diff --git a/android/main.py b/android/main.py
index 5ce50b0..06fe418 100644
--- a/android/main.py
+++ b/android/main.py
@@ -52,10 +52,11 @@ APP_VERSION = "0.1"    # keep in sync with buildozer.spec's `version =` by hand
 
 # Forgejo repo this app checks for updates against (ported from
 # android-app-template — see that repo for the original writeup on each
-# piece of this). Leave FORGEJO_TOKEN blank to disable update checking —
-# the button still shows, but tells the user clearly that updates aren't
-# configured rather than failing silently or crashing. Use a read-only
-# token scoped to just this repo, never a general account token.
+# piece of this). This repo is public, so FORGEJO_TOKEN is left blank —
+# Forgejo's releases API and asset downloads both work unauthenticated
+# for a public repo. Only set it if this repo ever goes private again;
+# if so, use a read-only token scoped to just this repo, never a
+# general account token.
 FORGEJO_BASE_URL = "https://repo.tas-tech.net"
 FORGEJO_OWNER = "tas-tech.net"
 FORGEJO_REPO = "event-tracker"
@@ -154,14 +155,9 @@ def check_latest_release():
     """
     import certifi
 
-    if not FORGEJO_TOKEN:
-        raise RuntimeError(
-            "Update checking isn't configured — set FORGEJO_TOKEN at "
-            "the top of main.py."
-        )
-
     url = f"{FORGEJO_BASE_URL}/api/v1/repos/{FORGEJO_OWNER}/{FORGEJO_REPO}/releases/latest"
-    req = urllib.request.Request(url, headers={"Authorization": f"token {FORGEJO_TOKEN}"})
+    headers = {"Authorization": f"token {FORGEJO_TOKEN}"} if FORGEJO_TOKEN else {}
+    req = urllib.request.Request(url, headers=headers)
     ctx = ssl.create_default_context(cafile=certifi.where())
     with urllib.request.urlopen(req, context=ctx, timeout=15) as resp:
         data = json.load(resp)