this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2024

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Last night Organic Maps was removed from the Play Store (feddit.it)

submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Last night Organic Maps was removed from the Play Store without any warnings or additional details due to "not meeting the requirements for the Family Program". Compared to Google Maps and other maps apps rated for 3+ age, there are no ads or in-app purchases in Organic Maps. We have asked for an appeal.

As a temporary workaround for the Google Play issue, you can install the new upcoming Google Play update from this link: https://cdn.organicmaps.app/apk/OrganicMaps-24081605-GooglePlay.apk

The Announcement on various Networks: Fosstodon Post
Twitter Post
Telegram Post

If you don't know what Organic Maps is, it is an alternative to OsmAnd and google maps, more info on the official site (link) and GitHub.

Maybe an error? Honestly this is a weird one. I hope we will learn more in the coming hours.

You can still get it on the other channels, like F-Droid or Obtainium. Still, we all know that not being on the Play Store is an heavy sentence for any Android app.

EDITs

Added F-Droid link.
Fixed Typo in the obtainium link.

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[–] [email protected] 178 points 3 months ago (16 children)

More people should know about F-droid.

[–] [email protected] 51 points 3 months ago

You are right, and I forgot to add the link to it in the opening post. I'll edit it in!

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 months ago (2 children)

big disadvantage: if installed via fdroid, it won't work on android auto

[–] [email protected] 24 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Won't it? I thought you just needed to enable the apps you want. My fdroid AntennaPod is certainly usable in it.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago

Correction: yes it will. Source: that's how I installed it

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[–] [email protected] 128 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Streisand effect

Never heard of this app until now

[–] [email protected] 70 points 3 months ago (1 children)

It's built on open street maps and is great for trail stuff: hiking, dirt biking, horse riding, etc.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 3 months ago

Was using Osmand before and it's a lot nicer to use for day to day navigation on the bike than the sluggy mess Osmand sometimes is

[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 months ago (7 children)

Same

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[–] [email protected] 80 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Lol Google scared

[–] [email protected] 28 points 3 months ago (1 children)

They've just convinced me to try it. It looks surprisingly good. I'd only wish there was a satellite layer. Or is there a way to download it?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago (5 children)

Nope, its desgined for offline use, which is just not compatible with huge image files. I dont know what source they would use for sat images, but that would probably complicate things a lot either way. Also if you load sat image tiles from a webserver, then that server/provider will also always know your location.

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[–] [email protected] 69 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Google should really think about being nicer to competitors right now. Yet another reason it needs to be broken up by Lina Khan and the FTC.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I'm such a major fan of the FTC and Chair Khan right now. This is spot on.

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[–] [email protected] 65 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Wow. At least it's easy to sideload apps in Android.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

F-Droid, no "side loading" needed

[–] [email protected] 27 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Don't you need to side load F-Droid? That is what I did.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (9 children)

The only way to get it outside of sideloading is flashing a custom ROM like LineageOS that includes it. It's not exactly available in the play store.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (8 children)

What in the world are you all calling "side loading" you just download the APK and install it. No cables, no ADB, no side loading

Edit, I guess kids these days are calling downloading APKs side loading lol

[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 months ago (3 children)

ITT: Witnessing somebody learning what sideloading is and isn't as technical as they think it is.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (3 children)

Installing an APK directly is sideloading. It's literally on the "Get F-Droid" page:

To side-load our app store you may simply have to download the official F-Droid APK and install it.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

No, you just download it

[–] [email protected] 28 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Isn't that what side loading is?

My definition of side loading is installing anything outside of an app management system. For example going to a website and downloading the APK and installing it.

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[–] [email protected] 60 points 3 months ago (2 children)

All my homies search for apps first in F-Droid and only use google play if there is no other option.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Can you help a sister out and help me to start using fdroid? Do I just google it? Can I download the fdroid store from Google play store?

[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 months ago

You can't download it from the Google Play store. You'll have to download the .APK (application package, the installation file format for all Apps) from this url, there should be a tutorial to guide you further:

https://f-droid.org/

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (4 children)

https://f-droid.org/en/

there are other apps than can access F-droid and everyone will soon start replying saying why they think their choice is the only reasonable one and everything else is the worst thing ever, but the official one under that link should be enough to get you started.

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[–] [email protected] 54 points 3 months ago

All while the other antitrust case is still in progress

How many times do we have to teach you this lesson, Old Man?

[–] [email protected] 31 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Look up brothels in sex-work friendly countries in Google Maps, screenshot them, and mass-report Google Maps as a prostitution app.

[–] [email protected] 39 points 3 months ago

Google Maps is exempt from moderation in Google Play Store.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 3 months ago

Seems to be still available on Apple’s store. And if Google intended to bury it, this is definitely Streisand Effect at work. Wish I’d known about this a few years ago when I was hiking more

[–] [email protected] 27 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I'm really curious about what kind of BS. Like you could search a sexy shop and have directions to go in person?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago

Ohh, that's disgusting. Tell me which one so I can make sure to avoid it.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Why would you enlist a map app under the Families program in the first place though?

[–] [email protected] 32 points 3 months ago

@gencha No reason at all. It was probably wrongfully flagged by Google's AI based on some stupid wrongful training data. At least that's what I think though, because folks at Pushbullet (remember the app?) seem to be having similar problems about "not mentioning that they upload user data to their servers" even though they clearly mention this when the app is opened for the first time.

blog.pushbullet.com/2022/10/27…

@Mechanize

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Probably ensures that children can use it

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 3 months ago

This totally is accidental and coincidental and has nothing to do with Google being a dick, as per usual.

So sad to see google now being the same shit as Microsoft

[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

I did not know of this app but you know I'm gonna install it now.

Thanks Google!

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 months ago

Just installed the app.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Maybe an error?

Error would be if they removed GMaps or Gmail from Play store, this is sabotage.

Play store is 99% some kind of scum, but they found open source app that community likes and is providing service comparable to their app. Yeah, right.

If they don't want us to call it sabotage, they should be extra careful about apps that are providing same service as them.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago

That's insane!

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