet’s bread and butter on the line).

      Google has put into place infrastructure to lock apps down as well with its App Bundles to replace APKs. And, wouldn’t you know it, they just so happen to rely on Google to be functional and even built! Custom made for your device and configuration and account. What a coincidence that you can’t rip that off your device and widely share it without massive workarounds. And even then, with Google clamping down on CAs….

      People best become acquainted with ROMs again. Providing, of course, that Android doesn’t start employing anti-root tactics like Apple does which essentially eliminates the possibility of almost everybody actually owning their devices.

      • BlinkerFluid@lemmy.oneEnglish
        111·
        1 year ago

        Guess I’ll get a Linux-based phone(please don’t make me argue about semantics on Android being Linux or not when we both know what I mean). By the time it matters, they’ll be decent enough. I don’t really live with the same sort of technological necessity as most people.

        • TESTNET@lemmy.ml
          1·
          1 year ago

          Yeah that’s what really needs to ramp up now is the alternative mobile operating systems that are and have been around for quite a while actually but just never managed to stick it to the man so to speak.

          But yeah Linux actually had an official build Ubuntu touch or it was maybe not cononical possibly but if it wasn’t it was as close to I condone this as you can get from the Linux world and Ubuntu (cononical) etc.

          The issue is it never took off it was called Ubuntu Touch and it still remains although unofficial to the original dev team although likely some of the team kept the dream alive for the minority as it is really limited as to the device list it can be installed on.

          But it is quite literally a mobile version of Ubuntu, it released initially though on select devices not too expensive but not cheap they were borderline middling level handsets to reasonably higher middling handset’s there may have been some high end units with it, the problem was it just wasn’t what the public saw as a necessity in its day, it wasnt then but it could be more a lot lot more giving back some choice to users regarding their personal data not being shared or read via app installations demanding set permissions and so on.

          Despite that going for it not against it where it will have to expand really quickly is in the software and apps department it will need to have a humongous instant library of apps and programs yeah real Linux software or ports of those that run like full Linux software to really get people talking and joining in as a developer and or an end user buying a phone, as well as growing the existing compatability list of devices to degree far far exceeding it’s current compatibility levels, as they do cater for a fair few devices yes, but nowhere near the hundreds to a thousand or thousands plural it would have to rapidly introduce to that list to encompass a larger userbase overnight which is the only sort of guaranteed adoption it’s going to need adoption to encourage investors I should imagine…

          Then the store with these apps and programs would need to be less FDroid (no offense intended) basic quality of apps, it would require a far more premium grade of apps and full software programs that give a mobile chipset the abilities to eg. Fully compose music using an opensource plethora of DAW’s (digital audio workstation’s) and eg.inbuilt usb drivers for externally attached dvdrw drives working like plugging them into a desktop not a mobile OS, and going further future wise, they’d need to be leaning into higher chipsets to eventually be running the steam software and playing games for real as a Linux steam install on mobile chipsets as they improve they are getting just on the borderline edge right now they could maybe run a game or two low end stuff on a mobile desktop is build.

          Believe it or not the current processors well SOC chips from rockchip namely the rk3588 is now able to run some amazing emulation PS2 and switch and more it’s apparently around 2 to 2.5x the power of the Nvidia Shield TV’s X1 SOC chip is it X1? Basically the Nintendo Switch is the same SOC chip a Nvidia Tegra X1 super up a bit overclocked I presume with 1gb extra ram I think it is. But the RK3588 by Rockchip obliterates its power CPU and graphically.

          But if you give those SOC chip production advancements a further say 8-10yrs and you spend it readying for steam playing off these SOC’s software architectures and you couple it into the Ubuntu Touch build advances then pretty soon your talking these SOC’s are replacing some computer hardware of certain ages but reasonably capable of steam and your then getting closer to a full desktop utilising it with a mobile operating system rather than going mainstream mobile OS’s that are going the opposite way they are heading downhill with the proprietary nature of the current mobile OS’s whicc are lets face it is seemingly heading towards completely disbanding bit by bit the whole pay once (premium one-time purchase) app payment m.odel for the IAP and subscription based IAP models, it’s going to be IAP and subscription only and Ubuntu Touch should seek heavier investment and development immediately like right now so should other open source mobile operating systems they should be thinking go big or go broke though all in or nothing at all.

          One thing I quite favour the idea may not be practically possible though, is the cluster computing method these science guys build out of say lots of PS3 consoles or old laptops all linked together to perform computing tasks faster.

          I looked at this a number of times over the years I know nothing much really can’t remember hardly anything at all on it, but I think it is asked many times in forums on this well can you parallel the graphics as well but they said it’s only CPU tasks its for not gaming, but if somehow a device link ribbon could do all the joining work and bins anything mobile phones for eg. And laptops and desktops to use them as a cluster for not just CPU tasks and maths answers turbo fast but for regular computer use and gaming then this would be a major milestone, you could have say 5 old galaxies a s7 a S8 as9 and S10 say and combine them all running in some mobile chipset compatible Linux distro and be able to run proper steam gaming adding more and more TV boxes or old phones etc to the cluster to basically modularly build a super computer with super computing graphics running phones and TV boxes would be about 7-15watts electric each way way more economical and green than gaming pcs on average have been.

          I did see there is apparently a distro or Linux desktop software that does allow paralleling phones CPU combined with the desktops and laptops CPU but forgot what it’s called, but any way a Ubuntu Touch build incorporating what I say CPU and GPU cluster computing and gaming spec would be incredible imagine rk3588 clusters

      • 𝕸𝖔𝖘𝖘@infosec.pubEnglish
        72·
        1 year ago

        This is a good thing. Or, can be. Android exists due to the lacks that existed/exists in iOS. With those same limitations coming to android, something new, something better will come. Maybe something like the current Linux phones, but with increased support that will come from the exodus. Like Lemmy stagnating for a while, then suddenly becoming close to amazing due to the Reddit enshitification, so will come this new generation of smartphones due to the enshitification of Android and iOS. It could be good. It could be much worse. Time will tell.

      • Rikudou_Sage@lemmings.worldOP
        62·
        1 year ago

        Google is locking down certificates in Android 14 which absolutely cannot be changed even by devs

        Hopefully Firefox adds an easy way to add a certificate. They had it already, never understood why they removed it.

        Google has put into place infrastructure to lock apps down as well with its App Bundles to replace APKs

        I don’t think they can replace APKs with AABs as the only solution - EU wants them to have support for alternative stores. In theory they could do separate Android for EU and the rest of the world, but I don’t think they will.

      • TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.ml
        22·
        1 year ago

        Please stop spreading FUD. Be precise in your claims. Google is restricting on Android 14 not being able to install apps that target APIs equal to or older than Android 6 in the long run. Source: https://android-review.googlesource.com/c/platform/frameworks/base/+/2399538

        There is also said to be an ADB switch that allows bypassing this enforcement, thereby allowing full freedom. Personally, I see this as a good way to prevent users from installing apps that have not been updated since 12 years.

      • BeanCounter@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        11·
        1 year ago

        If that happens, I’ll just buy an iPhone. Only real reason I’m using android and not iOS sideloading.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    31·
    1 year ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    At the time, there were a number of apps on Google Play that offered content filtering functionality, such as AdAway, AdFree, Ad Blocker, and AdBlock Plus.

    In 2016, Google tweaked its developer policy to clarify what actions are prohibited, and for the first time directly named ad blockers as a target.

    After AdGuard for Android, which filters traffic for all apps on your device, could no longer be distributed through the Google Play Store, we had to find another way to reach our users and provide them with updates.

    The increased visibility this store provides would allow us to introduce the app to more people who can block ad-based tracking, thereby protecting their privacy.

    The reality is that most casual users install apps exclusively from the Google Play Store, and that means they are currently missing out on a chance to protect themselves from trackers and ads.

    We hope that Google will change its stance and give people the choice and tools to protect themselves from pervasive tracking technology and invasive advertising.

    The original article contains 1,019 words, the summary contains 172 words. Saved 83%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

    • correcthorsedickbatterystaple@kbin.social
      419·
      1 year ago

      i’m sorry but i have to be pedantic here. it’s not how you get your revenue it’s the good or service you provide.

      magazines are not ad companies. TV channels are not ad companies. the source of your revenue does not make you a company in a sector of that source.

      • Jaded@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        18·
        1 year ago

        Google literally considers itself an ad company. They have a huge framework meant to profit off of ads shown on other products and platforms. They sell data as a service to better target consumers for advertisement. It’s not comparable to a tv channel.

      • XTornado@lemmy.ml
        10·
        1 year ago

        Yeah but Google biggest services are mostly free. The main source of income, although they have improved that by offering other paid services all these years, has been ad revenue on their free services.

      • belated_frog_pants@beehaw.org
        6·
        1 year ago

        All of googles products except cloud exist to either sell customer data to companies to advertise to or they direct you to websites who pay.

        They are an ad data company. Search is a means to deliver ads. Chrome, mail, docs, etc were all there for ecosystem lock in… for what money? Customer data. For ads. Google+? User base. For ads.

        Youtube doesnt make them shit except for advertising. Youtube premium isnt selling which is why they are getting aggressive with it.

        Google is an advertising company and secondarily , a cloud provider.

  • 52fighters@kbin.social
    81·
    1 year ago

    Blokada on Android is the best. Get it from the website, though, not Google Play. Even though it is there, the website version is better.

  • TheProtagonist@lemmy.world
    7·
    1 year ago

    That’s no surprise to me. Ads are Google’s core business. Why should they support technologies that potentially limit their profits?

  • TESTNET@lemmy.ml
    6·
    1 year ago

    It’s about selling your data to third parties so they can sell you sh@t and also about preventing you blocking ads playing in video content they provide or are associated with, it’s 100% to do with making money and ad blockers lower their income, for that reason they’d rather ad blockers not exist nor third party alternatives to their streaming services that do not carry the ads they’re trying to block those apps continuously.

      • 6lights@lemmy.ml
        1·
        1 year ago

        Can you elaborate a bit more on that? DNS blocking stops the ads from downloading, so it is saving network bandwidth & preserving privacy. Did I miss something?

        • Gamey@feddit.rocks
          4·
          1 year ago

          Well, not about the DNS blocking, that’s absolutely great but it can only block on a domain basis so ads from the same domain aka first party ads (E.g. Youtube ads) can’t be blocked using it.

    • lenathaw@lemmy.ml
      3·
      1 year ago

      AdAway is the best choice if you’re rooted.

      Some banking apps might break, but the DNS request log will help you debug and put the necessary domains on a whitelist. Or you can just google it.

        • Dawn@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          I use it not rooted, on both an android tablet and phone. Haven’t run into any issues, it uses a VPN to block the ads

          Edit: there was one issue where youtube wouldn’t update the watch history, to fix this just allow s.youtube.com on the allow list

  • Reversed Cookie@feddit.de
    2·
    1 year ago

    So far ik, Apps which blocks Google Ads in other apps aren’t allowed, thats why DDG’s Tracking Protection blocks everything except Google Ads.

  • Zerush@lemmy.ml
    2·
    1 year ago

    F_Droid InviZible Pro also blocks, among others, ads (DNScrypt Proxie, I2P and TOR network), also in Google Play, but there only the “descaffeinate” version.

    Vivaldi browser has an inbuild and customizable ad- and trackerblocker.