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Google Play Services VS microG

Compare Google Play Services VS microG and see what are their differences

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Google Play Services logo Google Play Services

Proprietary background service and API package for Android devices from Google

microG logo microG

A free-as-in-freedom re-implementation of Google’s proprietary Android user space apps and...
  • Google Play Services Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-05
  • microG Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-16

Google Play Services features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

microG features and specs

  • Open Source
    microG is completely open source, allowing users to audit the code for security, privacy, and functionality assurance.
  • Privacy
    microG respects user privacy by not collecting and transmitting data to Google, making it a better choice for privacy-conscious users.
  • Lower Resource Usage
    microG tends to use fewer system resources compared to Google's proprietary services, resulting in better performance and battery life.
  • Customization
    The software provides flexibility and customization options that are not available with traditional Google services.
  • Compatibility
    microG enables the functionality of Google services for apps that require them, even on devices that don't have Google Play Services installed.

Possible disadvantages of microG

  • Limited Support
    microG may not support all features and functionalities provided by Google's proprietary services, leading to potential compatibility issues with some apps.
  • Manual Setup
    Installing and configuring microG can be complex and may require advanced technical knowledge, which may not be suitable for all users.
  • Reliability
    As a community-driven project, microG may face reliability and stability issues more frequently than official Google services.
  • Partially Unsupported Apps
    Some apps may not work fully or may have limited functionality when using microG, especially those heavily reliant on certain Google APIs.
  • Update Frequency
    Updates to microG may not be as frequent or timely as those from Google, potentially leaving some features behind or vulnerable to security risks for longer periods.

Analysis of microG

Overall verdict

  • Overall, microG is a robust solution for users interested in privacy, open-source software, and greater control over their devices. However, it may require some technical expertise to install and configure, and not all apps may work perfectly with it.

Why this product is good

  • microG is considered good by many users because it provides an open-source alternative to Google's proprietary mobile services. It allows users to retain functionality such as push notifications and location services without relying on Google Play Services, offering more privacy and control over personal data. It's especially valuable for those using custom ROMs or seeking to minimize their dependency on Google.

Recommended for

  • Users who prioritize privacy and want to reduce their reliance on Google services.
  • Individuals using custom ROMs on their Android devices.
  • Tech-savvy users willing to troubleshoot and tweak settings for optimal performance.
  • Developers interested in open-source software solutions.

Google Play Services videos

+ Add

Google Play Services 5.0

microG videos

+ Add

MicroG – what it is and where it’s going - SFScon19 / Marvin W

More videos:

  • Review - MicroG G Pen Vaporizer Review
  • Review - microG Pen Vaporizer Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Google Play Services and microG)

Google Play Services

microG

Mobile OS
8 8%
Mobile OS
92% 92
File Manager
13 13%
File Manager
87% 87
Tool
24 24%
Tool
76% 76
Mobile SDK
0 0%
Mobile SDK
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Google Play Services and microG. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, microG seems to be a lot more popular than Google Play Services. While we know about 122 links to microG, we've tracked only 3 mentions of Google Play Services. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Google Play Services mentions (3)

  • Unity/google play integration confusion
    Add the Google Play services dependency for the Play Games SDK to your module's Gradle build file, which is commonly. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • What does “AOSP Android” really mean? Can you use it?
    I meant Google Play Services. https://developers.google.com/android/. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Is APKZARA safe?
    APKZARA does not have complete and concrete information, at the bottom and end of the site, there is a supposed section of social networks, who they are, and privacy policy, but clicking on them, does not take us to anything, and when looking at the descriptions of the apks, as much as they are organized information (and the site is also relatively organized) you can perfectly see that the owners do not know much... Source: about 3 years ago

microG mentions (122)

  • Google blocked Motorola use of perplexity AI, witness says
    > Or building your own services, presumably? In case of Android and Google Play services that is never going to work reliably. Your users will experience breakage on a regular interval and you will make yourself wildly unpopular with app developers (since they will be getting the bug reports of the subtle incompatibilities). Probably to a point where they might just block their app from running on your phone. All... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Escaping the Digital Treadmill: How to Daily Drive a Flip phone in 2025 - TCL Flip 2
    Many thanks to everyone that documented all of this information and the community around these phones: MicrogG Installer Revived - https://github.com/nift4 Magisk - https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk LSPosed - https://github.com/LSPosed/LSPosed Neutronscott - https://github.com/neutronscott/flip2/ MicroG - https://microg.org/ Whew-inc (FakeGapps fork) - https://github.com/whew-inc/FakeGApps And many more.. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • DOJ Will Push Google to Sell Off Chrome to Break Search Monopoly
    You can root your Android device and replace Google Play Services with microG (https://microg.org). - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Using Cloudflare on your website could be blocking RSS users
    It might well do, depending on what ChatGPT's app is asking the OS for. /e/OS is an Android fork that removes Google services and replaces them with open source stubs/re-implementations from https://microg.org/ I haven't tried the ChatGPT app, but I know that, for example my bank and other financial services apps work with on-device fingerprint authentication and no Google account on /e/OS. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • A Post-Google World
    Https://microg.org/ can replace services as needed. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Google Play Services and microG, you can also consider the following products

Open GApps - Open GApps is an open-source Google Apps package for rooted devices that is developed by writing...

NanoDroid - [MODULE/SYSTEM] NanoDroid 22.0.20190713 (microG, pseudo-debloat, F-Droid + apps) Magisk

NikGApps - A Custom Google Apps Package built for users who want to customize the availability of GApps in their Custom ROMS.

BiTGApps - A custom gapps package with minimal install that support custom features such as Battery Optimization for GMS Core and its components.

GrapheneOS - GrapheneOS is an open source privacy and security focused mobile OS with Android app compatibility.

MindTheGapps - A replacement for OpenGapps as a source of the standard Google Android apps.

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