Will Play Store Access be possible if needed?

[Mycenius]

Just a follow up ‘newbie’ question to the previous Installing or sideloading apps not in the default App Store thread, will the Google Play store be accessible directly from the OS if desired?

I realise you obviously don’t want to do it and want to get any apps through the iodéOS App Store, and I definitely don’t want anything ‘Google’ on my phone if I can help it! But I have tentatively identified 2-3 apps I may prefer (I hesitate to say need) to have on my BraX3 and suspect side loading or similar may not be an option?

And if it is would it essentially just involve installing play store, installing the apps from it, then possibly being able to uninstall play store after? If that is so will those apps update without Play Store present or are you stuck with it present on the device?

Appreciate any guidance/enlightenment - I’m reasonably tech savvy and have been going down the privacy route for several years in many areas, on PC, MacBook, etc, but haven’t previously done the phone side and am coming from mostly iPhone/iOS experience rather than Android.

P.S. and any guidance on best way to mitigate if you do need to interact with Play Store.

[xancudo]

So with Aurora, you can use a Google login to access Google Play. It’s an option to use an anonymous login, or you real Google account. You could install your apps, and then disconnect. But what happens from there, I cannot attest to. I have not had a google login since, way back when. But I don’t hink it would be drastic.

I link people need to understand that a degoogled life is a process. And it will take time. You step back, bits at a time.

[Mycenius]

@xancudo

So with Aurora, you can use a Google login to access Google Play. It’s an option to use an anonymous login, or you real Google account. You could install your apps, and then disconnect.

Right - yes I was ,assuming’ there would be something like that…

…But what happens from there, I cannot attest to. I have not had a google login since, way back when. But I don’t hink it would be drastic.

Thanks. Yeah I still have a login but have not used it for day to day stuff (Gmail/drive/etc) for several years now. I do still use it on a single older smart TV for YouTube - solely because I haven’t figured out yet how to ditch it and be 100% sure the content makers still get a benefit from me watching their videos (e.g. does not being subscribed harm them)… but I digress…

Yes, I assumed the worst would be (hopefully) just they don’t update and you need to periodically reconnect to Play so they can? Then disconnect it again… then rinse and repeat?

I link people need to understand that a degoogled life is a process. And it will take time. You step back, bits at a time.

Absolutely - I’ve been going extremely slow - but not so much from procrastination as from other things being a distraction, plus taking time to be very sure which way I’m going. Hence I’m well down that road before looking at my phone…

Thanks for the response!

[plamen]

In terms of updating apps, I noticed that even if I sideload apps, Aurora app store still provides app updates for it. I believe it just looks at your installed apps (identified by app package name) and suggests pushing updates to those.

The challenges you may face without Google Play services are not related to downloading or updating apps. They may be related to paying for apps. I found a few workarounds for that: pay the app directly with the developer or pay for the app through a Google Play-enabled device.

[Mycenius]

@plamen

In terms of updating apps, I noticed that even if I sideload apps, Aurora app store still provides app updates for it. I believe it just looks at your installed apps (identified by app package name) and suggests pushing updates to those.

Ahh that’s great to know. Thank you.

The challenges you may face without Google Play services are not related to downloading or updating apps. They may be related to paying for apps.

Good point. I hadn’t given that much thought yet.