MicroG + Play Store?

DeletedUser34

I get the 3 MicroG Apps from their MicroG Repo and I was wondering how I can use the Play Store with MicroG? I tried without MicroG Companion because it fakes the Store and I could install Play Store but it does not open. It only says that it get's updated...Does someone know, how I could make it work? (But I don't want to sideload or anything with ADB or Magisk, just in a normal way being able to install and remove it.)

Dumdum

DeletedUser34
There's not really any reason to be using microG and Play Store together. Also microG requires it to be privileged for a lot of basic functionality and is therefore fairly useless as a regular user-installed app.

DeletedUser34

Dumdum Maybe not for you, but for me. Why should I ask if not? :D
The Reason is that I want to have the Benefit of MicroG + more secure way than Aurora Store to get my Apps. And to get notified for Updates and that Updates get automatically updated. Because often times Aurora Store don't even show Updates directly and because of anonym login, the Language inside of the App views get different Language than System Language. And Aurora Store never managed to automatically Update Apps or notify me.
And my MicroG works flawless, it is not useless...No need to make it a System App. This way I have the option to delete it easily. But your reply was more an opinion than an answer to my Question...

Delaney

DeletedUser34
You're unlikely to get any support on this forum for the setup you want. GrapheneOS does not support MicroG and it doesn't plan to, especially when they already support installing Google Play Services as a sandboxed app

MicroG + more secure way than Aurora Store to get my Apps

That's debatable. Just using Google play services is more straightforward and secure than both MicroG and aurora store, in my opinion.

DeletedUser34

Delaney I know and I'm not on GrapheneOS yet, that's why I asked.

Debatable? I think you should research here in the Forum, because it was mentioned a lot of time, that Play Store is the most secure way to get those Google depended Apps. And if you just use Google Play Services, then you must accept all of their Trackers, which MicroG does not have as Problem. About which of both are more secure, than I can't say much about it, because I have not much knowledge about that.

DeletedUser95

DeletedUser34

Firstly by using the Play Store you are accepting their trackers anyways.
Secondly by using any apps with Google binaries in them which most apps on the Play Store contain even the FOSS ones there is a likely chance you are accepting their trackers anyways

MicroG literally does nothing. Just cause it's a supposed "reimplementation" if you can even call it that. It does not replace any of the actual malicious tracking behavior in apps. At best it may be able to reduce some of the info sent to Google and even still whether that's worth it is up to debate since in most cases it will be privileged. And when it's not privileged unlike Sandboxed Google Play it provides nearly no functionality other than notifications which also just FYI the connections needed for said notifications are actually identifiable by Google even with MicroG!

The point being microG is something that while isn't necessarily a bad idea as a concept it is extremely flawed in actual practice and really wouldn't do you any better than a Sandboxed Google Play install especially considering apps most of the time can still use their tracking even without Play Services and the Google Play Store likely would do this too provided it could work without actual Play Services.

DeletedUser34

DeletedUser95 But I'm not on GrapheneOS yet, means I can not benefit from sandboxed Google Play...So is normal Google Play Services and Play Store more secure than MicroG? And my Question was about if I can use MicroG with the Play Store...

Xtreix

DeletedUser34 So is normal Google Play Services and Play Store more secure than MicroG?

There isn't really a good answer, because both are highly privileged, so both pose safety problems. DivestOS proposes a unprivileged microG implementation, this is only part of DivestOS's aim to reduce the attack surface and does not mean that it is the best solution. DivestOS has far fewer resources than GrapheneOS.

DeletedUser34 And my Question was about if I can use MicroG with the Play Store...

Let's say you can, I've never tested it, it's useless.

DeletedUser69

DeletedUser34 what exactly is the obstacle that prevents you from just installing GrapheneOS on a supported device instead of all this speculating on taking half baked measures to achieve something that on GrapheneOS works (almost) out of the box? I expect straight answer to a straight question, thank you.

DeletedUser95

DeletedUser34

Apologies for not replying directly to your question

DeletedUser34 if I can use MicroG with the Play Store...

I can't test this. All I could say is the answer can be yes or no. Because there's plenty of logic for either way to be the case

Since you plan on using DivestOS when it becomes available for your device. I would like to discuss some possibilities in case it doesn't work

If the Play Store doesn't work even with microG you could try just biting the bullet and using Aurora Store anyways. It seems that the developer has been trying to tackle the security issues wherever it seems feasible as well so it's not the absolute worst thing. Probably still better than a majority of the app store options out there.
You could try and see if any of the apps you use are on Accrescent and if they are I'd suggest installing as many of them as you can through that.
You could use Obtainium + AppVerifier to help fill in the gaps of apps that the other two cannot.

Also of note you could and should use AppVerifier to help validate the authenticity of the other two stores as obviously validating them is now very important. Also you should do that with the Play Store as well if it does work.

DeletedUser34

Xtreix My Device will be supported by DivestOS in the Future, but until then I must decide between MicroG and Play Store/Aurora Store or normal Google Play Services with Play Store.
And if MicroG with Play Store is the option choosen, then I need to find out, how I can make Play Store work with that. Because Play Store handle many things better than Aurora Store. And since MicroG has low target and min sdk, I could imagine that from a Security Perspective, normal Google Play Services could be more secure, because I guess they hold those sdk higher. I need actual solutions, until I get DivestOS support or even finally can switch to GrapheneOS. I need to work with what I have and can use now. For now I need to use one of both, but my Goal is to come away from both. But I need to use it for a few Months still for work.

Xtreix

DeletedUser34 My advice is just to use Google play services and not bother with MicroG and Aurora until you install DivestOS on your device.

You write that your device will be supported by DivestOS, may I know the model of your device and why is it not supported by DivestOS now? Can't install GrapheneOS ?

DeletedUser34

Xtreix Okay, thank you. I will do that then :-)

Xiaomi Surya :)
You need to ask the Developer haha
I already asked him a few times but he told me there is no eta for Device addings. He is busy with adding Android 14 support for the Devices...
Yes, because I have no Google Device yet.

DeletedUser34

DeletedUser69 I told that already many times before...I'm not on GrapheneOS yet and I have no Google Device. I need to keep this Phone for work and want to use it in a more secure way.

DeletedUser34

And I have open Questions now:

Should I use offical LineageOS supported Build for my Device with Android 14 or an Rom like MCAOSP or YAAP which supports my Device and got official Android 15?

I use LineageOS official supported Build now, can I just install Google Play Services and Play Store, to make it work? Or do I need to sideload GApps?

If I sideloaded GApps, do they update automatically? Or do I always need to sideload new GApps Versions?

DeletedUser69

DeletedUser34 Not that it is my business, but I wonder what kind of work that may be, definitely not in a corporate environment. I am not here to judge you but either stay on stock or get yourself a decent Pixel. Over and out.

Ammako

DeletedUser34 I need to keep this Phone for work and want to use it in a more secure way.

Ok, yeah. So what you want to do is stay on stock and not use any of these "custom roms". You don't gain any security from them and you lose a lot.

DeletedUser34

DeletedUser69 Life is not that easy...And stock does not provide me any Updates.

DeletedUser34

Ammako I do get Monthly Updates, which I don't get with stock. And what do I loose?