Google Play
Fewer than 5 people recommend it so far, so there's no written verdict. Here is what commenters said.
Why people recommend it
“But you can install the Google Play Store on a Fire Tablet. This is the hack”
“just install the sandboxed Google Play Store and get your apps from there”
Show 2 more
“we recommend using the sandboxed Play Store”
“App Store search was so bad compared to the Play store (and f-droid, at least back then)”
Caveats and dissent
“its reputation to randomly delay updates”
“the abattoir that is Google Play”
Show 2 more
“GrapheneOS doesn't recommend installing Google Play”
“they closed my Play Store account for a year of inactivity”
Often compared with
1 moved from Google Play to F-Droid
1 moved from Google Play to Aurora StoreApp Store10 comments mention both
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- Play Store blocks AuroraStore, hurting GrapheneOS users 3 mentions
- Android developer verification: Early access starts 3 mentions
- Breaking Up with Google Play: Why Conversations Is Now Free 2 mentions
- The Google Play app review process now regularly takes longer than a week 2 mentions
- AnkiDroid: Google Play no longer allowing Open Collective donation link 2 mentions
- Luanti removed from Google Play due to baseless AI copyright notice 2 mentions
Also written as Google Play Store. Data: google-play.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 40
“its reputation to randomly delay updates”
“the abattoir that is Google Play”
“GrapheneOS doesn't recommend installing Google Play”
“But you can install the Google Play Store on a Fire Tablet. This is the hack”
This is just the Breaking Bad "He can't keep getting away with it" meme, for tech giants. Google has been ruling Android with an iron fist for over a decade, and they continue to do so. This came up in a different comment chain of mine [0] recently as well, and is probably more worth reading than a lot of the other comments here that are just now realizing how restrictive Google is with Android [0] https://tildes.net
“they closed my Play Store account for a year of inactivity”
“Google is doing everything they can to slowly remove those work arounds.”
“Google Play is only the main store if you configure it as such.”
“I need play store for them”
“Yea I noticed that as well”
“the Apple/Google app stores are also full of scams”
“GrapheneOS don't even recommend getting apps from Play anyway”
“Play Store apps are extremely likely to include Google libraries and dependencies that expose even more data to Google.”
“I couldn't even install Balatro from the Play Store.”
“On Google end I had to verify my account. Which was not easy feat.”
“instead of the play store actually gives you some assurance”
“a monopolist retains absolute control of what software can run on your devices”
“The only sustainable solution to these kinds of problems is to diversify away from Google Play Store.”
“For any horrible web administration UI:”
“The play store is pretty bad.”
“Google Play Store showed my child an ad of a bloody body on a bed for a murder mystery game.”
“the ~20% scheme the EU has just told Google is illegal was largely copied from Apple”
“just install the sandboxed Google Play Store and get your apps from there”
“Meta doesn't lie, abuse, and misuse the Google Play framework to collect data”
“Both Google Play and F‐Droid are just enough of a hassle (and I mildly dislike both of them)”
“The Play Store still has a problem with shady apps years later.”
“Google has a pretty good legal team.”
“They're so annoying to deal with!”
“If the Play Store were useful, they'd have banned Lyft until they fixed it.”
“The Google Play Store support folks are almost, but not quite, as bad.”
“I am soon forced to do so via the Playstore due to Google disabling sideloading on Android.”
“They also recommend using the Google Play store over F-droid IIRC.”
“The current malware situation at android store situation does not help to carry that point”
“Play Store being a cesspit is indeed a problem!”
“Google had no problems with publishing the Android app normally though”
“the Play Store is full of rubbish and adware-riddled apps”
“Playstore games, you get an update and now your progress is frozen unless you pay.”
“presented with a gate screen that asks you to consent to google's privacy policy”
“Meanwhile, on the Play Store...”
“Play won't install it in my phone”