Installing apps through the Aurora Store is similar to using Google Play or F-Droid.

Luckily you won’t have to log in for all apps, you can choose to only log in to download apps you purchased, and to download free apps anonymously. Note that, as the Aurora Store contravenes the terms of service of the Google Play Store, you do run the risk of your Google account being terminated.įor paid apps already purchased through our Google account, however, we might not have an option other than to log in. When setting up the Aurora Store, we can decide to use it anonymously or with a Google account. Installing the Aurora Store on your phoneĪlthough Aurora is a software repository itself and an alternative to F-Droid, we can also use F-Droid to install it and keep it up to date. The Aurora Store is an attractive alternative to Google Play, but note that if you are very security-conscious or rely on your phone for sensitive work, it may be better to avoid installing the Aurora Store or any of the apps that come through it. This means you can download apps anonymously without logging in to your Google account, and may even be able to install apps only intended to be installed outside your region. Aurora lets you install any app hosted in the Google Play Store, even when you do not have the Google Play Store installed on your phone. Unlike F-Droid, the Aurora Store is not limited to open-source apps and includes apps like WhatsApp and Twitter. The Aurora Store is an alternative to F-Droid, enabling you to install apps and keep them up to date. We also set it up with some apps, primarily through the open-source repository F-Droid. We previously detailed our experiences setting up a phone with LineageOS as an alternative to the popular versions of Android that come bundled with most phones by default. Read our posts on installing LineageOS on your phone and downloading apps for it from F-Droid.

Editor’s note: This is part of our series on alternatives to Big Tech.

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