[HOWTO] Download every app in the Google Play Store thanks to Aurora Store

[Anonyme]

**Warning: This HowTo is deprecated: All mobile applications from G Play Store and F-Droid are now available from App Lounge, the default /e/OS installer. There is no need to install extra installers on /e/OS.

In case you find a specific application missing please install the latest version of App Lounge and check . If it is still missing do let us know by raising an issue on Gitlab

Version française ici.

Even if /e/ comes with a default Apps store, you might find some limitations to it.

Aurora Store is an open-source Google Play Store client in which you can be connected with an “Anonymous” account. Since it’s a Play Store client, every application downloaded comes from the Play Store and is completely safe (or at least as safe as with the Play Store).

1) Download and install Aurora Store

a) With the default /e/ Apps store

It’s easy but the version available is often not the last and it’s important to be able to update to the last version because sometimes Google changes how things work and Aurora can be broken until a fix is released.

b) With F-Droid

It’s easy too if you have installed the F-Droid app (also available in the default /e/ Apps store), but same problem, the last version comes a few days later.

c) With the APK file

More information on how to install an .apk file : Install an App from a 3rd party source or APK file directly

• You can directly download the APK from the website, but it might not be the last version.
• From F-Droid website, but again the last version comes in late of a few days.
• From the Telegram channel.
• From their GitLab (Best way to have the true last version as soon as possible in case a fix is needed)

2) Enter into Aurora Store

1. Open Aurora Store

2. Accept the storage access permission.

3. Click on “ANONYMOUS” in order to connect with an anonymous account.
   (If you want to use a personnal account, you can click on “GOOGLE”.)
   

   

4. You are now succesfully loged in. Click on the ‘go back’ arrow on the top left and re-open the app if necessary.
   

   

3) Update an app

Please note that Aurora Store will suggest you in the “Updates” tab to update some system apps (apps you didn’t install yourself, such as MicroG, Magic Earth or Pdf Viewer Plus). Long press on these apps and click on “Add to blacklist” in order not to update them with Aurora Store. They will be updated with /e/OS updates.

1. Go into the “Updates” tab.
   

   

2. Select the apps you want to update then click on “UPDATE SELECTED” or click on “UPDATE ALL”.

3. A notification might appear, click on “INSTALL” after the download is complete.
   

   

4. Click on “INSTALL”.
   

   

How it looks :

[smu44]

My 2 cents :

• at first app install/upgrade, AuroraStore must be given the right to install apps
• when upgrading AuroraStore, always uninstall it first
• sometimes notification displays “waiting for user confirmation” (or sort of), but no notification is popped up; just discard notification, stop app, re-launch it and install/upgrade again (app can also be installed/upgraded from app’s Downloads screen). As app apk is already present it won’t be downloaded again
• AuroraStore may propose to upgrade MicroG, PDFviewer, … These upgrades won’t work. You can exclude them with blacklisting : long-press on the apps from Upgrade list
• some versions may have “WiFi-only” disabled …

[PoorPocketsMcNewHold]

sometimes notification displays “waiting for user confirmation” (or sort of), but no notification is popped up

If you meant, that the installation process screen isn’t showing up, you can still click on the waiting for user confirmation notification of that particular application, and install it manually from its Aurora Store page.

[sugit]

Great that this works.
But I think it should be added prominently, at the top of this post:
— Don’t download apps (or updates for apps) that are already standard apps in the /e/OS.
Because, as I understand, doing that could break future updates to /e/OS on your phone.
See here.

[JosepMSH]

Hi there! First thanks for the info

One doubt, using this method I will give “use or difusion” to google? I use /e/ not for privacy itself, its more a political and ethical thing against google.

Thanks!

[molej]

Actually it is a severe bug letting unpriviledged user easily install incompatible core components!

Letting normal users use Aurora is a must in some countries, like here in Sweden, where practically everybody need the the by far most used identity app BankID for banking, social security, other authorities, health… and also by far the most banking apps are not available other then on GooglePlay.

When Aurora runs, it suggests updates, and user are usually pushed to install updates so they go ahead…

[Tony]

So basically you’re saying the aurora store is fine as long as we don’t install updates on native apps?

[Bleiboy]

Hello there. I just got my FP3+ with /e/ yesterday and ran into this exact problem. It would seem that the Aurora store updates microG services and die PDF app, but then the updates just keep popping up again, and when I checked, the version numbers of both hadn’t changed, so I guess the update failed.

I am unsure as to whether something might be broken now because I actually did install a bunch of updates, and now I read what @sugit has written.

Is there any way to check whether I broke future updates to any preinstalled app? I now blacklisted them just in case, but I am unsure whether there might not have been a standard app in the update list where the update actually worked.

[smu44]

Simply blacklist (long-press) apps that won’t update, in Aurora.
They are system apps, so can’t and shouldn’t be upgraded.
It should be ok for the /e/-provided apps that you could update, as they are standard apps

[sugit]

OK, will try this.
But I would really like to have a good manual for this, like, if you install Aurora Store, then do this and don’t do that to keep your /e/ healthy.
I agree with @molej : It seems it is now a nerdy thing, it should also be clear for non-techies. Or half-techies like me

[smu44]

I agree with you, we may ask @Anonyme to update the HowTo
I didn’t remember what core component was @molej talking about.
Anyway now (from 0.12 I believe) it’s harmless : important apps are kinda “protected” from update, so this is just some annoying popups from Aurora.

[molej]

Aurora fooled me to replace MicroG with Google version, reboot = no go.

Aurora store MicroG update

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 inst…

Yeah kind of stupid of me but a easily done by a newbie.

Nice to hear it is fixed. If it is. This happened me on the q beta of /e/ for FP3.

[Anonyme]

Hello, the update has been done

[Bleiboy]

Upon first choosing to use the anonymous account or my own Google account, I am warned that using the Google account via Aurora could result in problems like the account being blocked. Is this a “just in case” warning, or does this actually happen? I ask because I have one or two paid apps that I use.

[Anonyme]

I never heard anybody facing any ban, but it could happen because Aurora Store is against Google’s Terms of Use, so there is a warning.

[sugit]

@Anonyme

Hello, the update has been done

Great, thanks a lot for clarifying this.
To make it even better, could there maybe a link to a page with up-to-date list of the relevant system apps?
For newbies, the advice must be: “after installing Aurora Story, immediately blacklist these apps”.

Can I be of help to make such a list? Earlier someone referred me to android_prebuilts_prebuiltapks Repository, but I think that is not the correct list, it is too long and otoh. not complete; these apps should maybe also be part:

• MicroG Services Core
• Android Keyboard (AOSP)
• Calculator
• Clock
• Contacts
• Files
• Gallery
• Music
• Phone
• Recorder
• Settings
• Sim Toolkit
• Magic Earth
• Pdf Viewer Plus

Perhaps certain /e/-system apps are re-named/forked from other apps that are available on AuroraStore, and installing the AuroraStore version would result in breaking the /e/-version? Which ones?

[JohnsonP]

Good evening, I installed the Aurora app with Blokada deactivated, then it all works fine. When I activate blokada again, I see a link to ‘android.clients.google.com’. When I block this link, the Aurora app does not open anymore.

Since the common goal here is to avoid Google, is there an option to use Aurora with blocking this link? Or, is this link now less harmful, since I logged on with the ‘Anomynous’ account? I assume Google can still retrieve information about my device?

Thanks.

[ff2u]

As aurora app is a client downloading apps from Google app store it won’t work when you block this access.
If you want to avoid this use Apps app or F-Droid (if you find there what you need).
Yes, it’s less harmful with the anonymous account.

[JohnsonP]

Thank you, I need a banking app that is not available in the other stores. So, I am going to consider what the best choice is. Thanks for your response.

[nottolino]

Is it expected that Tracker Control blocks Aurora Store internet access ?

Should I remove the block ? Is it safe for the privacy ?