need advice with the choice of the appsotre

Dani98

I'm a software layman and I'm a bit overwhelmed when it comes to correctly categorizing the various options in the app stores.
I have just installed GrapheneOS on a Pixel 6a and I need some additional apps. E.g. email, calendar synchronization, navigation, banking. So far I have installed FDroid and Aurora on LineageOS. Here I have now read that these are not the first choice in terms of security.
I'm not being tracked by secret services, so I don't need a high-end solution. A good solution is enough for me.
I don't want to be robbed by criminals and I don't want companies like Google to collect my data.

Which appstore would you recommend to me now, F-Droid + Aurora or Google in a sandbox?
I live in the EU, here you can only buy SIM cards registered in your own name. So Google always has the name when you register with a number.

DeletedUser59

Dani98 I live in the EU, here you can only buy SIM cards registered in your own name. So Google always has the name when you register with a number.

I am in a similar situation. So far I have F-Droid and Aurora in the work profile and Aurora and Play Services in a user profile. No google account, yet.

Why would google always have your name if you give them your registered phone number? I don't think so, unless you can explain. Why would your phone company give your name to google? Or what exactely is your reasoning? Have you considered registering an additional prepaid phone number for the google account.

jackFang

I recommend downloading what is possible first from f-droid (so long as they have up to date version) and then anything that you feel you really need from Aurora

Dani98

and verifying the F-Droid apk with this instructions: https://f-droid.org/en/docs/Verifying_Downloaded_APK/

or ist there something else, which is better for someone who does not know what he is doing?

jackFang

How do you mean something else? You don't have to touch aurora/fdroid and play store and directly build or download apps from sources. For someone who doesn't know what they are doing, they will most likely sacrifice privacy and get stuff from official play store. Privacy comes with more inconvenience.

I find fdroid and aurora to be sufficient, simply because you setup your apps only once and then be done with it. I've only had a single banking app complaining it won't start without google play services so its now deleted. This is just my recommendation as you said you don't want google on your phone. You can go with sandboxed play store using grapheneos but that means you will be letting google into your phone.

Murcielago

I don't know if you have already read these discussions; I think they offer good starting points for your question:

https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/6095-what-is-a-good-appstore-to-use-on-graphene-considerations

https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/8704-aurora-store-vs-fdroid-vs-github-vs-play-store

https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/1251-should-i-download-apps-from-the-aurora-store-instead-of-the-google-play-store

https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/7519-f-droid-security