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microG: an open-source stand-in for Google Play Services

Checked against the makers' own pages · Last reviewed October 15, 2026

What microG is

Android itself is open source, but many apps depend on Google Play Services, a proprietary Google app that provides shared features. CalyxOS explains the problem: "Most popular apps do not work without Play Services installed," and Google "tightly controls which vendors are allowed to install Play Services on new devices."

microG's wiki describes microG GmsCore as "a free software reimplementation of Google's Play Services" that lets apps calling Google's APIs (the programming interfaces apps use to request Google features) run on Android-based systems such as LineageOS. It lists these features: opt-in Google services, on- and offline location, light use of battery, memory and CPU, and an Apache 2.0 open-source license.

microG still talks to Google for some features. CalyxOS says that with microG enabled, your IP address and phone model are sent to Google when microG first registers, and push notifications arrive from Google's servers. If you add a Google account, your account name is sent too. [1][5]

What it replaces

Aurora Store is one app that downloads apps from Google Play without the Play Store; F-Droid offers open-source apps. [1][3][6][7]

Which operating systems ship microG

microG needs signature spoofing: a system feature that lets microG present itself as Google Play Services to apps that check for it. Its wiki lists which systems support this and which bundle microG:

The projects describe their own setups:

- /e/OS "ships microG pre-installed and pre-configured," uses beaconDB for network location, offers system-wide Google sign-in through its App Lounge store, and has a switch to block every connection to Google servers. - CalyxOS lets you choose microG off, on without a Google account (with or without push notifications), or on with a Google account. Push without an account is its default. CalyxOS says it limits signature spoofing to "one signature, for one program, microG." Its Oct. 1, 2026 Android 17 release (CalyxOS 8.0.0.0) lists microG v0.3.17.252432. - iodéOS lists microG among its built-in apps as "an open source replacement for Google Play Services."

GrapheneOS takes a different approach: instead of microG, it offers the real Google Play apps as an optional "sandboxed Google Play" that runs like an ordinary app with no special access. [2][3][5][8][9][10]

Installing microG yourself

On a system that supports signature spoofing but doesn't include microG, microG's installation guide says to:

1. Install the microG Services APK (from microG's download page or its F-Droid repository).
2. Install microG Companion, unless the official Play Store is installed.
3. Optionally install the Services Framework Proxy.
4. Open microG Settings and enable the background services you want (needed for Google sign-in and push).
5. Reboot.
6. Turn off battery optimization for microG Services on Android 6 or later.

microG's wiki warns that older third-party patching tools "still work properly only on Android < 9," and that Google changed its signature-checking code starting in November 2024, so a ROM needs matching changes to fully support microG. It suggests asking your ROM's maintainers. [2][6]

Limits: Play Integrity and banking apps

Some apps, especially banking and payment apps, use Google's Play Integrity API to check that the phone is Google-certified. The /e/OS documentation says: "On /e/OS, microG can pass the Basic verdict; the Device and Strong verdicts require certified hardware and are out of reach." To get the Basic verdict on /e/OS, you sign in with a Google account system-wide through App Lounge.

CalyxOS describes microG as "not yet a mature replacement for Play Services," though it says "most apps are able to run fine with microG." See banking apps on de-Googled phones for what this means in practice. [3][5]

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