A Mystery - GPAY on phone but can't find any entry in apps

StarfirePrime

Hello all! I recently purchased a Pixel 6a and installed GrapheneOS. My goal is to find a balance - restrict Google as much as possible, but still maintain usability. It is important that my Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 have basic functionality, and I tried User accounts with Play services, but every time I switched out, the watch would disconnect.

So I took a position of working entirely in the Owner account with sand boxed Play Services, always on VPN, and used the Play store with a throw away account to avoid third party interfaces. Once I verified that the watch would operate properly, I started to add on the apps I typically like to have from the Play store. I have spent quite a bit of time doing this.

I just noticed that in my pull down shortcuts, there is a GPay that launches what appears to be the app. But I cannot find it anywhere in my Settings > Apps (show system) and in the Play Store, if I were to try to install GPay or Google Wallet, they each present with "Install" rather than "Open", so the playstore doesn't see it either.

Does anyone have an idea how GPay snuck on? Through the Samsung Wear? Just weird. I'm willing to start over with a reset, but I'd rather explain this oddity.

StarfirePrime

NVM - just going to start over. Please close.

StarfirePrime

After resetting and starting fresh and reinstalling the sandbox, I find that the simple act of using the Play Store (as opposed to Aurora) even with a throw away account and Auto-updates turned off before logging in, will open the door to GPay being installed and present on the pull down shortcuts after a reboot.

1) Reset Phone
2) Initial log on to Owner account
3) From GrapheneOS Apps app, update available and install Play Store
4) Reboot phone, check that GPay is not in the pulldown shortcuts
5) Open Play Store, go into settings and turn off Auto-Updates, then log in with throw away account.
6) Install a couple of apps
7) Reboot phone
8) GPay appears in pulldown shortcuts and will open a GPay app.

I read some threads debating the risks of Aurora vs using the Play Store with a throwaway account. Many seemed to indicate that the Play Store would be fine. However, I'm not thrilled that this seems to install a Google app in a way that is not at all obvious (GPay does not appear in the list of Apps in settings).

I apologize as I am just a noob flailing around. This may have already been well known to some.

kyuweftea

The GPay you're likely seeing part of Google Play Services. You can also access it through Settings > Apps > Sandboxed Google Play > Google Settings > Settings for Google apps > Google Wallet.

If you install the "Google Wallet" app, it will launch the same page as GPay, but requires play services to have some additional permissions for some reason.

Also, while we're at it, the "Google Pay: Save, Pay, Manage" app is something entirely different.

StarfirePrime

Thanks @kyuweftea ! I figured that this was a known feature. It was a little disconcerting after reading so much about de-googling, that simply logging into the Play Store could add more. I suppose this relates to the dynamic modules referenced in the Sandbox documentation (?). Might also explain why I couldn't find any GPay reference in the normal Settings > Apps - i.e. because the function is trapped in the sandbox (?).