Hello! I am getting started with Graphene OS and trying to figure out how I am going to distribute the apps I need among users/private space. To do that, it would be really useful to know which proprietary apps don't require Google Play Services to operate (eg. I have read in this forum that Whatsapp does not require Google Services to operate).

Is there any website where I can check whether an app will work with or without Google Play Services? It would help me speed up this process, instead of going with trial and error with every single one of them. Thanks in advance!

    Vazman perhaps you could suggest specific uses so we could come up either FOSS or Play Store app examples.

        DeletedUser69
        Here is my current list of proprietary apps in my previous phone that I'm looking to distribute among the different users in GrapheneOS:
        Pocket Cast
        Whatsapp
        Itsme
        ChatGPT
        Movistar
        Weawow
        Windy
        Bueinradar
        Wallapop
        Komoot
        Coros
        Strava
        Uber
        Bolt
        SNCB
        ABANCA

        I will keep all other FOSS apps in the main user, without Google services installed. If any of these proprietary apps do not require google services to operate, I may decide to keep some of them in the main user for convenience.

            Tutamail for email. Tuta doesn't use use Google’s Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) service, so will still get push notifications.
            Other than that I would advise using the search and trawling through the forum. You'll learn so much on the way!

              Vazman I can't comment on app compatibility for the ones you listed here, but I can give some general advice.
              My setup looks like this:

              • Owner profile: all FOSS apps, except Google Camera (network disabled), Google Photos (network disabled) and Apple Music (everything but network disabled). The profile is also constantly on RethinkDNS connected to my in-house VPN, where traffic is monitored and controlled through AdGuard Home for DNS and OPNSense through Maltrail. This of course applies to my other profiles.
              • Work profile: set up through Shelter. It houses Play Services, where I only granted network, sensors and location. Location services are permanently disabled system-wide, unless I want to use navigation. Same setup with RethinkDNS here. Other apps include Google Maps, eBay, Google translate. Everything that would complain about Play Services.
              • Private Space: here, I have my other proprietary apps that don't need Play Services to run. And also some FOSS apps that I rarely use. Before Private Space, I used to have a secondary user profile for rarely used apps. I have switched to this setup and just disabled them. This makes more sense to me, since they won't be active all at once when switching to a different user profile. Instead, I just activate Private Space and enable them for the time I need to use them. This includes mostly smart home and shopping stuff.

              Generally, all profiles except owner are "asleep" most of the time. I don't really rely on notifications from most of these apps. Everything crucial is FOSS anyway. As poplectic recommended TutaNota, another mail client you might want to take a look at is FairEmail. I've been using the pro version for years and it has been a flawless experience for me so far.
              Don't take my advice as an instruction to copy paste my setup. Rather see it as a possible way or inspiration on how to set up your device with a nice balance between convenience and privacy/security.

                    The site two people have linked is very inaccurate, deliberately omits any coverage for GrapheneOS and is hosted by an organization heavily involved in malicious attacks on the GrapheneOS project and community. Links to it are auto-filtered as spam on our forum.

                      GrapheneOS since I know which site you're talking about, is there a possibility in the future to create an alternative platform run by the GOS project? Information could be crowd-sourced not only for Google Play compatibility, but also all the exploit protection toggles that might affect an app's performance. I think it is a bit tedious for every user to check every app instead of relying on a well founded database. Considering you have a lot on your schedule, this would probably be in the distant future.