[jeroenhd]

> And you must be signed in.

I don't see any mention of that? Google Play services work fine without an account (although if you're the kind of person who doesn't sign in to a Google account on their Android phone, you're probably running a custom ROM or something)

[adrian_b]

Until now, I have never run "a custom ROM or something", but just the Android that came from the phone vendors and its updates.

Nevertheless, I do not have a Google account and I do not intend to have such an account.

Of course, this means that I cannot install any app from the official Google store, even if it is a free app. The requirement to login into your Google account should have existed only for payments, not for downloading a free app, but nonetheless Google does not work this way.

I already had problems with a bank that has terminated its Web-based online service, replacing it with an app that they refuse to provide for downloading, so that I could install it without having to open a Google account. Therefore I have also terminated my accounts with that bank.

I hope that this behavior will not spread to all remaining banks that still have Web-based online access.

[jeroenhd]

Google Play Services is not Google Play Store.

Google Play services is an automatically updated API that Google distributes through the Play Store. It also encompasses some security updates, such as updates to the Bluetooth stack.

You do not need a Google account to update those. In fact, chances are you already got the update weeks ago without noticing.

You can also update pre-installed apps through the Play Store without an account (hold the Google Play icon and select "My apps").

You do not need to install an app. You do not need to make an account. All you need is a QR code scanner and an Android phone that had Google's stuff preinstalled.

I have plenty of issues with the Google Play Store as well, but they don't apply to this topic.

[Gander5739]

You could try aurora store with anonymous accounts, though that has the problem that other people may be able to see the apps you install.