Hi
I just made the switch to iode and would like to use an app that i paid for in the regular app store. Afaik the only route is to log into aurora with the google profile and download from there. then logout again. Apparently this can be problematic with the google-account. It would alos be the first login to any of big tech on this phone. so maybe its useful to avoid it.
I dont need the G account anymore except for getting this one app and maybe another.
Any experiences? Thanks.
I use my Google account for several paid apps. I don’t know any other way. I don’t log out of the account because it is needed for updates of the paid apps (at least this was the case in the past) and some of them need it for license checks, e.g. Tasker.
You may can try use the app “App manager” from F-Droid. And backup then your App as apk from your other device. And install this apk on your iodé device (I have no experience with backup and restore with purchased apps).
Tasked has a directpay option:
This only helps if you also backup and restore app data. That needs a rooted device. This works with some apps and does not with others, especially if they do license checks.
This is an option for a few apps, indeed (Threema, FairEmail Pro features…). But you must pay again if you already have bought the app in the Play Store.
Or Shizuku and “aShell You” (or other) and App Manager? (Just a few thoughts) …
Of course it depends on the app developer, but they may be able to provide an apk download for you if you request with them. But if this is the only reason for the login it sure would be nice to not have to be logged in to Google for that.
What you could at least do, would be to create a Google account that is as unpersonalized as possible.
Remove all data collection options, Marketing, location determination, history, personalized advertising, etc.
Use an impersonal email address you don’t use anywhere else. Best as alias with addy.io (or other).
Of course, the crux of the matter remains the payment method.
If you sign into a google account, even temporarily, haven’t you compromised the phone? The app may (I’d say more than likely) retain your Google ID & name & phone home or talk to other apps & services, data brokers etc.
I have nothing on my IodeOS phone installed from the Aurora store, I am new to IodeOS & came here from GrapheneOS, I spent the time locating alternatives that don’t need logins with a google account. SInce IodeOS uses F-Droid mainly, I installed apps from there, I installed Obtainium as well to install everything from Github that’s not on F-Droid.
Additionally, I have a couple of apps that are free to download from the play store & which need a paid subscription which is set up outside of the playstore using a non Google ID / email if you wish. I tested that on a spare phone from Aurora store & indeed, the app works fine, but I am reluctant to install that to my main phone due to the link between the app and Google, there’s a risk I am not prepare to take.
Slightly off topic but take a look at the documentary below on YouTube, it’s free. I consider myself to be fairly tuned into the risks in using a smart phone but this is scary.
Free apps from the Play Store via Aurora Store is reasonably ok.
MicroG removes identifiable features by general.
In addition, I also deactivate firebase-settings.crashlytics.com, etc. in the iodé blocker (but requires the Pro version of the blocker – that’s exactly what I have for that).
Apps that don’t need a network, I withdraw network access globally.
If it has to be a purchase app, then i look for the possibility to pay directly with the provider. If that’s not possible, then I’m not using this app. So far I’ve gotten through this.
The app I’m talking about is plexamp, I maintain my own music server and have used plexamp with a lifetime licence for several years.
Whilst the app is free to download, to use it I need to log into it using my plex credentials which is seperate and doesnt use gmail.
Plex won’t supply apk’s. Im a bit weary of using anything that is downloaded from the play store even via Aurora, if I’m being paranoid I’m happy to be educated.
I’ve tried alternatives, Jellyfin and Navidrome, but I can’t find an app as good and feature rich as plexamp to pair with them except Symfonium and that is officially tied to the play store unless you can persuade the dev to sell you a non expiring trial version.
I already use Iode premium with every app reinforced, with no issues in doing so.
I am quite happy with “FinAmp” for JellyFin: GitHub - UnicornsOnLSD/finamp: A Jellyfin music client for mobile · GitHub but am not familiar with Plex / Plexamp so can’t compare.
But back to this comment:
Yes, for many that is true.
But, it also depends on what each person considers they are “de-Googling” for. For example, some may not care about being connected to remote Google Services, they just want more control on what local apps are accessing that data and continually running in the background on their device.
Several developers offer direct buy w/o goggle. Threema, FairEmail you can buy directly; MagicEarth you can subscribe directly. Up to now I never needed an account at the Chocolate Factory.
Thank you. I dont want to root the phone.
This is about a single app that is associated with my g-account with a one time payment, so it probably wouldnt need to reconnect, to check payment every year. Do you think there is any chance of transfering this in working condition via app-manager?
And if it does, will the app connect to google and the whole iode effort was for nothing?
(I contacted them, they offer no apk or paralell payment option)
As I said, I don’t know any way to transfer APK + data to another phone other than with a rooted phone. That’s one main reason why I have my phone rooted. And I never had a bought app that would run if I just restore the APK and don’t let it connect to the Google account.
See @rik ‘s answer. It does not render useless the whole iodé effort. You can create a Google account on your phone with microG which helps to reduce the sent data to the necessary minimum. Then you log into that account in Aurora Store and install the app. In the Aurora Store you disable automatic update so the Store will not connect with Google afterwards.
Whether the app connects to Google depends on what the devs have added to the app. You can see the connections in the iodé app after you have installed and run the app and try to block as much as possible if you use the Pro version of iodeOS. Most information you can find already in this answer Paid apps/aurora - #11 by volker01
@grasshopper You will never have GrapheneOS with an app bought at the Play Store. Either you have GrapheneOS without or a different OS like iodeOS with a bought app and reduced traffic with Google.
i still have the app on a regular android phone. is there any way to see what it connects to on the logged in phone?
In that case, you don’t need to sign in to the Aurora Store (a clone of the Play Store), but to microG (a clone of Play Services).
If the licence check is carried out using your account (as is the case with komoot, for example), then you don’t need to log in to microG; you just need to log in to the app using your account.
Yes, probably. I didn’t need to use my Google account to play The Legends of Andor either. Things are a bit different now, because there’s now a lifetime in-app purchase for an expansion, and of course you have to be logged into microG for that. That’s why I now use the app on its own profile, with my own Google account.
This does not need to be transferred. The apps assume that you have only obtained the app by purchasing it from the Play Store.
As Volker mentioned, I’d simply try using the App Manager (to generate the APK; there are other ways to create APKs) to see if the app works once you’ve transferred it as an APK. I’d actually expect it to work. You can then repeat the process at regular intervals to receive updates.
Thanks everyone for the clarification.
