Use F-Droid
Mandatory F-Droid security bulletin. Both PrivacyGuide & GrapheneOS teams recommend all other options before resorting to F-Droid
Some issues like F-Droid using outdated Debian are valid.
But the fact that F-Droid enforces reproducibility (by building apps that are not reproducible by default) and only allows apps that are entirely Free and Open Software is the main reason I recommend it in the first place.
Accrescent seems to be encouraging Google’s program here recently so I am not holding out hope that they will present a viable alternative.
That’s a first for me 
Hmm… what do you mean by that, that Accrescent will ultimately not keep its initial promises?
Do you have a statement from Accrescent on this subject?
They recently released a blog, but I don’t see how it encourages the program.
Right, the blog where they said it doesn’t affect them because they’re going to allow Accrescent app developers to participate in Google’s program (lol), and where they said they joined the program themselves, which is implicitly approving it 
I don’t see how Accrescent’s blog post proves anything bad except that they will future proof their app if this thing goes full active. This is the most important sentence from the blog post:
We also plan to continue allowing developers to submit apps to Accrescent without registering their apps through Android developer verification.
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At the same time, what choice do they have ? Just like App Stores on iOS need Apple blessing, Accrescent wants to continue functioning on most android devices in the future and need to respect Android rules. Sure, they should fight harder, but I don’t think they are approving it per se.
I linked it above.
Developers: Resist and refuse
If you are an app developer, do not sign up for the early access program, perform identity verification, or accept an invitation to the Android Developer Console. Respond (politely) to any invitation with a list of your concerns and objections.
—— It is only through developer acquiescence that their takeover plan can possibly succeed. ——
Discourage fellow app developers and organizations from signing up to the program. Use community forums, social media, and blog posts to spread the message. Include the FreeDroidWarn library in your code to inform your app users.
If you are a Google employee or contractor of good conscience and have additional insight about the program, including planned technical implementation details or additional rationales for the program, please reach out to tips@keepandroidopen.org from a non-work machine and a non-gmail account. Your information will be kept in strict confidence.
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I think your view is too binary. Resisting is of course the preferable outcome; however not doing so is not cautioning.
collective developers not signing up/resisting, users continuing to express frustration is what will help this decision not come to fruition therefore this isnt even a matter of binary. Accrescent is also risking losing developers with this move who are collectively resisting
I agree. I just disagree with Jonah’s wording.
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I don’t follow the logic here. I know many people here are big F-Droid fans, but how is it better that Accrescent – which is the only reasonable up-and-coming alternative to the Play Store – kills their own project by becoming incompatible with 99% of Android devices?
I also don’t understand the notion that Accrescent risks losing developers when they are explicitly not requiring developers to be verified by Google.
There seems to be a lot of misattributed anger being directed towards Accrescent when it should be directed at Google.
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F-Droid has apps unlike Accrescent? I wouldn’t say I’m big fan of F-Droid but there isn’t any real alternatives to it.
You can say Obtainium but have fun trying to explaining it to a non-tech guy, even if you setting it up for them they wouldn’t update apps or know how to find more apps.
How can it be a alternative to Play Store? When most people here only uses Play Store or Aurora store to get apps they need for day to day life like banking, government and big tech apps?
I can see Accrescent become a alternative to F-Droid in maybe 10 years at the speed it’s has been developed.
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if a platform (like accrescent) supports something that is anti-consumer/anti-competitive (android developer verification), the developers that are strictly against it are going to show their way of not endorsing accrescent’s support of it by pulling their apps out, that is it is a risk not that it will necessarily happen.
basically also what @null and many others will say
by showing support instead of against, it tends to break that collective refusal I mentioned before (however sure if Google does decide tripling down or whatever it may be and still passes, defeated, fine, app stores can simply support the choice of android developer verification but only if a hypothetical defeat happens and we should simply focus on defeating android developer verification instead of jumping the gun like this)
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