Can Google Play Services fix Stagefright exploit? - General Questions and Answers

Just curious to know if there is a reason Google Play Services can't be used to roll out fixes to this or any other exploit/bug. It's great that Google's fixed it in the OS but given that you don't tend to get major OS upgrades unless you buy a new phone it means it'll be years until most users are safe. If the OS is a collection of files then why can't any file be fixed and rolled out via Google Play Services or the play store more or less immediately for all versions of Android?

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Google's Android For Work App Hits The Play Store

In February, Google proclaimed "Android is yare for work," marking an official opening to the Android for Work effort first introduced at Google I/O 2014. Today, Google's official Android for Work app has hit the Play Store, yare to avail users running Android 4.0-4.4W (since setup is built into Lollipop) and working with Android for Work partner solutions set up their contrivance for work use.
For those out of the loop, Android for Work is Google's take on dual-persona contrivance management, sanctioning users to have two replicas of the same app - one for personal use and one for business. The two are securely kept separate from one another but appear on the same contrivance, betokening users can jump between work and personal apps effortlessly, kenning that data from work apps can't carry over or commix in with the apps' personal counterparts.
Download from Google Play:
Download from Here Google Play
Sounds cool but can you name examples of this when it would be useful? And to who?
Good explanation but I guess I'm more out of the loop than I thought.

Schedule Google Play Updates

I tried running my phone without GApps but very quickly realised that I needed access to Google Play.
There are ways to download apks from the Play store without an account but then you never get any updates.
I am not philosophically opposed to the Google services but I am trying to reduce the number of background apps running.
Is there a way to freeze and only turn on Google Play services when opening the Play store and once a week to check for updates?
If your phone is rooted go for "greenify" i guess.
That helped my search.
I found this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2552570
Thanks!

yalpstore( bypass bloated Google play) questions

I just found yalpstore on fdroid.
This is from their github
What does it do?
Yalp Store lets you download apps from Google Play Store as apk files. It searches for updates of installed apps when it starts and lets you search for other apps. Thats it. Yalp saves downloaded apks to your default download folder so you can later open it in your favorite file manager app and tap each one to install the apps.
Why would I use it?
If you are content with Google Play Store app, you will not need this app.
The point of Yalp Store is to be small and independent from Google Services Framework. As time passed, Google Services Framework and Google Play Store apps grew in size, which made them almost too big for old phones (Nexus One has 150Mb memory available for apps, half of it would be taken by Google apps). Another reason to use Yalp Store is if you frequently flash experimental ROMs. This often breaks gapps and even prevents their reinstallation. In this situation Yalp will still work.
How does it work?
Yalp Store uses the same (protobuf) API the android Play Store app uses. You are going to need a google account to use it. Please, keep in mind that technically Yalp Store violates Android Market Terms of Service (§3.3). In theory, you might get your account disabled by using Yalp Store. Thats why you might want to register a separate gmail account and use it at least once to log in to the Play Store android app on any device.
In practice, though, software like Yalp, Google Play Crawler and Raccoon has been used for years and it seems to be safe.
Yalp Store is derived from the following projects:
https://github.com/Akdeniz/google-play-crawler
https://github.com/onyxbits/Raccoon
Has anyone any experience with this app?
I usually strip Google play from ask my devices except one that I use to get apps I need.
This might be a way to dump Google from that device also.
But I'm not a programmer so I can't audit the code for issues
(Our much more than use netstat to check what apps connect where)
So the more info out there the better
nutpants said:
I just found yalpstore on fdroid.
This is from their github
What does it do?
Yalp Store lets you download apps from Google Play Store as apk files. It searches for updates of installed apps when it starts and lets you search for other apps. Thats it. Yalp saves downloaded apks to your default download folder so you can later open it in your favorite file manager app and tap each one to install the apps.
Why would I use it?
If you are content with Google Play Store app, you will not need this app.
The point of Yalp Store is to be small and independent from Google Services Framework. As time passed, Google Services Framework and Google Play Store apps grew in size, which made them almost too big for old phones (Nexus One has 150Mb memory available for apps, half of it would be taken by Google apps). Another reason to use Yalp Store is if you frequently flash experimental ROMs. This often breaks gapps and even prevents their reinstallation. In this situation Yalp will still work.
How does it work?
Yalp Store uses the same (protobuf) API the android Play Store app uses. You are going to need a google account to use it. Please, keep in mind that technically Yalp Store violates Android Market Terms of Service (§3.3). In theory, you might get your account disabled by using Yalp Store. Thats why you might want to register a separate gmail account and use it at least once to log in to the Play Store android app on any device.
In practice, though, software like Yalp, Google Play Crawler and Raccoon has been used for years and it seems to be safe.
Yalp Store is derived from the following projects:
https://github.com/Akdeniz/google-play-crawler
https://github.com/onyxbits/Raccoon
Has anyone any experience with this app?
I usually strip Google play from ask my devices except one that I use to get apps I need.
This might be a way to dump Google from that device also.
But I'm not a programmer so I can't audit the code for issues
(Our much more than use netstat to check what apps connect where)
So the more info out there the better
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im not a programmer neither, but im using Yalp Store since few weeks and everything seems fine. Im using it with a fake google account, not main one.
New update have credential access yalp store without need to have an account (experimental) but for me don't work..
Has not anyone tried it?
Regards.
Update: problem solved disabling signature check
I get an network.error when logging in with yalp account every time.
(LineageOS 13 and 14 without gapps)
Maybe anybody have an idea or solution?
Thanks

Google Playstore 16.7.21

I am noticing that in the playstore latest version 16.7.21 My apps & games tab, the beta apps tab has now disappeared or been removed.
Is anyone else experiencing this?
I have been having a back and forth email fight with Google regarding their proprietary Play Store software which for some unknown reason keeps dropping my Beta Apps List in My Apps and Games.
For the last 4 emails they keep telling me that my firmware is in BETA and therefore Samsung Problem . And i keep telling them its NOT. And since the Play Store is owned and created maintained by Google that this is a bug and their responsibility.
However they say its NOT.
Why does nobody in the world these days have the sense to understand and listen to the customer.
Darkat70 said:
I have been having a back and forth email fight with Google regarding their proprietary Play Store software which for some unknown reason keeps dropping my Beta Apps List in My Apps and Games.
For the last 4 emails they keep telling me that my firmware is in BETA and therefore Samsung Problem . And i keep telling them its NOT. And since the Play Store is owned and created maintained by Google that this is a bug and their responsibility.
However they say its NOT.
Why does nobody in the world these days have the sense to understand and listen to the customer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems that the only way I can fix the issue is to clear data and cache from play services and cache from playstore.
Annoying though, its gotta be done daily or twice a day on occasions.
Have the latest playstore version 18 and play services. Dosent make any difference whatsoever.
Google need to find the glitch and repair it.
Is play store showing uncertified at the bottom of play store settings?
ktmom said:
Is play store showing uncertified at the bottom of play store settings?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's certified and updated to the latest version and latest play services.
It's strange because the other Google Account on the phone doesn't do it. Which is why I think it is something to do with Google and an issue with my account.
I had an issue with my carriers data usage app, it would give me errors and not let me use it. That turned out to be an issue with my account on their end.
Have you tried removing the problem account, rebooting then adding the account back?
ktmom said:
Have you tried removing the problem account, rebooting then adding the account back?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes tried that, which was one of Google's suggested fixes but did not work.
But for some reason Google are adamant that my firmware is beta, even though I provided them a screenshot. They keep mentioning its Samsung at fault, i don't see how when it's Google Playstore and /or Google play services or account server at fault.
I think that the ROM framework can affect play services. There were plenty of issues on custom ROMs on my old N6 back in the day.
The fact that Google was stating the firmware is in beta was what made me wonder if the device was certified.
ktmom said:
I think that the ROM framework can affect play services. There were plenty of issues on custom ROMs on my old N6 back in the day.
The fact that Google was stating the firmware is in beta was what made me wonder if the device was certified.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The last thing to try is a factory reset, but then I have to mess around with Google Pay, which always is a royal Pain in the butt my bank is usable on Pay, but i always have to contact them to set up. My other Bank just asks to login to the app then approves it.
Might stick with cleaning data and cache and see if anything gets fixed.

Installation of google play services for a specific user profile

I wonder if I can create two (or more) user profiles on my android device, one of which I will use only open source stuff and everything else on the other.
As far as I know, it is possible to create several user profiles in Android that are isolated from each other.
I would probably install LineageOS for this as it doesn't have google play services pre-installed on it and it seems very "clean" in terms of these things (I have never used this system).
There is something like OpenGApps that allows you to install google play services but as far as I know it requires installation from twrp. So I suspect google play services will then be installed for all user profiles on the device.
So is there any possibility to install google services for one user only?
I also know that there is such a thing as microg (and Aurora stora). When I heard that there was such a thing as "LineageOS for microG" I thought it would be a very good option (on one android profile I just wouldn't use microg). But later I also found out that it is supposedly against the google policy and that they can ban my account for it, which I would prefer to avoid.
So I wanted to ask if the only option to do this is to install LineageOS, check what applications are installed by default, install OpenGApps to it and then disable all google related applications on one of the user profiles?
Does such disabling the application also ensure that Google will not be able to "work" on my device in any way? Does OpenGApps install any system level google stuff that will run in the background anyway?
And are OpenGApps not something that I should not install when I don't want to get a google ban?
You are confusing (Open)GApps - Google themselves call them Google Mobile Services (GMS) - and Google Play Services what are two completely different things.
Google Play Services is one of the most important parts of Android. It helps connect everything together and hold it all there. The Google Play Services are the interface to the Google Mobile Services as well as to the hardware functions of the Android device. Many of your apps use Google Play Services everyday.
GMS is a bunch of apps what includes
Google Play Store,
Google Now,
Google Play Music,
Google Maps,
Google+,
Gmail,
Google Photos,
Youtube
and the Android Device Manager.
Knowing the difference it should be clear that GMS can get installed on a per-user basis whereas Google Play Services not.
jwoegerbauer said:
You are confusing (Open)GApps - Google themselves call them Google Mobile Services (GMS) - and Google Play Services what are two completely different things.
Google Play Services is one of the most important parts of Android. It helps connect everything together and hold it all there. The Google Play Services are the interface to the Google Mobile Services as well as to the hardware functions of the Android device. Many of your apps use Google Play Services everyday.
GMS is a bunch of apps what includes
Google Play Store,
Google Now,
Google Play Music,
Google Maps,
Google+,
Gmail,
Google Photos,
Youtube
and the Android Device Manager.
Knowing the difference it should be clear that GMS can get installed on a per-user basis whereas Google Play Services not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the clarification, although I still don't really know what you meant. I thought that google play services is the name for all those components that are needed to run, for example, the google play store. If the google play store needs also other components (?), then when I wrote google play services, I meant all the components that are needed to run the play store.
In any case, I mean in practice whether I am able to install both the play store and the components needed for it only for one user in Android, but from what I understand it is not possible in your opinion.
The questions at the end of my post probably still remain the same. I can only clarify that I meant more general cases in these questions:
Does installing the play store (along with the necessary components) install any system-level Google stuff that will run in the background anyway even if I disable these apps?
And isn't installing the play store (along with the necessary components) by hand something that I shouldn't be doing when I want to avoid a Google ban?
Again:
Google Play Store simply is an ordinary user app as any other user app, too, nothing else. It itself installs , except some Android OS libraries, nothing. Only thing is it requires Google Play Services ( which are running in background ) to properly run. As already said: Google Play Services can only get installed once because it extends Android OS. And Android OS always is the same for all created users.
Don't understand what you mean with "Google ban".
Dani3I said:
I would probably install LineageOS for this as it doesn't have google play services pre-installed on it and it seems very "clean" in terms of these things (I have never used this system).
There is something like OpenGApps that allows you to install google play services but as far as I know it requires installation from twrp. So I suspect google play services will then be installed for all user profiles on the device.
So is there any possibility to install google services for one user only?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can install those apps but you have to flash it via recovery. Also, you need to do that prior to booting into the os for the first time, which I think is related to encryption.
If you already booted into your os, you need to boot into recovery and perform a factory data reset, then flash those gapps (as far as I know dirty flashing those gapps will introduce instability to those gapps. That's why you need a factory data reset).
Keep in mind that factory reseting will delete all your person data.
After you flashed it, those gapps will be available for every user
Dani3I said:
I also know that there is such a thing as microg (and Aurora stora). When I heard that there was such a thing as "LineageOS for microG" I thought it would be a very good option (on one android profile I just wouldn't use microg). But later I also found out that it is supposedly against the google policy and that they can ban my account for it, which I would prefer to avoid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aurora Store provides an anonymous google account. It's data isn't linked to you which means they cannot ban your account.
Dani3I said:
So I wanted to ask if the only option to do this is to install LineageOS, check what applications are installed by default, install OpenGApps to it and then disable all google related applications on one of the user profiles?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOS comes without any google apps preinstalled. So first flash LOS, then OpenGApps (follow their official guide. They describe it there).
And yes, after that you have to disable every google app you don't want to use for every new user profile.
Dani3I said:
Does such disabling the application also ensure that Google will not be able to "work" on my device in any way? Does OpenGApps install any system level google stuff that will run in the background anyway?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you disable it for the current user, it won't run in any way, yes.
OpenGApps itself shouldn't install anything on system level. But those apps will be installed on system level since you flash them to the system (using your recovery). However, if you disable them they won't run in the background.
Dani3I said:
And are OpenGApps not something that I should not install when I don't want to get a google ban?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know.
jwoegerbauer said:
You are confusing (Open)GApps - Google themselves call them Google Mobile Services (GMS) - and Google Play Services what are two completely different things.
Google Play Services is one of the most important parts of Android. It helps connect everything together and hold it all there. The Google Play Services are the interface to the Google Mobile Services as well as to the hardware functions of the Android device. Many of your apps use Google Play Services everyday.
GMS is a bunch of apps what includes
Google Play Store,
Google Now,
Google Play Music,
Google Maps,
Google+,
Gmail,
Google Photos,
Youtube
and the Android Device Manager.
Knowing the difference it should be clear that GMS can get installed on a per-user basis whereas Google Play Services not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep that's absolutely correct

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