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CyanogenMod Installer Removed From Google Play Store

Posted by timothy on from the now-that-sounds-ungrateful-to-me dept.

sfcrazy writes "[Wednesday] Google asked the CM team to voluntarily remove the [CyanogenMod installer] app from the store or they would be forced to remove it administratively. CM team chose to remove the app voluntarily. According to the CyanogenMod team, Google initially said that the app was in violation of Google's Play's developer terms. When the CM team reached out to the Play team, they found that 'though application itself is harmless, and not actually in violation of their Terms of Service, since it 'encourages users to void their warranty', it would not be allowed to remain in the store.'" You can still install manually, though.

9 of 255 comments (clear)

  1. Article was corrected by jbmartin6 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Note from the article "Removed reference to Google stating the app was not in violation of TOS – this was a mischaracterization of Google’s statement."

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    This posting is provided 'AS IS' without warranty of any kind, implied or otherwise.
  2. Re:Where's the outrage?! by somersault · · Score: 5, Informative

    The difference is that Apple only allows you to install apps from the official app store. To allow unofficial apps on an Android device, all you need to do is tick a box in the settings menu.

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    which is totally what she said
  3. Re:Where's the outrage?! by somersault · · Score: 3, Informative

    When I read an article it suggested that even just rooting the device was a warranty violation.

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    which is totally what she said
  4. Re:Where's the outrage?! by Nerdfest · · Score: 2, Informative

    You need to unlock the bootloader to root.

  5. Re:Where's the outrage?! by msauve · · Score: 4, Informative
    Verizon doesn't warrant the phones, the manufacturers do. Not every warranty includes terms denying coverage for unauthorized software installation (e.g. HTC, Samsung), but some do (Google owned Motorola).

    HTC and Samsung don't cover damage caused by unauthorized modification (which would include installing another OS), but lacking anything which would point to that as the cause, there's no disclaimer. Google's Motorola, OTOH, specifically says they won't cover the product at all, damaged or not.

    MOTOROLA STRONGLY RECOMMENDS AGAINST ALTERING A PRODUCT'S OPERATING SYSTEM, WHICH INCLUDES UNLOCKING THE BOOTLOADER, ROOTING A DEVICE OR RUNNING ANY OPERATING SOFTWARE OTHER THAN THE APPROVED VERSIONS ISSUED BY MOTOROLA AND ITS PARTNERS. SUCH ALTERATIONS MAY PERMANENTLY DAMAGE YOUR PRODUCT, CAUSE YOUR PRODUCT TO BE UNSAFE AND/OR CAUSE YOUR PRODUCT TO MALFUNCTION. IN SUCH CASES, NEITHER THE PRODUCT NOR ANY DAMAGE RESULTING THEREFROM WILL BE COVERED BY THIS WARRANTY.

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    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
  6. Re:Where's the outrage?! by MrNemesis · · Score: 3, Informative

    It isn't a one-click method to install the CM firmware though - just a method of making the installation via PC less painless. All the app does is basically enable USB debug and help with the ADB setup.

    Ars did a pretty decent writeup of the installation process here; http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/11/android-roms-the-easy-way-testing-the-new-cyanogenmod-installer/ - it's certainly not a one-step job.

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    Moderation Total: -1 Troll, +3 Goat
  7. Re:Where's the outrage?! by glitch0 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Actually, that rule changed a few weeks ago: http://thenextweb.com/google/2013/11/21/motorola-will-longer-void-warranties-developer-devices-owners-request-unlock-codes/ Unlocking the bootloader on motorola devices no longer voids the warranty.

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    -Glitch "We all know Linux is great...it does infinite loops in 5 seconds." - Linus Torvalds
  8. No third-party curator by tepples · · Score: 3, Informative

    Even if it is irrelevant, stock Android provides only two choices: only APKs signed by the phone maker's preferred curator, or every APK from every source. There's no way to add a third party as a curator the way one can with, say, any Linux distribution using APT. If you turn on "Unknown sources" for Amazon Appstore or F-Droid, for instance, you add the ability for apps to pose as Amazon or F-Droid and present an "update" that's actually a trojan.

  9. IDEs, emulators, and by tepples · · Score: 5, Informative

    Are there examples of software that are available for Android but not for iOS.

    I can think of a few things Apple forbids under its guidelines:

    • Apps to develop apps, such as AIDE.
    • Wireless network analysis tools.
    • Video game console emulators that run ROMs that you dumped using a Kazzo (NES) or Retrode (Super NES and Genesis) or CD drive (PlayStation) or homebrew ROMs that hobbyists are still creating for these platforms.
    • Web browsers that aren't Safari wrappers with all the intentional limits of Safari, such as no uploads of media types other than pictures and videos and no WebGL and no getUserMedia. And yes, I mean "intentional limits": Apple has implemented WebGL on iOS but allows it only for iAds, not for web sites.