Anyone else finding the Aurora Store flaky lately logging into the Google
Play Store repository as an anonymous user? https://auroraoss.com/

Today I wanted to install an app but the Aurora Store wouldn't log me into
the Google Play Store anonymously - even after I deleted the Aurora Store
cache & data & rebooted (which often works when the Aurora Store is flaky).
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.aurora.store/

I uninstalled Aurora and re-installed it from a download from Windows of
the F-Droid APK and which worked the first time - but I was curious if
you've been finding the Aurora Store flaky when its logging into the Google
Play Store or not. https://f-droid.org/repo/com.aurora.store_45.apk

Gunther F <grunther@nospam.edu> wrote:
> Anyone else finding the Aurora Store flaky lately logging into the Google
> Play Store repository as an anonymous user? https://auroraoss.com/
>
> Today I wanted to install an app but the Aurora Store wouldn't log me into
> the Google Play Store anonymously - even after I deleted the Aurora Store
> cache & data & rebooted (which often works when the Aurora Store is flaky).
> https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.aurora.store/
>
> I uninstalled Aurora and re-installed it from a download from Windows of
> the F-Droid APK and which worked the first time - but I was curious if
> you've been finding the Aurora Store flaky when its logging into the Google
> Play Store or not. https://f-droid.org/repo/com.aurora.store_45.apk

There have been some problems with it lately, I haven't opened it for a few
weeks but previously it got stuck at the login screen, and also the search
function failing, eg:

https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/4574-aurora-store

I would make sure you have the latest version, from here;
https://gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore

as I think there have been some troubles with the F-droid version being
broken or out of date.

Theo

Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> said:

>> I uninstalled Aurora and re-installed it from a download from Windows of
>> the F-Droid APK and which worked the first time - but I was curious if
>> you've been finding the Aurora Store flaky when its logging into the Google
>> Play Store or not. f-droid.org/repo/com.aurora.store_45.apk
>
> There have been some problems with it lately, I haven't opened it for a few
> weeks but previously it got stuck at the login screen, and also the search
> function failing, eg:

Thank you for helping me out as most on this ng don't know about Aurora.
Most seem to think it's some kind of "additional" store like Samsung Store.

You know what it is. It's a great GUI skin on top of the Google Play Store.

Yesterday, I had picked this one up on Windows & installed it then.
f-droid.org/en/packages/com.aurora.store/
f-droid.org/repo/com.aurora.store_45.apk
Name: com.aurora.store_45.apk
Size: 6008465 bytes (5867 KiB)
SHA256: 396CA2029069BA119684389E1894F3C2A4570C66A7C8E8FE70620BAB43C2512A

As you know, I don't have a Google Account so I use the Aurora login.

Now it logged into the main anonymous account easily but what's suspicious
is that it's "anonymous@gmail.com" where I think in the past it had a
number that was attached to the login account - not just anonymous.

With the F-Droid Aurora v4.2.3.45 version from yesterday, it then says
"Oops, This account is rate limited!"

> discuss.grapheneos.org/d/4574-aurora-store

That's kind what I've seen for a few weeks also. Either the Aurora
anonymous login spins forever or Aurora successfully anonymously logs into
the Google Play Store repository but it doesn't show any apps for you.

When there are no "apps for you", then I know the search will fail.

> I would make sure you have the latest version, from here;
> gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore

Thanks for listing the latest locations as there are many to choose from.
Aurora GitLab Releases gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore/-/releases
Aurora Downloads files.auroraoss.com/
Aurora Stable files.auroraoss.com/AuroraStore/Stable/
Aurora F-Droid Link f-droid.org/en/packages/com.aurora.store/
Aurora Telegram Channel t.me/AuroraOfficial
Aurora XDA forum.xda-developers.com/t/app-4-4-aurora-store-open-source-play-store-client-april-8-2021.3739733/
Aurora Nightlies files.auroraoss.com/?folder=AuroraStore/Nightly

I went to ttps://gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore and picked up the latest
gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore/-/releases
auroraoss.com/AuroraStore/Stable/AuroraStore_4.2.5.apk
Name: AuroraStore_4.2.5.apk
Size: 6123403 bytes (5979 KiB)
SHA256: 217A5D1FA04E2D725EDE8655E464FA096BCA0C757D5D73FC1502109B2660F7A6

After sliding the APK over from Windows to Android over the USB cable, I
deleted the F-Droid Aurora v4.2.3.45 from yesterday & installed v4.2.5.47.

It also logged in as "anonymous@gmail.com" instead of using a number.
I noticed the search field was gray (which seemed like it was white prior).

I always change the default settings to use external storage & make the
search persistent & to allow F-Droid apps & to not delete the APK & to not
look for updates, etc., but I noticed what might be a new option in the
Advanced section to "search in custom tab" which I don't remember seeing.

It tried to open the Google Play Store (which doesn't even exist on my
non-rooted Android because I force stopped & disabled it long ago).

So I turned that back off. (Are there any Aurora options you find useful?).

I once asked about the "Filter Google Apps" but it doesn't seem to work.
Likewise, I can't fathom what "Insecure anonymous session" does for us.

I never mess with the "Installation Method" because I don't know the
implications of the options for the many installation options available
Session installer
Native installer
Root installer
Aurora Services
AM installer
Shizuku installer

> as I think there have been some troubles with the F-droid version being
> broken or out of date.

Well, you were right that the F-Droid version v4.2.3.45 from yesterday
didn't work today but the Github version v4.2.5.47 worked moments ago.

I appreciate your help, particularly since only you and a couple of others
on this newsgroup are aware of the wonderful beauty of the Aurora app.

I suspect it's not a 'bug' per se, but that Google likely has a strategy of
changing their public APIs so that the many fantastic FOSS replacement apps
such as NewPipe (replaces the YouTube client) & FairEmail (replaces the
GMail MUA) and the AuroraStore (replaces the Google Play Store GUI) will
break every once in a while.

All of them publish their source code, and as a result Google knows exactly
how they work so Google knows exactly how to break them ever so slightly.

Luckily, the development teams generally react quickly to rectify the
issue, where I wasn't aware the F-Droid version was behind the Github one.

Thanks as there are very few people on this newsgroup who know anything
about using an Android phone without having a Google Account on the phone.
--
I had to remove the https because one is a banned domain apparently.