On App Stores and Search Engines - Brand New GrapheneOS User

Splendour

Hello. I recently installed Graphene on a spare Pixel I had lying around. I have been in the privacy space for years now but was never adept with tech, and so with Graphene I feel a little in over my head. I have several issues now in setting up my phone and I was wondering if someone would be able to help me out with them, or perhaps if others have come across the same things.

Is it even Worth having FDroid, or Aurora, MicroG, etc? My idea was to just use Obtainium for everything I could download directly off the web, and then use the Sandboxed Google Play under a fresh Google account. I have heard people of installing the Play Store on a separate profile? Then there is the whole issue with notifications working or not working? I tried reading up on this stuff but I am way in over my head. I am not a huge techie and sometimes I struggle a bit with English.
I cannot add Brave Search to Vanadium despite having played around with JavaScript, JIT settings, etc.

Johnnyloans

Splendour

Google play store, obtanium, fdroid are good.

Aurora or apkmirror.com can be used to get an older app version or if the play store says the app is not available for you.

2) use brave search for a few days then check back at vanadium settings > search engines hopefully it'll be there under recently visited.

970261

Welcome to GOS Splendour.

Generally people here recommend getting apps from sandboxed Google Store or Accrescent (via GOS's App Store). I do personally however have Fdroid and Obtanium, and verify the hash via AppVerifier. Profiles from what I've seen are more for people who need to have a "Work" profile that is separate from Personal/Off the clock.
I'm note sure if search engines can be manually added to Vanadium, I just use Duckduck go. I do however have Brave browser installed and use that for Brave search.

Hopefully others can chime in and/or add more.

nandohyphen1

Johnnyloans use brave search for a few days then check back

Not even that long. Make a few searches (between 4-10) with the search engine and it'll appear :)