What happened to the direct APK download?

[btcm]

Hello,

One of the reasons I installed the Bitcoin.com wallet was because there was (originally) a direct APK download link. I have an Android phone but as a matter of principle, and in an attempt to avoid various types of surveilance, I do not have my phone associated with a Google account. Instead I install mainly open source software using F-Droid (https://f-droid.org/), or by installing proprietory apps using APK files directly from the supplier.

I need to update my Bitcoin.com Wallet app now though, but I can no longer find the APK download link. Is it really the case that there is no longer a way to download the APK file directly? Perhaps I am just not finding it?

If Bitcoin.com has intentionally removed this option, then they are indirectly forcing Android users to agree to horribly invasive policies from Google such as these: https://policies.google.com/privacy. That's because we must consent to this in order to use the Play Store. Must I really consent to having Google track my physical location in order to use the Bitcoin.com wallet? Also, their policies can change at any time. I don't trust Google one bit to protect my privacy, and I don't want to have to keep checking up on their policies to see what extra spying rights they are trying to weasle in. So please let me download the APK file directly.

Thanks.

[nandibear]

Hello,

One of the reasons I installed the Bitcoin.com wallet was because there was (originally) a direct APK download link. I have an Android phone but as a matter of principle, and in an attempt to avoid various types of surveilance, I do not have my phone associated with a Google account. Instead I install mainly open source software using F-Droid (https://f-droid.org/), or by installing proprietory apps using APK files directly from the supplier.

I need to update my Bitcoin.com Wallet app now though, but I can no longer find the APK download link. Is it really the case that there is no longer a way to download the APK file directly? Perhaps I am just not finding it?

If Bitcoin.com has intentionally removed this option, then they are indirectly forcing Android users to agree to horribly invasive policies from Google such as these: https://policies.google.com/privacy. That's because we must consent to this in order to use the Play Store. Must I really consent to having Google track my physical location in order to use the Bitcoin.com wallet? Also, their policies can change at any time. I don't trust Google one bit to protect my privacy, and I don't want to have to keep checking up on their policies to see what extra spying rights they are trying to weasle in. So please let me download the APK file directly.

Thanks.

Hi btcm,

It was possible before at: github.com/Bitcoin-com/Wallet/releases/

However, the last APK that I see there now is version 4.6.0.

There's been two new versions of the wallet (including Android) since then (4.7.3 and 4.8.0).

You might want to contact support and see what they think: wallet@bitcoin.com