Auto Update Apps through Aurora Store

GI1

Has anyone figured out a way to make their phone auto update apps with having to laboriously click ‘Update App’ each time? I have Aurora set to auto update apps but I still need to click each time.

Is there maybe a way to install the Aurora app into the system so it has more privileges for installing apps?

Has anyone solved this issue?

router99

GI1 laboriously click ‘Update App’

Laborious? To fluidly move one's thumb to maybe 4 different positions on a screen?

pxlkng

It's not working because Aurora Store simply doesn't have working auto-updates and is a broken mess in general.

Do not use Aurora at all, it is insecure, doesn't verify apps and is solely a placebo not avoiding Google, since many apps from the Play Store still bundle Google libraries with them which work without Google Play Services installed and give Google the same access it would have with sandboxed Play Services installed nonetheless.
Use sandboxed Google Play. Optionally with an anonymous account.
This is the secure and recommended approach.

DeletedUser127

pxlkng Aurora does not auto update when you are not authenticated in with shared account. It gets apps straight from the same source Play Store does. Perhaps it does not verify apks, but so doesn't Obtainium and many push it as a more secure option. From my experience some apps I got with Aurora check out okay with AppVerifier, that testifies they're genuine. For my use case it plays well, none uses network so no comms with Google.

Viewpoint0232

For me, it does auto-update sometimes but only if I have recently used it. That's because when you use "anonymous login" it sometimes logs you out again. I think if you were to use it with a real Google account the auto-updating should work.

pxlkng Do not use Aurora at all, it is insecure, doesn't verify apps and is solely a placebo not avoiding Google

It's still useful if:

you don't want to create a Google account (which normally requires you to give them your phone number, although some people have been lucky and haven't been asked to provide a phone number - yet)
you're on stock Android where it's a system app and you can't just log in to Play Store without registering your whole device with Google

GI1

router99 I wish it was 4 clicks. You need to do this for every single app and every update. I have 80+ apps that need updating. It can take a couple of hours waiting for each one to download and then click install manually. The annoying thing is you update 80 apps and then there is another 80 updates a couple of days later for newer versions. Android apps are constantly updating. There seems to be no way to automate this like on other operating systems. Each app requires me to manually click install every time.

GI1

router99

Viewpoint0232 I tried Google Play with an account and many apps also need me to manually click install. It must be an Android thing. It’s annoying these constant updates I need to do. I wish the Update All option would work

pxlkng

@GI1

Android supports unattended updates of apps since I think Android 11. Installs always require user confirmation, this is a security feature. On Stock OS this is actively being disabled for the Play Store, which is not a good thing.

Hence, on GrapheneOS you intentionally will always need to confirm the installation of a new app. Updates of already installed apps do not need user confirmation and can happen automatically and in the background if the updating app/store supports this.

The official Play Store with sandboxed Play Services does support this and does not need user confirmation for automatic updates. They happen in the background without any intervention required.

GI1

pxlkng it is not working for me for many apps. Some will auto update but most need me to confirm every time even if they are already installed. I literally have to sit with the my phone for a couple of hours to download and update everything manually. A few days later they all need updating again. Is there no way to turn off the install confirmation?

pxlkng

GI1

Which apps?

pxlkng

GI1 Is there no way to turn off the install confirmation?

No. As explained, the app needs to support this.

GI1

pxlkng just tried the Play app again and it seems every app needs me to click install. It’s really frustrating. I never had this issue on iOS. Even random apps like BBC and Booking com ask for confirmation. They are all already installed. The setting in Play are set to automatically update apps but it does not work.

I originally installed most apps using Aurora. Could that be the issue?

pxlkng

GI1

There are a few requirements for unattended updates. Apps can only do unattended updates on apps that they are the "installer of record" for, meaning that they have installed or previously updated this app as well. If you are trying to update apps with the Play Store that you have installed from another source, this will require a confirmation prompt. Once you have updated an app once with Play Store, any successive updates should be able to go unattended.

GI1 just tried the Play app again

This wording seems to imply that you are usually not using the Play Store. If this is the case, this might be the reason why you are getting the confirmation prompt.

As a reminder, Aurora Store is not recommended and for normal usage¹ with apps from the Play Store, you should only use the official Play Store with sandboxed Play Services.

¹ Excluding some niche special use cases like bypassing Play Integrity on app-listings. Otherwise see my previous message.

SgtSurehand

GI1 Have you tried Aurora Store > Settings > Updates > Automatic updates > Check and install available updates automatically?

GI1

pxlkng I did install everything using Aurora originally and I do have Google Services installed. I don’t like being logged into the Play Store as I am then logged into all the other Google apps including Maps. I am hoping the potential Account Scopes feature will eventually fix this.

With Autora I would have installed anonymously to begin with. I then tried using a Google account with Aurora but this did not fix the automatic updates. Now I have been trying with the actual Play Store app which is not ideal.

Maybe I can try signing into my account on Aurora and redownloading the apps? But you are saying I should not use Aurora? The problem is if I’m signed into the Play Store app Google can link all my apps including Maps with my location

GI1

SgtSurehand yes I still have to click Install for each app after the updates have downloaded. It does not install automatically

pxlkng

GI1

This is expected because Aurora Store does not have working unattended auto-updates.

pxlkng

GI1 But you are saying I should not use Aurora?

Yes, Aurora Store has security issues and no privacy benefit over sandboxed Play Services on GrapheneOS. You should avoid it and only use the official Play Store with sandboxed Play Services.
You can create an anonymous Google account not linked to any PII or phone number from you for the most privacy.
This is possible by creating the account from in-app over a non-suspicious IP address, meaning no VPN or Tor.
Usual recommendation is to do this from a public place with public WiFi.

GI1 the actual Play Store app which is not ideal.

It is ideal. Installing Play apps from the official Play Store is the most secure and private way, as well as the only recommended, to obtain Play Store apps.

n3t_admin

pxlkng Usual recommendation is to do this from a public place with public WiFi.

excuse my ignorance; but what exactly is the point of doing that when you will be using that Google account all the time after that anyway, leaking your IP address?

GI1

pxlkng the issue is you need an account and login to use Play Store. Even if you setup as anonymously as you can Google will be collecting data across apps. They will know who are just by being connected to your home router with Google Maps accessing location. They can track your movements and will figure out who you are fairly easily. Grapheneos really need to find a way to stop Google signing into all Google apps on the phone. At least with Aurora you can sign into Google without it logging into other Google apps on the phone. There is benefit to using Aurora. What is the risk of installing through Aurora? I do t see what privacy you are giving up?

pxlkng

n3t_admin

The point is creating the account on a non-suspicious IP to skip the number requirement that Google introduced as anti-abuse.

Using it with a VPN afterwards should be fine.

23Sha-ger

n3t_admin

You are only using that account later to download apps from the Play Store.
That's what you are supposed to do with it at least.
So Google will know that IP 1.2.3.4 downloaded apps X,Y,Z.
If you are using mobile data you are behind NAT anyway, so there is very little "leak" potentially, if any.