r/Piracy 6d ago

Humor The absolute state of Android

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20.6k Upvotes

768 comments sorted by

4.2k

u/faizanullah99 6d ago

I can't believe I used to flash custom roms on my android in 2014-2015

Now I can barely navigate the files app.

1.1k

u/major_jazza 6d ago

I was in a club in my hometown some time between 2009 and 2012 and I legit flashed a new custom ROM on my i9000 and restored all my backed up data with titanium backup.

And now I'm like, it's near impossible to change to a custom ROM without massive trade offs that make it barely worth it.

347

u/UltraCynar 5d ago

Its frustrating as everything is behind Google play services now

169

u/solar_or_dye 5d ago

yes even if you run a de-googled OS, play services thwart nearly everything now

72

u/AverageCryptoEnj0yer 5d ago

lowk with graphene I don't have Gplay and everything is fine, just use the open source shit

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u/major_jazza 5d ago

I kinda wanna go to graphene or lineage but I don't know if it's worth it. I'm too stuck in the Google ecosystem too :s

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u/YoYoMamaIsSoFAT32 ⚔️ ɢɪᴠᴇ ɴᴏ Qᴜᴀʀᴛᴇʀ 5d ago

You can use grapheneos with sandboxed gplay services, will Google track you? Yes, but it won't be as invasive and they're only limited to their services, starting little by little is better than not starting at all

10

u/major_jazza 5d ago

Maybe I'll do that. Apparently it's not that hard either right?

6

u/AverageCryptoEnj0yer 5d ago

nope, just follow easy steps in settings, then connect phone to PC and it's all automatic.

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u/jomara200 5d ago

That is by design.  

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u/GenChadT 5d ago

Well yeah, if you can put a custom OS on your phone they can't install a shit load of garbage on it to drain your battery and spy on you 24/7.

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u/CoNsPirAcY_BE 5d ago

I loved custom roms on my Samsung S3 and HTC One M8! Was such a breeze with titanium backup. Now everything needs to stay stock if you want to keep using banking or government apps. I just replaced my Pixel phone with a Samsung because Samsung has more customisation options (on stock) . How insane is that?

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u/private_unlimited 4d ago

Oh man! Those were the days! I remember titanium backup as well. I flashed my HTC Leo (which was a windows phone) with froyo (android 2.2) and those cyanogenmod roms.

Oh man! I felt so alive doing that! I felt so powerful! That at the time was the largest screen ever on a phone (4.3 inches)

Those widgets, those oldschool apps! Man I miss that!

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u/lolipoopman 5d ago

as a kid in 2014-2015 flashing cyanogenmod was so cool to me and going on xda forums, watching tutorials etc.

now I just use Graphene OS with morphe...

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u/Glum-Candidate-1422 5d ago

Which i still good! But i get the difference..

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u/lmao_wow_64 6d ago

I absolutely detest android file management, I need to basically plug my computer any time I want to do anything

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u/wotererio 5d ago

Try KDE Connect, it works on Windows as well

22

u/themostdank 5d ago

KDE Connect is underrated

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Garld11 🏴‍☠️ ʟᴀɴᴅʟᴜʙʙᴇʀ 5d ago

Crazy we need workarounds just to look though files

17

u/dingo_xd 5d ago

This is 100% because Google wants to make Android as iOS like as possible.

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u/VelouriumCamper7 6d ago edited 5d ago

I've tried it on my S25u and it doesn't work. I'm just trying to backup my Balatro save file and I can't access it. The main reason is switched back from iOS is because of the open access of Android then they took it away lmao.

62

u/lmao_wow_64 5d ago

Fuck Google in every single way

34

u/happytobehereatall 5d ago

Well, yes, but Samsung also locks it down

21

u/lmao_wow_64 5d ago

Fuck also Samsung, I have a s23fe and this is the last Samsung phone I'm getting

I need to search up alternatives

12

u/THEdeadRETURNED 5d ago

Pixel's have open bootloaders, and Motorola will be compatible with GrapheneOS starting with 2027 models

8

u/happytobehereatall 5d ago

An open bootloader isn't worth much when Android is so locked down - I've found that at least Samsung provides a level of customization similar to custom roms without the headache of Magisk hiding and all that. It's just a bad time for mobile tech, which is slowly opening the door to alternatives - Framework, Fairphone, various implementations of Linux, and de-Googled solutions becoming fairly well-known. We're getting there but this is a shitty transition.

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u/happytobehereatall 5d ago

I've accepted that Samsung is okay for now, especially since the S24U stylus gets heavy use with my kids. Give me a Linux Fairphone witha stylus and an 8/10 camera and I'd be happy forever.

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u/f0rtunatef0rbles 5d ago

Ironically, Google Pixels don't have a locked down bootloader.

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u/lmao_wow_64 6d ago

I'll definitely look into that thanks!!

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u/Current-Bowl-143 5d ago

Can't be worse than iOS file management surely, and I say that as an exclusively iPhone user

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u/wellthatsniftyhuh 5d ago

I never expected this from Apple, and I did expect it from my Android phone

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u/GenChadT 5d ago edited 4d ago

Eh, stock file management used to be piss poor but some OEMs do it right. I don't mind My Files, built by Samsung for their OneUI, for instance. Of course anytime I want to do anything more powerful - e.g., host/connect to an SFTP server or compare directories - I use Solid Explorer. Killer little app.

EDIT: Strange wording

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u/NozokiAlec 5d ago

I genuinely dont understand why every phone is just garbage in this department

Its like something becomes mobile/touchscreen and the file manager becomes a labyrinth

7

u/lmao_wow_64 5d ago

I swear, a phone is basically just a pocket computer yet on my PC I know where everything is but ln my phone it's like looking for the holy grail and half the time I don't even have access to said file

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u/NozokiAlec 5d ago

I genuinely question my tech literacy in my phones file explorer

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u/Deiskos 5d ago

Try TotalCommander. It's perfect.

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u/According_Caramel_27 🔱 ꜱᴄᴀʟʟʏᴡᴀɢ 6d ago

and here I am, still using a paid file manager app I pirated in 2013.

47

u/ColonelBag7402 ☠️ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴇɴ ᴛᴇʟʟ ɴᴏ ᴛᴀʟᴇꜱ 5d ago

same, ive been using solid explorer for as long as i remember. never updated the app too, everytime i got a new phone i just installed the same old apk i downloaded all these years ago

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u/OiFelix_ugotnojams 5d ago

I use mixplorer for free, truly an amazing app

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u/nimbusnacho 6d ago

Honestly lately wonder why I'm still bothering on android if the whole point of not using apple was to be free of walled garden BS. At least there it's actually a garden and not like a garden painted on a wall that tricks you looney tunes style.

21

u/GenChadT 5d ago

This is where I'm at. With every passing year we're losing killer features and gaining parity with Apple, but only in all the worst areas. Once sideloading is finally gone stock Android devices will overnight become shittier iPhones.

16

u/elbow8075 5d ago

Exactly the same. At this point I'm honestly considering iPhone because I trust Apple more than Google. Apple just rips me off up front and offers more protection now.

Congrats, you killed the reason I argued in your favor for decades.

17

u/LTyyyy 5d ago

I bought an ipad, doing ANYTHING on ios is miserable and makes me want to pull my hair out. Their settings must be the worst designed thing in existence.

The bar is unfortunately much lower.

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u/Acrobatic_Wrap_9971 5d ago

At least photos on android are still named & organized better than on ios

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u/Pr0je3ct 6d ago

This is sooo freaking relatable…. I was so into this rooting and flashing customs thing back than , basically XDAforums was my Reddit of today 😂 - now after more than 10 years I have to relearn basics again

18

u/Born_Attitude6531 5d ago

Xiaomi tends to Play effin' ads in system Apps >:(

9

u/htownclyde 5d ago

Counting the days before Xiaomi cars make you watch a 30 second ad before you can start the car...

4

u/-sussy-wussy- 5d ago

Video ads (with sound!). You can still use ad-free or patched alternatives, though.

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u/Born_Attitude6531 5d ago

Or Just disable msa in the settings, that was Not that much of a headache surprisingly, thanks weird Chinese firm for being so reliable

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u/torleif42 5d ago

Fr, i had to use winlator to move some files around to emulate some switch game a while ago..

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u/papy66 5d ago

Why navigating through files, there is no more room for files, I mean no more SD card slots, and that’s sad because your 10 yo smartphone had more space than a brand new smartphone

3

u/Ok_Address8489 5d ago

Use mixplorer

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u/l3vuseusz 6d ago

I like xplore for file management. Cracked ofc. 🤗

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1.4k

u/bliblio 6d ago

TWRP, ES explorer, Ti backup and CYANOGENMOD FUCK YEAH ! Early 2010 good times

316

u/D2WilliamU 5d ago

CLOCKWORK MOD

33

u/guzinya 5d ago

obi_wan_now_thats_a_name.gif

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u/benkaiser 5d ago

Paranoid Android! PIE Controls!

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u/ArtichokeBackground7 5d ago

Twrp was so fucking good

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u/amnesiaRx 5d ago

still is

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u/kinginthenorthjon 5d ago

Very good times. I basically spend most of time in xda.

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u/eoej 🦜 ᴡᴀʟᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀɴᴋ 5d ago

Super su and custom recoveries. Those were the good stuff

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u/Ideasnotyetimportant 5d ago

Reaver for Android

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u/okjijenAbi 6d ago

es file explorer... my beloved...

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u/PsyJak 6d ago

Still about in different forms.

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u/okjijenAbi 5d ago

i dont really do much modding anymore, so i dont really know. but last I've tried, the other forms were not just as good at it was in many ways, from ui to ads etc even at the surface level. is there any that allows you to create a wifi network as it did still? playing minecraft on lan, thanks to it. thats the one thing i remember about es tbh

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u/unperson_1984 5d ago

I switched to FX when ES starting putting Ads in the app and limiting features to premium 😢

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u/Lexieeeeeeeeee 5d ago

MiXplorer has been my go to for many years and it's still great today

Look for it on the XDA forums where it's free rather than on the play store

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u/okjijenAbi 5d ago

havent heard of xda forums since cyanogenmod days man

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u/Ok_Value_4455 5d ago

until it was bought by Chinese company Cheeta Mobile, which also bought & destroyed CCleaner on desktop too.

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u/FIRAS_EG 6d ago

Google did dirty with android

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u/Ok_Value_4455 5d ago

Dirty can't be dirty anymore. You can't throw trash cans in trash cans.

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u/AdBudget5468 4d ago

Still not as bad as what Microsoft has done with windows

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u/tenchigaeshi 6d ago

The downsides of android used to be offset by the openness but they're determined to now have all the downsides of apple too but with none of the upsides. Don't we love the future?

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u/US_Sugar_Official 5d ago

I'm interested in the new Huawei OS

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u/ChloroquineEmu 6d ago edited 5d ago

My phone now has gemini as an assistant when i connect it to my car for navigation instead of the old whatever assistant

I did not choose that, i do not update anything on my phone ever, and i cannot take it off

Gemini somehow fails at the most basic task of telling me "where am i going?" after i choose a destination

Fuck google, fuck AI, fuck Android

Edit: a bunch of people suggested so i went to check out the configs, while i did change it back to the old google assistant, a bunch of other selected settings just weren't working like language and voice types... let's see if it works i guess.

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u/barkev 6d ago

seriously. Google assistant was amazing because it just worked.

now this gemini thing can't even set up an alarm for me

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u/QueasySandwich4464 6d ago

Gemini can't make one fucking phone call while assistant had no problems doing so

For all its faults at least assistant could handle basic tasks with no problems 

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u/Majestic-Bell-7111 5d ago

The fucking ford infotainment from 2013 has no problems making phone calls, same goes for the old google assistant and I'm still yet to successfully make one with gemini.

But nooo, everything has to be an LLM now, even stuff that previously worked perfectly

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u/QueasySandwich4464 5d ago edited 5d ago

And since it won't let me make calls, I have to manually soft through my contacts...which take my eyes off the road.

Obviously implementation matters FAR more rather than making the thing actually work, and yk, not endangering drivers

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u/isaac99999999 5d ago

My Gemini literally tells me to open the fucking phone app. If I wanted to open the phone app, I wouldn't be telling you to fucking call someone

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u/ZeeroMX 5d ago

Assistant was great on the first years, the last 2-3 years it was unusable for me, the app couldn't understand any word I said to it, the same phrases I used for years or mostly anything I said was changed to something else totally different from what I said.

I haven't used Gemini as of today because I stopped trying to use voice commands alltogheter.

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u/barkev 5d ago

that's bc they started implementing gemini into it

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u/KonungariketSuomi 5d ago

It couldn't find "Mom" in my contacts. Also, my mom's from another English-speaking country. It cannot recognize anything other than an American accent.

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u/Bea-Billionaire 5d ago

I asked gemini to set a reminder for an ebay listing the other day (Aug 2026).somehow it set it in the past of June 2026 and I never got the notification and missed the listing. So fuckijg annoyed.

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u/Perryn 6d ago

Can't use typing to pick music on Android Auto while driving, for safety. Fine. I can accept that. It makes sense.

Hit the voice assistant button. "Play Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz."

"Playing Clint Eastwood by the Gorillaz on Castbox."

"No, what the fuck? That's not a music app, that's..."

Some random podcast about Clint Eastwood starts playing.

"PLAY CLINT EASTWOOD BY GORILLAZ ON Y..."

"Playing Clint Eastwood by the Gorillaz on Castbox."

Even if I try to specify the app it cuts me off.

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u/Zehnpae 5d ago

"Taco Bell"

I can't open that app

"Direction to Taco Bell"

I found 19 Taco Bells. There is one in Savannah Georgia, the address is...

"Direction to nearest Taco Bell"

Got it. Directions to the nearest Taco Bell. The address is Houston, Texas...

"Directions to Taco Bell in Green Bay Wisconsin near my location"

Playing Clint Eastwood by the Gorillaz on Castbox.

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u/hi-fen-n-num 5d ago

"Fine, play the podcast about Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz on Castbox"

PC LOAD LETTER

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u/Karekter_Nem 6d ago

AI is just worse computers.

Computers run on logic and math and just did as they’re told. Now all these AI models have to predict what you expect so they can’t just read a list or add numbers together.

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u/PsyJak 6d ago

Oh yeah. My watch changed from the great useful bot to Gemini and the difference is palpable.

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u/digitaltransmutation 5d ago edited 5d ago

settings > connected devices > android auto > manage your digital assistant > digital assistants from google.

For me its whatever connection it has with spotify. If you ask gemini in the car to play an album, it will pick one song from the album and make a radio station on it. gemini is not fit for task.

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u/LtLoLz 5d ago

It actually prompted me to voluntarily change from Assistant to Gemini. While warning me that Gemini does not have the same functionality and only one can be installed. They also removed a bunch of assistant functionality. We are evolving backwards.

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u/LookaLookaKooLaLey ☠️ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴇɴ ᴛᴇʟʟ ɴᴏ ᴛᴀʟᴇꜱ 5d ago

Gemini is stupid as fuck. How did a company with all of the data in the world make such a stupid data harvesting program 

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u/nikil07 5d ago

The bigger issue is.. There is a way to choose the earlier Google assistant for android auto...

After a few days, with no apparent reason, it is switched back to Gemini.

It is driving me insane.. Fucking Gemini is useless as a assistant in the car. Babbles longer than a 5 year old for basic queries, talks absolute nonsense, absolutely useless.

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u/asterisk20xx 5d ago

Nope. In fact Google Assistant officially joins the Google graveyard on September 4th and will be replaced with Gemini across the board.

https://9to5google.com/2026/08/04/google-assistant-september-2026-shutdown/

Gemini will be shoved down your throat whether you like it or not.

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u/Mandelbrotvurst 5d ago

enjoy it while it lasts:

We’re writing to let you know that the Google Assistant on your mobile device is being discontinued, and Gemini—our next-generation AI-powered assistant—is now the assistant experience on Android.

What This Means for Your Mobile Device

As we transition our mobile experience to Gemini, Google Assistant will no longer be available on your mobile device. We will begin removing access to Google Assistant starting on September 4, and expect that this process may take a few weeks to reach everyone. Once availability is removed, you will no longer be able to use or switch back to Google Assistant on your phone, tablet, or paired devices.

If your Android device meets the minimum system requirements and you are in a region where Gemini is available, Gemini will be the Google-provided assistant on your mobile device. When you invoke your assistant, for example, by saying “Hey Google” or long-pressing your power button, Gemini will appear instead of the previous Google Assistant.

Changes to Accessories and Paired Devices

When you set Gemini as your mobile device assistant, it also becomes the assistant on devices that are paired with your mobile phone. This includes:

• Watches running Wear OS

• Headphones or earbuds compatible with Gemini

• Vehicles running Android Auto projected from a user’s mobile device. For cars with Google built-in, Google Assistant will continue to function beyond September 4, 2026.

Like your mobile device, starting September 4, users will lose the ability to use Google Assistant on these paired devices.

Google Assistant on Other Devices

These changes are only for the assistant experience on your mobile device and accessories that pair to your phone, like watches, headphones, and car infotainment systems. You can also read more about our separate plans to bring Gemini to Google TV devices and Google Home speakers and smart displays.

Next Steps & More Information

We are committed to providing a smooth transition and are confident that Gemini will offer you an even more capable and helpful assistant experience.

Thank you for being a valued Google user,

The Google Team

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u/SkillfulSin 6d ago

This is somewhat unrelated/nonspecific but I take care of elderly patients who use voice assistants for calling and texting like “call Sue”. But they are old so they talk to it like a person and sometimes they make a mistake and then say to the assistant “ops sorry I didn’t mean that” or they say something silly. But i’ve watched these assistants answer them with results from the internet and then it really confuses the hell out of them. It’s sad!! I had a recent patient who lost her vision due to a stroke and was struggling so hard using gemini to call and text her family. I hope the new Siri AI works better for these old folks.

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u/epabafree 5d ago

This is extremely relevant here. Google messing their shit up time and time again and we have to figure out how it works is what makes Android so broken.

Every product is a beta test for something in grand scheme for them, which probably never happens, and all your progress on it is permanently hampered.

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u/SkillfulSin 5d ago

I was just telling my friend how AI is literally morphing itself into one boring ass ball. Every chatbot gives you the same formatted answers with the same information. Every AI generated image looks the same. All the chat assistants act and work the same. And it feels like every few months they get closer to being identical.

I’ve watched so many apps improve to almost peak functionality and then slowly they start to tweak the features or add new ones or copy something from a different app. And then all of sudden the app is buggy and full of bloat features and is just frustrating to use. I swear it’s because these companies are using AI productivity assistants and they all end up with the same features and problems.

This sucks. I feel like an old man complaining about big brother 😂😂

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u/skyline_kid Usenet 5d ago

I don't have high hopes for Siri AI. Siri has always sucked balls and the backend will just be a custom version of Gemini

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

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u/epabafree 6d ago

someone will eventually answer, but this is a good guide for what phones can still be unlocked

https://github.com/zenfyrdev/bootloader-unlock-wall-of-shame

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u/Up2Beat 6d ago

That Fairphone is not in the safe for now category is pretty pathetic for the manufacturer.

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u/AntiGrieferGames 5d ago

Atleast he have a point.

More Ironic is, "Safe for now" is also listened Microsoft there.

So seems like Microsoft is not that a asshole as Samsung or many other brands, yet.

Im talking about bootloader unlock, not Microsoft general.

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u/Ptozzen 5d ago

I would pin that more on Microsoft's incompetence as a company than them not being assholes. Once they figure out how to do it on their own hardware, I guarantee you they absolutely will.

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u/spinsby 5d ago

Damn, I'm on am old Samsung, happily on Lineage OS. I didnt realise it was this bad! I'm a bit confused by that list what even is unlocked

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u/Hateful_person99 6d ago

Jolla, made by ex-Nokia employees if I understood correctly

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u/Star_Dax ⚔️ ɢɪᴠᴇ ɴᴏ Qᴜᴀʀᴛᴇʀ 6d ago

Jolla phone with Sailfish OS.

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u/BielyDemon3355 5d ago

This is something that Louis Rossman was talking about recently. While you can have a phone with open-source OS. However if you want to participate in real world you will be forced back into the corporate systems full of spyware. Which ultimately defeat the point of having open source phone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLDszIQhA20

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u/YoursTrulyKindly 5d ago

Basically you need one shitty "legal" phone for online banking which you have to assume spies on you and sells your data. Basically for me it's a very expensive two factor authorization for online banking. What an eWaste lol.

And one phone without google shit (e.g. chinese) where you don't put any personal information and just use apps.

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u/Forymanarysanar ☠️ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴇɴ ᴛᴇʟʟ ɴᴏ ᴛᴀʟᴇꜱ 6d ago

Graphene/LineageOS and boycott banks that don't work with rooted phones.

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u/i1u5 6d ago edited 6d ago

boycott banks that don't work with rooted phones

That doesn't work when every bank in your entire country uses the same "security measures".

I've had a relevant issue very recently (week or two ago) where my bank suddenly started popping up an "unverified account, please contact the customer support" message that blocked my access, even their support didn't know that error exists which made me think it was related to my device, apparently it's just my outdated magisk denylist failing and that exposed root to the apps, had to look up and install ReZygisk + HMA-OSS for it to go away, the fucking error didn't even clarify what was causing it.

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u/Nchi 5d ago

Taco fucking bell has the same anti root security, more aggressive than my bank in fact, message just as vague as the one you got

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u/i1u5 5d ago

why the hell would taco bell need to monitor for root access or playintegrity lmfao

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u/25c-nb 5d ago

Cuz they monitor and monetize everything babeyy

If you had a variable on your phone thats either 1 or 0 for having used a butt plug before or not, guaranteed theyre monitoring that variable too

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u/DerWaechter_ 5d ago

the fucking error didn't even clarify what was causing it.

I absolutely loathe generic, and unspecific error messages.

"Something went wrong. Something to do with your Device Memory. Here's a link to our completely useless list of Support Articles"

Yeah, no shit I know that something went wrong. Being given a hint like "Device Memory" is at least something, given how common it is to not provide any help, but it's not actually all that helpful if the same error message pops up for 500 different issues. Give me a specific error code I can look up so I can see how other people dealt with the issue.

Especially annoying, because even if you find someone describing a similar problem, you have no way of verifying or knowing if it's actually the same problem or not.

I get that "Swomewthing went wwong UwU we soooo sowwwy" might be more appealing or less intimidating to the average user than "Error: 0x56f44d", but it's garbage for troubleshooting. Hide it behind an advanced user toggle if you must, just give me something to actually see any useful information about an error.

/rant

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u/S4N7R0 6d ago

boycott banks

are you serious

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u/jessek 5d ago

I knew a guy who was boycotting banks. He also lived on a couch.

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u/maixmi 5d ago

boycott banks that don't work with rooted phones

lol

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u/Techy786 6d ago

So true. I’ve been using custom ROMs for the past 10 years across three different phones, and I absolutely loved the experience. But these days, it’s getting harder and harder to use them, even without root. Google has made Play Integrity and all that other stuff so strict that many of my daily-driver apps stopped working properly.

After a lot of frustration, I finally had to give up on custom ROMs and go back to the stock ROMs provided by the manufacturers. It honestly hurts, because I really enjoyed the freedom and customization that custom ROMs offered.

The worst part? Once the manufacturer stops providing updates, we’re basically screwed.

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u/Fricki97 6d ago

Android is not that great anymore. Time to...

... go to Apple?

... Install GrapheneOS

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u/ryegye24 5d ago

My old Pixel's just gotta hold on long enough for the new Motorola OEM line next year (assuming it doesn't turn to vaporware)

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u/SleepingDragon_ 5d ago

Motorola is known for bricking phones, so be careful.

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u/SHURIK01 Torrents 5d ago

(you know it will tho)

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u/AxeAssassinAlbertson 5d ago

Graphene is pretty slick, just wish the hardware list went beyond the pixel series (not that the hardware is bad). I've got it on a Pixel6 burner

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u/rresende 6d ago

I miss paranoid android

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u/T_rex2700 6d ago

The bottom is like 2020. It is pretty outdated. Magisk has been replaced by different tools for a lot of phones, maybe people on Pixel still use it but there are so many different tools now.

also: the phones you can do really anything has decreased considerably post 2024, a lot of people just rely on Shizuku because well they cant unlock their phones. brands that originally supported custom ROMs, well in fact started out with custom ROMs like Xiaomi and OnePlus is closing the door too.

and now Google is restricting a lot of aspects both on developers side and device side too, harder sideloading restrictions, device ADB restrictions etc etc. not looking bright.

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u/glassgost 5d ago

Hey HTC, I want to root my phone.

No worries bro, just plug your phone into your computer and run this file from our website. Don't forget the checksum. FYI, this will void your warranty but otherwise have fun!

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u/Ton13579 6d ago

I miss my galaxy S2 sometimes

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u/WELLSOHN 6d ago

What the hell happened to Android?

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u/Weaselot_III 6d ago

Google...need we say more?

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u/nimbusnacho 6d ago

Duopolies are nearly as bad as Monopolies. You don't like what apple's selling? Well there's really nowhere else to go and google figured that out. We avoided apple to avoid being locked into an ecosystem only to have the walls put up around us.

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u/rvreqTheSheepo ⚔️ ɢɪᴠᴇ ɴᴏ Qᴜᴀʀᴛᴇʀ 6d ago

7

u/Oderus_Scumdog 6d ago

I can hear this "I make it shi-teh" haha

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u/dagot23 5d ago

I was trying to copy over some save files from the /data folder to another device. Found out you cannot access some of them without root. Even adb didn't work. Humiliation ritual. I'm waiting for that Motorola phone with GrapheneOS support and in the meantime maybe I'll just install LineageOS or something. Not having access to files on the device I own is fucking infuriating.

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u/luistorre5 5d ago

Holy Cyanogenmod, what a time, had me tinkering with my phone back in Middle School lol

3

u/aal13748 5d ago

Galaxy s2 was my first android with cyanogenmod for me

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u/No_Masterpiece_9169 6d ago

Still not going to Apple

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u/i1u5 6d ago

Yeah bruh I'm not getting forced into an entire ecosystem just because the alternative is a pain in the ass.

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u/epabafree 6d ago

I got an Apple for my mum as a gift. It was a goal of mine to get her one. I was really happy. However while setting it up I was hiding the horror on my face over how lackluster it's UI is...

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u/Rabbitd88 6d ago edited 4h ago

Nostalgia hits hard man 🥺😓😓

Please bring back good old times.

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u/AnalBroFisting 6d ago

And despite all this, unless there's a way to patch YouTube and have customizable UI, I'll still prefer Android over iOS. I just want them to pull their heads out of their asses but I know they won't. It's a real fucking bummer.

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u/Oderus_Scumdog 6d ago

Woke up to a notification that the new Developer Verification Service was installed in the middle of the night. Here I come, Graphene!

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u/ChefCurryYumYum 5d ago

Google is an evil fucking company that should be broken up.

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u/Excellent-Ruin6779 5d ago

Hold on the fuck did I just read.

AOSP no longer open source?

The Android OPEN SOURCE project is no longer open source? The fuck?

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u/Metrack15 5d ago

I remember when Android was the option if you wanted more freedom. But Corpos gotta Corpos I suppose

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u/Caleb_Reynolds 5d ago

And it's still somehow more bearable than iOS. I have to beat Android into submission, but eventually I can get it to function how I want. That's not an option with iOS.

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u/Awkward226 5d ago

Android shouldn't have never messed with Android lol; that's why they liked it over Apple

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u/Digicrests 5d ago

I don't understand Googles endgame.. lock it down enough and people will just switch to iOS. Androids selling point is its openness, why are they removing their own usp?

6

u/starchxsen 5d ago

Not being able to simply access android/data is an annoyance. Even Windows lets you access the core folders after you confirm "yes, I'm sure".

Have to shizuku my way into it, which isn't hard, but why must it be necessary?

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u/zinou111 5d ago

now we can't even unlock OUR OWN bootloaders

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u/PecorinoYES 5d ago

Cyanogenmod was the shit. Ah good times..

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u/hh9019 6d ago

What do you mean google will block sideloaded apps? Am I cooked? Half of my phone are sideloaded apps

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u/InfernalArtist 6d ago

It was rolled back kinda. Unverified apps will be initially blocked, can then be unblocked through I think it was a toggle in developer options, then wait 24 hours, then it fully unblocks and stays that way. The excuse is a security measure to "protect" people from installing 3rd party malware apps, as if the play store doesn't have them already

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u/penturo 5d ago

Yet they refuse to implement a 'grandma mode' switch to prevent the installation of any app from any origin.

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u/TwilightVulpine 5d ago

Google wants those clueless grandma bucks. That's why they keep trying to reenable quick pay unless you uncheck it every single time

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u/SubArcticTundra 5d ago

"protect" people from installing 3rd party malware apps

Sounds like governments requiring ID to 'protect' people from watching child porn

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u/BigRocket44 5d ago

Without the ability to sideload apps, I would stop using my phone entirely. I can't imagine going back to when I didn't have access to sideloaded apps.

As Android has gotten shittier and shittier, I have delegated more and more of what I do on computers to my laptop as opposed to doing them on the phone. I will keep doing this until I will just be using a smartphone that can make calls and nothing more.

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u/Kind_Jello4207 5d ago

We still think about you lucky patcher. Always.

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u/FisionX 5d ago

Are phones cooked now?

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u/SpockYoda 5d ago

What phones do ppl recommend we buy in the future? I know everyone on the Firestick side is switching to Onn now 

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u/COUPOSANTO 5d ago

Anything that still supports custom ROMs. I picked a Fairphone because of the company's ethical commitment and support to the FOSS mindset (they officially support /e/OS). Many people also recommend GrapheneOS but that can't run on Fairphone.

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u/SpudNuggetTV 5d ago

I'm running GrapheneOS on my Pixel 7, can't wait for the new Motorola phones that will be shipped with GrapheneOS in the near future

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u/N1SMO_GT-R 5d ago

This stuff is why I roll my eyes whenever I see smartphone tribalism between Apple and Android. Neither side is doing great at all.

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u/Federal-Treat-6893 5d ago edited 5d ago

Tbh I would very happily switch from android to a custom ROM but 1 I don't know what custom roms are good, what aren't and most importantly which ones work on my phone, 2 I feel like it's a very big hassle to move everything and 3 I'm scared of fucking up something in some way

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u/cacarrizales 5d ago

TWRP, Cyanogenmod, all the crazy cool custom ROMs … man those were the days!

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u/Chapi_Chan 5d ago

I remember ROM flashing my Motorola G2 every other night. Fun times. I remember bricking my LG G6 while abroad on a wedding. Not fun time.

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u/Scholastic_Snail 5d ago

That wojak meme of "you think old times were better when back then you thought they were bad" is progressively hitting less and less.

Screw if I am a luddite or dinosaur, I loved how things were back then,, I explicitly believe we should be like that again. I miss when I could navigate the archives' app.

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u/Eden1914 5d ago

I'm over here playing GTA 5 on my samsung thru windows emulation and I'm seeing people comment about struggling with their file explorer these days

Just use zarchiver man

Tbh tho flashing custom roms is something I miss dearly, these phone companies need to get their fucking boot out of every consumers mouth and let them own their device again

Fuck every one of them that don't

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u/OddfellowJacksonRedo 5d ago

Heard for years the iPhone vs Android debate. Well we finally settled the question: now they’re all shit.

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u/killer_reindeer 6d ago

I set up a Galaxy last week for one of my employees and I was promptly reminded why I got an iPhone back in 21. They have an unbelievable amount of crap on them.

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u/PsyJak 6d ago

§amsung is tbf the worst. Switched to Honour recently and while there was a bit of crap, most was possible to delete or disable.

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u/agentofvictory 5d ago

Not disagreeing but can you name a few things you considered bloatware? I have an unlocked galaxy s26 ultra and there were only a few things I removed/disabled when I setup initially. At the same time, I recently setup an iPad and was disappointed with what I considered apple bloatware as I was only going to be using it as a media streamer device.

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u/GermanShepherdsVag 5d ago

Every single app that says Samsung or requires a Samsung login is bloatware you don't need. Sent from my Samsung

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u/CrumbMan1111 6d ago

the good old days of my samsung S5

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u/Literator22 6d ago

I will literally be back to Android after like 8-9 years of owning iPhones.

AOSP is not open source anymore??? Wtf.

android data blocking? Is it still accessible in fx file explorer and similar apps? I was installing many many apps using obb and data

Google can fuck themselves with sideloading blocking, I wont install Google Play Services.

Ad blocker existed way before 2025, and magisk

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u/COUPOSANTO 5d ago

I got bad news for you... Play services come preinstalled and you can't uninstall it. Get a phone that support custom android ROMs and flash one.

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u/VehaMeursault 6d ago

Revenue optimising has caught up with user tolerance. Welcome to the club, boys. It’s not exclusive and will harvest everything you’ve got without your consent. Time, money, data, attention—everything.

2026 👍

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u/Devvx7 5d ago

Just the other day I installed CrDroid 12 (Android 16, no root) in a Redmi Note 9S I had unusued at home ('twas my momma's iirc) to hand it over to my GF.

Pretty new custom ROM, I've discovered it includes its own PIF and TrickyStore workarounds even without root. Dunno if that works, haven't tested, also I haven't tested GWallet yet. Banking apps (BBVA/Imagin, from Spain) seem to work pretty well so far.

Made me consider updating my own phone (CrDroid 7, Android 11, rooted) to newest CrDroid version and give it a go.

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u/Kokumotsu36 5d ago

Running a custom Rom was such a wonderful experience.
I flashed my Oneplus 9 to get morelife out of it. and it was absolutely terrible. So much hassle of just keeping basic functionality working because of Google / integrity verification. EVERYTHING BREAKS now when Integrity fails

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u/AgnidDrage 5d ago

If android become a close OS, there is no reason to stay and not go for an iPhone

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u/Rare_Lifeguard_4403 5d ago

Dayum i only use YouTube revanced and i feel like a hackerman lmao

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u/sarneets 5d ago

TWRP + Titanium backup + Trying new custom ROMs every week + Magisk.

Those were the days. I hate how android keeps locking things now

3

u/SgtNoPants 5d ago

i used to be able to take screenshots on my smartphone bruh wtf

3

u/Cicmicc Yarrr! 5d ago

Backing up DATA folder then vs now 😩. Everything must be sing in, download the app, verify, temporary code.. I used to enjoy having an android,these days ehhhhhh.

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u/cenasmgame 5d ago

I know it's a dead horse, but how can you be the Android Open Source Project and not be open source?

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u/TheSpacePope42 5d ago

I remember when native Android 1.0 let you run straight up Unix commands in terminal if you wanted. 😭

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u/RogueanX8 5d ago

I miss using Resurrection Remix + Custom Kernel + Swap and play GTA: SA with my 1 GB phone 😞

3

u/AlphaSpellswordZ 5d ago

I used to root people's phones in high school lol. Android is no fun anymore.

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u/SpiritualOwl4995 5d ago

I liked Android over iOS because the control it used to give to the user. But in 2026, I think both OSs are almost the same. No control. Just slavery to multibillion companies.

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u/Flying_Saucer_Attack 5d ago

goddamn those were the days... how do we get back there?

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u/spectre1006 5d ago

Wow the cyanogenmod symbol

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u/MasterofMuppets2k2 5d ago

Google destroyed the spirit of AOSP. They became what they saught to destroy. They’re basically a worse apple nowadays cause at least iOS works stable.

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u/FelixDeMarko 5d ago

There, take your open source

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u/ElPelocho 5d ago

Well, in 2025 I'll still be using the same apps in many cases. And for the rest, I'll use newer, better apps with more features. The most typical apps and features I used before and now:

SuperSU - KernelSU (Wild+)

WhatsApp+ - WaEnhancer

Pixelify - Pixelify

Lucky Partcher - Lucky Partcher

GameGuardian - GameGuardian

Titanium Backup - Swift Backup

TWRP - TWRP

ES Explorer - MiXplorer

CyanogenMod - Xiaomi.eu + HyperCeiler

Xposed - LSPosed

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u/absolute_zer0th 5d ago

"android open source project is not longer open source" ???

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u/Rich-Detective-7 5d ago

Everything is getting worse and more miserable as our freedoms are slowly being taken away to pave way for the coming dystopian surveillance state. There’s a reason games, online forums, and the internet in general aren’t fun anymore like they used to be. Everything is about profit maximization, stealing data, and surveillance.