Search for MicroG and you will find three different names staring back at you: GmsCore, MicroG RE and Vanced MicroG. They all promise the same thing — Google apps and services without Google Play Services — but they are built by different people, for different phones, and picking the wrong one usually ends with the famous “App not installed” error. So which one do you actually need in the MicroG RE vs GmsCore vs Vanced MicroG line-up? It depends entirely on what you use your phone for.
The short answer: Choosing between MicroG RE vs GmsCore vs Vanced MicroG comes down to your phone. If you use ReVanced or Morphe apps, install MicroG RE (the current version is 7.2.1) — it is the fork those apps are built around today. If you run a de-Googled custom ROM with signature spoofing, classic GmsCore from the microG project is your build. Vanced MicroG is a dead fork for a dead app — skip it, no matter what an old blog post tells you.
First, What All Three Are Trying to Do
Every Android phone leans on Google Play Services for sign-in, push notifications, maps and location. MicroG replaces that heavy layer with a small, free and open-source one. If you are new to the idea, our MicroG explained guide covers the basics. The confusion starts because the same core project has been packaged in three different ways over the years — and old downloads never die on the internet.
Classic GmsCore: The Original
GmsCore is the upstream build from the official microG project site — the original, and still the reference version. It is designed for phones where MicroG fully replaces Play Services: custom ROMs like LineageOS for microG, /e/OS and other de-Googled setups where the ROM supports signature spoofing, the permission that lets MicroG pretend to be Google’s own code.
On such a phone, GmsCore is the cleanest choice. It gets updates straight from the source, covers the widest set of APIs, and is maintained for exactly this job. What it is not designed for is a stock phone where you only want to sign in to a patched YouTube app — on most stock ROMs it cannot fully take over, because there is no signature spoofing and the real Play Services is already sitting in the same chair.
MicroG RE: The Fork ReVanced and Morphe Users Need
MicroG RE is a fork of GmsCore maintained by the Morphe team — the people behind the current generation of patched YouTube and YouTube Music apps. The latest version is 7.2.1 (see MicroG RE on GitHub), and it is actively developed, which matters: Google changes its sign-in checks regularly, and an unmaintained fork quietly stops logging you in.
RE is tuned for the most common real-world case — a normal, unrooted phone running ReVanced or Morphe apps alongside (or instead of) the stock YouTube. It keeps the account sign-in and push notification pieces those apps need, without asking you to flash a ROM. If your whole reason for installing MicroG is a patched YouTube, this is your file. You can grab it from our MicroG download page, where the checksum is published so you can verify the file is untouched.
Vanced MicroG: Retired, Whatever Old Guides Say
Vanced MicroG was a special fork built for YouTube Vanced, the modded YouTube app that was shut down in 2022. When Vanced died, its MicroG fork stopped being maintained too. It still floats around on APK sites because old pages rank well, and people still install it hoping it will fix a ReVanced login problem. It will not — it was never built for ReVanced or Morphe, and its sign-in code is years out of date. We compared the two in detail in MicroG vs Vanced MicroG: the verdict has not changed. Uninstall it and move on.
Side by Side: MicroG RE vs GmsCore vs Vanced MicroG
| MicroG RE | GmsCore (classic) | Vanced MicroG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintained by | Morphe team | microG project (upstream) | Nobody — discontinued |
| Latest version | 7.2.1 | Rolling upstream releases | Stuck on an old build |
| Best for | ReVanced & Morphe apps on stock phones | De-Googled ROMs with signature spoofing | Nothing, anymore |
| Root needed? | No | No, but the ROM must support signature spoofing | — |
| Works on Huawei (no GMS)? | Yes, for sign-in & notifications in most apps | Partial — depends on setup | Unreliable |
| Status in 2026 | Actively developed | Actively developed | Dead — avoid |
The One Warning That Saves You an Hour: The Package Conflict
Here is the trap almost everyone falls into. MicroG RE and classic GmsCore use the same package name. Android treats them as the same app, so if one is installed and you try to install the other, the installer refuses with “App not installed” — no explanation, just failure. The fix is simple but non-negotiable: uninstall the one you have first, then install the one you want. Switching from Vanced MicroG to RE? Same rule — remove the old fork completely before installing RE, or the signatures clash and you will chase the error in circles.
So, Which One Do YOU Need?
You use ReVanced or Morphe
Install MicroG RE 7.2.1. It is the fork those apps expect, it is the one still being updated when Google changes something, and it works on a normal phone with no root and no ROM flashing. This covers the large majority of people reading this page.
You run a de-Googled custom ROM
Stick with classic GmsCore. On a ROM with signature spoofing — LineageOS for microG and similar — the upstream build integrates deepest and receives the core fixes first. If your ROM already ships MicroG built in, do not install RE over it; that is the package conflict again.
You have a Huawei phone without Google services
Start with MicroG RE. On recent Huawei models it restores sign-in and push notifications for a large share of apps that otherwise refuse to run. Set expectations honestly, though: apps guarded by strict Play Integrity checks — most banking apps — may still say no, and no flavour of MicroG changes that.
Rooted vs non-rooted
Root is not the deciding factor; your ROM is. Non-rooted on a stock phone (Samsung One UI, Xiaomi HyperOS, Realme UI): MicroG RE, because it is built for the patched-app scenario. Rooted with a spoofing-friendly ROM: GmsCore, because MicroG can then replace Play Services completely instead of working around it. Rooted but on stock firmware? RE again — root alone does not give a stock ROM signature spoofing.
A Note for Budget Phones
Whichever build you choose, the reason MicroG is so popular in India is simple: it is tiny next to Play Services. On a ₹9,000 phone with 3 GB of RAM — the kind of phone half the country actually uses — Play Services quietly eats storage, RAM and battery all day. MicroG’s footprint is a fraction of that, and the phone feels it. If your budget phone has been crawling, switching the Google layer is one of the few free upgrades left.
So the MicroG RE vs GmsCore vs Vanced MicroG choice really is about your phone, not about which project is “best”. Read the MicroG RE vs GmsCore vs Vanced MicroG table once more, pick your row, and the MicroG RE vs GmsCore vs Vanced MicroG question is settled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install MicroG RE and GmsCore at the same time?
No. They share the same package name, so Android sees them as one app. Installing one over the other fails with “App not installed”. Uninstall whichever you have, then install the one you want.
Is MicroG RE safe to use?
MicroG RE is open source and maintained by the Morphe team. Safety mostly comes down to where you download it: use a source that publishes the file’s SHA-256 checksum and verify your download matches, like our download page does.
My ReVanced login stopped working. Should I switch to Vanced MicroG?
No — that moves you backwards to a discontinued fork. Login problems on ReVanced or Morphe are almost always an outdated MicroG RE or a stuck account token. Update RE to 7.2.1, remove and re-add your Google account inside it, and the login usually returns.
Does MicroG RE need root?
No. MicroG RE installs like a normal app and works on unrooted phones, which is exactly why it is the default recommendation for ReVanced and Morphe users on stock Samsung, Xiaomi and Realme phones.
Will banking apps work with any of these?
Usually not. Banking and payment apps check for genuine Play Services through Play Integrity, and no MicroG build — RE, GmsCore or the old Vanced fork — fully passes those checks. Keep expectations realistic: MicroG is for sign-in, notifications and patched apps, not for fooling your bank.
The Bottom Line
Three names, one real decision — that is the whole MicroG RE vs GmsCore vs Vanced MicroG question. Patched YouTube apps on a normal phone: MicroG RE. A de-Googled ROM that is your whole setup: classic GmsCore. Vanced MicroG: a museum piece — delete it. Decide based on your phone, not on whichever APK an old forum post happens to link, and remember the golden rule before you install anything: one MicroG at a time, uninstall before you switch.