F-Droid, the open-source app repository, warns that Google's upcoming changes to Android's app installation process will effectively lock down the platform. The project has launched a "Keep Android Open" campaign, adding warning banners to its clients to alert users that the time to voice opposition is rapidly running out.

This follows confusion after Google's initial announcement last August, where vague promises of an "advanced flow" created a false impression that the threat had subsided. F-Droid argues this is a deliberate PR strategy, leaving the public with the mistaken belief the issue is resolved while the actual technical implementation to gatekeep all app installs proceeds.

The campaign is gaining support from other clients like IzzyOnDroid. With the Android ecosystem at a crossroads, F-Droid's message is clear: without immediate user pressure on regulators, Google will complete its transition to a sole gatekeeper, ending meaningful sideloading and the existence of independent app stores on the platform.