Sandboxed Google Play

BridgePlayer

Please forgive me if this question has been asked and answered before. I just installed GrapheneOS on my new Pixel 8. I have purchased apps on my old Samsung phone that I want to install on my new Pixel 8. I've done the homework and know can install Google Play either in the Owner profile or create a new profile, for example, "Google Stuff" and install it there. It is recommended to do it in a new profile. One of my purchased apps is Textra, a wonderful SMS app. What I don't understand is if I install Textra via Google Play in my Google Stuff profile will it work while I'm in the Owner profile? (Will I receive texts, notifications, etc.?) If not, since I plan to be in my Owner profile 99% of the time, why would I not just install Google Play in the Owner profile? Additionally, I assume I use the stock App store that has Google Play in it to install Google Play. Your help is appreciated. Thank you.

blusterpilgrim

BridgePlayer The advice is that if you're unsure about profiles, just use Graphene OS as you'd normally use any other Android device, i.e. install Google Play Services and Store in your Owner profile and download the apps. You're still receiving a massive amount of privacy benefits compared to stock due to sandboxing.

If you're adamant on profiles, you'll still have to have the app installed on your main profile, either via Aurora Store or APK mirror if you don't want to install Play Store. Then in the profile you have Play Services and Play Store installed along with your app, enable "Send notifications to current user" in the User's settings. This will allow your Play Services profile to send notifications for your apps to your main profile. The app in your main profile will still have received the message, but it won't send a "main profile notification" (I hope this makes sense). A downside of all this is that you have to allow the Play Service profile to "Allow running in background" which drains more battery than if you just have a single profile.

fid02

BridgePlayer One of my purchased apps is Textra, a wonderful SMS app. What I don't understand is if I install Textra via Google Play in my Google Stuff profile will it work while I'm in the Owner profile?

Depends on how you have to install the app and how the app has to verify the purchase. If the app is only available on the Play Store, you have to use the Play Store to install it. If the purchase has to be verified through the Play Store, you have to use the Play Store to verify the purchase.

If the app doesn't require Play at all, you could do it the other way around; setting up Google Play in the Owner profile, then use GrapheneOS' feature to push apps from Owner to secondary profiles.

BridgePlayer It is recommended to do it in a new profile.

Did someone tell you this? That Google stuff should be isolated in a separate secondary profile? That's entirely up to you. Dozens of threads by people asking the same question. Someone should probably make a community page with an article about it…

BridgePlayer

blusterpilgrim That's the thing, I'm not adamant about profiles at all. I just want privacy but I also want to download the apps that I have purchased over the years. I'm very hesitant to log in with my google account because my thinking is if I do that, Google has all my information from that account now associated with my new phone. Exactly what I want to avoid. If that's the only way to do it, I really wouldn't mind setting up a dummy google account and buying the apps again. I just don't know what to do. I'm very excited about my new phone and Graphene OS but I'm also very confused.

BridgePlayer

fid02 I watched this video.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ0PKtiXTSs](https://)

DeletedUser127

BridgePlayer you need to have a think how much you need these paid apps, what other apps from the Play Store you need or whether you need any at all and what is your privacy worth to you. Since I started using GrapheneOS, I was also several times tempted to and I did install sandboxed Google Play, to reclaim my app library and have a better app compatibilty just to delete it a few days later because I wasn't comfortable using it.

It may come to you very hard to let go of the apps you used in the past and replacing them with more privacy respecting alternatives and getting rid of some of them alrogether to simplify your life and loosen grip of tracking and surveillance. I know it can be done. I download a handful of apps (those that I know that work), most don't need network to run with Aurora Store. Major bulk of my apps come from github/gitlab and I monitor updates with ReadYou.

blusterpilgrim

BridgePlayer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAoCfrqxIEg This is sideofburritos more updated version of that video. In the first 30 seconds (ignore the rest of the video) he says you should just sign in to Google and the Play Store and just use the phone as you usually would. Google will receive a very limited amount of data on you, but it's miniscule compared to stock Android.

BridgePlayer

DeletedUser127 Thank you for your insight.

BridgePlayer

blusterpilgrim Thank you for your help. I found this on the GrapheneOS web site:
[https://grapheneos.org/usage#sandboxed-google-play](https://) which was very helpful. It states here:
[https://grapheneos.org/usage#sandboxed-google-play-installation](https://)
The simplest approach is to only use the Owner user profile.
To install sandboxed Google Play, open our App Store, select Google Play services and install it.

That's what I'm going to do. Thank you.

BridgePlayer

blusterpilgrim I installed Google Play Services from the GrapheneOS App Store. I keep getting a notification, "Missing Permission: Google Play Services tried to show a notification" Should I give Google Play Services notifications permission?

fid02

BridgePlayer Should I give Google Play Services notifications permission?

If you want it to display notifications, yes.