microG

MicroG

microG is an open source alternative to the Google Play Services framework. It aims to provide apps relying on Google services an alternative implementation which respects user privacy. It allows apps using Google services to be run without requiring the user to log in with their
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microG: Open Source Alternative to Google Play Services

An open source alternative to Google Play Services, respecting user privacy and allowing app developers to create apps without requiring Google account login.

What is MicroG?

microG is an open source re-implementation of Google's proprietary Play Services framework, available under the Apache 2.0 license. It aims to provide the needed APIs and libraries for apps that rely on Play Services, while not requiring users to sign in with a Google account and without sending data back to Google.

Many Android apps rely on Google Play Services for features like push notifications, location services, and in-app authentication. Unfortunately this comes at a cost - in exchange for using these services, apps send data and analytics back to Google which can compromise user privacy. microG sits between the app and Google, providing the API calls the apps need without the privacy tradeoff.

Some key benefits of microG over Play Services include:

  • No personal data is shared with Google for apps relying on microG.
  • In-app authentication works without needing to log in with a Google account.
  • It respects user choice around location data and other privacy sensitive APIs.
  • No battery or bandwidth consumption from background sync and analytics tasks.
  • It's lightweight - about 1 MB compared to over 100MB for Play Services on newer Android versions.

Since it needs to provide a compatible implementation of Play Services to replace it, microG works best on de-Googled / custom ROMs that do not have Google Play Services installed by default. Some popular options include: LineageOS without Google Apps (microG support built-in on LineageOS for microG), GrapheneOS, and CalyxOS.

microG aims to strike a balance - providing the APIs that data-hungry apps need to function, while limiting data collection and respecting user privacy. For those wanting to use popular Android apps without paying the privacy cost of Google Play Services, it's an excellent open source solution.

MicroG Features

Features

  1. Open source re-implementation of Google Play Services
  2. Supports core functionality like Cloud Messaging, Geolocation, Push Notifications
  3. Does not require logging in with a Google account
  4. More privacy focused than Google Play Services
  5. Compatible with many apps that rely on Play Services APIs

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Does not send data to Google

More privacy focused

Allows using apps without Google account

Open source code can be audited

Actively developed and maintained

Cons

Not all Play Services features are implemented

Some apps may not work properly without Play Services

Requires technical knowledge to set up and use

Lacks some convenience features of Google Play Services

Less seamless integration compared to Play Services

Official Links

Official Website
https://microg.org

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The Best MicroG Alternatives

Top Security & Privacy and Privacy Tools and other similar apps like MicroG

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