Last night Organic Maps was removed from the Play Store

Last night Organic Maps was removed from the Play Store without any warnings or additional details due to "not meeting the requirements for the Family Program". Compared to Google Maps and other maps apps rated for 3+ age, there are no ads or in-app purchases in Organic Maps. We have asked for an appeal.

As a temporary workaround for the Google Play issue, you can install the new upcoming Google Play update from this link: https://cdn.organicmaps.app/apk/OrganicMaps-24081605-GooglePlay.apk

The Announcement on various Networks: Fosstodon Post
Twitter Post
Telegram Post

If you don't know what Organic Maps is, it is an alternative to OsmAnd and google maps, more info on the official site (link) and GitHub.

Maybe an error? Honestly this is a weird one. I hope we will learn more in the coming hours.

You can still get it on the other channels, like F-Droid or Obtainium. Still, we all know that not being on the Play Store is an heavy sentence for any Android app.

EDITs

Added F-Droid link.
Fixed Typo in the obtainium link.

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116 comments

More people should know about F-droid.

177
Streisand effect

Never heard of this app until now

129
Lol Google scared

80
Google should really think about being nicer to competitors right now. Yet another reason it needs to be broken up by Lina Khan and the FTC.

69
Wow. At least it's easy to sideload apps in Android.

65
All my homies search for apps first in F-Droid and only use google play if there is no other option.

59
All while the other antitrust case is still in progress

How many times do we have to teach you this lesson, Old Man?

54
Look up brothels in sex-work friendly countries in Google Maps, screenshot them, and mass-report Google Maps as a prostitution app.

31
I'm really curious about what kind of BS. Like you could search a sexy shop and have directions to go in person?

28
Seems to be still available on Apple’s store. And if Google intended to bury it, this is definitely Streisand Effect at work. Wish I’d known about this a few years ago when I was hiking more

27
Why would you enlist a map app under the Families program in the first place though?

25
This totally is accidental and coincidental and has nothing to do with Google being a dick, as per usual.

So sad to see google now being the same shit as Microsoft

22
I did not know of this app but you know I'm gonna install it now.

Thanks Google!

19
Just installed the app.

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Maybe an error?

Error would be if they removed GMaps or Gmail from Play store, this is sabotage.

Play store is 99% some kind of scum, but they found open source app that community likes and is providing service comparable to their app. Yeah, right.

If they don't want us to call it sabotage, they should be extra careful about apps that are providing same service as them.

13
That's insane!

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It's too bad that it's not available without anti-features in F-Droid. I disable all anti-features in Settings so intially I thought OrganicMaps is not in F-Droid until I checked the website.

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I doubt this has much to do with Google maps and more to do with Google being cockwombles in general.

Organic maps in the US is fucking awful and quite literally unusable.

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