As others have already said there's no way to avoid this if you run all apps in the same user profile.

If you don't want your other Google apps associated with your Google account, I suggest the following set-up:

  • Install sandboxed Google Play Services in the owner profile and sign into Google Play Store there to install and keep up to date the apps you require
  • Setup a secondary profile in which you do not sign into a Google account
  • Use the install available apps feature in GrapheneOS to install required apps from owner profile to secondary profile
  • Keep the apps you want to use in the secondary profile disabled in the owner profile.

With that setup, Google Play Store in the owner profile will keep the apps updated across all profiles. But you'll have the Google apps in your secondary profile separate from your Google account in the owner profile.

    • [deleted]

    • Post #8
    • Edited

    treequell Use the install available apps feature in GrapheneOS to install required apps from owner profile to secondary profile

    I am curious if anybody here does this. What's the rational behind doing it this way? Sounds like bootstrapping your own Aurora equivalent to me (with your own Google Account).

        [deleted] It is useful for situations where you install and update apps in the owner profile, but runs apps in a secondary profile.

            • [deleted]

            • Post #10

            treequell So basically a way to install apps that are only officially available through Play Store (but which do not necessarily have hard dependencies on Play services) and keep them updated? Spotify would be neat example I guess.

                [deleted] That would be an example, yes.

                It complements nicely the GrapheneOS features which allows you to disable user-installed apps, and to update them but keep them disabled.

                    • [deleted]

                    • Post #12

                    treequell I might pull the trigger and do this. The only salient downside is that some things can only be done from the Owner profile and I don't always remember what these are.

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                      • Post #13
                      • Edited

                      treequell features which allows you to disable user-installed apps, and to update them but keep them disabled.

                      I assume this doesn't work for standalone APKs? If I disable Telegram (which self-updates) for example it also wouldn't get updates, unless I install it from the store?

                          [deleted] I assume this doesn't work for standalone APKs?

                          I would assume not either, but haven't tried it

                            @"Rt11111" I keep hearing people saying that Aurora isn't working, but what exactly do you mean? Can it start a session and show you the front page with some apps?

                            If so, you open app info for Aurora > open by default > check "open supported links"* > select both options. Then you open Aurora, let it start a session, go to the browser, search for the app you want and click on the play store link. This I'll open it in Aurora and you can install it from there.

                            *If you have Google Play installed you have to do the same and unckeck this option for GP before you activate it for Aurora.

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                            • Post #17
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                            [deleted]

                            [deleted] treequell Use the install available apps feature in GrapheneOS to install required apps from owner profile to secondary profile

                            Yes, this is my setup, but with a burner gmail account in the owner profile. My secondary profile also has play services (without an account) for FIDO2 and notifications on MySudo.

                                treequell I like this suggestion the most, and thanks for enlightening me that disabled apps receive updates as well, didn't expect that for some reason.

                                Rt11111 your OP suggests you only use Play Store to install apps and your only other Google app is YouTube. In case you don't require Play Services for some apps to work correctly (like abanking app demanding to be installed from Play Store or an app relying on Play Services for sending notifications), I recommend to use Aurora Store and an alternative YouTube client. It would save you the back and forth with profiles in case account segregation was the only problem you need to solve.

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                                      • Post #19

                                      Rt11111 it automatically signs me into any Google app with this account.

                                      Google Play services (GmsCore, com.google.android.gms) stores the user's google account in its app data and exposes them to Google Apps, and Third-party apps (with user consent).

                                        N1b this makes a ton of sense. Thank you for taking the time to reply

                                        • N1b likes this.

                                          N1b I feel so dumb. Thank you for taking the time to reply. I can use Aurora, just with a logged in account. 🤦‍♂️

                                          Also can use newpipe for YouTube.

                                          Really insightful conversation. Thanks for replying everyone
                                          .

                                          • N1b replied to this.

                                              treequell Use the install available apps feature in GrapheneOS to install required apps from owner profile to secondary profile

                                              One last noob question. How do you do this?

                                              Is it in the apps menu on the non owner profile?

                                                  Rt11111 How do you do this?

                                                  In your owner profile, Open Settings > System > Multiple users > Your secondary user profile > Install available apps. Using that menu, any apps which you enable the toggle for will get installed in your secondary user profile.

                                                      Rt11111 you're not dumb (or we are all dumb at many points in time, your choice :D). There are legit use cases for what you did and I had a lucky guess that it might not be what you wanted to achieve. Keep asking, keep learning. This is the right place to do it.

                                                        treequell this is awesome. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. This massively enhances my setup.

                                                        Now running aurora via a burner Google login. 2 profiles one with GP services, other without. 2 different DoH with varying levels of blocking.

                                                        Now sending out very little data via the phone.

                                                        What a transformation!

                                                          Glad that helps to meet your needs. I'm going to mark this thread as solved for now, please don't hesitate to ask if you have any further questions.