The article has a whole page about how, while it is still technically possible, it is a massively messy, deliberately intimidating, 9-step process that takes 24 hours.

That looks to me like an entirely unusable and unacceptable situation if you want to just vibe-code up a little app to track your bike club rides or something.

The 15 minute cycle of: Looks good -» save-» install -» start debugging, oops, I've got to fix that -» repeat

Becomes a 25-hour cycle involving: Looks good -» save-» do five steps -» reboot -» wait 24 hours -» 3 more confirmation steps -» install -» start debugging, oops, I've got to fix that -» repeat

And then, now that you're determined and spend all week working through a few refinement cycles and have the app you want, you can just give it to everyone at the meetup, THEY all need to get it, do the nonsense, wait 24 hours, do more nonsense, and then finally your bike group can track their rides.

You seriously think that is acceptable?

Being able to technically do something is a very different thing than being able to practically do something.

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palata 18 hours ago | parent [-]

> Becomes a 25-hour cycle involving

It's not a cycle. You do it once. One time you wait 24h, and that's it.

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toss1 12 hours ago | parent [-]

Yup, for your first version.

Now, you run it for a while, realize you need to make changes, make those changes and now have a v1.01 to use. Do you know it doesn't require a new install? It likely does, since you are not using the Google Play update mechanism.

And even if they do "allow" automatic updates of the same app without the delay, you really find this delay acceptable?

I'd be ok with a free self-certification of your own app, but forcing a 24hr delay, nope

This is way worse than "you're holding it wrong" — this is bad functionality by intentional design

	▲	palata 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I don't know what you are talking about. Did you read the article? It was communicated by Google too [1]. ONE TIME, you go to the developer settings, you do the confirmation dance (wait 24h and whatnot), and at the end you choose to "allow indefinitely". Then you will be able to install unverified app... indefinitely. Indefinitely meaning forever, not "until the next install". [1]: https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/03/android-de...