Aurora Store
An open-source client for the Google Play catalog that installs and updates apps without a Google account.
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About Aurora Store
Aurora Store lets you search, install and update apps from the Google Play catalog on an Android device that has no Google account or Google Play Services. It can sign in anonymously, spoof device and location properties to reach region-locked apps, and highlights the trackers an app contains using the Exodus Privacy database.
It is free and open source (GPL-3.0-or-later) and is distributed through its own site and F-Droid. Paid apps and in-app purchases still need a Google account, and Google may act against accounts used with third-party clients, which is why anonymous mode exists.
Strengths
- Works with or without Google Play Services or microG
- Anonymous login option in addition to a personal Google account
- Device and locale spoofing to access geo-locked apps
- Exodus Privacy and Plexus integration to show trackers and compatibility
Limitations
- Cannot download or update paid apps or apps using Play Asset Delivery
- Uses a reverse engineered Play Store API that Google-side changes may break
- Anonymous token dispenser is not fully reliable and several features need a personal login
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree and open source (GPLv3)
- License
- GPL-3.0-or-later
- Developer
- Aurora OSS
- Platforms
- Android
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Required
- Works offline
- No
- Best suited for
- Getting Google Play apps on devices without Google Play Services
- Categories
- Android stores
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Selected from the TechWalrus Resource Hub (Alternative App Stores); facts checked against the developer's own pages, 14 sources on file.
Alternatives to Aurora Store
Compare allSoftware that can replace Aurora Store for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
F-Droid
An app store and client for free and open-source Android apps that works without a Google account.
F-Droid carries only free and open-source apps built from source; Aurora Store reaches the far larger proprietary Play catalog.
Obtainium
An Android updater that installs apps directly from developer release pages such as GitHub and GitLab.
Obtainium tracks releases on developer pages and skips stores entirely, which suits open-source apps published on GitHub.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
CalyxOS
A privacy-focused Android operating system from the Calyx Institute with microG and a built-in firewall.
GrapheneOS
A privacy- and security-hardened Android operating system for supported Google Pixel phones.
LineageOS
A community Android distribution for a wide range of phones and tablets, shipped without Google apps.
