On: Apple admits third-party app stores in Europe are ...

[clumsysmurf]

I hope this happens in the US as well, Google has become a terrible partner for Android developers.

This past week Google announced (1) that in order to release an app on Play:

"developers with newly created personal Play Console accounts will soon be required to test their apps with at least 20 people for a minimum of two weeks before applying for access to production."

This will be gamed (test farms), and the policy will not achieve any goal but making life difficult for small / indie developers.

(1) https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2023/11/ensuring-h...

[flykespice → clumsysmurf]

Google is really trying so hard to surpass Apple Store on being a worse experience for developers.

It's almost as if Google forgot what makes Android so appealing as open platform to mobile developers compared to IOs locked platform.

[clumsysmurf → flykespice]

I honestly wonder what Andy Rubin thinks of what Android has become in the hands of Google ...

[bugfix → clumsysmurf]

How would you even find 20 people willing to install and test your random app for at least two weeks? This requirement is insane.

[chmod775 → clumsysmurf]

AFAIK you can use 3rd party stores on Android today and you pretty much always could.

[amadeuspagel → clumsysmurf]

Android at least has great support for web apps.