If you have ever opened a MicroG download page and seen three similar-sounding names — MicroG Services Core, MicroG Companion, and FakeStore — you are not alone in being confused. They sound like three apps you must install, but for most people in India using a normal Xiaomi, Samsung, or Realme phone, the honest answer is simpler: you probably need none of them beyond the MicroG you already have. This guide explains what each one actually does, which setup genuinely needs it, and what to do if you installed the wrong one.
Short answer: FakeStore — also historically called MicroG Companion — is a tiny stub that pretends the Google Play Store is present so apps that check for it stop complaining. It cannot download apps, handle purchases, or fix login problems. On a stock phone that already has the real Play Store, you do not need it. On a de-Googled custom ROM without any Play Store, it is usually already included. On Huawei phones, “MicroG Companion” is a different, Huawei-distributed helper app that you install only when AppGallery prompts you to.
Why there are two things called “MicroG Companion”
This is the root of almost all the confusion, so let us clear it up first. The same words are used for two different things, depending on where you got MicroG from:
| Name you see | Where it comes from | What it really is |
|---|---|---|
| MicroG Companion (classic microG) | Classic microG installs, custom ROMs, F-Droid microG repository | Another name for FakeStore — the Play Store stub, package name com.android.vending |
| MicroG Companion (Huawei) | Huawei AppGallery on EMUI / HarmonyOS phones | An auxiliary helper app that works alongside “MicroG Service” so Google apps can run on Huawei devices |
They are not interchangeable. If you are on a Samsung or Xiaomi phone in India, the Huawei meaning does not apply to you, and if you are on a Huawei phone, you should follow AppGallery’s prompts rather than downloading a classic FakeStore file from somewhere else. Mixing the two up is how people end up installing a duplicate or conflicting package and then wondering why nothing changed.
What FakeStore actually does
Many Android apps do a simple check before they run properly: “Is the Google Play Store installed on this phone?” On a phone with Google apps, the answer is yes and nobody notices. On a de-Googled phone — one running a custom ROM with no Google apps at all — the answer is no, and some apps refuse to start, show a “Google Play Store is missing” warning, or behave strangely even though MicroG Services Core is working fine.
FakeStore fixes exactly that one check, and nothing more. It registers itself with the system under the Play Store’s package name, com.android.vending, so those apps see a Play Store present and carry on. That is the whole job. It has no shop, no search, no download button, and no visible app icon in most installs — which surprises people who install it and then cannot find it in their app drawer. Not finding an icon is normal. It is a background stub, not a store you open.
For the full picture of how the pieces fit together, see our comparison of MicroG RE vs GmsCore vs Vanced MicroG: which one you actually need. In short: Services Core (GmsCore, package com.google.android.gms) is the engine that replaces Google Play Services, the Services Framework Proxy (GsfProxy) handles push notifications for some setups, and FakeStore is only the Play Store lookalike on top. Without Services Core, FakeStore alone does nothing useful.
One important technical condition applies to the classic version: FakeStore only works as intended on a ROM that supports signature spoofing — the ability for MicroG to present itself with Google’s signatures so apps accept it. That is why it belongs on custom ROMs built for MicroG, such as LineageOS for microG, and not on stock manufacturer ROMs. Stock Xiaomi, Samsung, and Realme software does not grant signature spoofing, so sideloading FakeStore onto a stock phone will not magically give you a working de-Googled setup. It will most likely just sit there, or conflict with the real Play Store that is already installed.
Do you need FakeStore or MicroG Companion? A decision guide
| Your setup | Do you need it? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| ReVanced or Morphe on a stock Xiaomi / Samsung / Realme phone, with the real Play Store still installed | No | Skip it. Your ReVanced MicroG (or MicroG RE) handles sign-in on its own, and the real Play Store already satisfies any “is a store present?” check. |
| De-Googled custom ROM (for example LineageOS for microG) with no Play Store | Usually already included | Do not install a second copy. Check Self-Check first; only add it if your ROM’s own documentation says it is missing. |
| Huawei phone, installing Google apps through AppGallery | Yes, when prompted | Install “MicroG Service” and “MicroG Companion” together from AppGallery, exactly as the assistant prompts. Do not substitute a classic FakeStore file. |
| Using Aurora Store or F-Droid as your app source on a de-Googled ROM | Optional, not a downloader | Aurora Store and F-Droid download apps themselves. FakeStore does not give them downloads — it only stops other apps complaining that no Play Store exists. |
Our verdict, plainly: if you had to search for this article because you saw the name in a download list, you almost certainly do not need to install anything extra. The people who need FakeStore generally know they need it because they deliberately removed every Google app from their phone. Everyone else is better off leaving it alone.
How to check whether you already have it
Before downloading anything, check what is already on your phone. This takes under a minute and prevents the most common mistake — installing a duplicate.
- Open Settings > Apps > See all apps, tap the three-dot menu, and turn on Show system apps (the wording varies slightly by brand).
- Search for “FakeStore” and for “MicroG Companion”. On a classic microG ROM, FakeStore may appear as a system app with no launcher icon.
- Open MicroG Settings > Self-Check. Look for the line about the Play Store having the correct signature — on classic installs it is shown as “Play Store (Phonesky) has correct signature”. A tick there means the stub is present and recognised.
- If you use ReVanced or Morphe and sign-in already works, stop here. A missing FakeStore entry is not a problem to fix — it is the expected state on a stock phone. If sign-in itself is failing, the cause is almost never FakeStore; work through our MicroG login failed fixes instead.
How to install it correctly (only if your setup actually needs it)
If — and only if — you are on a de-Googled ROM whose documentation says FakeStore is missing, install it from the same trusted source as the rest of your MicroG packages, normally the official microG F-Droid repository listed at microg.org. Do not download it from random APK mirror sites, and do not install it alongside the real Google Play Store: the two packages claim the same Play Store identity, and that collision is a classic cause of “App not installed” errors. Install Services Core first, then the Framework Proxy if your setup uses it, then FakeStore, then reboot and re-check MicroG Settings > Self-Check. If Self-Check still shows the Play Store line unticked after a reboot, the ROM most likely does not support signature spoofing, and no amount of reinstalling the stub will fix that — that is a ROM limitation, not a broken download.
For Huawei users, the route is different and much simpler: open AppGallery, search for “microG”, and install MicroG Service and MicroG Companion when prompted. Grant the permissions the assistant requests, then open MicroG and run Self-Check to confirm everything is recognised. Do not try to “upgrade” the Huawei pair with a classic microG file; they are built for Huawei’s setup.
If you only want MicroG itself for ReVanced or Morphe on a normal phone, you do not need any of this. Just get the correct MicroG build for your app from our MicroG APK download page and follow the install steps there.
What FakeStore cannot do (so you stop expecting it to)
- It cannot download or update apps. For that on a de-Googled phone, use F-Droid or Aurora Store.
- It cannot handle purchases or licence checks. Paid-app licence verification is one of the things that genuinely may not work without the real Play Store, and a stub does not change that.
- It cannot fix Google sign-in, notifications, or location. Those come from Services Core and its settings, not from the store stub.
- It cannot make banking apps or games with strict integrity checks work. If an app refuses to run on a de-Googled phone, the blocker is usually its integrity or SafetyNet-style check, not the absence of a store icon.
- It cannot replace Google Play Services. Installing FakeStore without Services Core is like putting a shop sign on an empty building.
If something went wrong: quick fixes
“App not installed” when installing FakeStore. This usually means the real Play Store (or another package claiming com.android.vending) is already present. On a stock phone, that is your answer: uninstalling the real Play Store is not advisable, and you do not need the stub anyway. Remove the downloaded file and move on.
Installed it, but an app still says the Play Store is missing. First reboot, then check Self-Check. If the Play Store signature line is unticked, your ROM lacks signature spoofing support, or the stub was installed as a normal user app where the system will not honour it. On a stock ROM, this is expected — do not flash a custom ROM just to chase this one tick unless you fully understand what changing ROMs involves.
You cannot find FakeStore anywhere after installing it. That is normal for the classic stub — it has no launcher icon and no settings screen of its own. Verify it through Settings > Apps > Show system apps or through Self-Check instead of hunting the app drawer.
You want to remove it. If you installed it as a normal app, uninstall it from Settings > Apps like any other app. If it came built into your ROM as a system app, leave it alone — removing system components can break the ROM’s MicroG setup, and an inert stub costs you nothing.
Confused between FakeStore and the old BlankStore name. BlankStore was an earlier, now deprecated attempt at a Play Store frontend. Do not install it today; FakeStore is the stub that replaced it for this purpose, and modern setups use Aurora Store or F-Droid for actual downloads.
Frequently asked questions
Is MicroG Companion the same as FakeStore?
On classic microG installs, yes — “MicroG Companion” was the name used for the FakeStore package. On Huawei phones, no — MicroG Companion there is Huawei’s auxiliary helper app for MicroG Service. Check where you saw the name before deciding which one applies to you.
Do I need FakeStore for YouTube ReVanced?
No. ReVanced uses its own MicroG build (ReVanced MicroG / MicroG RE) for Google sign-in, and on a stock phone the real Play Store is already present. FakeStore adds nothing to a ReVanced setup.
Will FakeStore let me download paid apps for free?
No, and anyone claiming otherwise is misleading you. FakeStore contains no store, no catalogue, and no purchase system. It only answers “is a Play Store present?” with yes.
Why does FakeStore have no icon or settings?
Because it is a stub, not a real app you interact with. Its only job runs in the background when other apps ask the system about the Play Store. Check for it in Settings > Apps with system apps shown, or in MicroG Self-Check.
Can I install FakeStore on my stock Xiaomi, Samsung, or Realme phone?
You can try, but you should not — and it will not give you a de-Googled setup. Stock ROMs do not support signature spoofing, and the real Play Store already occupies the package name FakeStore wants. The result is usually a conflict or a useless extra package, not a benefit.
What should Huawei users do differently?
Follow AppGallery: install MicroG Service and MicroG Companion together when prompted, grant the requested permissions, and verify with Self-Check. Do not replace them with classic microG files.
The bottom line
FakeStore — the classic “MicroG Companion” — is a small, boring, and genuinely useful piece of plumbing for one specific situation: a de-Googled phone with no Play Store at all, where some apps still ask whether a store exists. For everyone else — ReVanced and Morphe users on stock phones, and anyone whose phone already has the Play Store — it is an extra package you do not need, and installing it anyway buys you nothing but a possible package conflict. Huawei users are the exception with a different app of the same name: install that Companion only through AppGallery, alongside MicroG Service. Know which “Companion” you are looking at, check Self-Check before downloading anything, and leave this one alone unless your setup genuinely asks for it.