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With the release of Android 14, which is slowly making its way to more devices, it seems like a good time for a community discussion on the direction of Android development.
Discussion Questions:
- What do you think about this latest release?
- Do you think things are going in the right direction?
- Is there anything you’d like to see prioritized in future releases?
- Which device are you on?
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Is Android going in the right direction?
Not really, IMO. As a user of Android since v1.5 Cupcake, it’s disappointing to see how locked down Android has become over the years. I still recall how I took a leap of faith when I ditched the then highly customisable and feature-full Windows Mobile, to the barebones Android - I believed in the opensource nature of Android, thinking how exciting it was to be on what could be a developer’s and power user’s dream mobile platform. Although the Android dev scene at the time was nascent, I could forsee an explosion of root utilities, mods and custom ROMs. And I was right - the early Android dev scene was so exciting. From cool and useful utility such as DriveDroid or Chainfire’s CF.Lumen, to innovative custom ROMs such as Paranoid Android with their per-app DPI, Halo, Pie controls etc, the early Android scene was full of activity and really exciting as a power user.
But even as Android got more and more locked down and killed my favorite apps, mods and ROMs, I still enjoyed following many of it’s developments such as the projects Butter, Svelte, Volta, Treble and Mainline. However, I can’t recall anything major or exciting in recent years.
As someone else here mentioned, nowadays all the good stuff seems to be Pixel exclusives (like motion deblur, 7 years or software updates etc). Plus, Google keep pushing more and more stuff towards their proprietary Play Services stack, encouraging developers dependency on them - including anti-freedom features such as Play Integrity (SafetyNet). All of this makes it increasingly harder to break free from Google’s grasps, and as former fanboy of a company which once claimed to “not be evil”, it makes me sad that the ecosystem I once looked fondly towards, is now something that I’m looking to move away from.
Oh wow you made my revive those days when I was changing the ROM of my One Plus 3 every week because there was so many on development and adding new features. So many great memories having control of my device.
I do agree with some points. However, most of these changes are somehow related to security. As someone working in FinTech, play integrity and the likes are something you cant escape, as rooted devices,ROMs, emulators and such are 90% are ‘hackers’. Shame google didn’t think of a way to bake it into Andorid itself… Having it in their services is locking Android so much.To add, lately all the “new” features are something that Samsung already had for years. Like Knox work profile container added to Android. Samsung seems to be evolving Android more than Google which is just sad.
They’ll give the excuse of ‘security’ for any anti-consumer feature, but I’ll never accept exchanging control over my device for ‘security’.
Would you sacrifice NFC/Wallet features to have that freedom back? I personally would not.
I do see a genuine market for a phone you can root and apply custom ROMs etc on, but not do banking or public transport tickets or anything else that needs a layer of trust between the merchant and the phone user.
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Oh great I am a hacker now because I installed a modified ROM! I will go to my boss and ask for a promotion.
Windows is both more open, and more secure, than android in every practical sense, while being closed source.
I’m a fervent believer in open-sourcs, but Google and their advertising funded business model has poisoned Android.
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thing is though they are locking stupid stuff behind root. You still cannot change your default font on AOSP without rooting.
Samsung already had for years. Like Knox work profile
Huh? Good added partitioned work profiles in 2014…
No. Its still more customizable and capable than iOS, but it’s been getting more locked down, with more new features integrated into Google’s proprietary services. I still would get an android phone over an apple one, but that’s only because I can root it and replace it with a better custom ROM.
I got the update recently, and don’t really notice anything interesting? It has been running slower recently though
edit: Some apps are busted now too. Spotify is having playback issues for example
This has been my feeling lately. The updates aren’t exciting and all of the goodies are tucked away as Pixel exclusives or Google-specific services (e.g., Google Photos).
Pulling features out of the core os and into apps is better for users though. Keeps the os lean and updates can roll out to users quicker.
The problem is when those features don’t make it to other devices.
Not when the features only come to apps on pixels and nothing else.
Heck, I’ve got a pixel 7 and wouldn’t be able to tell you what’s new with 14 🤷
My opinion is that they need to leave it tf alone for the most part and just do updates and good features. Let phone makers do with it what they want.
Isn’t that good though? What’s left to add? I don’t want another UI change just because.
I got a nice 30% boost to my screen-off battery life on my Pixel 6 Pro with the Android 14 update.
Imo no. Android used to be exciting and customizable.
I think this aspect has been decreasing over time and the development of new features has stagnated somewhat.
Of course, the os is also more mature and you can’t expect such growth forever.
Still, they promised “feature drops”, I’ve had my pixel 7 pro and the pixel watch for a year now and they have added like 1 or 2 very minor features, and most of them are features in Google apps lol.I don’t like that seemingly everything gets tied to googles own BS now.
iOS seems more and more appealing to me honestly, especially considering all the hardware issues with the Pixel.I agree. I used to eagerly wait for a new Android version, now I don’t even care, nor I would be able to tell the difference between Android 13 or 14.
That was my feeling when my Pixel updated to 14. “That’s… that’s it?”
I actually had to look up what’s supposed to be new.
Same haha.
In my opinion, no. At least not under the reins of Google.
Android 11 added scoped storage, severely limiting file access from apps, although app developers have found ways to work with it.
Android 12 did a lot of UI redesigning, including the horrible Internet toggle and it just seemed like there is way too much whitespace.
Android 13 did something right: Made you confirm if you want notifications from apps. IDK why it took this long for such a basic feature even iOS had for forever.
Android 14… Nothing really useful, but they are limiting sideloading of old apps that tend to be super efficient on storage, memory, and CPU. It’s a defeat in the ongoing war between Google and sideloading. They also are trying to force the volume down when it’s too high for too long, even when it’s paired with a Bluetooth device at low volume, another braindead move with possibly good intentions but terrible execution.
With other OEMs (Samsung, BBK, Xiaomi, etc), they still sometimes add useful stuff, but I have a Motorola, so I don’t have much of an opinion on the extra stuff.
Google is saving their actually innovative and useful features for the Pixel line of phones. Many of these features are really software that Google arbitrarily locks to the Pixel.
And many of the Google stuff has just been getting worse and worse, they’ve been getting more and more pushy on me when I do something they don’t like (disable location, for example). Google likes the idea of trying to make Android more like iOS and restrict user freedom. This is why Android market share is declining in the US: If you want iOS, buy an iPhone.
I can’t decide if I agree or disagree with you, but perhaps readers and yourself would enjoy some added discussion through a shared love of Android and wanting to see Android succeed.
Scoped Storage is perhaps the best change in Android 11. This was the end of applications polluting your file system with junk that doesn’t get removed when you uninstall an app. There’s also a privacy issue with applications unintentionally exposing data to any other application that might try to access it. In my experience as a developer, you have to force developers to comply with good security policy or else it’s seen as a cost center to be avoided rather than a feature. For apps that can’t work with scope storage, Google provided an escape hatch through all files access, but they only allow applications to request to this permission in specific cases.
The Android 12 internet toggle makes me feel stupid. I understand the difference between different methods of connecting to the internet. It feels like extra taps for no reason for all but the lowest common denominator of users. Let’s strive for greatness and not sufficiency.
Android 14 sideloading restrictions are necessary from a security and privacy perspective. A lot of compatibility work goes on to enable old applications to work, and this often involves bypassing checks in the interest of not breaking things. I believe this intended to address malware in developing markets where alternate app stores are used. Even so, I don’t agree that Google should make this mandatory. A sufficiently scary warning message about potential malware would be a more reasonable first step, perhaps with a countdown timer to encourage users to actually read before bypass.
The Pixel line of phones is seeing increasing success. I understand the company focusing on products that make money. Google has a complicated relationship with vendors by being both collaborator and competitor at the same time.
Yesterday, I was trying to simply automate turning on/off Wifi via Tasker at a set time. Turned out Google has removed API access for this pre Android 12 only and can’t be done. If Google wants to be make an IOS clone, then it is doing very wrong, IMO.
In android 14, they still allow sideloading via stuff like F Droid or apk’s downloaded from internet? Or does the user has to confirm a prompt everytime? At the rate Google is restricting stuff, maybe some years down the line, the only way to sideload apps would be via adb.
They still allow sideloading through F droid and the like, as long as the app is specifically made for a newer Android version. There is a prompt to confirm (as with the Google Play Store), but this is good because it makes the user aware that they are installing an app.
Android is maturing. Big changes are becoming increasingly rare, therefore, I think Android and perhaps also hardware vendors should move to a two-year release schedule. I think it’s time to accept that annual releases are no longer necessary.
Now that we fully understand the use cases of the smartphone, I believe Android should provide an advanced mode or power user mode that extends beyond Developer Options for developers. I’d like to hand an Android phone to my grandmother in Basic Mode and know she can’t possibly mess up, but also I want to be more enabled in a Power Mode where not screwing up my device is my responsibility. I think the casual and advanced user are different beasts and should be respected separately.
Finally, I want to see mainline support for desktop mode. Android can increase demand for high-end devices and rejuvenate the premium segment if it shows that it fits new use cases to justify the money. Many users no longer own a laptop computer. Android should move now to capture this form factor.
Written from my Google Pixel 8 Pro.
Annual releases are not for everyone, not everyone upgrades the same year. They still should consider doing away with those if they don’t have anything to add, like not even a processor upgrade but it’s not meaningless
2 years is still insanely short to me. I had a Nexus 6p from 2016-2020, and a Pixel 5 from 2020-present, and frankly the 6p was still pretty fast and satisfying to use when I traded it in so I can’t imagine wtf anyone needs to upgrade more frequently than that.
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which is why we need to support developers of custom ROMs who are giving us lightweight open source alternatives.
Is there any way we can help steer the direction of AOSP?I’m unfamiliar with the clockworkpi, but I was just looking it up. Are you saying they’re able to do phone functionality as well?
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This isn’t an Android issue, it’s a smartphone issue in general. We’re reaching the glass ceiling and we don’t want to admit it. With Apple releasing ridiculous features like emergency tow truck and what not you realize that there isn’t a lot of brainstorming going on at Apple HQ. Android 14 basically did uhm… nothing this release? With Google’s recent announcement that the new Pixel will have 7 years of OS updates I now understand why, it’s because previously when a new Android version came out, it almost always broke something on your phone and now that the changes are minor, there is no effect.
I literally can’t tell the difference between Android 12 and 14
I have more and more weird interface glitches. That’s it. None of them are even remotely breaking in any way. Just silly.
I’m still on a Pixel 4a so it’s def feeling slower but not nearly as bad as I had expected.
I’m still on Android 10 and don’t feel like I’m missing anything I need.
Been using android since the first galaxy. Never have I experienced such a fuck up as when I let my pixel 7 pro update to 14. And this is from someone that used to run random custom stuff going back a few years.
Android 14 caused my phone memory to become corrupt and I had no choice but to factory reset, losing everything not synced. Apparently this was due to running two separate user profiles.
Somehow Google was too busy finding ways to get and sell more of our data and forgot to test if this basic feature fucking works.
Not looking forward to Monday when I’ll have to jump through flaming hoops to set up my work micrishaft authenticator / profile / intune crap again.
Other beef with 14, custom launchers are broken. I have never been able to stand the stock launcher, it is like babies first launcher. No customisation options and the stupid search bar can’t be removed. A few apps I use on a regular basis claim to to not be compatible, even though they ran fine for several days in 14 till the whole thing shit itself.
On the UI front I feel as if everything seems to get more bland each release with less interesting customisation than we had circa android 5.
Huh, I’ve had no issues with Nova launcher on my 7 pro. I honestly didn’t notice any changes after the update, aside from the lock screen clock settings
I was a long term Nova user also. Have tried a few others since, none of which I liked except Neo, which appears to have issues in 14 too.
Dude are you me? I literally just went through this. I used two profiles and had the memory issue. Couldn’t even take photos, the camera app said device was out of storage despite deleting most of my apps. And apps crashing all over the place.
The best part is… I’m traveling so it cost me half a day of vacation photos when I factory reset. And same as you… Will have to fix work 2FA on Monday.
What he hell were they thinking??
No. Everything went to shit in 12 with material 3/material you. It looks so bad. Bring back material 2.
Also of course there’s the whole privacy nightmare that android with Google services is.
I uovoted your comment because I strongly agree that Google services are bad for users, not just in terms of privacy, but also control over your device. And the opinions about the material you theme is just subjective, even though I think it looks fine.
I love Material 3
i miss when android was fun tbh i don’t like material; i liked jellybean and lollypop and holo before that. i liked the deserts and robots. bring back that.
I’m some ways yes, in others no.
They’ve been slowly removing power user things that once set Android apart from Apple. For example, a few versions ago, they stopped allowing apps to disable WiFi. I liked having it off when away from home.
The amusing thing is that iOS Shortcuts allows users to disable Wi-Fi.
It’s a surprisingly capable tool. I’m still surprised we don’t have a system-level Tasker or Shortcuts tool.
We do. It’s trash
Samsung’s built-in routines function is great for automating things like wifi on/off. Can Tasker no longer do this?
You can still do this without root, but the app needs to target an older SDK version, meaning you can’t install it from Google Play. And even if you get the APK, Android will only let you install it through ADB. You can run an ADB shell on-device with Shizuku, so you don’t need a computer. Still annoying they made it so difficult though.
Love Shizuku. I just dislike that I need to re-enable wireless ADB every reboot.
Interesting. Do you reboot your phone a lot?
Absolutely not. Its basicly a locked down ecosystem at this point and there is barely any Foss left in stock android.
Lineage is is the future. I imagine that most Roms will base off of it if there haven’t already
What do you think about this latest release?
Like the last few releases, it’s mostly a nothing release since Google put all their effort into pixel exclusive features now. I absolutely detest the current UI and how locked down the whole thing is becoming.
Do you think things are going in the right direction
Definitely not. Google are trying to make the pixels into iPhones, and they’re basically ignoring AOSP.
Is there anything you’d like to see prioritized in future releases
Customisation, especially of the UI. Let us change the size of the quick settings tiles for example so we can make them smaller like they used to be to have more of them.
Which device are you on?
I use an iPhone as my daily phone but I have a S21 Ultra and a Pixel 6 Pro that I use too.
AOSP deserves to be split out from Google into some kind of open source nonprofit similar to Linux. It’s obvious that Google has no intent of maintaining AOSP in a usable form, they’ve become completely distracted by Pixel software features.
The quick settings tiles and settings app are perfect examples. No custom color picker for the UI either? I HAVE to use one of the “AI”-generated suggestions, or one of 6 incredibly boring barely-different pastel variations? These things technically work, but almost seem designed to piss off the end user.
I honestly don’t see why they cannot even hide custom colours behind the developer settings
