Using Google Play services as a daily driver

unseenpolar

Hello,
Recently, I bought a new phone and immediately flashed GrapheneOS onto it.
In order to install my apps, such as Signal, Aegis, Syncthing, etc., I figured the most secure and efficient way is through Google Play services, installed in my 'Owner' profile. That's especially the matter with Signal, where the package on their website is usually outdated, as opposed to the upstream Google Play one.
I decided to make a semi-anonymous Google account on the phone providing a SimpleLogin email alias, while using Mullvad.
I acknowledged the security implications of using Google Play services, according to the official website at grapheneos.org, but I'm still uneasy. Do I grant Google access to my apps this way? Is a Google daemon always running as a background process? Would you overall consider this setup safe and would you use it? I also tried sourcing most of my apps using an RSS reader. Does that still have its use case?

unseenpolar

unseenpolar alias, while using Mullvad

Sorry, typo.

evalda

Many apps work just fine without Google Play Services...

I don't think there is anything wrong with your setup but I would question if you really need GPS (all the time)?

I try to avoid GPS unless I absolutely have to use them and in that case it happens in a separate user profiles

unseenpolar

evalda Thanks for the answer!
I don't use GPS at all. I don't know what you mean there.

mythodical

unseenpolar GPS as in Google Play Services.

Security-wise you are likely fine. Privacy-wise, I would argue it isn't ideal but there are millions of folks who do use Play Services every day on their Android devices, and likely thousands of GrapheneOS users who do the same.

I prefer to avoid Play Services myself, and stick to Google Services Framework (GSF) only, without any permissions. One of my goals for moving to GOS was to avoid the constant tracking/telemetry employed by Google, anonymous or not.

evalda

unseenpolar I meant GPS = Google Play Services, bad abbreviation sorry 😹

unseenpolar

mythodical Thanks for the answer!
I decided the best scenario for me will probably be to use Google Play services in a separate user profile only for apps that I couldn't otherwise, such as Viber and Microsoft Teams.
I'll continue to stick with the RSS method. The only thing that bothers me is Signal being incapable of notifying me when there are updates. The apk on their website is also usually behind upstream.

mythodical

unseenpolar no problem, you can always opt to use the Aurora store to receive more timely updates of Signal without needing a Play account. As far as I know, the Play Store version supports WebSockets too.

MetropleX

unseenpolar Signal being incapable of notifying me when there are updates. The apk on their website is also usually behind upstream.

I am surprised by this, I regularly get the Signal update request when the app alerts me a new version is available.
Agreed it might be a delay between it being listed on Play and from the app itself.

You haven't disabled/altered the notification (App Updates) via App Info>Notifications have you?

unseenpolar

MetropleX 'App updates' appears enabled. I've only disabled 'Background connection'.

MetropleX

unseenpolar if you disable background connection, then it is likely that when Signal would poll the server to see if the update is available, you have it in the background and it fails.

Signal to work properly without play services needs background data and battery optimisation exception. Otherwise the websocket connection to Signals servers can't be maintained for push notifications nor polling for app updates.