yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Android Apps and Games] drnightshadow:
Yeah, ignorance is a bliss. Uninstalling microg...😵😱 and than crying.. Nice solution😝..

Reinstall microG, problem solved with easy (you can also use magisk module).
[Android Apps and Games] casoaoshzo:
Hey all!

I've got a very basic question that I assume has been answered somewhere, but cannot really find an answer - would anybody be able to point to some place where the five different installation methods are explained? 😅 Just downloaded Aurora for the first time and kinda unsure what to do at this step, would love to educate myself for an informed decision.

(I skimmed the first few pages of this thread and tried searching here and the Telegram group, but 'install' and 'method' are just too common words... )
[Android Apps and Games] fobtob387:
Anyone having the same issue?
[Android Apps and Games] heinhuiz:
Yes, only I'm not seeing words 'Bad Gateway'. Apparently their server is down (although auroraoss.com is online). I'm sure they will solve it.
[Android Apps and Games] Wishmasterflo:
Now it is working again!
[Android Apps and Games] fobtob387:
Indeed! :)
[Android Apps and Games] temporarium:
Log-in timeout again 😕
[Android Apps and Games] petefoth:
On the Telegram channel, the currently pinned note says
[Android Apps and Games] dagustl:
Broken since some days on all of my 3 devices.

(Oneplus 8T - Havoc OS, BQ Aquaris X - LineageOS, Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 lite - stock)

Installing the latest nightly worked for me with anonymous login. :)

https://files.auroraoss.com/AuroraStore/Nightly/
[Android Apps and Games] heinhuiz:
That might be a coincidence. Normal build (4.1.1) also works for me again.
[Android Apps and Games] dagustl:
Well, maybe.

Just can say from my side, yesterday when i installed the nightly on my tablet it was working.

After this then i tried with my old and new phone which both were still on the regular F-Droid version, i got the errors.

Seems strange....

Anyway... thanks to the dev for fixing ! :)
[Android Apps and Games] alearn:
At the first post I see "Disclaimer : Using Aurora Store with your own Google account may cause your account

to be blacklisted, use at your own risk."

What does it mean by blacklisted?

Does it mean the Gmail/Google account is blacklisted by Google? or does it mean Aurora Store blacklisted the Google account?

If blacklisted happens, can I delete/uninstall Aurora Store and recover the Google account back to normal? What ways to undo the blacklist?

Are both the same from these 2 sites?

index - powered by h5ai v0.30.0 (https://larsjung.de/h5ai/)

index - powered by h5ai v0.30.0 (https://larsjung.de/h5ai/)

files.auroraoss.com

You searched for Aurora Store - APKMirror

You searched for Aurora Store - APKMirror Free and safe Android APK downloads

www.apkmirror.com

How does apk sites like apkmirror.com get those apk? Do app creators give it to them?

At apkmirror I see [Aurora Store (fdroid version) 4.1.1 by Aurora OSS], [Aurora Store (gitlab version) 4.1.1 by Aurora OSS], what are the differences?
[Android Apps and Games] temporarium:
Just one question: have you bothered to search at all?

Google is not your friend, but will help you if you add "XDA" to your queries 😉
[Android Apps and Games] alearn:
I am asking specific questions that google does not have answer.

You can search for xda Aurora Store blacklisted in google and it does not explain what is blacklisted.

There is also no results for the other questions "Are both the same from these 2 sites?" "How does apk sites like apkmirror.com get those apk? Do app creators give it to them?" "At apkmirror I see [Aurora Store (fdroid version) 4.1.1 by Aurora OSS], [Aurora Store (gitlab version) 4.1.1 by Aurora OSS], what are the differences?"

How about you show me exactly what keywords and where the answer could be found? I may not have the google search skills like you do. Thanks.
[Android Apps and Games] Aqq123:
It means you could permanently lose access to your Google account and all the data in it. The actual term should probably be "disabled," per somebody else's example screenshots:

I'm not sure if this ever happened to anyone just because of using Aurora but you should be prepared for that eventuality.

Using fc /b you can compare any two files and find out for yourself. Or diff -q if on UN*X. Or even a GUI tool like WinMerge.

Download it from the Google Play Store. It's alluded to in their FAQ.

Generally, no. Anyway, what does this have to do with Aurora and why do you need to use APK Mirror? Just download Aurora from one of the original repositories directly.

F-Droid compiles all the apps on their own, so signatures will be different. Other than that, same version of the app should be the same code. APK files are just ZIP archives that can be unpacked and compared. You can also decompile them with APK Tool to see what the differences might be at code level (if any).
[Android Apps and Games] alearn:
1. Would you get disable if you use Aurora annonymous login?

2. If you use gmail account to login youtube app or facebook app or any app downloaded from Aurora (annonymous login aurora), would there be a risk of blacklisted

"what does this have to do with Aurora and why do you need to use APK Mirror?" apkmirror does not need any login, download and tap it to install, does not mention about blacklisting. I was afraid of google account being blacklisted so I was considering using apkmirror instead of aurora, if they are providing the same app, since there is no risk of blacklisted for apk mirror.

Thanks.
[Android Apps and Games] Aqq123:
No. If you only use Aurora anonymously how would Google even know which account to disable?

Using a @gmail.com address in a third-party app is not an issue. It doesn't matter where the app was installed from. If you log into a Google account in a Google app they could link the information collected from it to your usage of Aurora on the same device but it's unlikely to get blocked just because of this.

Again, to put things in perspective, I don't think there has ever been a single publicly reported case of someone's account getting disabled because of using Aurora or MicroG, so you don't need to worry about it so much. On the other hand, people get their Google accounts disabled all the time for no apparent reason, so it's advisable to take precautions either way (at the very least, keep backups and don't use Gmail for primary, important e-mail).

Yeah, but APK Mirror has to mirror the APK first before you can download it from them. For more obscure apps, maybe they never will. And it's a third-party source. Aurora, which gets the APKs straight from Google's servers, is a better solution for timely updates and probably also security-wise (although to be fair I don't think APK Mirror has ever had any incidents). Anyway, for proprietary apps, Aurora is the best solution there is, and from my experience it's been very reliable. The disclaimer shouldn't put you off.
[Android Apps and Games] alearn:
Thanks for your reply. I think I understand now, that blacklist/disable thing is about using a google account address to login at the Aurora login page [login using [Google] or [Annonymous]] if I select Annonymous login I would be safe from blacklist.

What is the difference of login using Google or Annonymous? Why not just have an Annonymous option to be safe?

"No. If you only use Aurora anonymously how would Google even know which account to disable?">I was thinking the apps downloaded from Aurora might have some different code inside that Google can detect it is from Aurora, so I was thinking if I input a gmail address for those apps that require a login (e.g. youtube, facebook, gmail), Google might know it is from Aurora.

If I download an app from Google Playstore vs Aurora, is it exactly the same thing? Is there any extra code in the app downloaded from Aurora?

Does the app from Aurora get auto update? (like google playstore will auto update the apps downloaded from google playstore)

This is the first time I hear of MicroG, does it have something like playstore? I read https://microg.org/ but still not sure what does it do.

(side note, I notice if I install the whatsapp apk from https://www.whatsapp.com/android/ vs install the whatsapp from google playstore, the difference is that the whatsapp from whatsapp.com do not show the unread new incoming messages number at the corner of the whatsapp icon)
[Android Apps and Games] temporarium:
See here

The only reason you may even want to keep Google Play is for purchased apps.
[Android Apps and Games] Aqq123:
So that you can use your purchased apps, and possibly apps from another region than where you currently are (from the region your account is set to). If neither of these is your use case, stick to anonymous.

APKs are downloaded directly from Google, Aurora doesn't modify them.

They most certainly can know if they wanted to but currently are not doing anything about it.

You can update all apps with one click (with Aurora Services installed) but have to open the app first. Auto-update is usually a bad idea: new versions can introduce bugs, remove features, or updates can happen at the wrong time. It's best to trigger updates deliberately every once in a while when you have a moment to spare if things go south.

MicroG is an open-source replacement for Google Play

Services

, the proprietary part of the "open" Android OS, which is de facto unusable without it.

Without Google Play Services, many apps will complain on every startup, even if they eventually run fine. Among other things, MicroG also makes push notifications and fused location work: notifications use Google's infrastructure, and location uses third-party providers you install separately.

Aurora is a replacement for Google Play

Store

.

Yes, this is common with many apps: the Play Store version provides push notifications using Google's infrastructure.

To sum up: the open-source part of Android (called "AOSP") is incomplete, purposefully missing some crucial components, which are only to be provided by the proprietary preloaded Google apps. MicroG and Aurora allow you to still use the most indinspensable features while preserving your privacy. Battery life and performance (especially RAM-bound) are also improved without the Google Play Services behemoth running all the time in the background.
[Android Apps and Games] alearn:
Do the apps downloaded from Aurora show the unread new incoming messages number at the corner of the app icon?

Is there a way to show/enable unread new incoming messages number at the corner of the whatsapp icon downloaded from https://www.whatsapp.com/android/ ?

Does whatsapp downloaded from Aurora show the unread new incoming messages number at the corner of the whatsapp icon?

Thanks.
[Android Apps and Games] alearn:
Do you mean the older purchased apps inside Google Play before you installed Aurora Store?

Can you purchase the same app (app was purchased at Google Play before) again at Aurora Store?

Can you move the purchased app in Google Play to Aurora Store?
[Android Apps and Games] Aqq123:
At some point you really have to start looking for the answers yourself instead of asking more and more questions (which by the way have been answered before already). How about just trying it and seeing how it works?
[Android Apps and Games] alearn:
My last 6 questions are all I need to ask. No more questions.

I ask questions that specific and are not a direct simple FAQ or google that can answer. If you can do show me the keywords that you use to search and the answer that will answer my last 6 questions. Maybe I misunderstand some words.

If you do not know the answer you can say you don't know also.

I ask questions that there is no answer on the internet, then when I post a question here I am told to search for it. Eventually there are no answers anywhere.

Thanks.
[Android Apps and Games] drnightshadow:
Yah, that's simple answer.. Start reading from post 1...
[Android Apps and Games] theangelojr:
Does Aurora Store qualify for installing without user interaction in Android 12? My device will be updated to Android 12 in the coming months, so I was wondering if that'd be something I can look forward to.
[Android Apps and Games] temporarium:
Welcome to XDA!

To get you off to a good start in life, please learn to search for wisdom....

This was answered over and over, and literally just a few posts back, my friend 😉
[Android Apps and Games] Melionix:
So silent automatic updates aren't supported even as an opt-in? Why?
[Android Apps and Games] temporarium:
I would say, for the same reason it doesn't drive your car or clean your house - i.e., wasn't designed that way.
[Android Apps and Games] alearn:
Taking this question as an example, what exact keywords do you use to search for the answers?

If I input Does Aurora Store qualify for installing without user interaction in Android 12 into the search bar at the top, there is no answers.

If I input Does Aurora Store qualify for installing without user interaction in Android 12 into google search box, there is no answers.

I am trying to learn what keywords do you guys use.

Just wondering what is the exact way that you do a search to get real answers.
[Android Apps and Games] dope77:
If i signed up for beta releases for some apps on Google play, would I get beta updates in aurora after logging in with my Google account?
[Android Apps and Games] Melionix:
So you're telling me there's a chance?
[Android Apps and Games] temporarium:
There is always a chance, but it's up to the developer. I wouldn't hold my breath. You can adapt/learn to live with what you have, or stick with the Google.
[Android Apps and Games] androidjel:
Is this app dead? Last update was 6 months ago, preview at home screen does not work anymore.
[Android Apps and Games] heinhuiz:
For me it does. A working app does not need to be updated.
[Android Apps and Games] onyxbits:
Actually, the "anonymous" (it should have never been called that) method is even more dangerous than using your own account. What you are actually doing there is account sharing and a hot legal mess. From a technical point of view, Aurora asks the token dispenser server to create a login session and return an auth token the auth token must then be included in every request to GPlay (HTTP Authorization header). However, and here's the kicker: an auth token alone is not sufficient to get service from Play. You also need a GSF ID (HTTP X-Device-Id header), which is a super cookie, unique to your device and registered using the auth token.

Due to the GSF ID, you are still perfectly trackable and using a shared account also means a shared responsibility. If the owner of a token dispenser does something that makes him a persona non grata within the Google Network (the type of thing where Big G tries to find and ban all of his accounts), the effect will ripple through.
[Android Apps and Games] fobtob387:
Google ain't going after individual users of Aurora Store no matter what the owner does.
[Android Apps and Games] onyxbits:
To clarify: the owner of the account(s) in the dispenser. There is no shortage of stories on people having lost their Google Account for good because some automated system made associations and there's no way to contact Google about it, safe raising a fuss on social media.

To Google, Aurora "anonymous" Accounts look very similar to a botnet and I wouldn't be surprised if 3rd parties use Aurora tokens to spam Play with app ratings.
[Android Apps and Games] alearn:
I am a newbie, does it mean every user that uses Aurora Anonymous login is actually a login of a same account, and if that if google ban that Anonymous login account, everyone using Anonymous login will be banned (unable to use anonymous login of Aurora), and google will also ban any google accounts (e.g. gmail/drive/google account in phone) used in those phone that uses Anonymous login? How does google associate the user that uses Aurora Anonymous login to the google account of the user?
[Android Apps and Games] temporarium:
Relax. If that account gets blocked, they will just create a new one. That's all.

If you're using Aurora with your own Google account (why you would do that is beyond me!), Aurora is accessing Google with your credentials, not with the various random ones that the Aurora team has set up, so there is no correlation/association.

My advice, if you have gapps on your ROM and use a Google account, just use the Play Store. Aurora is for those who don't use Google and its apps.
[Android Apps and Games] Aqq123:
You're correct about the technical details but overthinking the implications. First of all, the account being shared is specially created for this purpose by the Aurora team. If it gets disabled, they'll just set up another one. In any case, it's not anybody's personal account with any valuable data in it.

Also, it's not a "legal mess" as far as I'm concerned as I do not recall entering any contractual agreement with Google over this. They're just choosing to run a public service I, alongside others, (aka "the world") can connect to and they're choosing to respond to queries with the requested data. They're free to block me or anybody else from accessing it, or even pull the plug on it completely anytime, which I'm sure they will do one day (see: killedbygoogle.com), but there's no legal recourse for them beyond that.

If at all, it's between Google and whoever created the account used by Aurora and runs the service. But I'm sure these people (to whom I am very grateful for what they provide) know what they're doing and have considered all the circumstances already, so it's not necessary to be more concerned about it on their behalf than they themselves are.

And in practice, as I said before, there are lots of sad stories circulating, showing that any Google account can be disabled anytime for no apparent reason. This happens to people who, for the most part, haven't even heard of Aurora or MicroG and were 100% kosher with all the preinstalled spyware, and once it happens it basically can't be undone, so nobody should be using Google for anything serious anyway these days (at least not without a backup).
[Android Apps and Games] onyxbits:
Yes and no.

First of all, there is the warning that you should only use a burner account with Aurora because Google might frown upon you using a 3rd party client. This warning was motivated by an ambiguous Playstore TOS clause that is no longer in place (potentially because politicians are slowly realizing that appstore monopolies are a problem). That does not mean, you are out of the woods, though. Google is known for banning accounts without giving a reason by automated systems.

If you take the warning about using a burner account serious, then the same logic applies to the "anonymous" accounts. Only here you have to also consider that the account in question is not under your control and how hard Google swings the banhammer depends on the level of abuse that's being done. For example, if a spammer abuses the Token Dispenser service to outsource account creation for posting fake reviews on Play, then Google will probably only be mildly annoyed and just close the account in question. If the owner of an "anonymous" account does something questionable (e.g. credit card chargebacks) that makes Google want to cut ties with that person, then they put some more effort into finding all associated accounts. These stories about people getting banhammered because of the alleged actions of their fiancee's pop up all the time.

In short: think twice about using "anonymous" accounts. The feature is mislabeled and should be called "shared accounts" .
[Android Apps and Games] onyxbits:
Wrong on all accounts (pun intended).

Your association is the GSF ID.
[Android Apps and Games] onyxbits:
I can assure you, I am not overthinking the implications. You on the other hand seem to ignore possible dangers because nothing bad has happened, so far.

And this is where you disqualify yourself to discuss the topic. Yes, you, yourself, did not enter any contractual agreement with Google. But the account you are using is a contract, you have someone else sign for you (think of it as signing the lease for an apartment and then having random strangers crash there). By sharing his account(s), that someone is breaching the TOS, giving Google legal grounds to no longer do business with that person and to terminate all of his accounts. Even his private ones.

You are also (mutually) in violation of the spirit of the GPL. Which in a nutshell says that you get the software for free, but must hold the developer harmless in return.

In other words: hot legal mess because all parties involved did not bother to actually read the contracts involved.

I highly doubt that. Aurora is forked from Yalp Store, which itself is forked from Raccoon. The Token Dispenser feature was added in Yalp Store and simply carried over. I had this discussion with the author of Yalp back then and his argument basically was: "lololol, I'm Russian, what's Google gonna do?".

And since I now dropped the bomb as to who I am, shall we just assume that I have had this discussion before and know what I am talking about?
[Android Apps and Games] heinhuiz:
All the problems you describe, @onyxbits, are not caused by Aurora Store or its use of anonymous accounts, but only by owning a Google account in the first place.

If you have a Google account and use it in your phone, you know you're in the hands of Google. Don't complain about that.

Aurora store is primarily meant for people without Google accounts and does not even require Google services on you phone. The simple fact that you can use a Google account is to facilitate subscriptions or purchased apps. But this is only an added bonus, while it is even better to use the Play Store for those.

Therefore, none of what your discussing is relevant for this thread.
[Android Apps and Games] Aqq123:
@onyxbits I'm subscribed to this topic so that I can follow project updates, and not read your pompous tirades. If you don't use Aurora Store because it's too "dangerous," whatever that means, then this thread is not for you.

Long time ago, somebody asked a question, and I answered it. Whose question are you answering now?

What problem are you solving posting all this? Nobody here is interested in your insipid deliberations on what is legal and what might not be. At the end of the day all you're offering is just your personal uneducated opinion, and you're just a random nobody on the Internet.

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. It is what it is. Feel free not to use it. Nobody cares either way.

Do you realize you're posting this on a public discussion forum? A place where anyone can discuss anything anyone else posted? At least until you're are "disqualified" by one of the moderators, which might just happen to you and your off-topic drivel.
[Android Apps and Games] onyxbits:
@Aqq123

To clarify: you disqualify yourself by showing that you have clue what you are talking about (which you did, misinforming your peers in the process).

@heinhuiz

The point was not to state that Auraro is to dangerous to use, but that, as a user, you should be aware of what the dangers are. The "anonymous" accounts will not exempt you from tracking, but potentially open you up to a new threat. As a user you are almost always better off registering your own burner account(s).
[Android Apps and Games] AutumnOnFire:
Hey everyone, I've only just barely started using F-Droid to experiment with my S7 Edge and going google-less on one of my devices and I noticed the anonymous option does not connect, showing the error: failed to connect to auroraoss.com/146.59.157.181 (port 433) [and some more text before the message gets cut off]. I installed it on two devices and I got the same error. Auroraoss.com seems to be down as well, is anyone else experiencing the same thing?
[Android Apps and Games] petefoth:
It's working fine for me at the moment. Got a new session, logged out, logged in again as Anonymous, all without any problems
[Android Apps and Games] temporarium:
Aurora is working for me as well...

Does everything else (other apps) connect to internet without issues?