Thoughts on installing apps from Obtainium vs Google Play Store

Questions
1

Samsung user here. Most of the Vanilla(Github) apks(Bitwarden, Proton apps, etc.) include Google blobs by default with exception being fdroid ones.

Are there any benefits on using Obtainium instead of Google Play Store on Stock OS?

Does apps from alternative stores have reduced tracking from Google since they are not installed from Play store?

Thanks.

1 Like
2

No. If you’re already using Google Play, then you can put that to good use by at least benefiting from their secure distribution infrastructure.

Does apps from alternative stores have reduced tracking from Google since they are not installed from Play store?

Sometimes devs release “Libre” versions of their apps that have reduced reliance on Google Play. In any other case, it doesn’t matter much.

3 Likes
3

So in Stock OS order of obtaining apps are

  1. Google Play Store
  2. Obtainium
  3. F-Droid

It seems google tracks app installs and usage irrespective of source of app.

4

so on stock, if you never open play from day 1, never install a google account and just install fdroid and aurora for everything you need, your installs are still getting reported back to Goo?

5

If you turn off Play Protect then i don’t think so. Im not sure if its on even before you log in.

6

I did factory reset few months ago, on stock you can’t complete setup without google signin.
I think google account can be removed after completing setup. Someone can confirm this.

7

Are you really sure there was no tiny almost invisible “skip” button?

1 Like
8

Yeah i also remember its possible to skip it.

1 Like
9

This is not correct. On stock OS, even if you never sign in to a google account and never open the Play Store, Google Play Service will still run in the background and be able to track you and build a profile of you over time using hardware identifiers of your device and the heavy amount of privileges the app has running as a system app.

3 Likes
10

I skipped samsung account but can’t skip google account and sure about it before. Maybe I could have missed that tiny skip button. That google signin page gives me a dejavu effect.

11

I’m pretty sure they allow offline setup, but yeah, maybe if you go online or put in a SIM you get harrassed into creating an account

1 Like
12

Them theoritically being able to do something doesn’t mean they actually do it. Do you have a source that proves they do this when you didn’t sign in or accept their privacy policy?

13

There are certainly benefits of using Obtanium over the Play Store.

  • Obtainium doesn’t track users or collect personal data, unlike the Google
    Play Store
  • Apps are downloaded directly from developers’ repositories, cutting out
    the middleman
  • Obtainium itself is open-source
  • Users only get the apps they want, without pre-installed apps or
    unnecessary permissions
3 Likes
14

Tracking is unavoidable. It is possible to update apps installed through Obtainium using Play Store. So Google can track it and this is not the only way. It can be personal choice to use google play or use Obtainium.

15

Sure, but allowing yourself to be tracked because you decided to download an app through the play store (possibly because someone told you there was no benefit to using an alternative app store :wink: ) is very much avoidable.

Removing an unnecessary avenue in which a company may track you is just another benefit.

I never disagreed with either of those statements.

1 Like