Google Play Services

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Google Play Services
Basic data

Maintainer Google LLC
developer Google LLC
operating system Android
License proprietary
developer.android.com/distribute/play-services

The Google Play Services are a bundle of proprietary background services and APIs for Android devices, developed and provided by Google. When first presented in 2012, the Play services offered access to the Google+ APIs and OAuth 2.0. Since then, the range of available Google services has expanded significantly.

Functionality

"Google Play Game" services can be used to enable social interaction with other players, including with tables of points, achievements and multiplayer functionality. The maximum level that can be reached was raised from 50 to 99 in app version v.5.10. Version v.5.10 was available starting July 10, 2018. The API "Saved Games" can be used to synchronize saved games via Google's cloud infrastructure. The Location APIs abstract away the location technology used and offer geofencing APIs to trigger certain actions when entering or leaving specific geographic areas. In addition, the "Fused Location Provider" can be addressed in order to be located with less battery consumption. In addition, activity detection can be used to identify which activity the user is currently doing (e.g. cycling, running, etc.).

The Google+ platform offers single sign-on (SSO), which enables users to be automatically logged into applications, mostly to personalize the user experience. In addition, it also enables content to be shared via Google+. The “Google Maps Android” API allows the native integration of Google Maps or Street View into applications, with optional overlays or your own markings. The “Google Drive Android” API gives access to Google Drive as a storage medium, with tools for searching and manipulating files and documents. The “Google Cast Android” API adds streaming functionality to apps via Chromecast , with helper functions for common audio, video and image formats.

"Google Mobile Ads" integrates advertising in apps and allows monetization through Google's advertising network, with access to Google's targeting tools. Google Wallet Instant Buy allows shopping via Google Wallet , which should simplify the buying process. The Google Play services also contain other interfaces such as B. the Google Fit , authentication methods for the Google account and Google Analytics . The Google Play services are used by almost all Google apps and have increased system access rights in order to offer internal features.

“Google Play Protect” is a collection of Google's Android security systems.

Updates

The Google Play services automatically receive updates via Google Play on devices with Android version 4.0 or later. This means Google can make quick, unnoticeable version updates on all supported devices without device manufacturers having to adjust the Android firmware themselves. This bypasses the well-known Android fragmentation.

criticism

The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) was announced in 2007 and served as the basis for all OEMs and custom ROMs , such as CyanogenMod and LineageOS . Various apps from AOSP have been discontinued and instead republished by Google as proprietary apps. There are now a large number of applications that only work with Google Play services (including, of course, Google's own apps, such as Gmail , YouTube and Google Maps ).

Every organization that wants to deliver the Google Play services on their devices or in their software has to purchase a license from Google, which often leads to a contract that binds them to Google's Android. In addition, enthusiasts who cannot or do not want to enter into such a contract, but are nevertheless interested in the modification of the Android system, are forced to forego the apps that require these services or to use the Google apps package from unofficial sources to install. There are custom ROMs that are offered without Google Play services. The aim is to gain more control over which data is sent to Google and also to reduce the resources required (battery, storage space). In addition, there is now the possibility of spoofing the play services, whereby the applications are pretended that the services are installed, with the help of the opensource project microG .

Web links

Google Play Services page on developers.google.com (English)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Overview of Google Play Services | Google APIs for Android. Retrieved June 26, 2018 .
  2. ↑ Exemplary report from the blog "stadt-bremerhaven"
  3. ↑ Saved Games in Android . In: Google Developers . Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  4. ^ Location and context overview. Retrieved June 26, 2018 .
  5. ↑ Add sign-in workflow. Retrieved June 26, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Add maps. Retrieved June 26, 2018 .
  7. ↑ Drive API for Android. Retrieved June 26, 2018 .
  8. ↑ Cast. Retrieved June 26, 2018 .
  9. ↑ Ads. Retrieved June 26, 2018 .
  10. ↑ Google Pay. Retrieved June 26, 2018 .
  11. ↑ Balky carriers and slow OEMs step aside: Google is defragging Android . In: Ars Technica . ( arstechnica.com [accessed June 26, 2018]).
  12. ↑ Google's security suite 'Play Protect' rolling out to Android phones . In: Android Authority . Retrieved September 20, 2017. 
  13. ↑ Google's Play Protect didn't catch obfuscated malware with up to 20 million installs on the Play Store . In: Android Police . Retrieved September 20, 2017. 
  14. ↑ Keeping you safe with Google Play Protect . In: Google . May 17, 2017 ( blog.google [accessed June 26, 2018]).
  15. ↑ a b Google’s iron grip on Android: Controlling open source by any means necessary . In: Ars Technica . ( arstechnica.com [accessed June 26, 2018]).
  16. ↑ Thorsten Leemhuis: LineageOS offshoot avoids Google code. In: heise.de. November 4, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2018 .
  17. ↑ microG Team: microG Project. Retrieved July 5, 2018 .