Database Info

sharing apps under my google account

scenario:
I wanna swap phones with my wife. BUT still share the apps that I bought under my gmail account.
on iOS, I can still share apps I bought but keep my contacts/iMessage separate as iCloud and appstore login are different parts of the OS.
Seems in Google ecosystem, it's either I share both my account and the apps I paid for? I know I can unticked "sync contacts" in the Google account setting on the phone. But it's easy to tick it again. I just want to install the apps and then have it updated automatically.
Thanks
ps. did search the net but nothing came up

You have to link the account you bought the apps on to the device. Its the only way to do this. If you untick the other sync options then contacts etc don't get synced. Thats the best you can do
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

Wow they need to make this process a bit better.

YounGMessiah said:
Wow they need to make this process a bit better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why? If you pay for an app on your device, why should you have the right to stick it on someone else's device just because you feel like it?
What they need to make easier is the ability to migrate your entire user account to a new one and keep all your settings, purchased apps etc as that is, currently, not possible.

SimonTS said:
Why? If you pay for an app on your device, why should you have the right to stick it on someone else's device just because you feel like it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not talking about just anyone though. I can install apps I paid for on my son's and wife's ipad. He likes this music app I have on the ipad/4s. I bought a $200 app for my son 2 weeks ago. I would be VERY VERY annoyed if I need to buy it again just because I need to install it on the wife's ipad.
BUT I guess Apple allows a person to install an app on multiple devices that I manage (we got various iOS devices in the house and 1 HTC One X acquired last week just because I wanna try something different).
Seems google does not. Well google does too except privacy concerns can/might be a problem.
But I haven't bought much apps probably less $20 so buying them again is not a problem right now.

mrjayviper said:
I'm not talking about just anyone though. I can install apps I paid for on my son's and wife's ipad. He likes this music app I have on the ipad/4s. I bought a $200 app for my son 2 weeks ago. I would be VERY VERY annoyed if I need to buy it again just because I need to install it on the wife's ipad.
BUT I guess Apple allows a person to install an app on multiple devices that I manage (we got various iOS devices in the house and 1 HTC One X acquired last week just because I wanna try something different).
Seems google does not. Well google does too except privacy concerns can/might be a problem.
But I haven't bought much apps probably less $20 so buying them again is not a problem right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two things I can see with this - and feel free to say if my understanding is wrong ... but firstly, $200 on an app? F**k me
1) You can install the Apple app on up to three devices - but they all have to be linked to your Apple ID? How is that any different from using the same base Google account linked into multiple devices?
2) I can install my purchased apps on my HTC Desire S and my Nexus 7 tablet - because I use the same Google account on them both. I also have my account linked to the Play Store on my Dad's LG Optimus 4X, so I can install my paid apps on there, but because I don't set it to sync anything else (as pointed out by Zac) he only gets access to my apps, not my contacts, emails etc.

SimonTS said:
1) You can install the Apple app on up to three devices - but they all have to be linked to your Apple ID? How is that any different from using the same base Google account linked into multiple devices?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
because the contacts/calender/etc syncing (iCloud) and AppStore can be different Apple IDs. I could login on the AppStore as [email protected] and use [email protected] for iCloud/iMessage/Facetime. Even iMessage can use [email protected] if I choose to do so. maybe Facetime too (not really sure I haven't looked at the Facetime settings much but I'm sure about iMessage)
SimonTS said:
2) I can install my purchased apps on my HTC Desire S and my Nexus 7 tablet - because I use the same Google account on them both. I also have my account linked to the Play Store on my Dad's LG Optimus 4X, so I can install my paid apps on there, but because I don't set it to sync anything else (as pointed out by Zac) he only gets access to my apps, not my contacts, emails etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did mention privacy concerns. It's easy enough for your dad to tick sync contacts on his device. Or maybe use some other Google services like Google+/etc. haven't really used those so I qualified my reply to maybe.

mrjayviper said:
because the contacts/calender/etc syncing (iCloud) and AppStore can be different Apple IDs. I could login on the AppStore as [email protected] and use [email protected] for iCloud/iMessage/Facetime. Even iMessage can use [email protected] if I choose to do so. maybe Facetime too (not really sure I haven't looked at the Facetime settings much but I'm sure about iMessage)
I did mention privacy concerns. It's easy enough for your dad to tick sync contacts on his device. Or maybe use some other Google services like Google+/etc. haven't really used those so I qualified my reply to maybe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I fail to see the difference really. If you create a Google account specifically for purchasing the apps and don't use it for email or anything else then you can just use that on the other person's device - yes, they would be able to sync contacts (which don't exist) or send email (so what). If you are planning on sharing your apps with a person who you trust that little then you probably shouldn't be doing so in the first place.

it's not about trust but the flexibility in the OS. seems Google isn't as flexible as it seems. It's flexible in some areas (having other keyboards/themes/etc) but in this case, it seems it's not at least compared to what the other major competitor can do.
I plan to have another account I will be using to purchase apps. It was suggested in another forum.

mrjayviper said:
it's not about trust but the flexibility in the OS. seems Google isn't as flexible as it seems. It's flexible in some areas (having other keyboards/themes/etc) but in this case, it seems it's not at least compared to what the other major competitor can do.
I plan to have another account I will be using to purchase apps. It was suggested in another forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not trying to be picky, but that argument doesn't stand up. The way that the ability to share apps works has absolutely nothing to do with the OS. Google is NOT the OS - Android is. Android is massively more flexible than iOS is, but Google don't implement some things as well as they could - partly because they don't make as much money from the OS, partly because of the very nature of the open-source structure and partly because they don't go round suing the backside off everybody else on the planet.

When I said Google, I actually meant android. I just got my 1st Android device last week and my terms aren't as polished as yours.
and let's not bring the lawsuits into the topic. don't really care much for them and VERY much off-topic. I'll buy whatever suits my fancy and in this instance, the HTC One X won.

To LineageOS or not to LineageOS

So as much as I find the latest version of TouchWiz to look great, I still feel like there are two OSes installed together on my phone, like it's always been the case with Samsung devices. So I'm pondering installing LineageOS. From what I gather, it's still in its infancy. So I'm a bit scared of tripping Knox permanently and regretting it.
Also, except if I read the 100+ pages of the thread about it, I can't find an exhaustive list of known issues and problems. But I have read some things that worry me:
Mediocre call quality
Mediocre camera quality
Volume problems on the speaker
Bluetooth issues
No OTA updates
Are those real? I'd like to have feedback from a relative long-time user.
Thanks

With 7.0 Nougat, I find combining Nova Launcher with the new Nougat UI works well and together they feel much more like one OS
It's their TouchWiz Launcher that is out of place, big, clunky, awkward, slapped on the front of a nice tight-knit settings panel and other good looking parts of the UI just doesn't match, but replace TW launcher with Nova and you have a nice fluid OS IMO

*Detection* said:
With 7.0 Nougat, I find combining Nova Launcher with the new Nougat UI works well and together they feel much more like one OS
It's their TouchWiz Launcher that is out of place, big, clunky, awkward, slapped on the front of a nice tight-knit settings panel and other good looking parts of the UI just doesn't match, but replace TW launcher with Nova and you have a nice fluid OS IMO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That but also the apps and data that come with them. The Samsung calendar that they impose even though you can't use neither the calendar or the tasks on another device (like a computer). But it's there and you have to deal with it (and even in the Google Calendar app, the Samsung calendar is there). Their bloody useless browser. But most of all I miss the slide to left for Google Now. With that I had the impression of using an Google device. Now I feel like it's there somewhere but behind a wall of crap. Yet the device itself is amazing. Honestly if I could afford it I would have gotten a Pixel. I'm not one for skins. But TouchWiz is very good now and light now. I just wish I could get rid of everything Samsung and/or that the Google Now Launcher wasn't going away (or that the Pixel Launcher was available).

Prosis said:
That but also the apps and data that come with them. The Samsung calendar that they impose even though you can't use neither the calendar or the tasks on another device (like a computer). But it's there and you have to deal with it (and even in the Google Calendar app, the Samsung calendar is there). Their bloody useless browser. But most of all I miss the slide to left for Google Now. With that I had the impression of using an Google device. Now I feel like it's there somewhere but behind a wall of crap. Yet the device itself is amazing. Honestly if I could afford it I would have gotten a Pixel. I'm not one for skins. But TouchWiz is very good now and light now. I just wish I could get rid of everything Samsung and/or that the Google Now Launcher wasn't going away (or that the Pixel Launcher was available).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can always use package disabler pro to get rid of calendars and other apps you don't want to use, and install preferred apps from the play store or wherever you can find the APK
Pixel Launcher is available as an APK from apkmirror.com
http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/pixel-launcher/
But yea, if you're looking for a stock Android experience, you don't buy Samsung, everyone knows about TouchWiz and Sammy's bloat lol

Prosis said:
That but also the apps and data that come with them. The Samsung calendar that they impose even though you can't use neither the calendar or the tasks on another device (like a computer). But it's there and you have to deal with it (and even in the Google Calendar app, the Samsung calendar is there). Their bloody useless browser. But most of all I miss the slide to left for Google Now. With that I had the impression of using an Google device. Now I feel like it's there somewhere but behind a wall of crap. Yet the device itself is amazing. Honestly if I could afford it I would have gotten a Pixel. I'm not one for skins. But TouchWiz is very good now and light now. I just wish I could get rid of everything Samsung and/or that the Google Now Launcher wasn't going away (or that the Pixel Launcher was available).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You lost me at "Their bloody useless browser." It is a very smooth browser with ad block and Samsung pass features.

paralnova said:
You lost me at "Their bloody useless browser." It is a very smooth browser with ad block and Samsung pass features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No doubt about that. My problem with that broswer is the same as the calendar: it can only be used on Samsung mobile devices. If I could have my calendar and tasks on a PC (without having to sync it with SmartSwitch) then I'd use it. I can access my bookmarks on Chrome on mobile whereas that wouldn't be possible with the Samsung browser.
In other words I wouldn't mind using Samsung's apps at all as they are not bad in themselves but they're not as useful Google's apps.

Prosis said:
No doubt about that. My problem with that broswer is the same as the calendar: it can only be used on Samsung mobile devices. If I could have my calendar and tasks on a PC (without having to sync it with SmartSwitch) then I'd use it. I can access my bookmarks on Chrome on mobile whereas that wouldn't be possible with the Samsung browser.
In other words I wouldn't mind using Samsung's apps at all as they are not bad in themselves but they're not as useful Google's apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right. Google is miles ahead in terms of synchronization.

paralnova said:
You're right. Google is miles ahead in terms of synchronization.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed! Samsung's still in the first iPod model: plug it in a PC and sync. That's bad in 2017. It's a half-assed ecosystem. I do hope the S8 and Bixby do a better job but I don't think so given even Bixby is just a layer over Google Assitant.

FOSS on Android - Where are all the apps i can Trust? There isn't Any!

I think Android has a Big Problem - There is little Real FOSS on Android. It's partly Google's fault. It's partly the Linux communities fault. It's partly the Developers fault. Yeah guys i'm talking about You. Or perhaps I'm just really bad at searching but no, I won't accept that. I've seen whats on the Google Play Store.
Sure there is F-Droid which is Awesome but it's not enough. I get that people want to make money. If you have a good app you want to charge for that's fine but Don't expect me to use a Keyboard App for example that wants to access my SD Card and have permission to delete files or view my contact list. Whats wrong with you developers? Don't you even care that most of your apps use unscrupulous practices?
I go about looking for a simple app to increase the size of the icons so my tired eyes can actually read the text below the icon. (Marshmallow 6.0.1) F-Droid doesn't seem to have one. Google Play has lots of ways to do this but they all have ads. O.k. I think, perhaps I can live with an ad or two but then I look at the Permissions and balk! Why does an icon app need to view my network connections or have full network access or change my system settings when all I need it to do is make a bigger icon - It doesn't. ( I won't even go into the Flashlight spying on you issue, Goggle it)
I consider these apps spyware that should NOT be offered on Google Play. That's 99 % of all apps on Google Play. No telling what these apps may be doing in the background and here is the problem. Why this practice seems to be accepted in our society is way beyond me. Or I can admit the truth that we live in a corrupt society where people no longer care.
My 89 year old Mom has had the same IPhone for the past 7 years. It has a tiny screen, poor resolution. She uses it for a phone - that's all. She wont use the internet or any apps on it at all - yet she calls me to look stuff up for her all the time. I'd like to switch her to a much cheaper and more modern Android phone that she can actually use but I Can't and Won't because she don't need the nightmares of ads every 5 minutes and apps that want to access things they have no business accessing.
Android doesn't need virus's, the apps have become the virus. It's sad this has become the norm. Perhaps things will change but I doubt it. Why doesn't Google Play offer a Foss category? Where are all the real Foss apps, does anyone know cus I'm just not seeing them and I think that's sad. It screams volumes that reflect badly on this community. Thank you for reading my rant.

https://medium.com/insurge-intelligence/how-the-cia-made-google-e836451a959e
Google = CIA
F-droid = can replace most embedded spyware apps. Rooting your device and going nuts with a good root uninstaller are the first steps. Get rid of all Google crap. Installing AdAway is next. Replacement of nearly all bundled spyware is possible.
You will never achieve perfection while using the most popular spyware OS on the planet. But you will not get perfection on Windows or iOS or blackberry or Symbian either. Though it's much worse now.

Any strong opinions on Sammy vs Google Apps on N20

Trying to make up my mind which ones do you, Outlook or Gmail, keyboard, excetera. Samsung likes to have a ton of duplicate apps oh, I'm curious as to which ones you think are extremely useful and which ones are the ones you get rid of first?

I use Outlook, alternate between keyboard. I use samsung calendar, health and messages because of watch. I use samsung file manager. I do not use their video player or music player. I do use samsung internet for browser.
Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk

Thank you, I think watching. I am mostly happy with the stock Samsung keyboard compared to SwiftKey but I keep going back and trying it. I missed the Gmail app after having all of my accounts on Outlook. I might be willing to try it again.

All those samsung apps are just pure leaches. It's clear to me that samsung is challenging google in a few areas of the business. For nearly every google process app , there's also a samsung version also running or installed. Gradually increasing their own eco system. Pi$$ take.

Outlook, never again. It was a terror on my XP machines. It was always the weak link.
Just the name puts a shiver down my spine.
Gmail stopped the malware/virus/spam carnage cold.
In 12+ years I've never had a malware issue with Gmail other than Google screwing it up; that they do quit well.

For me it's simple and obvious after a few days of use of Samsung phone, VS years of experience with anything else.
Samsung apps are rubbish. Period.
The keyboard junk? unable to uninstall it, even after installing GBoard. It's full of links to other junkware from Samsung like these emoticons apps and garbage. Those ones are gone.
The "File manager app"? lol. junkware with "added feature" like "analyse storage", and other unwanted useless garbage.
Even in the customization, theres's some link to junk shop to buy some theme related custom junk. Paying 3 USD to get a stupid picture on my phone?
I want to use the features, without my phone turning into an ads device. I want in the themes to select some, eventually from my own media, without having to go to Samsung junk. I want my keyboard to be a useful keyboard without being a link to paying garbage and other apps.
I did not buy that junk phone, got it free from work. Good experience, there is no way I would even pay more than 100 USD for that garbage. No wait, I should even be paid to use that junk which attempts to make me pay for using my own phone, my own device at every single steps.
Long live LineageOS, PixelExperience, and the likes: Android native roms without parasite apps at every single steps.
I removed around 50 junks from Samsung, I should even be more aggressive next time (when Android 11 will be there) because it's horrible.
It would have been much easier to even start from scratch (ie custom rom) rather than trying to take back control from that Samsung horrible ROM, since it's soo many dependencies and unwanted junk.
Samsung surely make money that way. I find this phone and junk installed offensive. It's so bad it's beyond anything acceptable. And I'm the fool on the "purchasing side" (well again, I did not pay for that). I mean it's Samsung device or mine? Certainly gives me a very bad opinion of Samsung, their business model and quality is very clear, so are their intentions. Not for me.

Hmm, oddly enough I use all Google apps. I've learned on my previous phone that if you want the best performance, use all Google apps haha.
I've already removed just about every Samsung app from this phone, all the way from the phone and message apps through the utility apps (clock, calculator, calendar etc).
I was having problems with my Note 20 Ultra since I got it two days before launch, but after finally getting to do a factory reset, it looks like most of those issues have been resolved and weren't related to the Samsung app removal.

I prefer Google Messages, Google Calendar, Google Phone, and GBoard. Using ADB, I was able to uninstall most Samsung bloat. The Samsung Contacts and Calculator apps are the only ones I find superior to the Google ones. Using HEX Installer, I was able to install an AOSP theme to get a more clean look and get rid of Samsung's overly rounded UI.

Dumbing down phone as much as possible with Custom ROM

Hello.
I plan to turn my phone as "dumb" as possible, leaving only apps that are absolutely necessary and practical, essentially making my phone as minimalistic, simple and distraction free while at the same time maximizing the hurdle to install new apps due to the lack of willpower aswell as the general battery life.
I have the POCO F1 with LineageOS 19.1, root is currently enabled via Magisk.
I considered just buying a regular dumb phone, but unfortunately I do not feel they are worth it; plus I'd want to still use Spotify.
I'd greatly appreciate ideas/solutions for this particular project. Thank you in advance!

EnigmaticLife said:
Hello.
I plan to turn my phone as "dumb" as possible, leaving only apps that are absolutely necessary and practical, essentially making my phone as minimalistic, simple and distraction free while at the same time maximizing the hurdle to install new apps due to the lack of willpower aswell as the general battery life.
I have the POCO F1 with LineageOS 19.1, root is currently enabled via Magisk.
I considered just buying a regular dumb phone, but unfortunately I do not feel they are worth it; plus I'd want to still use Spotify.
I'd greatly appreciate ideas/solutions for this particular project. Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you'd like to do isn't really "dumbing down" XD - it is simply making a "barebones Android" phone with only the apps/functions you need without usual bloat that comes preinstalled on the new devices. This is in fact something a lot of people on XDA are passionate about, as it helps optimize for space, speed, battery life and privacy.
For the Android phone to be considered usable in modern day and age, it needs a handful of apps:
Dialer
SMS messenger
Contacts
File manager
Gallery
Clock
Calendar
Calculator
Web browser
Camera
Installing vanilla LineageOS rom (or any other rom with no GoogleApps) will give you this default Android experience. For 99% of tasks that do not involve Google this is enough.
However, most people want something more than just a dialer, and so phone manufacturers pre-install some other stuff for them: Google (play store, chrome, maps, drive, mail), Payment (Samsung Pay), Gallery/Music apps, social media apps, fancy wallpapers etc. This is what makes the phone "smart" for you, I guess?
In case you want to cut it down further, you can use adb to remove certain apps from this list. This includes certain system apps too, like unnecessary fonts or accessibility services (web search is your friend here). Theoretically the phone can serve as a GSM calling brick only with the following:
Dialer
SMS messenger
Contacts
But then you'd be doing the hardware a misservice - why lug around Octa-core 8GB RAM 4000mAh HD TFT6.1" 999GB device if you could achieve the same with a Nokia 1100 or 3310? These are still being sold
UPDATE: Just saw your additions about Spotify. If you only want to use the phone for Calling/Web browsing/YouTube/Spotify, go with the "Install No GApps LineageOS -> Sideload apps you need and nothing else".
Word of WARNING though: a lot of popular messaging/steraming/quality of life (maps) apps APSOLUTELY DEPEND on google ecosystem (i.e. GApps like google play, google play services and google services framework).
WITHOUT GOOGLE THESE APPS WILL LIKELY CRASH or won't work as intended. I.e. Whatsapp will not give you "New message" notifications and will not ring UNLESS you have it open in your face right when the call comes in. Delivery/Ride sharing apps that need google maps will not show you the map. Facebook messenger will has the same problem as Whatsapp. List of risks is far too long, and you will need to have an idea of whether the app requires google and whatsnot.
Therefore Make absolutely sure that barebones phone is what you want. If it is, a lot of apps that reliably work with the barebones setups can be found on Fdroid.
Despite having "dumb" in the name, this procedure requires one to be amazingly smart about it
To conclude, you have the following ways of achieving this:
1. Install no-Gapps (i.e. "vanilla") lineageOs, delete what you wont need, sideload .apk of apps you are after
2. Install stock android rom, then Degoogle and Debloat it. Guides for your particular model can be found here on XDA
3. Install SlimROM, a custom Android distro whose developers had the same idea as you did, i.e. optimized for simplicity.

Totesnochill said:
What you'd like to do isn't really "dumbing down" XD - it is simply making a "barebones Android" phone with only the apps/functions you need without usual bloat that comes preinstalled on the new devices. This is in fact something a lot of people on XDA are passionate about, as it helps optimize for space, speed, battery life and privacy.
For the Android phone to be considered usable in modern day and age, it needs a handful of apps:
Dialer
SMS messenger
Contacts
File manager
Gallery
Clock
Calendar
Calculator
Web browser
Camera
Installing vanilla LineageOS rom (or any other rom with no GoogleApps) will give you this default Android experience. For 99% of tasks that do not involve Google this is enough.
However, most people want something more than just a dialer, and so phone manufacturers pre-install some other stuff for them: Google (play store, chrome, maps, drive, mail), Payment (Samsung Pay), Gallery/Music apps, social media apps, fancy wallpapers etc. This is what makes the phone "smart" for you, I guess?
In case you want to cut it down further, you can use adb to remove certain apps from this list. This includes certain system apps too, like unnecessary fonts or accessibility services (web search is your friend here). Theoretically the phone can serve as a GSM calling brick only with the following:
Dialer
SMS messenger
Contacts
But then you'd be doing the hardware a misservice - why lug around Octa-core 8GB RAM 4000mAh HD TFT6.1" 999GB device if you could achieve the same with a Nokia 1100 or 3310? These are still being sold
UPDATE: Just saw your additions about Spotify. If you only want to use the phone for Calling/Web browsing/YouTube/Spotify, go with the "Install No GApps LineageOS -> Sideload apps you need and nothing else".
Word of WARNING though: a lot of popular messaging/steraming/quality of life (maps) apps APSOLUTELY DEPEND on google ecosystem (i.e. GApps like google play, google play services and google services framework).
WITHOUT GOOGLE THESE APPS WILL LIKELY CRASH or won't work as intended. I.e. Whatsapp will not give you "New message" notifications and will not ring UNLESS you have it open in your face right when the call comes in. Delivery/Ride sharing apps that need google maps will not show you the map. Facebook messenger will has the same problem as Whatsapp. List of risks is far too long, and you will need to have an idea of whether the app requires google and whatsnot.
Therefore Make absolutely sure that barebones phone is what you want. If it is, a lot of apps that reliably work with the barebones setups can be found on Fdroid.
Despite having "dumb" in the name, this procedure requires one to be amazingly smart about it
To conclude, you have the following ways of achieving this:
1. Install no-Gapps (i.e. "vanilla") lineageOs, delete what you wont need, sideload .apk of apps you are after
2. Install stock android rom, then Degoogle and Debloat it. Guides for your particular model can be found here on XDA
3. Install SlimROM, a custom Android distro whose developers had the same idea as you did, i.e. optimized for simplicity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is really interesting. I am thinking of trying to do this with a Google pixel 4a. Would I be able to do the lineage OS with that? I haven't found other threads that speak on this topic, am I right? Thinking that I would like to customize exactly what apps I have on the phone etc.

LineageOS for Google Pixel 4a exists:
LineageOS Downloads
download.lineageos.org