# Gcam Services Provider

[![continuous](https://github.com/lukaspieper/Gcam-Services-Provider/workflows/continuous/badge.svg)](https://github.com/lukaspieper/Gcam-Services-Provider/actions)
[![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-blue.svg)](https://github.com/lukaspieper/Gcam-Services-Provider/blob/master/LICENSE)

This app "simulates" the Google Play Services that the Google Camera app (Gcam) requires, allowing the camera app to be
used on devices without Google Play Services.

### Comparison: [GrapheneOS' Gcam support](https://grapheneos.org/usage#google-camera)

> [!NOTE]
> The only reason to consider Gcam-Services-Provider on GrapheneOS is the ability to use the button in Gcam that opens
> the last taken photo without having Google Photos installed. If you can do without it, you don't need this app.

Since April 2023 GrapheneOS is able to run Gcam without additional steps. Here is the relevant part of
the [changelog](https://grapheneos.org/releases#2023040400):

> add generic compatibility shim catching the exception from the Gservices provider being missing to enable apps like
> Google Camera [...] to work without GSF installed since they don't have any actual hard dependency on either GSF or
> Play services

### Comparison: [microG](https://github.com/microg)

microG is a open source re-implementation of the Google Play Services (client side). Among other
things, [signature spoofing](https://github.com/microg/android_packages_apps_GmsCore/wiki/Signature-Spoofing) is used to
achieve this goal. In comparison, this app only aims to get Gcam running without Play Services. Therefore this app does
not need any security compromising hacks or permissions (no Internet access, no storage access and of course no root
access).

## How to install this app?

> [!IMPORTANT]
> Using GrapheneOS? Make sure you read the comparison with *GrapheneOS' Gcam support* above!

There are three flavors of this app named *basic*, *photos*, and *photosonly*. All come without UI and therefore have no
icon in the app drawer. But of course the installation is listed in the Android settings (e.g. for uninstallation).

*Basic* includes everything you need to get Gcam running but the button showing the last taken photo in full size will
not work. The *photosonly* flavor supports this button but does not provide the features of the *basic* flavor; it is
meant to be used on GrapheneOS alongside the sandboxed Play Services. The *photos* flavor has all features from *basic*
and *photosonly* combined in one app.

| Flavor       | Incompatible apps                                                 | Download                                                                                                                                              |
|--------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| *Basic*      | - Google Service Framework (GSF)<br/>- microg                     | [GitHub](https://github.com/lukaspieper/Gcam-Services-Provider/releases)<br/>[F-Droid](https://f-droid.org/de/packages/de.lukaspieper.gcam.services/) |
| *Photosonly* | - Google Photos                                                   | [GitHub](https://github.com/lukaspieper/Gcam-Services-Provider/releases)                                                                              |
| *Photos*     | - Google Service Framework (GSF)<br/>- microg<br/>- Google Photos | [GitHub](https://github.com/lukaspieper/Gcam-Services-Provider/releases)                                                                              |

### Gcam Compatibility

[Compatible Android OS](https://github.com/lukaspieper/Gcam-Services-Provider/discussions/28) ([#22](https://github.com/lukaspieper/Gcam-Services-Provider/issues/22#issuecomment-814239882)) or modded Gcam

## Known from/recommended by

- [GCam Hub (celsoazevedo)](https://www.celsoazevedo.com/files/android/google-camera/troubleshooting/)
- [Kuketz-Blog (German IT security and privacy blog)](https://www.kuketz-blog.de/?s=gcam+services+provider)