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The mystery of Google Play Services: Android's black box
On this episode of Android Bytes, we take the wraps off Google Play Services, the wonder app that powers many features and APIs you probably thought were native to Android.
What does Google Play Services do and how does it do it? Why is it so important and what happens when it's missing from your device? We spoke with German developer Marvin Wißfeld to find out. Marvin is the creator of microG, a "free-as-in-freedom re-implementation of Google's proprietary Android user space apps and libraries" for devices running AOSP.
- 02:59 - What is Google Play Services (GMSCore) and how is it delivered to Android devices?
- 04:14 - What are some of the features powered by Google Play Services?
- 07:27 - What are the most commonly used APIs provided by Google Play Services?
- 08:23 - How do Play Services' location APIs (Network Location Provider [NLP] and Fused Location Provider [FLP]) work? Why do many apps use Google's location APIs?
- 11:20 - What advantages do apps have in using Google's Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) over alternative push notification APIs?
- 13:28 - How are push notifications handled in the Chinese market where Google services are banned?
- 18:07 - How do apps tend to behave on devices without Google Play Services?
- 23:02 - What is microG and how does it help work around some of the issues with running apps on AOSP?
- 26:40 - How do users install microG and why is signature spoofing needed?
- 31:00 - How does the modular nature of Google Play Services optimize its app size?
- 34:57 - Have any Google APIs eventually made their way to AOSP?
- 36:43 - Are there any Google APIs that work on AOSP?
Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper.
- Mishaal's Twitter
- David's Twitter
Esper enables next-gen device management for company-owned and managed tablets, kiosks, smart phones, IoT edge devices, and more.
For more about Esper:
- Esper Blog
- Mobile Device Management (MDM) Guide
- Android MDM Guide
- iOS MDM Guide
- MDM Solutions
- MDM APIs & SDK
New from the Esper blog:
- Edge AI
- Edge devices & edge computing
Our music is "19" by HOME and is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
View all episodes
By Esper.ioOn this episode of Android Bytes, we take the wraps off Google Play Services, the wonder app that powers many features and APIs you probably thought were native to Android.
What does Google Play Services do and how does it do it? Why is it so important and what happens when it's missing from your device? We spoke with German developer Marvin Wißfeld to find out. Marvin is the creator of microG, a "free-as-in-freedom re-implementation of Google's proprietary Android user space apps and libraries" for devices running AOSP.
- 02:59 - What is Google Play Services (GMSCore) and how is it delivered to Android devices?
- 04:14 - What are some of the features powered by Google Play Services?
- 07:27 - What are the most commonly used APIs provided by Google Play Services?
- 08:23 - How do Play Services' location APIs (Network Location Provider [NLP] and Fused Location Provider [FLP]) work? Why do many apps use Google's location APIs?
- 11:20 - What advantages do apps have in using Google's Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) over alternative push notification APIs?
- 13:28 - How are push notifications handled in the Chinese market where Google services are banned?
- 18:07 - How do apps tend to behave on devices without Google Play Services?
- 23:02 - What is microG and how does it help work around some of the issues with running apps on AOSP?
- 26:40 - How do users install microG and why is signature spoofing needed?
- 31:00 - How does the modular nature of Google Play Services optimize its app size?
- 34:57 - Have any Google APIs eventually made their way to AOSP?
- 36:43 - Are there any Google APIs that work on AOSP?
Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper.
- Mishaal's Twitter
- David's Twitter
Esper enables next-gen device management for company-owned and managed tablets, kiosks, smart phones, IoT edge devices, and more.
For more about Esper:
- Esper Blog
- Mobile Device Management (MDM) Guide
- Android MDM Guide
- iOS MDM Guide
- MDM Solutions
- MDM APIs & SDK
New from the Esper blog:
- Edge AI
- Edge devices & edge computing
Our music is "19" by HOME and is licensed under CC BY 3.0.