Google Removes CynogenMod From Play Store, Cites App Wants to Void Warranties
Google apparently isn't thinking straight these days, or at best, you could say the search giant's logic is flawed. How so? Well, the sultan of search contacted famed modder CyanogenMod and told him he could either remove his CyanogenMod installer from Google Play, or Google would remove it for him, adding that the app is in violation of Google Play's developer terms.
Here's the deal. The CyanogenMod installer has one purpose and one purpose only -- it guides users through installing the custom CyanogenMod firmware on their Android devices with a single tap. Part of that process involves enabling ADB, a build-in development and debugging tool, but that's not what Google takes issue with.
"After reaching out to the Play team, their feedback was that though the application itself is harmless, since it 'encourages users to void their warranty’, it would not be allowed to remain in the store," CyanogenMod stated in a blog post explaining why his app is no longer available.
This stinks of a power play from Google, whether on its own accord or because it was pressured by hardware partners. Either way, there's no denying the demand for CyanogenMod's installer. Not only did CyanogenMod popularize the concept of modding on Android, but he says there have been "hundreds of thousands of installations" of his app.
While this is a setback (and hopefully a temporary one), it's not the end of the road. CyanogenMod can still be sideloaded onto Android devices, though it requires enabling app installations from "Unknown Sources."
Here's the deal. The CyanogenMod installer has one purpose and one purpose only -- it guides users through installing the custom CyanogenMod firmware on their Android devices with a single tap. Part of that process involves enabling ADB, a build-in development and debugging tool, but that's not what Google takes issue with.
"After reaching out to the Play team, their feedback was that though the application itself is harmless, since it 'encourages users to void their warranty’, it would not be allowed to remain in the store," CyanogenMod stated in a blog post explaining why his app is no longer available.
This stinks of a power play from Google, whether on its own accord or because it was pressured by hardware partners. Either way, there's no denying the demand for CyanogenMod's installer. Not only did CyanogenMod popularize the concept of modding on Android, but he says there have been "hundreds of thousands of installations" of his app.
While this is a setback (and hopefully a temporary one), it's not the end of the road. CyanogenMod can still be sideloaded onto Android devices, though it requires enabling app installations from "Unknown Sources."
