I’m planning on removing my google account from my stock android device. Will Aurora Store be able to update apps I previously had installed, or will I need to uninstall and then reinstall them with Aurora?
Thanks.
Using Aurora on a stock Android OS sort of negates the benefit of Aurora, but now with an added attack surface of additional software.
It may be best to stick with Google Play Store if on a stock OS. Your Aurora will still use Google’s backend that will in turn keep you identified.
There could be a benefit if it is a new device but still stock OS because your hardware IDs are the different.
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Except for, you know, the possibility to not connect your whole phone to Google?
The stock OS will not hide your hardware IDs (IMEI, phone serial number, MAC addresses), to the backend services (such as push notification) - to the app.
There are also non-hardware identifiers such as your location and phone number that could be associated with your stock device to your apps installed via Aurora.
Its not Aurora job to hide these kinds of info to the app. All Aurora does is provide a bit of anonymity during app installs and app updates as it uses a certain rotation of Google accounts to get the apps. You can be at least sure that the apps you get arent tampered by a third party.
The kind of identity protection you are looking for is only provided by GrapheneOS and DivestOS.
The whole phone is not logged in to Google, but if Google knows your phone number, location, and if your MAC addresses and IMEI did not change, Google knows its you, but only you are using Aurora to get apps and app updates. At that point, how did using Aurora helped you reached your goal of deGooglification?
If you don’t use any Google apps (including Play Services) but still need to get an app that’s only on the Play Store, then you won’t leak any of these identifiers to Google. I think the only time where it’s the same would be GrapheneOS where Play Services don’t have that kind of privilege anyway.