OpenOS showing Google and Play Store apps

Help Fairphone 2
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#1

I’m running fp2_sibon-userdebug 7.1.2 19.02.1 sibon-dc48370a for a life without Google.

I’ve noticed that I have both the Google and Google Play store apps on my phone!

Why are they there? Should they be there? If not, how do I get rid of them as I can’t uninstall them

Thanks

S

#2

Hi,

Strange…
I use FP Open OS as well and as far as I know, I don’t have any google apps… What apps are we talking about exactly?

#3

You are still using Android (by Google), though (sorry, couldn’t resist) :wink: .

I did a clean test install of Fairphone Open OS 19.02.1 just now, and it most certainly doesn’t have the Play Store or anything else of the usual Google Apps and services suspects.

To have Google Apps and services on the phone, I would have to install a package like Open GApps now.
Are you sure you (or somebody else) didn’t do something along those lines on your phone?

Can you provide screenshots of Settings - About phone - Build number as well as of the Apps in question?

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#4

Haha, of course it is Google Android :slight_smile:

I do have GApps but I don’t remember seeing these before. I guess they sit there as they are needed then so I can use things like Ayala and Uptodown but as I don’t have a Google account I am not tracked ‘personally’?

The next step is for me to move away from any Google store related apps in that case?

1 Like
#5

Google and Play Store but AnotherElk was bang on. I installed GApps and for some reason thought it wouldn’t put specific Google Apps on here!

#6

Be sure to select the right install package for your needs.

Open GApps comes in different packages, which install different amounts of Google stuff. You can click on the link icon next to the package name to get more info about the contents of a package.

A common use case would be to run just a few specific Google-dependent Apps, which would need only basic underlying Google services and the Play Store. In such a case, the “pico” package would be sufficient, and you wouldn’t get any “visible” Apps apart from the Play Store this way.

At least this should limit tracking to other things built-in in Android. Can’t find a good summary about all the other stuff “phoning home” quickly right now, but there should be something out there …

For a mostly Google-free phone, that would be the logical choice. Here’s more info …

1 Like
#7

When you have this intention you might also consider to change to /e/:
/e/ (formerly Eelo) first beta is here and it supports FP2!

1 Like
#8

That’s the best way IMHO… if it’s not open source, you probably don’t really need it :wink:

2 Likes
#9

Thank you :+1:
Much appreciated

#10

I’m back!

Last night I reinstalled Open OS 19.02.1 sibon-dc48370a to get rid off all Google crap.

I installed the latest TWRP and Xposed Module beforehand and the update went fine. However, I am back to issues with battery life - although no hot phone issues this time.

Last time I did this I needed to reinstall the GApps module to prevent overheating but as I am not using Google and there is no overheating this is purely a battery life issue.

I’ve followed this guide again ✏ A little Guide to ... Fairphone's Batteries (FP1 & FP2) and everything is as should be on my phone.

Any hints/tips on how to get over this last little hurdle? Battery lasting approx 15hrs at this rate.

Thanks

#11

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