Aurora store MicroG update

Hi there,

I have a Fairphone 3 with eOS directly installed from /e/ foundation.
The Aurora store shows an update for MicroG. is it necessary to update this or not. It states that it will have trackers.
I’m new to this all and know not much about android…

Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/ the unGoogled mobile OS and online servicesphone

please but the MicroG update and all other default apps from e on the Blacklist of Aurora, because you can’t update them. You have to wait til next eOS upgrade

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thank you harvey186. then i’ll wait

Here are the release notes.
https://github.com/microg/android_packages_apps_GmsCore/releases

So the part about trackers is about the Exposure Notifications API.

I updated microG a few days ago and I can confirm that the Exposure Notifications API is disabled by default (I’m not using /e/ but I doubt /e/ will enable it by default). I hope that can answer to the worries about privacy.

The one important piece not mentioned. Aurora Store does NOT have an update to microG. microG has the same package name as Google Play Services so Aurora isn’t offering an update to microG but to Play Services.
Don’t forget that Aurora Store is a front end to the Play Store.
So be careful and do as @harvey186 suggests and blacklist /e/OS default apps (might have different signatures anyway and fail to install) to avoid any confusion/problems.

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Thank you for the clarification, marcdw!

That’s a very important remark! (I’m afraid that I already made mistakes with this on my new /e/phone.) It can break the correct updating of /e/, so will cause havoc with non-techie users.

Is there a systematic list of all standard apps in /e/? That should be linked to from the Aurora Shop HowTo’s.

That are the apps which are on your device after first start. Calendar, Contacts, Mail, Browser and so on

Yes, but after one week of adding apps users will not know that anymore. I think it would be good to maintain a list of those standard apps on the forum.

dann schau mal hier https://gitlab.e.foundation/e/os/android_prebuilts_prebuiltapks/-/tree/master/

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Ah, thanks. Now that works for me. But I am trying to sell /e/ to my non-tech friends.

How about I make a page with the apps on this community? And then only the apps that are “user-apps” i.e. excluding apps like AccountManager and BlissIconPack. It would need to be a page like Manish makes them, with a top part that can be edited by anyone to keep the list updated.

Is that a good idea you think? I am new here but really would like to help, especially for non-tech folks.

Tell your friend, if he can’t update a app from Aurora he should put it on the Blacklist of Aurora. That’s much easier as reading tons of lists

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This is too easy to stumble into!

I am a newbie on /e/ and still just experiment, and have another phone for important use, so it was not critical that i now messed it up.

I was using the q beta on my Fairphone 3.
Installed a couple apps using Apps, then saw it announced an update to the OS, did that rebooted OK.

Then i decided to try install all apps i may need. Found most in Apps, then used Aurora for the rest.
Aurora announced it found a lot of updates to installed apps, so i let it install all of them.
I was a bit impressed it could find an update to MicroG. “Whatever” i thought and let it update.

As i had installed so much, i thought it was good to reboot.

And it failed.

Then i rebooted it. Fail. Left it on a while, rebooted, and now I could log in see settings etc. After a couple minutes lying on the table, it rebooted…

Now i found this thread :slight_smile:

But… How to downgrade MicroG to the real MicroG from /e/, and i probably need exactly that version…?
Probably easiest to just reinstall that version /e/ version. How?

As i have not much work put into it, i think I wil just wipe it (also data to be sure) and reinstall q beta using adb.

But the main issue here, i think is that /e/ should not allow any installer to change such core components! A popup telling why not. (possible to bypass for those who really need, like developers)

You can’t update MicroG ir any other default app. You have to wait until eOS will include the newer version

And… you know the search function? There you will find some posts regarding that

I agree with molej that this is too easy to stumble into. I had a similar thing where I broke my phone by doing something that seems logical.

There should be some pages with warnings for newbies / non-tech users. Links to these pages should be advertised when people buy from the store etc.

It is a good suggestion. We will add a what not to do / try out on your /e/ phone to the documentation.

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If I can help, let me know.

So how about if I just open “Manage Blacklist” in Aurora Store and check off everything that I didn’t install myself, would that do it?

This is what I do, because I’m afraid I’ll mess something up. When flashing /e/, I install the Aurora store first, then go offline, open the blacklist, and check all of the boxes. Then I go back online and use as normal.

I kind of wish /e/ appstore and f-droid had similar blacklists.

What does “flashing /e/” mean?