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Comment by ssernikk

12 hours ago

I maintain my grandmothers phone, which comes down mostly to just updating WhatsApp once in a while. Obviously she doesn't have a google account, so I've installed her AuroraStore.

It's a shame that there is no official way to install apps on android without a google accout[1], since it's a basic functionality, just like calls or a web browser.

[1] For obvious reasons I don't want her to download apks from the internet.

12 comments

ssernikk

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jeroenhd  11 minutes ago

There are other Android stores. Amazon ran one for the longest time. Many brands have their own app stores as well.

It's the app publishers defaulting to Google that's the biggest issue.

At least WhatsApp has an official APK download, most apps don't.

That said, Google will still let you update apps without being signed in. Hold the Play Store icon to open the quick action menu. From there you can go to "my apps" and update all of the apps on your phone, bypassing the login prompt. Not great, but a workaround that should do the trick while Aurora finds another way to hack their way into the Play Store APIs.

lern_too_spel  11 hours ago

App verification means she can safely install apps from the Internet. The app developers can simply serve the apks from their own websites.

catlikesshrimp  12 hours ago

I am in the same boat. Keep in mind that you are trusting both google and meta. At least you can update whatsapp once every three months (for now)

  • alt227  12 hours ago

    Is it not possible to just download the updated whatsapp apk from some online source? That is the benefit of android after all, side loading is still possible relatively easily.

    • dwedge  8 hours ago

      The comments here specifically about WhatsApp are weird because WhatsApp download page links to the app store but also provides an APK right there

    • catlikesshrimp  8 hours ago

      There are whatsapp cracked apks which actually work as whatsapp... and they have "extras", and I would never install it, although I have seen it installed