I have been asked by the Signal messenger app to update it otherwise it will be no longer useable, thats fine except now the App Lounge insists on a Google Play log in??!
I de-googled my phone as I no longer want any ties to Google yet now /e/os is making me have a Google account.
Would someone like to explain why this is and if there is a work around.
Thanks 
I donāt know anything about the sign-in requirement you mentioned, but in my case, I installed the Signal apk directly from their website. I regularly receive notifications from Signal that an update is available, which installs itself after I click on the notification, with no sign-in anywhere.
I think this installation method also eliminates any need for Google services with the apk. See: https://old.reddit.com/r/degoogle/comments/v48qcy/signal_sms_notifications_on_degoogled_phone/ (although i donāt know if itās true).
never had that sign-in-req but I am not using app loungeā¦
try update via āaurora store appā instead
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Install it from the website as @Taurus suggests, then you will be free of any store.
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Hi, thanks guys, I did install direct from the Signal website but I would prefer to install apps from an āapp storeā than websites to be honest.
This is what I was talking about as mentioned on the FAQ page:
App Lounge F.A.Q
āI am still unable to login in App Lounge with an anonymous sessionā
āInstead of login anonymously, first create a dumb Google account that you will use only for downloading apps with App Lounge. Then you will be able to use this account to login in App Lounge and install applicationsā
So basically no more anonymous log inās.
Why donāt you want to install directly from Signal itself and enjoy the in app updater?
I am able to get into the App Store in anonymous mode, you should be able to too.
Also install first the F-Droid store (I use classic) then the Aurora store then you have backups.
This way when Signal needs an update you will be notified.
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I did. I just think that its better to install apps from the App Lounge than individual websites.
Iād say itās not necessarily a bad approach to download right from the developper website or github, depending on the app and the level of trust one has for the source.
But it may definitely be more conveniant to have a one-stop-āstore-appā for installs and the checking for updates etc.
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Basically Signal is linked in apk to Google, if you really want to stop everything that is Google you will also have to go through applications linked to F-Droid (Open source) and detach yourself from any apk linked to the play store.
Already in messaging Signal asks you for your telephone number, level private life these miss since this one will be linked to your Signal identifier, forget it and go through Threema Libre.
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Thats a good shout, thanks 
I have the same problem as therealjaxon (or similar). For the past week, my Signal app (installed from the App Lounge if i remember) has been hampered by a banner that says : this version of Signal will āexpireā in x days, upgrade to newer version ā¦ followed by a link āupdate Signal nowā. The problem is that when I click on this link, /e/os doesnāt produce any action. So I went to the App Lounge, did a search for āSignalā, and the first item in the results is a āghostā app with no name, empty icon and no informations (the other results aināt Signal either). So, basically, Signal isnāt in the App Lounge (?), or itās there in a way thatās badly encoded (?) ā¦ or my App Lounge isnāt up to date (but it pretends to be).
Iāve read the suggestions and you seem to consider an āInstall from the Signal websiteā but what are you talking about? On the Signal website, all the ādownloadā or āinstallā links all lead to the Google Playstore and all require me to log in with a Google account. I donāt understand how going through this site gets rid of the Playstore and the need to use a Google account.
You didnāt look long and deep enough. Here is the link:
You have to go to the ādanger zoneā, I guess it means you get updates the earliest.
But yeah like @jeann suggested maybe better go for Molly or something else. I am a happy user with Molly-FOSS since more than a year.
Oh, thanks ! Iām going to try both solutions. But in the meantime Iāve realized that itās the whole App Lounge thatās the problem in my case; I canāt install anything. Maybe i should find another topic for this.
There are any number of threads with the hashtag app-lounge
Many users keep alternative stores as well, F-Droid https://f-droid.org/ and Aurora Store Aurora OSS / AuroraStore Ā· GitLab
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