MicroG (styled as µG) is a free and open-source framework of libraries, services, and patches designed to replace Google's proprietary Play Services on the Android operating system. While Google Play Services provides the backbone for many Android features—including push notifications, location services, and app authentication—it is a closed-source system that includes proprietary code and telemetry. MicroG serves as a drop-in replacement for the `com.google.android.gms` package, enabling devices to function without the standard Google software stack.
The MicroG project provides a free and open-source framework of libraries and services to replace proprietary Google software.
The framework is maintained by Marvin Wißfeld and a community of contributors. It is currently used as the de-facto standard for 'de-Googled' mobile operating systems, such as LineageOS for MicroG, /e/OS, CalyxOS, and GrapheneOS. By replacing the proprietary stack, MicroG aims to provide a more private and secure environment. It achieves this by removing proprietary blobs and telemetry, which the project claims prevents Google from silently tracking device activity.
Despite being an alternative, MicroG maintains high compatibility with standard Google APIs. It supports Cloud Messaging (FCM) for push notifications, various location backends (including Mozilla and Nominatim), and Google Sign-In. It also handles SafetyNet/Play Integrity attestation and Maps API v1 via UnifiedNlp. Because it is licensed under Apache 2.0, users can audit the source code or build their own versions. However, because it is a community-driven project, its functionality depends on the continued maintenance of these individual library reimplementations to keep pace with evolving Google API requirements.
MicroG maintains high compatibility with standard Google APIs, including location backends and push notifications.