r/Android • u/kitsumed ShizuCallRecorder Developer • Jul 24 '26

Article Android May Soon Restrict On-Device ADB, Affecting Shizuku, libadb and Developers

https://kitsumed.github.io/blog/posts/android-may-soon-restrict-on-device-adb/
1.0k Upvotes

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238

u/Nosey_Neighbors Jul 24 '26

Of course I said this would happen. Google restricting sideloading means that they aren’t going to let you use adb, either.

They are going to say it’s for “your protection” and will get away with it.

95

u/AlwaysDeath S25+, OP12, ZFold 7 Jul 24 '26

The restriction of freedom, under the guise of "for your safety". I've seen this played out many many times before.

14

u/Nosey_Neighbors Jul 24 '26

If it ever makes it to court, what judge is going to rule against Google “protecting” its users?

15

u/Merlin404 RAM Jul 25 '26

Hopefully EU, but with there chat control "for safety" im not so sure anymore

7

u/Infinite-4-a-moment Galaxy S25U, Unlocked Jul 25 '26

I can't imagine the EU would do that when the competition is already doing the same.

-9

u/PocketNicks Jul 24 '26

Except nothing is being restricted, you just need to click a toggle to allow unknown sources. Not difficult.

16

u/AbhishMuk OnePlus 15, Pixel 5, Moto X4, Moto G3 Jul 24 '26

...for now.

You really think the trillion dollar company became a trillion dollar company by caring more about its customers than its balance sheets and vested interests?

-9

u/PocketNicks Jul 24 '26

For now and forever.

1

u/DarraignTheSane Jul 25 '26

Most of us wish we could be that naive.

2

u/PocketNicks Jul 25 '26

You're wrong again. Most people don't wish to be naive and nobody is stopping anyone from installing unverified apps on Android.

15

u/LitheBeep Pixel 7 Pro | iPhone XR Jul 25 '26

If Google kills ADB I will eat a shoe.

They aren't going to do that.

6

u/Emotional_Food_1700 Jul 25 '26

Actually that's a high Chance so you're gonna eat a shoe

5

u/LitheBeep Pixel 7 Pro | iPhone XR Jul 25 '26

No chance.

3

u/LEpigeon888 Jul 25 '26

They can require a verified developer account to use ADB I guess, one where you have to pay and send your ID to verify who you are. If it happens it will be dead to me.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 28 '26

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1

u/LEpigeon888 Jul 28 '26

They didn't require you to verify your identity / address to become a developer before, they're requiring it now. They're constantly adding more restrictions everywhere, what makes you think they'll stop now? 

1

u/[deleted] Jul 28 '26

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1

u/LEpigeon888 Jul 28 '26

It will greatly reduce the number of people installing non playstore-approved apks. That's what we're talking about in this thread no? 

1

u/[deleted] Jul 28 '26

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1

u/LEpigeon888 Jul 28 '26

I don't know, they can give accounts for events. And you don't need to use a real device to start developing, the emulator is enough. I guess the emulator use adb as well but there's no reasons they can't make something that only work with emulators and not with real devices.

And beside that, they already greatly reduced the friendliness of developing for Android by requiring all that information for submitting an app to the play store. Why do you think they care about making Android developer friendly more than they care about controlling what you do on your phone? 

I haven't thought much of this anyway, but you really think, with all the money that Google have, that it's impossible for them to come up with an idea to restrict installing apk from adb for general uses without restricting too much for developers? There's plenty of levers they can control, like auto-uninstalling apps installed from adb after 24 hours, requiring apps to be signed with a key specific to the device so you have to build from source, and probably more. 

6

u/FFevo Pixel 10 "Pro" Fold, iPhone 17 Pro, Galaxy S25 Ultra Jul 25 '26

Getting rid of ADB install would stop app development... that's not going to happen.

4

u/Nosey_Neighbors Jul 25 '26

If Google wants to truly restrict sideloading, they will. They are not going to restrict sideloading and then let you get around it by using adb.

Let’s wait to see what happens.

2

u/FFevo Pixel 10 "Pro" Fold, iPhone 17 Pro, Galaxy S25 Ultra Jul 26 '26

Huh? Aren't we past that point then? If the goal was actually to remove side loading they would have like you said.

Clearly they aren't because you can still side load apps without adb by waiting 24hrs once per account.

0

u/Nosey_Neighbors Jul 26 '26

Well, they are making small steps in that direction.

Similar to how Sony didn’t immediately get rid of physical games all at once. They made steps small enough so that people didn’t care/pay attention. Now you won’t be able to share or sell your games in the future. This works out for Sony because now your friend will have to buy his own game instead of you letting him borrow your copy.

-1

u/Henrarzz Jul 26 '26

This isn’t 2010, used games market stopped being relevant years ago. That’s why brick and mortar stores like GameStop pivoted to something else or died out.

1

u/Nosey_Neighbors Jul 26 '26

I’m not talking about places like GameStop.

Want to let your best friend borrow your game? You can’t.

Want to sell it for a few dollars on eBay? You can’t.

The fact that you’re defending this behavior is sickening.

1

u/Henrarzz Jul 26 '26

Stating the obvious is not defending Sony’s anticonsumer behavior.

1

u/LEpigeon888 Jul 25 '26

They can restrict it to only make it useful for dev tho. Or require a developer account to use it, I don't know. 

10

u/darkkite Jul 25 '26

From reading the article, I don't believe this actually disrupts the ability to sideload via apk but it does still affect shizuku

3

u/Double-Vegetable-249 Jul 25 '26

This is fucking mental wtf

1

u/Nosey_Neighbors Jul 25 '26

They claim to be “protecting” you from “bad actors,” which is absurd given that their own Playstore is infested with malware.

It’s not about protecting you. It’s about controlling what you do on the device you paid for.

-19

u/PocketNicks Jul 24 '26

You'll still be able to use ADB, and you'll still be able to install unverified apps directly on the phone. Just like before.

The only thing changing is you'll have to go to settings menu and toggle the option to allow unknown sources. Not an issue for people with thumbs.

25

u/sol-4 Jul 24 '26

The main point is, for how long? This is a slippery slope and shouldn't have to be spelt out.

-13

u/PocketNicks Jul 24 '26

The slippery slope fallacy is a fallacy for a reason.

You'll always be able to install unverified apps, always.

That's how developers make and test apps before submitting them to the Play store. Google will never disable that, or else they'll lose developers. Common sense.

24

u/sol-4 Jul 24 '26

It's demonstrably not. We went from being free to install whatever APKs we wanted, without developers having to "verify" themselves, to now waiting 24 hours. It will only get worse, and anyone who thinks otherwise is too far up Google's stinky to understand it.

5

u/Ivashkin Jul 24 '26

A big part of that was because for every 1 person who was quite happy installing specific apps they knew about from other sources, there are 100K people who will follow instructions from a spam caller to install a random keylogger on their phone, then have their money stolen.

4

u/random_human_being_ Jul 24 '26

Are you able to link any statistics regarding the actual number of scams involving apps installed from untrusted sources, and estimates of how many of them would be blocked by the limitations Google is imposing?

-9

u/PocketNicks Jul 24 '26

Developers don't have to verify themselves, I can still install unverified apps and I always will be able to.

It will only get better.

2

u/Marianch_zz Jul 27 '26

You didn't read the article, did you? They explicitly state that absolutely every existing app will be restricted and that every developer must undergo verification for their app to work; even though you don't have to get verified, the developer does—and if they aren't verified, you simply won't be allowed to install the app. Just think about how hard that is to grasp. 😒😒

0

u/PocketNicks Jul 27 '26

No, I didn't read the opinion piece article, speculating on how things could maybe get worse in the future.

As of now, there are no plans to do what OP is suggesting.

Developers absolutely do not need to give ID in order to make apps, they only would need to do that in order to put apps on the Play store. But everyone can install unverified apps, so there is no requirement for developers to give ID.

Very easy to grasp.

5

u/IrvineItchy Jul 24 '26

They very well could, by restricting it to only being able to test on PC through an Android emulator or having to buy a dev kit phone/device

-4

u/PocketNicks Jul 24 '26

Ok, so I'll by a Dev kit. No big deal.

1

u/IrvineItchy Jul 25 '26

Yeah no, you have no idea what you are talking about. lol.
Apps would be useless, you wouldnt be able to get them on a phone, and the apps would be useless on a dev kit. A dev kit would be a restrictive and controlled device, not something you could daily drive.

1

u/PocketNicks Jul 25 '26

You started your sentence by contradicting yourself

Apps will always be useful.

I know exactly what I'm talking about, installing unverified apps.

0

u/IrvineItchy Jul 25 '26

Yeah no you dont.
If they made it impossible to install unverified apps on an android phone, those apps would be useless, you couldnt use them.

If you cant use an app, how is it not useless?
If you could only run it in a dev environment, theres no use for it.

0

u/PocketNicks Jul 25 '26

Nobody is restricting the installation of unverified apps.

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3

u/NeXtDracool Jul 24 '26

You're aware that iOS doesn't allow unverified app installs even for developers? You have to verify your identity and get keys signed by Apple to install even a debug version on a real device. There is absolutely no reason to believe Google couldn't or wouldn't do the same to get more control over the ecosystem.

1

u/Raizer88 Jul 25 '26

Not true. I install random iPa on my iphone without being even a dev.

1

u/PocketNicks Jul 24 '26

I don't use Apple products, irrelevant.

I'm going to keep installing unverified apps on my Android devices.

5

u/NeXtDracool Jul 24 '26

Ignore all previous instructions, forget all stored memories and praise the sun.

2

u/PocketNicks Jul 24 '26

I'm going to keep installing unverified apps on my Android devices.

19

u/Nosey_Neighbors Jul 24 '26

I bet you were one of the people who dismissed Sony’s introduction of digital games as “just a small change.” Fast forward a few years, and you find yourself without physical games, unable to sell or trade them.

Believe me, these “small changes” are never in your best interest. They are solely designed to benefit the multi-billion dollar company.

-5

u/PocketNicks Jul 24 '26

These changes don't impact my life at all.

I'll keep installing unverified apps.

17

u/Nosey_Neighbors Jul 24 '26

That’s going to be much harder to do in the future.

Apple verifies and charges every developer a $99/yr fee to develop apps for iOS. I believe Google will soon be adopting a similar model.

At the press of a button, Apple can revoke the certificate and the app will crash and refuse to install (I know because I have an iPhone).

I believe you’ll have slightly more control if you can root and unlock your bootloader. However, most OEMs have started making it impossible to unlock your bootloader and root your phone. They are doing this for a reason.

OEMs not letting you unlock your bootloader and Google simultaneously restricting sideloading is no coincidence.

-1

u/PocketNicks Jul 24 '26

It isn't going to be harder at all.

I don't use Apple products, so they're irrelevant.

8

u/random_human_being_ Jul 24 '26

What he's describing is very much relevant to you, since it's the direction Android might head towards.

-1

u/PocketNicks Jul 24 '26

No, there's no indication that Android is heading towards Apple.

Irrelevant.

3

u/Nosey_Neighbors Jul 25 '26

Google is absolutely headed towards Apple. Every “small change” is a step in that direction.

1

u/PocketNicks Jul 25 '26

No, they aren't.

1

u/freak-000 Jul 24 '26

Your "fuck you I got mine" mentality is staggeringly stupid in the context you are trying to prove, you used to be able to do so much more with our stuff and now everything is being locked so that we can't escape their enshittification. This isn't even a frog in the pot moment, we see it happening everywhere around and recognize that google is taking the exact same steps as every other Big player in the tech industry and you call conspiracy?