I just downloaded a game from Aurora and it wanted me to log into my Google account. At some point I must have logged into it because after digging around I found that I'm logged into Google Play services and Google Play store and in general my Google account. I didn't think I was because I have been using the Aurora store without logging in exclusively.
So, am I supposed to be logged in (is it all sandboxed?) or did I screw up somewhere along the way?
DjBeau The Android account system is designed so that once you sign in to any app from a vendor you are signed in to all of their apps. For example, signing in to Amazon's shopping app signs you in to their video app too.
This has nothing to do with "sandboxing", which does not mean "completely isolating".
Using Aurora Store is not recommended as it is dangerous and insecure, all while not providing any privacy benefit.
It is officially recommended to use the Play Store with sandboxed Play Services, which is more secure and more private. You can use it with an anonymous Google account if you like.
pxlkng "Using Aurora Store is not recommended as it is dangerous and insecure, all while not providing any privacy benefit."
TBF theres no real alterative to Aurora, assuming you wish to not install sandboxed play services & make a new account. It is better to use the play store, but not everyone has access to it.
There is no reason to avoid installing sandboxed Play Services.
pxlkng I understand why many don't want usage data being tied to a Google account
Graphene1 Creating a new account or not creating one makes no tangible privacy difference since either way they have unique identifiers for the install. Every app can generate and store random numbers.
pxlkng I have to disagree, completely. I find it uncomfortable myself (I have bad experiences with Google services in general and want to avoid it outside of a independent profile)
There is nothing to agree or disagree on, here.
Play Services are always sandboxed and confined on GrapheneOS and have absolutely no special permissions or elevated access, they are just like any other app.
You don't need a profile to contain them, this doesn't change much.
pxlkng "There is nothing to agree or disagree on, here.", making your opinion objective makes you a lot less trustworthy, just saying...
"Play Services are always sandboxed and confined on GrapheneOS and have absolutely no special permissions or elevated access, they are just like any other app.", I did not claim otherwise, that's the idea of sandboxing, I still don't want it.
The fact that Play Services are sandboxed with no special privileges or access on GOS is not an opinion.
The fact that Aurora Store reduces security and therefore also privacy (as security is a prerequisite to privacy) and shouldn't be used isn't an opinion either, it is based on facts and recommendations by the GrapheneOS project.
Maybe I have worded myself poorly:
It is a valid goal to completely avoid Play Services.
But you are not doing that by using any apps that come from the Play Store or bundle Google libraries.
Aurora Store doesn't change this, at all. It only makes you less secure and private, but it doesn't stop any Google telemetry or tracking or data collection.
So there is no reason to prefer Aurora Store over sandboxed Google Play Services.
"The fact that Play Services are sandboxed with no special privileges or access on GOS is not an opinion.", I never claimed otherwise, you put words into my mouth.
"it is based on facts and recommendations by the GrapheneOS project.", I also never stated otherwise
If you want to pretend I said things I didn't, then its clear you are here to be bad faithed. I don't have time for this
I apologize that this came across this way. I was merely pointing out the issues with Aurora Store.
pxlkng Its fine, and with the issues you brought up, you are correct. Aurora lacks a lot (Play Store metadata verification, reduced CA set or pinning, trusting every webPKI CA, among other issues that akc3n mentions I won't pretend IK all of it).
I also wanted to mention, outside of sandboxed play, there isn't many safe alternatives and people are going to eventually have to make a decision based on their needs/paranoia. This is pretty much all I am saying
I'm confused about recommendations in this thread. I do not have google play services installed on my phone nor do I have a google account. I use Aurora anonymously.
How does it increase my privacy if I create a google account, load play services, and log in to the account to download apps? That does not make any sense to me. Apps I use have never required a google account login.
Specifically to the reason that Aurora Store has no privacy benefit:
Many Play Store apps bundle Google libraries with them, those run on your phone even without Play Services installed and allow Google to collect the same amount of data it would be able to collect with Play Services installed, which is not much to begin with due to everything being sandboxed and confined.
So Aurora Store doesn't avoid Google or Googles data collection in any way.
You can create an anonymous Google account not linked to you and without a phone number to use the official Play Store anonymously.
Something tells me without extensive support of Play services, Firebase and Google analytics those libraries are by far not as powerful as some claim them to be.
They collect the same amount of data.
Stop hoping it to be otherwise, come on the matrix channels or on Discord and ask this question and many other knowledgeable community members will say the same as me.
