I created a burner Google account to download apps via play store due to Aurora not working.

I noticed that it automatically signs me into any Google app with this account.

Expected behaviour: sandboxed Google play logs in with a burner and does not pass any login credentials to other apps like YouTube.

Actual behaviour: all Google apps (YouTube and playstore) automatically login with the burner account despite me not actively logging into them. (I only logged into play store)

I think it's user error. Am I doing something wrong? Is this expected behaviour?

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    • Post #2

    Rt11111 Aurora Store should still work with Google login. Unless you require apps that refuse to work without sandboxed Google Play. This process does not create account on your device that would in some instances automatically log you in.

      Rt11111 logging into Play Store caused you to create an entry in the "Password and accounts" sections of your settings. This is basically your hub for accounts and some apps do check and use a fitting account from here (so you don't have to log into all apps from the same company, such as Google).

      Basically you have 2 options if you don't like the current setup:

      • Remove the Google account and ditch Play Store for something else (good overview in this post)
      • Keep the Google account and ditch the other apps for alternatives (I recommend replacing YouTube with Newpipe X Sponsorblock or Libretube)

      Maybe I'm wrong here and you can log out of YouTube within the app, I can't test that since I don't have a similar setup...

          N1b Basically you have 2 options if you don't like the current setup [...]

          I suspect creating a second user profile would isolate the Google credentials. But my understanding is that Google designed Android for apps running on behalf of each user to have access to that user's Google credentials.

          • N1b replied to this.

              de0u yes good call, creating different users would separate the accounts if that is not too inconvenient for you. You might even entertain the idea of having the owner profile free from Google (including Play Store) and moving the stuff you don't like privacy-wise into separate profiles.

                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.

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                  • 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.

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                          • 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.

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                                  • 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
                                          • Edited

                                          [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.