Installation of the Xposed UnifiedNlp module solves two problems: it eliminates the need of rechecking the boxes for each backend after every reboot and it allows UnifiedNlp to be installed as user app, what is more practical for app and system upgrades. It shouldn’t be necessary, since org.microg.nlp has been integrated as location provider in the FP2 framework, but apparently it still is. It appears however that it keeps Google Location active concurrently with UnifiedNlp, probably an intended behavior. Apps that are Google Location dependent will tap on the service when they need it, while correctly coded apps will use UnifiedNlp. I dislike the idea of having Google Location enabled permanently and there’s no way of knowing what kind of information it shares with Google. I’m setting up a script therefore that enable’s Google location only when Google Location dependent apps are run. Here the guidelines for installing minimal Google dependency installation of Open GApps with Xposed:
- Use TWRP to install Open GApps pico (or a broader version if necessary)
- Give permission to apps that lost them if first Open GApps installation
- Make sure Google Location Services is working (blinking blue/gray pin on SatStat)
- Opt out of targeted ads on the newly created Google menu in settings
- Disable Cast Media Controls on the Google menu
- Disable App Preview Message on Google menu
- Revoke all permissions of Google apps
- Deactivate Find My Device and Google Play protect on Google menu, Security
- Disable Wi-Fi scanning on scanning menu (hidden on FP Open, use settings search function)
- Disable speech data sharing in Accessibility / Text-to-Speech / Google Text-to-Speech (gear icon) / Settings for Google Text-to-Speech (this one is buried really deep!)
- Disable device administrator access to Find My Device on security menu
- Turn off user access for Google apps on security menu
- Disable Google Play app
- Install UnifiedNlp GAPPS (org.microg.nlp)
- Install XposedUnifiedNlp
- Reboot
- Give UnifiedNlp and XposedUnifiedNlp location permission using Self-Check in its settings or in apps settings, and ignore deceptive missing checkmarks, FP Open has been made compatible with UnifiedNlp GAPPS a while ago
- Check if UnifiedNLP is bound to the system, it should be listed in Location settings, Location services
- Install Nominatim Geocoder Backend
- Install your preferred backends, give permissions accordingly (no need to move to system)
- Activate backends using UnifiedNlp Settings app
- Reboot
- Check if all boxes on UnifiedNlp Settings have checkmarks. Ignore the final two deceptive failed checks
- SatStat should indicate that UnifiedNlp is working with a solid blue pin. A test with the dummy backend from Xposed should show a solid blue pin in Georgia (careful to not use this one concurrently with other backends to not create false data in their databases).
- Google dependent apps should still work with Google Location Services.
- Disable Network Location Service and Google Location Service if wanted, but it will break Google dependent apps
- Enjoy your “almost” Google-free but still Google-compatible Android, and use Gerald’s guide when upgrading the FP Open OS