These are Google Mobile Services and this is what you get

Google Mobile Services. Almost every Android device has it. Special for an open source operating system, but it’s actually nice that it’s there. This is what Google Mobile Services (GMS) is and what it can do for you.

Android Open Source Project

What makes Android open source is the part in the software called Android Open Source Project (AOSP). On top of this is GMS, a non-open source part that is available for free to manufacturers. GMS is a group of apps that are installed at the system level and thus sit very deep in the operating system.

In addition to those apps, there are also APIs under the GMS. An API is what an app developer needs to use a function that is possible on the device. Think, for example, of being able to cast your screen to a TV or the ability to make contact via Bluetooth. An API does not really work on its own, but is intended to be built into apps.

For example, the Google Mobile Services APIs are there to give developers access to link to Google Pay. Of course, that’s an app that needs to stay secure at all times, which is why these features are so deeply ingrained in the Android operating system.

Google Mobile Services

For example, developers make extensive use of ML Kit, a part of Google Mobile Services that exists to make Google’s artificial intelligence work for them. For example, think of suggestions that are made when you tap or the possibility to scan a barcode and extract information from it. For example, a developer does not have to reinvent the wheel himself and he can use Google’s smart solutions within his own app.

GMS is not only useful for developers, because it also provides Android users with important tools. More precisely, access to the Play Store, Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Chrome and YouTube. In short, especially a lot of Google services (what’s in a name?).

They are all apps that use your Google account, from the moment you start using your Android phone for the first time. You can’t actually bypass GMS: as soon as you log in to your Google account, GMS is used. It also ensures that your contacts and calendar are synchronized.

The Huawei ban

In itself it is already clear why GMS are absolutely essential for Android smartphones (and why Huawei had such problems when it was no longer allowed to use it by the United States). However, there is more. GMS is also the piece of software that helps push software updates. In the past, you always had to wait for a full software update to receive security updates and app updates, while it is now possible, partly thanks to GMS, to get those updates separately from each other.

In short, partly due to Google Mobile Services, there is regularly a whole parade of app updates waiting for you in Google Play. You could even say that your phone is more secure by GMS as they make sure you get security updates sooner by not having to wait for a major update of the entire operating system. We owe this all to Project Mainline, which has been around since 2019 to improve the updates.

Need certification

Most Android phones have GMS, but there are some exceptions. That’s because Google has to give you a certification (Mobile Application Distribution Document) for it. In order to receive it, your device must meet certain conditions. This concerns, for example, a certain resolution or promised privacy options. Of course, Huawei cannot get certification for new devices for a while because of the ban from the United States.

In any case, there are many Chinese telephones that do not use GMS (although these are telephones that also remain within Asia, where people are less Google-minded). Amazon tablets also don’t use GMS, which is why you won’t see a Play Store on those devices. You don’t have to, as Fire OS is served by the Amazon app store.

Is there no GMS on your device? Then you can sideload it. One manufacturer has built against this than the other. It’s pretty easy on Amazon. Xiaomi devices from early 2021 have a harder time in that regard. Fortunately, chances are you don’t have to do any of that. You can bet that if you have an Android device in your hand, or on your wrist, GMS can be found on it. And now you know exactly why.

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