I have a fairphone 6, bought with /e/os and running the latest 4.0 release. I am signed in to microG with a valid google account, however when I check google play integrity status with play integrity checker apps I get a result of NO_INTEGRITY. I would have thought that MEETS_BASIC_INTEGRITY is the very least we can expect here, given this is a phone that was sold with /e/os installed
This has me very concerned. Play integrity checks seem to becoming more and more common, and not being able to reach the lowest bar of those checks seems like it will make it impossible to use /e/os as a daily driver going forward.
Am I doing something wrong or is this expected behaviour?
My understanding is that the phone is sold with the bootloader locked? I certainly haven’t touched it.
I can indeed install things from the App Lounge.
I do have a banking app installed, it currently works but I have a very strong suspicion that the next update of the app will cause it to break so I have disabled updates. The Volkswagen app for my car stopped working recently due to failed integrity checks.
I think however, that these specifics are kind of beside the point? I understand that passing integrity checks is a bit of an arms race, but I would have thought that achieving MEETS_BASIC_INTEGRITY should be table stakes?
You can try to not block hardware attestation and disable the block option as introduced here, for relocked devices this should make sense. Though I have no relocked device or an app that requires attestation - so can’t test.
I would have thought that MEETS_BASIC_INTEGRITY is the very least we can expect here, given this is a phone that was sold with /e/os installed
quoting the microG developer on projects goals from mid 2025:
Making you pass Play Integrity is not a goal of microG. If you have issues with apps that require Play Integrity, especially if they require more than BASIC attestation, I advice to let its developer know and use a competitor app that doesn’t require Play Integrity until they decide to change. The best thing we can do against not passing Play Integrity is to make developers stop using it.
/e/OS goal might differ and they can introduce counter-measures, but it will stay a cat+mouse game and is only defeated when regulators act on the market distortion.
That quote from the microG developer specifically says “if they require more than BASIC attestation” and describes basic attestation as “some basic checks (like checking for user-space root)”.
This is my problem, I’m not even getting that. I have checked the microG settings and attestation is enabled, bit still SPIC or any other integrity checker app shows NO_INTEGRITY.
So while I’m definitely in agreement that regulators should step in to prevent Google from market manipulation here, I’m also somewhat sympathetic to an app developer who doesn’t want to listen to me if my device cannot achieve basic integrity. Assuming of course this description of basic integrity as “some simple checks” is still valid.
Did you check if the introduced option can help you? it’s in the advanced options upper right falafel menu (!) of device attestation.
“I’m not even getting that” is imo a wrong framing. BASIC is no less a proprietary attestation than the advanced levels, it’s cursed all the way.
The critique is not that what it checks for isn’t legitimate, but the “who can attest what”. Developers use what make their lifes easier, but there cannot be competition as no alternative means of attestation are allowed.
Oh thank you, I hadn’t discovered that option. Unfortunately changing it didn’t help.
“I’m not even getting that” is imo a wrong framing. BASIC is no less a proprietary attestation than the advanced levels, it’s cursed all the way.
In principle I agree 100%, but in practical terms I really fear this is going to drive me back to Android. I’m not there yet, but if I lose access to my banking app and a couple of other apps then it’s really not going to be practical to stay on e.
I assume the Murena foundation is trying to lobby regulators about this issue? It has the feel of something that could kill this whole endeavour.
