The duel "Huawei vs. the United States" is far from over, and beyond all its twists and turns, that conflict renewed users' interest in searching for and installing an alternative firmware on their smartphones. The name LineageOS is the one most repeated in recent days, but there's also the project MicroG, which aims to displace the essential modules of the Google ecosystem—that is, the Play Store and Google Play Services.
With the blockade ordered by Google and the revocation of its ARM license, Huawei's fate seems sealed, at least as far as mobile devices are concerned. Personally, I think there's still plenty of time (and many interests in the middle) to reach an agreement, but in some users' minds, it's time to look for alternatives not only to Huawei, but also to Google.
The first thing that comes to mind is replacing our smartphone's firmware, and all arrows point to LineageOS. The problem behind this process is that it's not an exact science. Several devices have specific instructions, and some builds are nightlies that aren't entirely stable. The good news is that LineageOS allows us to go beyond the Play Store. The bad news is that certain elements will be absent, such as the Maps API, Google Cloud Messaging, and network-based location services. That's when MicroG steps in.
MicroG: Replacing Google Play Services
The idea behind MicroG is to eliminate the two fundamental components of Google's universe in Android: the Play Store and Google Play Services. If you install a "pure" version of LineageOS, neither will be there (that's fixed by looking for a compatible GApps module), but the main Mountain View services won't work (e.g., YouTube). What MicroG does is "emulate" Google Play Services to some extent, while being much lighter (the reduction in RAM and battery consumption is very important), and open source.
In very generic and relaxed terms, installing MicroG integrated with LineageOS follows the same line as standard LineageOS. You'll need your device to be part of the compatibility list, an unlocked bootloader (some manufacturers give instructions, others don't), and an alternative recovery system like TWRP.
When you click the Download button on the LineageOS for MicroG page, you'll see that downloads are divided into strange categories. Those are the smartphones' code names. For example, "Osprey" is the Motorola Moto G 2015. Want a step-by-step guide? The channel "ElSuperFullHD" on YouTube has a good video for the Moto G, and in Spanish:
Risks? No more than those associated with installing an alternative firmware, which means perfect operation in the best case, or a brick in the worst. The F-Droid app becomes the main store, while Yalp Store is useful for extracting APKs directly from Google Play Store.
In short: If for different reasons you're interested in replacing your smartphone's firmware, it's compatible with LineageOS, and you want to get Google Play Services out of the way, you should take a closer look at MicroG. Read the forums, be careful, and practice with a secondary smartphone if you can.
Official site and download: Click here
https://old.neoteo.com/como-descargar-y-actualizar-apps-de-android-sin-la-tienda-de-google/
