VPN (Protón)

Dboy

Hi there,

I am completely new at Graphene and I need some help.

I have installed proton VPN (plus version - paid) on the private part of the owner profile with Play Store. Everything fine.

But I am unable to install it on other profiles nor on the owner one: f-droid says the downloaded app does not correspond to the latest version.

Before, I installed the app with f-droid on the owner profile then I was unable to install it on the private part with Play Store: "installation failed".

I do not know if I can set the proton VPN using the VPN menu on the settings (connections >> VPN). If it is the case, please, I would appreciate if somebody could let me know how to fill the blank lines.

I am pretending to use 3 profiles + the private section of the owner one. And I would like yo use the VPN on 2 of them. According to the hired plan of Proton, I can use the VPN on 10 different devices... I guess that each profile is a device, right?

Thank you very much for your help.

All the best!

N1b

Dboy But I am unable to install it on other profiles nor on the owner one: f-droid says the downloaded app does not correspond to the latest version.

The app is already installed through the owner profile and just not available on user profiles yet. You have to stick to the same installation source, or even better, just push the app from owner to user (there's an "install available apps" option in user management settings of the owner profile).

This way (install through owner) you could use your owner profile maybe exclusively for installs and updates while every user profile is for your everyday usage. This increases security and privacy, as you just don't allow user profiles to install apps and on owner profile (where all apps rest) you're not logged in to accounts. You can even disable all apps except system apps and app stores on owner if you want, they'll still be recognized and updated.

Check this article for user profile management.

spl4tt

Dboy f-droid says the downloaded app does not correspond to the latest version.

Have you maybe forgotten to sync the fdroid repos? That message normally happens then.

Vincent96

Dboy F-Droid is not recommended.

Eumenia

Dboy Before, I installed the app with f-droid on the owner profile then I was unable to install it on the private part with Play Store: "installation failed".

Habe you tried to push the app from the main profile/space to the rest?

americanDude

How are you trying to install the app?

NetRunner88

You need to install from same source, same version. Do not mix from Web, Google Play, Fdroid

Dboy

Thank you for your kind replay. I have just been able to make it installing the app through Aurora. Now everything is working.

By the way, my USB key does not work with proton and through the device (pixel 9a)... Despite it works with gmail account. I have had to tap my 16 character password many times. Horrible!

I am thinking about deleting the gmail address and reinstall all the apps of my private section with Aurora. The truth is that I have seen on YT that the safer way to install apps which are originally from the Google Play Store is using sandbox... what do you think? The installed apps are very normal apps as YT, WhatsApp, parking app, BP app and that's all (this device is for my father).

Thanks again for your help!

americanDude

Android installs apps once, so when you install it from a profile, use Android settings to install the apps to another profile instead of trying to install it again

Dboy

Thank you. How can I do that?

americanDude Thank you. How can I do this?

gta3

You could also just use wireguard and download ur proton config files.

That's a much better approach as proton VPN app likely bundled with some form of tracking spyware

router99

gta3 explain why that is likely, please

secrec

router99 explain why that is likely, please

Because there is no REASON for them to distribute their own software unless they're sneaking something into it. Why go to the trouble when you can just say "use wireguard, here's the config for it"?

To be clear, I'm not saying that they ARE sneaking something into it, just that its suspicious that they would bother making their own software.

Dboy

N1b Thank you. If I understand correctly, I install, for example, Google play store and Google services on my owner profile, install apps (YouTube, WhatsApp... Etc) and leave them disabled (except google play store and google services). Despite this, the apps will update, right?

Then I push the apps to another profile in order to use them where they will be able.

But if profiles are isolated one from each other, the apps will be updated on the secondary profile despite the uptading process comes from the owner profile?

Thank you

I apologise for my poor knowledge...

N1b

Dboy But if profiles are isolated one from each other, the apps will be updated on the secondary profile despite the uptading process comes from the owner profile?

Exactly, I do this on my private phone. Updating apps in one profile (even user profile) updates them everywhere else. But since you can only push apps from owner to user, it's easy to have the owner profile being the command center for installs and updates and leave the app stores out of the user profiles (if it makes sense for your threat model).

Btw. you can also deactivate Play Store and Play Services on the owner profile and only activate it on your update routine if you want to.

secrec

spl4tt That's not his issue. The problem is that F-Droid builds packages from source themselves and uses their own signing key, which does not correspond to the owner's signing key used on packages distributed on gplay or their own website.

Dboy

N1b Thank you very much !

Dboy

N1b Sorry, I have one more question. When installing Google Play Store and services, there is additional app which appears as "device settings" (maybe the translation is not exactly right). The complete name is

versión 1282

android.autoinstalls.config.google.nexus
versionCode 1282

targetSdk 35
minSdk 33

Installed: 6 ene 2026; 16:23

Log:

type: logcat
osVersion: google/tegu/tegu:16/BP4A.251205.006.E1/2025122501:user/release-keys
package: android.autoinstalls.config.google.nexus:1282, targetSdk 35
buffers: main,system,crash,events,kernel
level: verbose

Is it normal?

Thank you

Skorp

secrec

Please do not start implying unfounded conclusions for which there is no logical basis nor evidence. Thank you.

router99

secrec because it's easier for most people to install an app versus messing with configuration files.

ZeppelinAmenity

secrec

Because there is no REASON for them to distribute their own software unless they're sneaking something into it. Why go to the trouble when you can just say "use wireguard, here's the config for it"?
To be clear, I'm not saying that they ARE sneaking something into it, just that its suspicious that they would bother making their own software.

There's plenty of reasons why people could want a ProtonVPN app over a manual list of their Wireguard configs:

Fastest server to your current location and network conditions
Finding servers with a lower current load
Getting real-time server list updates in case of outages or IP changes
Easier split-tunneling (setting in 1 place vs each config)
Supports multiple protocols in one app (Wireguard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, their own censorship-resistant "Stealth"protocol)
Cool world map UI

For example, I use manual Wireguard configs on my router and to get updates, I run a long combined curl and jq command on my laptop to get a table of the node-id/country/city/IP/pubkey/load/features-bitmask. This also requires a valid token for the API call which is a pain to get. But this is all less work than using the website to get the same info. This would be an absolute nightmare to do on mobile.

Healthy skepticism is good, but it should be balanced with possible motives, their likelihood, and attempts to verify or refute the claims. You might could try to inspect all the app's network traffic (dunno if you can proxy any of the TLS connections - certs might be pinned, might could decompile and swap em) or dump memory for any other clues.

N1b

Dboy I don't know what this is, but maybe an expert can chime in.

gta3

Skorp he wasn't making any unfounded conclusions

If a vendor refuses to release open source code, then by design they are intentionally hiding somthing.

Thus, its common sense to assume said for profit company is likely bundling there closed source warez with other code.

secrec

Skorp I was extremely clear. Apparently you should read more carefully before attacking people.

Skorp

It appears to be a package for installing preconfigured recommended or required apps by an OEM. GrapheneOS doesn't come with a list so it doesn't do anything.

https://bayton.org/blog/2024/03/play-auto-install/#what-is-pai

Dboy

Skorp Thank you. But it is weird, isn't it? Maybe there is no relation with but when I turn off my phone, it gets very hot.

I am a little bit afraid because our previous devices (mine and my parents') were hacked. That's why we installed graphene.

Just in case, I have came back to factory settings (erasing all data). I have reinstalled Google play and this mysterious app did not appear anymore.

I do not understand very well all the information which appears on the link. The fact is that the phone is still getting hot when I turn it off.

Do you think it is a hacking sign?

Thanks again.