AfterDawn: News

CyanogenMod Installer app taken down from the Google Play Store

Cyanogen Inc. has confirmed that their CyanogenMod Installer application, which we reviewed here, has been removed from the Google Play Store.

Reads the post:

Today, we were contacted by the Google Play Support team to say that our CyanogenMod Installer application is in violation of Google Play's developer terms.

They advised us to voluntarily remove the application, or they would be forced to remove it administratively. We have complied with their wishes while we wait for a more favorable resolution.

To those unfamiliar with the application, it has a single function – to guide users to enable "ADB", a built in development and debugging tool, and then navigates the user to the desktop installer. The desktop application then performs the installation of the CyanogenMod on their Android device.

After reaching out to the Play team, their feedback was that though application itself is harmless, since it 'encourages users to void their warranty', it would not be allowed to remain in the store.

The company says it will continue to host the application, which can still be installed through the process known as 'sideloading.' Sideloading requires you to allow installation from unknown sources in the general settings of Android and then sending the file to your device through your choice of transfer options.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 28 Nov 2013 9:02

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• 9 comments

• Mysttic

  Sad sad sad. I'm more willing to bet that it was more taken down to save face on Google stock OS and bloated software.

  28.11.2013 12:25 #1

• Bozobub

  Er, what? I don't agree with Google's action here, but Cm is basically stock Android + Gapps (Google Apps). The "bloat" you are complaining about is on the carriers, not Google.

  28.11.2013 13:21 #2

• sternrulez

  Google's action will have zero effect on both those who wish to install CM on their phones and CM as a company. Most people who are going to install it are already quite familiar with the whole 'allow mock locations' and 'dropboxing' of apks, so I really don't know what the issue is here, short of Google playing CYA with various phone vendors.
  
  As far as voiding the warranty goes, I personally have restored stock roms to phones and returned them to the store when the hardware has been behaving poorly, so that's a non-issue too.
  

  29.11.2013 07:23 #3

• Ripper

  Quote:Google's action will have zero effect on [...] CM as a company. Errrr, no (although you'd like to think that they had considered this eventuality).
  
  The whole point of the app is to simplify the process and thus bring CM to a larger, previously untargeted audience.
  
  Bit of a dick move though as I would assume Steve Kondik knows some reasonably well placed people at Google/Android.
  

  
  

  29.11.2013 15:29 #4

• Mrguss

  Removed reference to Google stating the app was not in violation of TOS – this was a miss-characterization of Google’s statement.
  
  http://www.cyanogenmod.org/blog/cyanoge...from-play-store
  
  Hope CM appeal Google (play store team) decision.
  

  +5000

  29.11.2013 17:08 #5

• pmshah

  Originally posted by Bozobub: Er, what? I don't agree with Google's action here, but Cm is basically stock Android + Gapps (Google Apps). The "bloat" you are complaining about is on the carriers, not Google. I wouldn't go so far to say that. My first Android phone was Gingerbread with mere 350 mb of ram. I VERY rarely visit YouTube and certainly not from my mobile phone. We buy the phone from the open market which work with ALL carriers. Why do I need it at all? This absolutely is an unrequired Google addon and part of the OS ! IMHO 100% bloatware.

  30.11.2013 13:09 #6

• Bozobub

  The bloat you are complaining about, then, has been part of Android from the beginning; in other words, you dislike Android, itself. I think you are missing the point of what "bloat" actually is.

  30.11.2013 21:41 #7

• sternrulez

  Hopefully this will clear things up for those who are confused about the "bloat issue". I purchased an S4 earlier this year, and it had TONS of what I considered to be "bloat" on it. Not the least of which was AT&T's GPS maps that they charge you to use, when Google maps and navigation were already installed, and are 100% free to use. There were other apps as well (like a fitness tracker or some such nonsense) that I considered to be bloat too, and a lot of these were Samsung's doing. Finally, you don't need to install a custom ROM to remove the bloatware, simply root your device and install something like "no bloat free". That way you can pick and choose what you want to ditch off your new phone. I advise caution when doing that of course...if you're not 100% sure of what an app is, don't automatically consider it bloatware and remove it, especially in the system apps area.
  

  2.12.2013 07:25 #8

• sternrulez

  Originally posted by pmshah: Originally posted by Bozobub: Er, what? I don't agree with Google's action here, but Cm is basically stock Android + Gapps (Google Apps). The "bloat" you are complaining about is on the carriers, not Google. I wouldn't go so far to say that. My first Android phone was Gingerbread with mere 350 mb of ram. I VERY rarely visit YouTube and certainly not from my mobile phone. We buy the phone from the open market which work with ALL carriers. Why do I need it at all? This absolutely is an unrequired Google addon and part of the OS ! IMHO 100% bloatware. As a recovering crApple user, I can say with all certainty that YouTube is included on iOS as well, at least it was when I had my iPhreeze. I can't speak for Windows OS, as I nor anyone I know owns such a device, but I suspect that a lot of apps are cross-platform. If you'd like, please read my post below yours...hopefully that will clear things up for you. :)
  

  2.12.2013 07:29 #9