Comment by karussell
13 hours ago
Not useless. It is like the missing printer driver for Linux Desktop. It makes the experience ugly, but this is not the fault of the Linux OSes.
Also the bank should not require apps (instead they can offer hardware key support or desktop apps) and in fact some - at least in Germany - offer a different authentication possibility. Also the app for the German ID is published on fdroid and does not rely on Google services.
Good for Germans then. Slovenian banks won't let you use physical 2FA authenticators (for personal accounts and maybe even business ones at this point) anymore and will also require you to constantly update their stupid app (I've had to replace some otherwise good phones because the OS version wasn't supported anymore).
Probably not the case for most people. I'm living abroad and had to do something on the Brazilian e-gov platform. To log in I had to confirm my ID with an Android app. Not only is it exclusively on Play store, but it also refuses to install on any rooted device, so I had to boot an old non-rooted Android I had stored somewhere.
I'm confident this is a very common experience worldwide, be it with gov IDs or banks.
The question of how useful or not it is is orthogonal to whether it is the "fault" of Linux. Users who can't use it because something they need just doesn't work won't change their minds because the blame lies elsewhere.
SailfishOS can run lots of banking apps with an Android emulation layer.
It's not perfect, but far from useless. Some use it as a daily driver.
Depending on your country, it can be super doable. There are also lots of indie native apps.
There are plenty of banks in Germany which offer over-the-counter services, if you prefer to do banking as if it's 1999. Most of the time, when people say it's impossible to live without a smartphone, it's actually only impossible to enjoy the conveniences of the internet without a smartphone (at least in Germany). Besides these rentable scooters, I can't think of anything that actually requires a smartphone. Sure, you'll miss out on a lot of conveniences, but I remember a time where that was the norm, so it's not like it's unreasonable.
I recently bought my first smartphone, just went for a refurbished Pixel 8 with GrapeheneOS.
To be honest, life without a smartphone was increasingly becoming a PITA.
For example, Ryanair doesn't accept printed tickets anymore.
A few clubs in Berlin (Tresor, Ohm, Oxi) have recently replaced their cloakroom by automated lockers that require a smartphone to operate.
I've encountered a few gyms (2 in Spain, 1 in USA) that use live-updated QR codes to enter the gym.
I did a project in the US and the client's office required a smartphone to open the door.
In Spain it's common since the pandemic to have restaurants that only offer the menu as QR code.
In fact, the pandemic was rough, as you had this system where you had to register with a QR code in most places. In many places they had a paper-registry that I could use, but often I would have to end up just using a friend's phone.
Plus all 4G dumbphones are crap compared to older 2G models. The few that exist are built really bad, designed for old people, lack features like T9. 2G is out already in great parts of the world.
To be honest, it saddens me deeply that the only way to live in society today involves carrying an internet-connected computer in your pocket. But it was just too much of burden... With GrapeheneOS the experience still feels somewhat acceptable and I get a somewhat similar feeling of control to what I get using NixOS on my laptop. But still...
To add to the sibling comment, you are also ignoring the fact that in 1999 nobody had those conveniences, everybody was on equal ground. In 2026, if you handicap yourself by rejecting those "conveniences", you will be met by friction at every step - lower productivity at work, impatient looks from your family members etc.
The comparison to 1999 is not entirely accurate. It doesn't take into account that most physical banking locations closed down. At least here in Belgium for example, you have to go far to find one, and it's often on appointment only.
And what if I'm someone that depends on the city bike rentals to live my life? I cannot use them without the official app.
Additionally, there are many sports and music venues where i live that require smartphone apps for ticketing.
Giving up my favorite forms of entertainment and transport isn't really reasonable imo
Does the F-Droid version of the app use hardware attestation?
No, a phone that cannot run the apps that are required for me to attend certain events is in fact useless to me. It's not the fault of Linux mobile vendors that their product is useless to me, but that doesn't change the fact that it is indeed useless