Aurora Store 4.8.4 for Android

Aurora Store 4.8.4 is a free and open-source alternative to the Google Play Store app for Android, developed by Rahul Kumar Patel. It lets you find and install apps from Google Play through a different client, and you can download Aurora Store from its official GitLab repository.

Overview

On most Android phones, apps come from the Google Play Store app, which depends on Google's services and a signed-in Google account. Aurora Store takes another route: it is an independent client that gives you access to the same catalogue of apps without using Google's own store app. That makes it popular with people who use phones without Google services, custom Android systems or devices where they prefer to keep Google's software to a minimum. Because the project is open source under the GNU General Public License, version 3.0, anyone can read the code on GitLab, and the community can check how it works. It is important to understand what Aurora Store is not: it is not a separate store with its own apps, and it does not change the apps it installs. Apps are still the original packages, so updates and bugs come from their developers as usual.

Key facts

How to install it

1. Open the Aurora Store repository on GitLab and follow the links to the current release.
2. Allow installation from unknown sources for the app you download with, then install the APK.
3. Turn that permission off again after installation.
4. Open Aurora Store, choose how you want to sign in and grant only the permissions it needs to install apps.

Things to keep in mind

Paid apps and apps linked to your purchases still depend on the account that bought them. Some apps check for Google's services and may not work fully on phones without them, no matter which store installed them. Keep Aurora Store updated through its official channels, and be wary of copies on APK portals that claim to be newer or "premium" versions: the real project is free and published in the open.

Security

An app installer has the power to put any software on your phone, so the source of the installer matters. Download it only from the project's repository or channels it links to. Review the permissions of every app you install through it, exactly as you would in the official store.

Pros and cons

• Pro: open source and free.
• Pro: works on phones without Google's store app.
• Pro: installs original app packages.
• Con: some apps expect Google services anyway.
• Con: manual installation and updates.

Alternatives

Our listings include the Google Play Store itself, and Aptoide, APKPure, Uptodown App Store and Huawei AppGallery as other app stores for Android.