Google Partner Setup

[Jeff Layman]

Another one for the tender care of adb, perhaps?

This appeared recently in my "Update" list. It says:
What's new
Initial release of Google Partner Setup into Play app store. (422kb)

Touching on the name for a few seconds brings up a screen on the app. It
says it was last updated 6 June 2023. So is this the initial release or
not?! The "Ratings and Reviews" are in general slamming, giving one star
for most recent reviews. Most complain of partial borking of their
phones (often Pixel).

One 5 star review notes that it has always been on the phone as part of
Android, but has now been separated from other apps for speedier
updating purposes (but still doesn't say exactly what it does. You can
tell it's the best thing since sliced bread by Googling for it. Typical
comment here: <https://ripenapps.com/blog/google-partner-setup-app/>).

The best 5 star review is this:
"This app is excellent. I have no idea what it's for (since Google is
really poor at explaining things properly), but it did awesome things
for me. It made me search even further into options to root my phone and
install an operating system that is independent from Google Services,
i.e. does not require this app to function. And my user experience has
been way better because of this. Great app."

I had to type in the above review because I couldn't seem to get the
same info using
<https://play.google.com/store/search?q=partner+setup+google&c=apps> on
my laptop that I got with my touching the app update as noted above.

Anyone tried disabling/uninstalling this app and still got a functioning
phone?

--

Jeff

[Andy Burns]

Jeff Layman wrote:

> Initial release of Google Partner Setup into Play app store.

No app by that name on my Pixel 5A

[Andy Burns]

Jeff Layman wrote:

> Initial release of Google Partner Setup into Play app store.

I'm either confusing you with someone else (very possible) or have a
vague recollection of you discussing having a google Ads account in the
past, may be related?

<https://ads.google.com/home/partners/become-a-partner/>

[Jeff Layman]

Strange. What version of Android? It's there on my Android 13 (MIUI 14).

--

Jeff

[Jeff Layman]

Definitely not me; another Jeff perhaps? I'd rather juggle with bubbles
of anthrax than become a partner of Google in any way!

--

Jeff

[Andy Burns]

Jeff Layman wrote:

> Andy Burns wrote:
>
>> Jeff Layman wrote:
>>
>>> Initial release of Google Partner Setup into Play app store.
>>
>> No app by that name on my Pixel 5A
>
> Strange. What version of Android?

13

> It's there on my Android 13 (MIUI 14).

Can you "see" the package name of the app, e.g. com.android.partnersetup
or whatever, sometimes if it's an app that's been renamed, the package
name will giveaway what it was previously known as.

[Jeff Layman]

The only thing I can find is that the apk is:
com.google.android.partnersetup

App version is 100.448391512

Do you not have that on your phone?

--

Jeff

[Frank Slootweg]

Well, neither have I (Samsung Galaxy A51, Android 13), but AFAICT,
Jeff is referring to a *new* 'update' in the Play Store app, i.e. not
neccessarily in one's list of *installed* apps.

And I indeed have a 'Google Partner Setup' 'update' in my list of
updates in the Play Store app. I use 'update' in scare quotes, because
this 'update' is not an update, but a *new* app.

So do you have a 'Google Partner Setup' 'update' in your list of
updates in the Play Store app?

[Andy Burns]

Frank Slootweg wrote:

> So do you have a 'Google Partner Setup' 'update' in your list of updates
> in the Play Store app?

No, just one update from my energy supplier.

Oddball situations where an update appears as if it's a new app can
occur when they reuse an old package name, On my Huawei tablet, I do
have 'Google Partner Setup' v100.538221588 installed on 6th june 2023

[Wally J]

Andy Burns <use...@andyburns.uk> wrote

> Can you "see" the package name of the app, e.g. com.android.partnersetup
> or whatever, sometimes if it's an app that's been renamed, the package
> name will giveaway what it was previously known as.

I like Jeff Layman but I must echo Andy Burns' request for Jeff to take a
moment to find the unique package name before asking about core modules.

My suggestion to find the package name for Jeff is the same I use.
1. Install a good package manager (e.g., MuntashirAkon App Manager).
<https://f-droid.org/packages/io.github.muntashirakon.AppManager/>

2. Search in that package manager for keywords related to the app.
(I searched for "partner" for example, and this is what resulted.)

Google Partner Setup <com.google.android.partnetsetup>
Bookmark Providers <com.android.providers.partnerbookmarks>

3. In my Android 13, this Google Partner Setup was uninstalled during my
en masse adb removal of all packages that had Google in the name.

The "Bookmark Providers" slipped through the cracks, likely because
it didn't rear its ugly head by having the Gword in its name. :)

I made only a quick apk search for that name & AF didn't find it.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=scadica.aq>

[Wally J]

Jeff Layman <Je...@invalid.invalid> wrote

> The only thing I can find is that the apk is:
> com.google.android.partnersetup
>
> App version is 100.448391512
>
> Do you not have that on your phone?

Samsung, Android 13
<https://i.postimg.cc/kgCTJvRH/googlepartnersetup01.jpg>

[Wally J]

Andy Burns <use...@andyburns.uk> wrote

Personally, I would like to be so bold as to cast doubt that it's "new".

The reason is that it has been many months since I wiped out apps with the
gword in the name - and this app clearly was one of those I had wiped out.
<https://i.postimg.cc/2ybC5fMC/googlepartnersetup02.jpg>

But for those who did not wipe it out, you can _always_ get an installation
date & an installation source (which we covered many times in gory detail).
<https://i.postimg.cc/tTDKWR8h/sortbyinstalldate.jpg>

So I ask the OP to bring up the list of all apps & when they were installed
and by which method they were installed (e.g., F-Droid vs Play Store, etc.)

[Wally J]

Jeff Layman <Je...@invalid.invalid> wrote

>>> Initial release of Google Partner Setup into Play app store.
>>
>> I'm either confusing you with someone else (very possible) or have a
>> vague recollection of you discussing having a google Ads account in the
>> past, may be related?
>>
>> <https://ads.google.com/home/partners/become-a-partner/>
>
> Definitely not me; another Jeff perhaps? I'd rather juggle with bubbles
> of anthrax than become a partner of Google in any way!

Hi Jeff,

One piece of friendly advice is that it's amazing what you can do once you
have the unique package name of any Android modules you want to discuss.

I searched the Google Play Store where a first pass doesn't show it there.
<https://play.google.com/store/search?q=Google%20Partner%20Setup%20com.google.android.partnersetup&c=apps>

An Internet search shows plenty of hits though...
<https://duckduckgo.com/?va=n&hps=1&q=Google+Partner+Setup+com.google.android.partnersetup&ia=web>

*What is Google Partner Setup? This was installed after the latest Google Security Patch*
*What Is Google Partner Setup App And Should I Disable It?*
etc.

"Google Partner Setup is an application that helps applications
work with Google products in tandem. As a result, every app you
download can operate with Google applications smoothly. However,
it comes preinstalled in the Android OS, raising some questions
about its need in the community. Let¢s understand about the
Google Partner Setup app in detail in this article."

All I can tell you is I skimmed a few articles which, like the previous
package we investigated, make sweeping grandiose claims of dire death
and destruction if you uninstall this system app - but I seem to be
able to do everything that these sweeping claims claim I can't do
without this magic app.

My suggestion?
C:\> adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.partnersetup

[Andy Burns]

Wally J wrote:

> Personally, I would like to be so bold as to cast doubt that it's "new".

I think it has existed as a part of another package, now it's been
separated out, so that it can be updated without needing the whole
previous package to be updated?

[candycanearter07]

On 10/3/23 11:41, Wally J wrote:
> "Google Partner Setup is an application that helps applications
> work with Google products in tandem. As a result, every app you
> download can operate with Google applications smoothly. However,
> it comes preinstalled in the Android OS, raising some questions

> about its need in the community. Let┬ understand about the

> Google Partner Setup app in detail in this article."

Sounds like corporate fluff to me.
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

[Frank Slootweg]

Probably Google - i.e. your Pixel 5A - doesn't need 'Google Partner
Setup', because it's not it's own partner.

[Jeff Layman]

On 03/10/2023 17:10, Wally J wrote:
> Andy Burns <use...@andyburns.uk> wrote
>
>> Can you "see" the package name of the app, e.g. com.android.partnersetup
>> or whatever, sometimes if it's an app that's been renamed, the package
>> name will giveaway what it was previously known as.
>
> I like Jeff Layman but I must echo Andy Burns' request for Jeff to take a
> moment to find the unique package name before asking about core modules.
>
> My suggestion to find the package name for Jeff is the same I use.
> 1. Install a good package manager (e.g., MuntashirAkon App Manager).
> <https://f-droid.org/packages/io.github.muntashirakon.AppManager/>

I've been a bit busy for a day or so, but I'll download the f-droid apk
tomorrow, and follow up with the MuntashirAkon App Manager. I had a look
for them in the Play Store, but found that one wasn't available for some
reason. Some others seemed ok, but others appeared to want to nose
around a bit too much!

> 2. Search in that package manager for keywords related to the app.
> (I searched for "partner" for example, and this is what resulted.)

> Google Partner Setup <com.google.android.partnetsetup>
> Bookmark Providers <com.android.providers.partnerbookmarks>
>
> 3. In my Android 13, this Google Partner Setup was uninstalled during my
> en masse adb removal of all packages that had Google in the name.

How long ago was that?

> The "Bookmark Providers" slipped through the cracks, likely because
> it didn't rear its ugly head by having the Gword in its name. :)
>
> I made only a quick apk search for that name & AF didn't find it.
> <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=scadica.aq>

--

Jeff

[Jeff Layman]

On 03/10/2023 17:32, Wally J wrote:
> Andy Burns <use...@andyburns.uk> wrote
>
>>> So do you have a 'Google Partner Setup' 'update' in your list of updates
>>> in the Play Store app?
>>
>> No, just one update from my energy supplier.
>>
>> Oddball situations where an update appears as if it's a new app can
>> occur when they reuse an old package name, On my Huawei tablet, I do
>> have 'Google Partner Setup' v100.538221588 installed on 6th june 2023
>
> Personally, I would like to be so bold as to cast doubt that it's "new".
>
> The reason is that it has been many months since I wiped out apps with the
> gword in the name - and this app clearly was one of those I had wiped out.
> <https://i.postimg.cc/2ybC5fMC/googlepartnersetup02.jpg>

> But for those who did not wipe it out, you can _always_ get an installation
> date & an installation source (which we covered many times in gory detail).
> <https://i.postimg.cc/tTDKWR8h/sortbyinstalldate.jpg>

That, and the previous jpg above, appear to suggest that the 2008-12-31
date is the only one mentioned. What puzzles me is that "Google Partner
Setup" seems to only have been given that name fairly recently. Did it
exist in 2008? If not, any idea why is it being reported as such?

> So I ask the OP to bring up the list of all apps & when they were installed
> and by which method they were installed (e.g., F-Droid vs Play Store, etc.)

I hope to get around to it tomorrow, but I think Andy and others might
have already answered the question. I don't at present use F-Droid, so
anything I have will have come from the Play Store.

--

Jeff

[Wally J]

Jeff Layman <je...@invalid.invalid> wrote

> I've been a bit busy for a day or so, but I'll download the f-droid apk
> tomorrow, and follow up with the MuntashirAkon App Manager.

Rest assured, I pick the finest apps possible, so if I'm using the
MuntashirAkon App Manager, rest easily that it's the best there is.

Likewise with Skyica's App Finder used to scrape the Google Play Store -
which everyone can use because it connects to the Google Play Store app.

You absolutely cannot get better apps than those two apps, IMHO...
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=scadica.aq>
<https://f-droid.org/packages/io.github.muntashirakon.AppManager/>

Like most apps that are the best, they're both also available on
the PC where you download them there which is the same as Android.

> I had a look
> for them in the Play Store, but found that one wasn't available for some
> reason. Some others seemed ok, but others appeared to want to nose
> around a bit too much!

MuntashirAkon isn't on the Google Play Store. Dunno why not but a lot of
the best apps on the planet aren't on the Google Play Store, so it's
normal.

Examples, offhand, are NewPipe & the full version of NetGuard, both of
which are so powerful in terms of what they do that Google doesn't like it.

>> 3. In my Android 13, this Google Partner Setup was uninstalled during my
>> en masse adb removal of all packages that had Google in the name.
>
> How long ago was that?

So long ago that I don't remember when. Certainly months. Maybe even a year
or more as I got this phone about a year ago as a warranty replacement
about a year ago and that's when I would have set it up like I always do.

If you're worried about removing it breaking your phone karma, use the
method I suggested in the past which is remove packages one at a time.

Then wait a week or two to see if they hurt anything. Keep a log.

C:\> adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.partnersetup

You can always re-install any package you remove as easily as pie.
C:\> adb shell cmd package install-existing com.google.android.partnersetup

Note the keyword of "existing" in the command above?
I think that's because the APK is always in the system partition.
We're just removing it from the user partition.
It's still there... like _every_ app that has to be removed this way.

Notice this means there is no risk whatsoever, but a lot of people fear
everything (just look at the Apple newsgroups if you don't believe me).

Me?
I uninstall every app with the Gword in the name & I only re-install those
that cause all sorts of problems (which is very few in the end).

[Wally J]

Jeff Layman <je...@invalid.invalid> wrote

>> The reason is that it has been many months since I wiped out apps with the
>> gword in the name - and this app clearly was one of those I had wiped out.
>> <https://i.postimg.cc/2ybC5fMC/googlepartnersetup02.jpg>
>
>> But for those who did not wipe it out, you can _always_ get an installation
>> date & an installation source (which we covered many times in gory detail).
>> <https://i.postimg.cc/tTDKWR8h/sortbyinstalldate.jpg>
>
> That, and the previous jpg above, appear to suggest that the 2008-12-31
> date is the only one mentioned. What puzzles me is that "Google Partner
> Setup" seems to only have been given that name fairly recently. Did it
> exist in 2008? If not, any idea why is it being reported as such?

Good point. I have seen that 2008 date a lot for the apps which are
installed by the manufacturer or by the carrier. I don't know why.

Maybe someone else knows why some original apps have such old dates.

>> So I ask the OP to bring up the list of all apps & when they were installed
>> and by which method they were installed (e.g., F-Droid vs Play Store, etc.)
>
> I hope to get around to it tomorrow, but I think Andy and others might
> have already answered the question. I don't at present use F-Droid, so
> anything I have will have come from the Play Store.

I wonder what you mean by "I don't use F-Droid" because I don't use F-Droid
either and yet I can get any app I want off of the F-Droid repository.

To install most open source apps, I just use my PC web browser which you
can do just by visiting the F-Droid site and downloading the APK.

I could have used my Android web browser - but the PC web browser is what I
habitually use to get all my apps, so I'm always using Firefox to get APKs.

I repeat (for effect)...
a. You don't need to use the "F-Droid" app.
b. You just need a web browser.
c. You can use either a PC or an Android web browser.

They all work.

[Jeff Layman]

On 04/10/2023 19:46, Wally J wrote:
> Jeff Layman <je...@invalid.invalid> wrote
>
>> I've been a bit busy for a day or so, but I'll download the f-droid apk
>> tomorrow, and follow up with the MuntashirAkon App Manager.
>
> Rest assured, I pick the finest apps possible, so if I'm using the
> MuntashirAkon App Manager, rest easily that it's the best there is.
>
> Likewise with Skyica's App Finder used to scrape the Google Play Store -
> which everyone can use because it connects to the Google Play Store app.
>
> You absolutely cannot get better apps than those two apps, IMHO...
> <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=scadica.aq>
> <https://f-droid.org/packages/io.github.muntashirakon.AppManager/>

I installed AppManager, but had a devil of a job getting it past the
"Disclaimer" screen. I had to run it 3 times, but I eventually got past.
I've no idea why it was objecting!

Anyway, searching for "Partner" shows, for Google Partner Setup:
100.448391
com.google.android.partner.setup
01/01/2009 (not 31/12/2008!) 10188

--

Jeff

[Wally J]

Jeff Layman <Je...@invalid.invalid> wrote

> I installed AppManager, but had a devil of a job getting it past the
> "Disclaimer" screen. I had to run it 3 times, but I eventually got past.
> I've no idea why it was objecting!

The developer is responsive to bug reports. He has fixed multiple
bugs for me. He's a young kid trying to make a buck with coding.

Help him out if you can.

> Anyway, searching for "Partner" shows, for Google Partner Setup:
> 100.448391
> com.google.android.partner.setup
> 01/01/2009 (not 31/12/2008!) 10188

Well, none of us "believed" that 2008 date.
But it's hard to believe the 2009 date either.
Dunno why that happens.
But it's good you checked.

In summary, it's great you brought up this specific app.
My conclusion is the following...

a. The app "claims" to do everything but your kitchen dishes
b. It's deleted on my phone - and I don't notice anything gone
c. So I'd delete it - and watch for things to not happen

Thanks for asking the questions.
We all learned from the joint effort and adult conversations.
--
Thank God you didn't ask this on an Apple newsgroup. :)

[candycanearter07]

On 10/4/23 16:22, Wally J wrote:
> a. The app "claims" to do everything but your kitchen dishes

Haven't heard that saying before. I'll have to remember it.

[candycanearter07]

On 10/4/23 13:51, Wally J wrote:
> Maybe someone else knows why some original apps have such old dates.

Googling around, I couldn't find very much.
I would hazard a guess that it's simply because Android debuted late
2008, and they just kept 2008 as the default last modified time. Really,
it's anyones guess though.

[Andy Burns]

Wally J wrote:

> MuntashirAkon isn't on the Google Play Store.

I use "Package Name Viewer 2.0"
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.csdroid.pkg>

[Wally J]

Andy Burns <use...@andyburns.uk> wrote

>> MuntashirAkon isn't on the Google Play Store.
>
> I use "Package Name Viewer 2.0"
> <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.csdroid.pkg>

Thanks for that suggestion - which I also have for viewing package names.

All my tools are free, ad free & most are gsf free and tracker free.
(Yes, it takes intelligence and good search engines to find them.)

I've tested every free package manager ever suggested in this ng.

When I last extensively tested all the purported "Package Managers",
each one gave _different_ results (which is sometimes surprising),
where one of the most important is to show the name non truncated.

I just ran a rough search on my system for package managers, inspectors &
viewers which found the following (although there may be others installed).

a. <io.github.muntashirakon.AppManager> version 3.0.4 (416)
No trackers.
<https://github.com/MuntashirAkon/AppManager>
<https://f-droid.org/packages/io.github.muntashirakon.AppManager/>
b. <com.csdroid.pkg> version 3.2.0 (38)
Has one tracker [com.android.billingclient.api.ProxyBillingActivity].
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.csdroid.pkg>
c. <cz.seeq.prog.android.packageviewer> version 1.7.2 (11)
No trackers.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cz.seeq.prog.android.packageviewer>
d. <twoxmars.packagenameviewer> version 3.4.1 (7)
No trackers.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=twoxmars.packagenameviewer>
e. <com.google.android.packageinstaller> version 13-8768315 (33)
No trackers
f. <com.codex.appinspector> version 3.1.33 (33)
4 trackers & Play App Signing
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.codex.appinspector>
g. <com.ubqsoft.sec01> version 1.29.6-201910301402 (49)
No trackers.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ubqsoft.sec01>
and maybe a few more... if they don't have the keyword in the name.

However... most package managers only do mainly one thing.
Muntashirakon App Manager does so many things, I can't count them.

Look at these screenshots which helped me find bugs in Aurora Store
(which the Aurora developers kindly fixed at my request on XDA).
a. <https://i.postimg.cc/FzD9Lcbf/afp07.jpg>
b. <https://i.postimg.cc/W3xmPFqk/afp08.jpg>
c. <https://i.postimg.cc/FFfGnmkS/afp15.jpg>

Intercepting and subsequently editing and then reapplying intents is
just one of the very many extremely useful tasks MuntashirAkon does
that a typical "package manager" doesn't come close to being able to do.

It's really an all-purpose utility more so than an App Manager, per se.

There is really no comparison - Muntashirakon is likely one of the top five
best apps ever written for Android, with the other four being, oh, maybe.
1. NewPipe
2. Aurora Store
3. Skyica App Finder
4. NetGuard (you turned me on to this one... thanks!)
5. MuntashirAkon App Manager

It's telling that not a single one of those is allowed in the Google Play
Store repository - which is one reason why sideloading is so fantastic.
--
Yes. I'm aware that a less-functional NetGuard is in the Google repo.