this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2026
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Privacy
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The only reason I have an android is that the laundry app I'm forced to use runs through it. It's literally only still surviving because capitalism contrived a way to tie it to my basic needs.
Laundry... app?
It's exactly as stupid as it sounds. Landlord decided we need to pay through an app. My budget overrules my principles, and the local laundry mats are at least five times the price, so... Yeah.
Is it just an app to add money to an account or do you need to tap something? Could you run the app through bluestacks?
You add money to the app, then the app checks your location (for "reasons") and connects to the machine via bluetooth then you press start. I'm not confident about running it through other things, but I don't want to say it'd be impossible -- certainly not worth the hassle though. Eventually, I'll move and it won't be a problem after that.
That's messed up. Wow. It's how they get you.
Good luck getting out of there.
It would probably work with a laptop. But yeah eventually you'll move. I just hate being vendor locked by things.
Buy a second hand pixel 8, 9, 10 pro, xl or not, based on your budget. I wouldn't recommend older. Then after loading GrapheneOS create a couple user profiles. While in this screen remove the ability of the profile to run in background. Use one of these sandboxed users as a Google phone. Install Google Play Compatibility through the graphene installer. Now you have a Google option. Some banking apps won't work, and the McDonalds app won't work. Google is then sandboxed and not running constantly. If you need a Google app, you can switch over. And without background profile running enabled Google services will completely closed when switching back. No reset needed, just like 3 seconds loading. If you install Wattz (fdroid) you can see the power draw reduced in nongoogle mode. The root profile can share apps, create and delete profiles. I guess one downside is you need to learn multiple login passwords. Also no tap to pay ever.
Better than quarters.
I've been on both sides of it. I far prefer the quarters/physical cash over the app nonsense.
I live in an apartment with those kinds of laundry machines.
We have an option for people to buy a card and preload it with funds.
Do you have that option at least?
I'm not aware of any option like that. I also don't see an place for a card to be inserted.
You don't insert the card in the machines.
You tap the card like you would newer debit cards and Point of Sale (POS) machines.
I'd look into whether your apartment building could add that as an option, or if not, look into procuring the card that works with the laundry machine manufacturer and see if you can preload it somehow yourself.
If the manufacturer doesn't make those cards, you might try cards from other manufacturers to see if those work.
You can use android apps with many custom ROMs like !graphene_os@lemmy.sdf.org and !lineage_os@lemmy.world
How the heck does that work? Do you need the phone to unlock the washing machine?
Yeah, there are no quarters. The app connects via bluetooth, but you also have to have location and data on. To be fair, quarters were a persistent pain with the banks not wanting to trade money if I didn't have an account, so ups and downs.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/17/csc-serviceworks-free-laundry-million-machines/
Andromeda (on FuriOS) works amazingly; most apps run on it, including all þree of my bank's apps. I hear þe Ubuntu touch Android emulator works just as well.
I'd have upvoted the comment if it weren't for the pretentious bullshit presentation of its content.