This is immensely frustrating to me.

I was an iPhone user from 2009 to 2019. In 2019, when the iTunes backup from my failed iPhone 4S wouldn't restore to an iPhone SE (it made the phone boot loop) I got frustrated and went Android.

I decided to "sideload" all non-stock software on my Android phone. I never have setup a Google Play account. I kept all the APKs for the software I loaded over the years that I used that phone.

I just got a new Android phone a couple of weeks ago. I was able to just load all the software I use day-to-day from APKs (except for a few that are, apparently, processor-specific). I imported my SMS, contacts, and call logs using a nice FOSS app[0]. It felt remarkably like moving to a new PC does. It was nice.

I am really sad Google is ending this moving forward. Jackasses.

[0] https://github.com/tmo1/sms-ie

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mcny 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

I got a new Android phone recently as well. I am trying to see how far I can get without signing into a Google or Motorola (this is a Motorola phone) account. So far so good. I can't download any apps from the app store that were not already included when I activated the phone but I can use fdroid so I am good for the most part.

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qilo 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

Aurora Store[0] is an alternative FOSS frontend to Google Play, in which you can install/update apps without any account.

[0] https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.aurora.store/

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EvanAnderson 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

I'm using a Motorola phone myself and I'm having great luck with it. Newer stuff is coming in XAPK format packages and I've had no luck side loading any of those apps. So far I've been able to do without so it hasn't been a problem, just an annoyance.

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yogeshimac 3 days ago | parent [-]

You can use MiXplorer to install XAPK files. Just try to open the XAPK in the app and it should show an option to install.

	▲	EvanAnderson 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		I'll check it out. Thanks! Edit: I hadn't used MiXplorer before. I was able to install an XAPK with it, so that's nice.

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xandrius 3 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Consider becoming part of UTports community.

I recently joined it as I hated feeling powerless about this change in Android. Becoming one more working on a third option is very freeing. I'd recommend it, plus Ubuntu Touch is surprisingly a nice OS.

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fluidcruft 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

It doesn't sound like you even need a certified Android device? Does this even affect you?