How to use sandboxed-Google Play Store?

eomiku

Maybe I am simply dumb but it always requests a login. Am I to just use aurora?

Thanks

matchboxbananasynergy

Google Play store requires a Google account. If you don't want to login to a Google account, you can use Aurora store, which still requires an account, bu they provide you with disposable accounts.

If you haven't already, please take a look at this page:

https://grapheneos.org/usage#sandboxed-google-play-installation

eomiku

matchboxbananasynergy Thanks, and yeah, wasn't wanting to use a Google account.

I take it if you use Aurora store through anonymous account, theres no feasible way to make app purchases?

madduck

matchboxbananasynergy On the page it says:

After installing the apps, you should open the Play Store and press sign in to trigger initialization. Signing into an account is optional and it will work fine without it, but you do need to get it initialized and this is currently the best way to mimic the initialization done by the stock OS setup wizard.

Can you confirm this? I cannot use the Google Play Store app without signing into an account.

ayaen

Yes Best to use Play Store if you wish to purchase apps.

lberrymage

madduck That paragraph is correct, albeit a little confusing.

You don't need a Google account to install the Play Store, initialize Play Services, and use Play Services APIs that require the Play Store. You do need a Google account to install apps from the Play Store. GrapheneOS can't change how that works.

madduck

lberrymage Ah great, thanks for the clarification. You might agree though that "open the Play Store … signing in is optional … it will work fine without it" is a bit misleading. Maybe one could reword that like you wrote?
So I could use Aurora to install apps and benefit from the ubiquitous bloody Google Play Services dependencies everywhere? Going to try that out now…

Wonderfall

madduck In fact, Aurora can't bypass that either: Play Store servers always require the use of an account to download apps. Aurora simply lets you use shared publicly-available accounts through its "anonymous login" feature.

(If you still prefer Aurora, that's fine, but just so you know how it works.)