Database Info

[Q] Reliable alternative to Google Play: is there any?

Hi to all,
I just landed at the Android world. The phone I got is a really really Chinese "Huaexl" (at least the name reminding the better known Huawei XL) not including Google Play as defaut app store. Since I did not find a reliable way to get the Google Play app (Google website does not allow to download it) I tried to install Google Play Service which does nothing else but crash.
Google Play has a certain credibility in my opinion. My problem now is that I want to find a "reliable" way to download apps in case there is no reliable way to install it.
At the moment I'm using 1Mobile Market and Aptoide just to download some utility (such as some hardware monitor or QR code scanner and other basic app) but I would never use such stores for example when it comes to install some banking app
So, to make it short:
would you suggest any "reliable" way to install Google Play or any "reliable" alteriative?
would you suggest me to replace the current Android version and istall another one including Google Play by default?
Thank you in advance for your comments and suggestions.
PD: what about replacing Android with Ubuntu Touch?
PD2: according to the hardware monitor apps that I installed, such phone should be an optacore, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of ROM
PD3: dispite the camera options get till 13Mpx mode, the quality of the pictures is quite bad

You can download Google Play Store from Android Police
http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23578570567716666
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

redndian said:
You can download Google Play Store from Android Police
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot. However, since I'm new in the Android world, I have never heard of Android Police. Could you please tell me more about them? I've been googling but found nothing about Android Police except what they themselves publish (blog, website, podcasts and so on).
Could you clean my doubts about their "realiability" ?
Sorry for insisting about this topic.
Thanks.
Regards.

Link already given for download. Android police is reliable source
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

maccabbeo said:
Thanks a lot. However, since I'm new in the Android world, I have never heard of Android Police. Could you please tell me more about them? I've been googling but found nothing about Android Police except what they themselves publish (blog, website, podcasts and so on).
Could you clean my doubts about their "realiability" ?
Sorry for insisting about this topic.
Thanks.
Regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android Police is a well known blog and info site, loads of new info that's initially start off there and get spread. I can assure you that the website is very reliable. Nothing to worry about.

TheArc said:
Android Police is a well known blog and info site, loads of new info that's initially start off there and get spread. I can assure you that the website is very reliable. Nothing to worry about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, now I got your own opinion about it. Thanks a lot, that's a great start!
Is there any other reliable source talking about Android Police. For example any well known online newspaper or something?
Please try to understand my feelings. I want to be straight. Your feedback about your own personal feelings is important for me since I just don't know this world. My dubts will be completely cleaned (well, never be sure 100%) when I could see for example (just a stupid and unreal example) the New York Times telling about Android Police.
I mean, I wish a reliable source may have talked about it. Please tell me if any, I would really really appreciate it.
Thank you so much for your understanding and your patience.

redndian said:
You can download Google Play Store from Android Police
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately Google Play just crashes less than 1 second after launching it. Is there anything I could do?
Or shoud I just give up since it is impossible to install on phones not coming with it already installed by default, as I've been reading somewhere?
Thanks,
regards.

[Q] Hello you lovely Huawei people!

I've been looking at Chinese smartphones for a while but haven't yet taken the plunge. However, a colleague of mine asked me for my opinion and I nudged him in the direction of the X2, as it would have been what I would have gone for had I gone for one...
He went for it and I am impressed. But I didn't realise (probably niaively) that it would be so dislodged from Google. Obviously not completely detached, but there is no Play Store, G+, Play Services etc as you will all know. I've been on XDA for many years and I'm somewhat of an HTC fanbuy (see my sig :laugh so I know all about unlocking bootloaders, rooting, flashing custom recoveries, firmware, custom roms etc so I am absolutely fine doing all that. He has brought the phone back to me and asked if I can help him with it; basically give him a more "westernised" Android experience I suppose
So once unlocked, rooted and flashed the (apparently) only custom rom available (KangVIP), am I able to flash a gapps package to it? And if anyone has done so, would you please be able to point me to the right one to use? He tried adding google apps from the built-in appstore but they don't play nicely (I wouldn't expect them to), presumably because the framework isn't there
Coming from a long list of mainstream devices, it's amazing to me to see a subforum with only one of two threads I understand the lack of support isn't due to unwillingness though; just a lack of owners and developers. I've been on XDA so long because of how helpful everyone is and I try to help others where I can from my experiences and techy logic
I would be extremely grateful for a little bit of advice if someone wouldn't mind :good:
Thank you all
PS - The device is the 16GB 703L and is currently running the B106 update (EMUI 3.1)

matmaneyre said:
I've been looking at Chinese smartphones for a while but haven't yet taken the plunge. However, a colleague of mine asked me for my opinion and I nudged him in the direction of the X2, as it would have been what I would have gone for had I gone for one...
He went for it and I am impressed. But I didn't realise (probably niaively) that it would be so dislodged from Google. Obviously not completely detached, but there is no Play Store, G+, Play Services etc as you will all know. I've been on XDA for many years and I'm somewhat of an HTC fanbuy (see my sig :laugh so I know all about unlocking bootloaders, rooting, flashing custom recoveries, firmware, custom roms etc so I am absolutely fine doing all that. He has brought the phone back to me and asked if I can help him with it; basically give him a more "westernised" Android experience I suppose
So once unlocked, rooted and flashed the (apparently) only custom rom available (KangVIP), am I able to flash a gapps package to it? And if anyone has done so, would you please be able to point me to the right one to use? He tried adding google apps from the built-in appstore but they don't play nicely (I wouldn't expect them to), presumably because the framework isn't there
Coming from a long list of mainstream devices, it's amazing to me to see a subforum with only one of two threads I understand the lack of support isn't due to unwillingness though; just a lack of owners and developers. I've been on XDA so long because of how helpful everyone is and I try to help others where I can from my experiences and techy logic
I would be extremely grateful for a little bit of advice if someone wouldn't mind :good:
Thank you all
PS - The device is the 16GB 703L and is currently running the B106 update (EMUI 3.1)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you install the play store from the Chinese App Store it installs the Google Framework. The only two things you need to install are the Play Store and GoogleContactsSyncAdapter. You can download the GoogleContactsSyncAdapter here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nw5nwhtp16l5gd6/GoogleContactsSyncAdapter.apk?dl=0

ajsmsg78 said:
When you install the play store from the Chinese App Store it installs the Google Framework. The only two things you need to install are the Play Store and GoogleContactsSyncAdapter. You can download the GoogleContactsSyncAdapter here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nw5nwhtp16l5gd6/GoogleContactsSyncAdapter.apk?dl=0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this. I did read this in another thread actually but I was reading so much that it got lost in my brain somewhere
So at the moment play store is installed (I don't have the X2 with me at the moment). Play store won't load because of not being able to authenticate with Google servers. Also G+ doesn't work for the same reason and obviously sync doesn't work. So am I right in thinking that one sync adapter will solve all of that? If so I'll sort it tomorrow for him :good:
Thanks again

matmaneyre said:
Thanks for this. I did read this in another thread actually but I was reading so much that it got lost in my brain somewhere
So at the moment play store is installed (I don't have the X2 with me at the moment). Play store won't load because of not being able to authenticate with Google servers. Also G+ doesn't work for the same reason and obviously sync doesn't work. So am I right in thinking that one sync adapter will solve all of that? If so I'll sort it tomorrow for him :good:
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't have to do anything on my new X2 other than install the play store and GoogleContactsSyncAdapter. Go into settings---Manage Apps and clear data for the play store and see if it opens. Mine opened no problem and I was able to sign into my Google account from there. When I opened maps it asked me to update Google play services and when I did the play store would no longer open. So I installed the Google play services update, rebooted and everything worked fine after that.

ajsmsg78 said:
I didn't have to do anything on my new X2 other than install the play store and GoogleContactsSyncAdapter. Go into settings---Manage Apps and clear data for the play store and see if it opens. Mine opened no problem and I was able to sign into my Google account from there. When I opened maps it asked me to update Google play services and when I did the play store would no longer open. So I installed the Google play services update, rebooted and everything worked fine after that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent... Thanks a lot! I forwarded the link to him and told him to download and install it and he reports everything is working. To say he is grateful is an understatement. I was bombarded with messages at 2am saying how amazing it is
Just need to help him get rid of all of the Chinese bits now. Changing default apps and keyboard, launcher etc. He's not really interested in rooting which is a shame because of all the system apps I'd like to clear out for him but if he's happy I'll let it go. No good for my OCD though. I like a clean ROM myself

matmaneyre said:
Excellent... Thanks a lot! I forwarded the link to him and told him to download and install it and he reports everything is working. To say he is grateful is an understatement. I was bombarded with messages at 2am saying how amazing it is
Just need to help him get rid of all of the Chinese bits now. Changing default apps and keyboard, launcher etc. He's not really interested in rooting which is a shame because of all the system apps I'd like to clear out for him but if he's happy I'll let it go. No good for my OCD though. I like a clean ROM myself
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have him install Swiftkey, Textra and Apex Launcher. Those are some of my favorite apps.

ajsmsg78 said:
Have him install Swiftkey, Textra and Apex Launcher. Those are some of my favorite apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Swiftkey is standard for me so that's a definite recommendation. And yes something along the lines of Apex or Nova will improve it 1000%. At least then he can have an app drawer and either hide the stock Huawei apps or put them into a folder, never to be opened again
Messaging-wise he's already using WhatsApp but I'll mention Textra anyway

Google Play and Apps on X2
Which model is your friend having ? Mine is the GEM-702L and it comes pre-installed with Google Play and apps.

ajsmsg78 said:
Have him install Swiftkey, Textra and Apex Launcher. Those are some of my favorite apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Textra is the best. I gave up swiftkey for touchPal. Also, love Buzz launcher also. And for emails, I cant give up on CloudMagic.
weather is weatherbug
GPS Navigation is WAZE
add others if you think of some top notch super highly recommended stuff

Google Assistant?

I've been reading quite a bit about the Google Play Services update that will bring Google Assistant to Marshmallow and Nougat devices. Anyone been lucky enough to actually see this update? I check the Play Store every couple of days and haven't seen it yet myself.

wormwod1027 said:
check the Play Store
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.fireball&hl=en

Hmm, not sure what that emoji represents, but I'm not looking to install Allo. Google Assistant is extremely limited through that app.

Funny how I could be so specific and still get a troll response. Oh well guess XDA is just like any other forum. Gotta love it when the guy with one hundred posts thinks the guy with fewer posts is less informed. Keep trolling El.

wormwod1027 said:
Funny how I could be so specific and still get a troll response. Oh well guess XDA is just like any other forum. Gotta love it when the guy with one hundred posts thinks the guy with fewer posts is less informed. Keep trolling El.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Allo is the wrapper for Google Assistant. I.e., install Allo to get Google Assistant.

moroipaul said:
View attachment 4075638
Use this if you have root. I just got mine.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait are you saying you have root on your Phab 2 Pro?

moroipaul said:
Oops. Sorry, wrong thread.
I have an Oneplus 3.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol, dang. Okay thanks.

wormwod1027 said:
still get response
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome. :angel:

Got it figured out and you don't have to install "Allo" or root your device. Just to be clear.
Took some digging around, but I've managed to get it activated.
First you'll need to sign up for Beta versions of both the Google app and Google Play Services. Once you have them installed and up-to-date you will have to visit the individual app back end to clear the data the older versions have stored on your device. Visit "Settings" then "Apps". Look for "Google App" and Google Play Services". You'll find the option to clear the data after clicking "Storage" and "Manage Space" options.
Open the "Google App" either by long pressing the home key or by visiting your app tray and pressing the icon. You'll be asked some questions. Once they are answered and the app has opened fully you can then open the menu tray on the upper left corner. You'll see "Enable Assistant" in the upper left corner. Click and follow the on screen directions. Before you know it you'll have the full version of "Google Assistant".
I'm happy to help anyone that is trying to navigate my brief guide.

Well I have done all this and while in settings it says Google Assistant is on, it is actually not the full fledged Assistant.

Voice input solution needed for Google-free LineageOS 15.1 (Samsung Galaxy S7)

Hi, I've recently set up my new S7 with LineageOS, and I'm determined to not install GAPPs or Google anything on this device. I've been able to find almost everything I need, but I'm still missing speech-to-text functionality.
I installed AnySoftKeyboard from F-Droid because it said it did speech-to-text in its description; however, when I attempted to use STT on the keyboard, I got a popup error message that said, "Voice Input is not installed on your device." The box had a button for installing this feature, but I suspect it pointed to a location on the Google Play store, since it offered to open F-Droid or Uptodown, neither of which had the needed app.
What can I do to obtain STT on this device without getting entangled with Google?

Even if you are using Los there are still Google closed binaries on your device. There is no way of getting away form Google with Android. Not completely.

zelendel said:
Even if you are using Los there are still Google closed binaries on your device. There is no way of getting away form Google with Android. Not completely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fine, sure, now do you have any helpful suggestions about TTS?

Feenix0 said:
Fine, sure, now do you have any helpful suggestions about TTS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only one I know that works on Android (was origianly made to work on feature phones.) is controlled by Google or Apple. There is no real open source free, none tracking, setup.
You could look up the Google less preoject and see if they got it working but last I heard most abonoded the project because it just wasn't worth it.

Feenix0 said:
Hi, I've recently set up my new S7 with LineageOS, and I'm determined to not install GAPPs or Google anything on this device. I've been able to find almost everything I need, but I'm still missing speech-to-text functionality.
I installed AnySoftKeyboard from F-Droid because it said it did speech-to-text in its description; however, when I attempted to use STT on the keyboard, I got a popup error message that said, "Voice Input is not installed on your device." The box had a button for installing this feature, but I suspect it pointed to a location on the Google Play store, since it offered to open F-Droid or Uptodown, neither of which had the needed app.
What can I do to obtain STT on this device without getting entangled with Google?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TTS and SST is bound to google, you can't download it from anywhere, and even if you download it, it won't work without google services, you must install Gapps (Nano), hope it'll help

Seems like this is a dead end, for now, but I found lots of things in the works. I expect that we'll be seeing viable alternative STT services in a few years. Google, Microsoft, and Apple are always going to be at the front in this sort of thing because of their budgets, but open source will catch up.

This may be the reason I get into android app development... local, although not as good, STT is possible, I wrote some stuff in Python to do this on an embedded system. You just have to train, or purchase voice models. There are also many cloud based solutions other than Google at this point, so I don't believe this to be technologically impossible.

japtain.cack said:
This may be the reason I get into android app development... local, although not as good, STT is possible, I wrote some stuff in Python to do this on an embedded system. You just have to train, or purchase voice models. There are also many cloud based solutions other than Google at this point, so I don't believe this to be technologically impossible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the feedback. I've actually retired the S7 for a OP 7T, and I'm pretty much resigned to Goggle STT for now.

Feenix0 said:
Thanks for the feedback. I've actually retired the S7 for a OP 7T, and I'm pretty much resigned to Goggle STT for now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Finally, with the flashing of my phone, my life is 100% Google free. Not even using MicroG. #GoogleYou'reFired. I'll just be doing without STT until I figure out a solution.

japtain.cack said:
Finally, with the flashing of my phone, my life is 100% Google free. Not even using MicroG. #GoogleYou'reFired. I'll just be doing without STT until I figure out a solution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Until I find a satisfactory alternative to Google's email, calendar, contacts, and cloud storage solutions, I'll still be here. Not that I'm looking right now...but one day. Maybe I'll try MicroG on my next phone. Maybe Elon Musk will roll out a linux-based, fully open source phone and supporting systems. Here's hoping!

Feenix0 said:
Until I find a satisfactory alternative to Google's email, calendar, contacts, and cloud storage solutions, I'll still be here. Not that I'm looking right now...but one day. Maybe I'll try MicroG on my next phone. Maybe Elon Musk will roll out a linux-based, fully open source phone and supporting systems. Here's hoping!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I'm using the synology nas and suite of apps. They are pretty OK. The sacrifices we make to opt out of data mining and the selling of our data to third parties... I currently have no plans to use microg. If elon makes a phone, I'd buy it, hopefully it would be better and more open.

japtain.cack said:
Yeah, I'm using the synology nas and suite of apps. They are pretty OK. The sacrifices we make to opt out of data mining and the selling of our data to third parties... I currently have no plans to use microg. If elon makes a phone, I'd buy it, hopefully it would be better and more open.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considering how closed source all of elon projects are I very much doubt he'd bring out an open source android competitor, probs call it the xphone, pay to remove the integrated ****coin miner and some more for the ability to use his new 5g networking but hey maybe it'll have fart sounds as notifactions

Themes / Apps / Mods SPayToGPay: Remap Samsung Pay long-press shortcut to Google Pay on watches in regions shipping without Samsung Pay

There are regions where Samsung Pay isn't supported, and the app is therefore not preinstalled on the watch. As a result, those users are unable to use apps such as GW4Remap to remap the bottom button long-press shortcut to anything else. In order to help that group of users, I made a simple app that remaps the shortcut to Google Pay.
The app works by simply being a fake Samsung Pay app that launches Google Pay whenever it's invoked by the system through the use of the long-press shortcut. Since trying to install the app on a watch where the real Samsung Pay has been preinstalled will result in a signature mismatch, this only works on watches from regions where Samsung Pay isn't preinstalled.
Releases · blunden/SPayToGPay
A helper app to remap the Samsung Pay button shortcut on the GW4 to Google Pay on watches shipping without Samsung Pay - blunden/SPayToGPay
github.com
NOTE: Requires rebooting the watch after installing the app.
EDIT: Version 1.1 works with Google Wallet.
EDIT 2: Version 1.2 hides it from the recent apps menu. No other changes.

I sideload it with bugjaeger but it doesn't show up on my watch at all.

So I went through the installed packages using bugjaeger and I saw that samsung pay did install but long pressing the button doesn't do anything

sorry mate have to let you know I tried everything but it doesnt seem to work

niff2005 said:
So I went through the installed packages using bugjaeger and I saw that samsung pay did install but long pressing the button doesn't do anything
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you say that Samsung Pay shows as installed, can you be more exact? Do you mean the package name or an app with that name?
Can you show me a logcat? The person on reddit testing it for me said that it worked for him but I don't know the exact details.

blunden said:
When you say that Samsung Pay shows as installed, can you be more exact? Do you mean the package name or an app with that name?
Can you show me a logcat? The person on reddit testing it for me said that it worked for him but I don't know the exact details.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah the package name, not an app. Also, I'm the same person over on reddit so it's pointless to have 2 conversations using both reddit and xda, I'll keep you updated on reddit

It appears that restarting the watch after installing the app is required.

niff2005 said:
yeah the package name, not an app. Also, I'm the same person over on reddit so it's pointless to have 2 conversations using both reddit and xda, I'll keep you updated on reddit
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You got it working now, right?

Working really well for me, installed it and it does the job.

blunden said:
You got it working now, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep! thx for your work. btw I have noticed it only works when you're on the main watchfacew so If you're in an app and then long press it, it won't work. Wish I'd known that before I went to the store the other day, would've saved me from an embarrasing interaction

niff2005 said:
yep! thx for your work. btw I have noticed it only works when you're on the main watchfacew so If you're in an app and then long press it, it won't work. Wish I'd known that before I went to the store the other day, would've saved me from an embarrasing interaction
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great!
Yeah, that's how it always worked. Having it work within apps would prevent apps that listen for key presses from working properly.

works great! but you NEED to restart the watch.

Hi, it doesn't seem to launch Google Pay with the new Google Wallet update on my watch. Just thought I'd let u know

niff2005 said:
Hi, it doesn't seem to launch Google Pay with the new Google Wallet update on my watch. Just thought I'd let u know
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the packagename should still be the same, but the code has changed, and well we have some issues with the new Wallet killing contacless on phones at the moment too
Working: Magisk with Google Pay as of gms 17.1.22 on Pie
Ok. I tried this and it worked on gms 17.1.22, allowing one to add cards and pay in store. Warning YMMV, but this is the process I did to get this working. One caveat is that I suspect users will have to reverse some step if gms is updated and...
forum.xda-developers.com
ahh teething pains when Google changes something

niff2005 said:
Hi, it doesn't seem to launch Google Pay with the new Google Wallet update on my watch. Just thought I'd let u know
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent you a test build on Reddit.

See the updated first post for a link to the updated app.
It doesn't hurt to launch Google Wallet once, although not sure if that's actually required or not.

blunden said:
See the updated first post for a link to the updated app.
It doesn't hurt to launch Google Wallet once, although not sure if that's actually required or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you btw, for your work. I appreciate it dearly

niff2005 said:
Thank you btw, for your work. I appreciate it dearly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome!

works good but it only works when you're on the main watchfacew

DEMONVoz said:
works good but it only works when you're on the main watchfacew
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's up to OS to decide when and where the shortcut works. This app just pretends to be Samsung Pay and launches Google Wallet when started.