Google’s Gemini team is apparently sending out emails about an upcoming change to how Gemini interacts with apps on Android devices. The email informs users that, come July 7, 2025, Gemini will be able to “help you use Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, and Utilities on your phone, whether your Gemini Apps Activity is on or off.” Naturally, this has raised some privacy concerns among those who’ve received the email and those using the AI assistant on their Android devices.
All I need is a good enough emulation of android apps to fool them (eg for banking).
Sailfish OS has it.
Unfortunately the project has some closed source bits which, imho, aren’t an issue when you look closer (some parts of the UI). Maybe I’m naive but I trust this EU company.
I use it as my daily driver. It certainly is frugal compared to recent Android versions, but fully functional.
It’s an actual Linux OS (as opposed to any Android version). Things work the same way they do on my laptop & server.
I used Maemo on my N900 <3.
I don’t wanna use Sailfish bcs of the phone support tho, I’m shallow af & I need my hardware :(.
(I also have a few other Sailfish issues, the source code/availability/package, the licencing - but I feel like all of those could/would change with some growth.)
I understand. But I think it’s right that they concentrate on a few devices. There’s also something about SONY openly providing firmware and encouraging unlocking, something “Open Devices” iirc.
Ah, the N900…
Yes, I agree.
But Sony has drivers out there for a few more devices.
Sadly, SailfishOS is region locked. Being from North America, I can’t purchase their phones, or use the trial/emulation option, which really sucks because I like a lot of what I’m seeing there.
Us here in NA finally get to see what its like on the other side of the region locking coin haha.
Yeah, I’d be happy if they had an unsupported version, but I get that could cause negative publicity for those who couldn’t accept that unsupported means exactly that.
Fwiw I use a phone imported from the UK (Nothing Phone 1) in NA without problems so who knows why they won’t do this.
There are a few happy US users on the forums. Maybe check out what they have to say.
I’m sure the company is perfectly happy with having these users. AFAIR the reason they don’t sell licenses outside EU is that it would add hassle, mostly sales legalities.
I didn’t know you cannot buy the C2 in the USA, but I would recommend an Xperia X10 II or X10 III anyhow.
Do you by chance know if WeChat and Facebook messenger work on it?
Those apps are critical for my work.
Check the forums.
FWIW, Signal works perfectly, WA too.
Can you get by with web access? That’s what I do and it’s fine.
Depends who you bank with. Some desktop websites suck on mobile and some don’t even allow certain actions on desktop. For some ungodly reason Wealthsimple requires me to do almost everything via app. It’s one of the reasons I barely utilise their services.
Not for depositing checks
Yup. I use my bank’s website on my phone. Works plenty fine for me.
Unfortunately banking apps are only going to get harder to run on software uncertified by Google.
Just monopoly things.
“Hello there.” - Play Integrity API