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A comment on Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Android if not signed in?. Parent comment

Re:Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Andr... by flowinho on Sunday September 05, 2021 @01:20AM (#28421827)
Gotta step in as a GrapheneOS User. You have multiple options.

The easiest and most approachable one is: install Aurora Store from F-Droid. It gives you access to Google Play + App Updates without logging you into Google. This almost feels identical to Google Play itself.

Next: think about install the Experimental GMS Support that GrapheneOS offers. If you e.g. absolutely need an App that has troubles working without Google SDKs embedded, this might be an option. This is documented in the Usage Guide of the Website.

https://grapheneos.org/usage

However, just dont forget that you wanted a Google-FREE Phone. So dont overdo installing proprietär stuff.

Oh and stay as far away from MicroG as possible, it seriouly cripples the security of GrapheneOS by a lot.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Andr... by josephcsible on Sunday September 05, 2021 @01:24AM (#28421837)
> Oh and stay as far away from MicroG as possible, it seriouly cripples the security of GrapheneOS by a lot.

Doesn't this severely limit which apps you can install?

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Andr... by atatatat on Sunday September 05, 2021 @11:25AM (#28425017)
Severely? Not even close.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Andr... by Raed667 on Sunday September 05, 2021 @08:27AM (#28423824)
> Oh and stay as far away from MicroG as possible, it seriouly cripples the security of GrapheneOS by a lot.

I'm using MicroG on an unrooted stock Android just to be able to use Youtube Vanced.

What am I risking here?

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Andr... by passerby1 on Sunday September 05, 2021 @02:20AM (#28422000)
> stay as far away from MicroG as possible, it seriouly cripples the security of GrapheneOS by a lot.

Do you mind sharing some details on this? I did not hear strong statements like this one before.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Andr... by 0xdeadb00f on Sunday September 05, 2021 @02:35AM (#28422053)
IIRC It requires allowing apps to mimic other app's signatures and pretend to be them, "signature spoofing". MicroG mimics the Google play services signature.

But that is really crippling, because apps can now spoof other apps signatures, essentially apps can pretend to be other apps. That opens a lot of opportunities for an attacker.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Andr... by bnr on Sunday September 05, 2021 @03:26AM (#28422245)
With the set of patches used eg in lineageos4microg, spoofing is restricted to the microG core app.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Andr... by 0xdeadb00f on Sunday September 05, 2021 @05:02AM (#28422651)
You're still taking a risk. its a risk that I won't take but you're welcome to for the sake of convenience.
[ Parent | on HN ]