microg

microG is an open-source reimplementation of Google Play Services and related Google mobile services for Android. It provides a modular set of services and APIs intended to allow apps that depend on Google’s infrastructure to run on devices without the official Google Play Services binary. The project focuses on recreating core Google APIs such as authentication, push messaging, location services, and the Google Maps Android API, along with a SafetyNet attestation component. It is designed to be more privacy-respecting than the proprietary suite by avoiding data collection practices associated with Google’s official software.

Development and distribution: microG is free and open source, released under an permissive license and maintained by a community of volunteers. It is commonly used with privacy‑oriented Android distributions or custom ROMs that ship without Google Play Services, or installed by users who want to reduce Google integration. Access to microG’s components is provided through project repositories and distribution channels such as F-Droid.

Usage and compatibility: Because microG implements only a subset of Google Play Services APIs, app compatibility varies. Many apps that rely on Google services can run with microG, but some features may not work, and certain apps may require the official Google Play Services or Google Play Store for full functionality. SafetyNet and related checks are emulated to varying degrees, which can affect compatibility with apps that rely on such attestation.

Overview: microG serves as a community-driven alternative for users seeking to minimize Google dependencies while maintaining broad app compatibility. It is not affiliated with Google, and it does not include the Google Play Store or the complete suite of Google’s proprietary services.