LineageOS and apps from GPlay

Community Help! How to?
#1

Dear Everyone,
I just switched to LineageOS some days ago and I have to say, I love that ROM so far. The phone keeps running for more than two days, instead of just one and is really fast. So, I installed everything I needed and found on F-Droid or direct downloaded from the source, like Signal for instance. I’m stuck with two apps ( or solutions instead of them ), the Protonmail app and the DSfile from Synology. I don’t just want to download them from any apkmirror or wearetheoneandonlyapkbesforyousiryesnomalwaresir sites…
What I considered so far:

  • download them with my ( or any ) still alive Google account in firefox and install
  • Yalp store - seems to be discontinued and the new fork says it’s incompatible with the device
  • Aurora store
  • whatever other store
  • any better store
  • any better way to get the apps instead of from a store
  • can I connect (is it recommended) to connect to the synology (on home network only) in a secure way with a file browser, like GhostCommander (I would miss the photo syncing feature of the DSfile thou)
    What are your suggestions?
    Thanks for any reply in advance!
#2

I’m using Aurora Store, works fine. You can use an anonymous account or sign in with your Google account. There should be no privacy implications for using your own account with Aurora besides Google knowing what apps you’re using (which is not the biggest deal tbh).

If your home network is secure you can connect however you want. I use SMB shares on my Synology NAS locally.

If you want to connect to your NAS outside your home network I would probably recommend connecting over a VPN as opposed to port forwarding. You could set one up with the VPN Server package on DSM.

1 Like
#3

Thank you for the detailed reply!
Don’t include the apps from gplay trackers? Don’t they call „home” time to time?

Do you already have some experience with Graphene on the Nexus?
Are you using the Aurora on that phone?

I don’t want to connect to the NAS from outside, at least it was fine so during the last couple of years.

#4

a little bit late, but if u want to look what kind of trackers an app (works on apk’s too) has, check out ClassyShark3xodus, and if u want to see where your apps connect i would suggest NetGuard, which is a non-root firewall which also is the best system-wide adblocker i ever had

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#5

Thank you for the reply! Never late! :wink:
Ok, I’ll check classyshark.
Can you tell more, how you turn netguard into an ad-blocker?
I’m using the free version, is there a way in that, which I missed to use it like bockada?

#6