Is it possible to use the FP2OOS only with Google Play Store? I donāt want to have all this Google Bloatware on my phone but I want to keep the Play Store. Is this possible?
Short Answer: No.
You can install Open GAPPS which ALWAYS come with Google Services.
Or you can install an alternative App Store or use a different way to get apps from the play store.
I moved your post here where you will find more info about these two options.
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Interesting fact: I downloaded the Play Store app via CHIP.de (a german IT-Magazine) and installed it, but I cannot open the app.
Well it probably wonāt work without Google Services, which you donāt have installed.
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I think this everything-or-nothing-policy from Google is very unfair to the users.
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But I think Iāll go back to Googleās CrappSuite since living without the Play Store is almost impossibleā¦ 
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You can use other stores like Aptoide or F-Droid. If you already bought apps in the Playstore you can use Racoon on your windows PC to download the apks and copy them on your FP.
I tested this way some time ago and i missed gcm for email and massaging apps way more than playstore.
Now i use FPOS with opengapps pico package because i am too lazy for the other way.
But it is possible!
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Hi, Iām confused about GAPPS and other options. There are various apps that when you try to download, give you only the two options Google Play Store or Iphone thingy. Is there a way to download them without Google? Iām talking standard things like a bus ticket app for my city, Guardian newspaper app etc. which canāt be replaced by fdroid alternatives, as far as I know.
Thanks!
In F-Droid yoy will find many alternatives. For some apps that you need directly from google you could try a sideroad by Raccoon. Only for free apps.
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Thanks. If I understand correctly, Raccoon downloads apps to a PC, which I then can transfer to my phone. But I still need a google account, is that right?
You might have a look at Aptoide - another alternative app store, where most non-open source apps can be found; usable without a Google account and no need to register.
I am not sure whether your bus ticket app will enable you to buy a ticket, or whether you are just looking for an app that shows the ābestā (public transport) connection. In case of the latter, I highly recommend trying Transportr (available at F-Droid).
Hope that helps! 
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Just google (or use another search engine like DuckDuckGo for example) your app and write apk after it like ābus ticket apkā. Then youāll find millions of sites offering you the file of your app. Just download and install it 
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But there are also many apk download sites out there that might spread malware. So be careful. According to the German computer magazin cāt, apkmirror.com is the trustworthiest download page.
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No, if you download a free app via raccoon, you just move the .apk to your FP (SD-card or internal memory) and open it with Amaze. No google user needed.
You also might try to look on the companys site directly. Some offer the .apk for download - or contact their support. I did that for my local bus operator.
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Well, as far as I remember youāll need at least a Google account to enter into Raccoon to be able to use it for downloading, donāt you? Of course, this Google account is then only needed on the PC and not on the phone.
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Correct, you can easily setup a Google account with fake credentials. Then upload the build.prop from your mobile phone to this Google account with Dummy Droid (companion software to Raccoon). Mostly works, with few exceptions (where Google Play states that some app wasnāt supported by any of your devices).
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Thanks for all the advice, Iāll check out aptoide and apkmirror.
StephanK, that sounds a bit technical to me, might try that too when I have the time. A āfakeā google account seems like a lot of work, but I guess I could do that too.
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Hello,
I have a question which is probably answered somewhere already, but I can not find it.
Is there any way to āfakeā/simulate google play-services on a phone without them to make apps work which require them or avoid error messages?
I have a FP2 with FP Open OS 16.05, no GAPPS installed, rooted, with Xposed framework and Xprivacy and gravity box.
So far I have installed some apps which require the google play services ātheoreticallyā, but seem to work without them as well. For example in the german train app āDB navigatorā there is constantly a message popping up, which says that the phone does not use google play services. I can confirm it and the app can still be used. So here it is just annoying. I remember other apps, for example āswissmapsā, which show a message that they need google play services. Here you just tap next to message and the app is still usable (with the message popping up once in a while). Also just annoying.
Now I have istalled the app āalpenvereinaktivā, another map app, and the map page does not work at all. There is only a message āThe usage of the map is only possible with google play servicesā. I do not know what these service have to do with the map. There are alternatives for location (I have unifiedLNP installed), they do not use googlemaps as a base (as far as I knowā¦) etc.
So I think it is not necessary to have the services.
Maybe one of the experts can help me. I mean Xposed can fake locations, lists, etc. maybe there is also something to replace these services. Or maybe it is simply not possible. This would be helpful to know too. I guess I am not the only one with this kind of problem. Most people leaving the google apartment and moving into the neighborhood should have this at one point.
Thnaks in advance.
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Have you checked out OpenGAPPs? Thereās a couple of useful topics about that on the forum. Whist it seems it does install parts of the Google services, you get to choose tailor which ones - so not sure whether thatās what you want.
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