Trying to use my Google Pixel 2023 to the fullest.

FAFAU

Hello,
I've recently picked up a pixel fold and i really like it. I see potential in it in context of doing office stuff and other things.
I was thinking about doing another profile for it, so I can install the google apps.
So i have questions about this:

Is it okay that i want to go with google? I am aware about openoffice but it doesn't really convinced me that much to go with it.
Is it better to make new (which will be used only in that profile) google account or install these apps through aurora store.
You can of course link me to other discussions if this was talked about, I just think that I haven't found an answer to my question there but I can be wrong of course.
Have a great day.

Johnnyloans

FAFAU Is it okay that i want to go with google?

1) Yes, grapheneOS is for everyone :) Some people do everything they would on a normal phone but they just hate to have candy crush allowed network permission.

I'd simply use the play store. The main advantage of separate profiles is to quickly delete it if you're a reporter the government hates or want to separate work and your personal life.

If you want to place other apps in another profile, private space is within the owner profile. Private space is another profile but much quicker to access.

DeletedUser728

FAFAU google account or install these apps through aurora store.

If it's "1st priority is Security, 2nd - Privacy" - go Play Store. Otherwise, go Aurora.

alias_vault_anonymous

1: It's fine to use Google

2: Download through play store, not aurora store.

Murcielago

DeletedUser728

Is there a privacy advantage Aurora offers over using Google Play Store with a burner account? Especially when you consider Aurora's many drawbacks.

As far as I know, all Aurora does is use its own burner accounts.

DeletedUser728

Murcielago Aurora offers you ability to not give core Google apps a Network permission, a Spoof manager, acts kinda like vpn so you're blended with others, no need for an account, and allows not to ask for updates for non-Store app that Play store does by default. Maybe there is more to that, but those are basics relevant to privacy, unless there are caveats

DeletedUser728

Murcielago you consider Aurora's many drawbacks

Do you have a newer list, not the 3 years old? I find a lot if items not relevant, so have no idea if that's just old info or if it was wrong from the beginning.
For years of using Aurora, I would immediately notice "wrong builds". Whole section "When using the anonymous mode login" is just wrong/biased. A lot of points are just self-citing, no link to 3rd party assessment found.
If such approach is also applied to Security points, without checking answers from the Aurora project, then...

Murcielago

DeletedUser728

Aurora offers you ability to not give core Google apps a Network permission, a Spoof manager, acts kinda like vpn so you're blended with others, no need for an account, and allows not to ask for updates for non-Store app that Play store does by default. Maybe there is more to that, but those are basics relevant to privacy, unless there are caveats

Thanks for your feedback. I took a look at the features you mentioned:

ability to not give core Google apps a Network permission

They are less helpful having a setup like mine where some apps depend on Googles push notifications (FCM) but may definitely be helpful for other setups.

a Spoof manager

According to Aurora Wiki, spoofing appears to apply to three areas: Device, language, and location. Note regarding location spoofing:

For now, location spoofing can only be done using your own Google accounts.

source: https://auroraoss.com/wiki#spoofing

no need for an account

Even though you don't need an account (except for location spoofing, see above), Aurora itself appears to recommend using your own Google account:

However, it is recommended to use your own Google account, or at the very least a throwaway one which you will not have to worry about if it gets banned. This ensures better stability and gives full potential with the features available in Aurora Store.

source: https://auroraoss.com/wiki#do-i-need-to-use-my-own-google-account-to-log-in

Do you have a newer list, not the 3 years old?

No, unfortunately not. But I'd also be interested to know which points still apply and which don't.

DeletedUser728

An example regarding quality of claims. The 2nd goes "Apps can check if they were installed from the Play Store and can choose to refuse to work if they were not installed from the Play Store."
In general - of course they can. In reality, 1 out of 60 apps was that stubborn, so there is a one-time workaround. 54 of 60 doesn't require any Play services to be available at all.

It would be fair to prefix the list like "Below you can find the list of all the theoretical potential issues without actual verification how applicable/relevant/true are they, we don't care when it's us who blame other projects".

DeletedUser728

Murcielago Aurora itself appears to recommend using your own Google account

If you read it further, you'll find out their reasoning behind that: paid apps, wishlist, beta updates. None rings a bell for me. I've dumped my library of paid apps as a necessary step.

Their argument regarding banning those dispencer accs doesn't make any sense, as further they explain Google can ban your personal account for using Aurora store.
So what's the difference except for a clear benefit of anonymous accounts? There is a number of them.
Nowadays re-creating an account with access to apps will require a phone number for outgoing SMS.

The definite downside is that with a personal account you're marking yourself - track me, instead of giving a chance to blend-in with thousands of others. Not a non-tracking guarantee, but a chance not possible with personal account.
That is only a part of their reasoning for own account. Below they state that

DeletedUser728

Murcielago According to Aurora Wiki, spoofing appears to apply to three areas: Device, language, and location. Note regarding location spoofing:

Exactly, I don't want Google to know my phone model so they don't have one more dats item for fingerprinting/tracking