Every new major version of Android requires a new Google Apps package for custom ROMs and Android 6.0 Marshmallow is no different in this regard.
Google Apps, also popularly known as Gapps, need to be flashed after installing an AOSP custom ROM like CyanogenMod on your Android device to get access to Google’s suite of apps and services including Google Play. These apps cannot be pre-loaded in custom ROMs due to licensing issues and thus need to be flashed separately.
The problem is that maintaining a repository of flashable Google Apps package is a tedious process and most maintainers simply give up after a few months. While you can still find download links in XDA forums, you will have to hunt for them in various threads, which is a time consuming process.
To help you save time, we have done a quick roundup of three of the most popular types of Google Apps package that are compatible with Android 6.0 Marshmallow based custom ROMs like CyanogenMod 13.
Stock Google Apps Package
As the name suggests, this is the stock Google Apps package containing all the apps and services that Google bundles on its Nexus devices by default. Along with all the usual and commonly used apps like Maps, Google+, the package also includes Sound Search for Google Play, TalkBack, Google Wallet, Google Earth, Google Keyboard, Now Launcher and more. The package essentially contains all the apps that Google has listed on Google Play.
Due to the sheer number of apps the stock Google Apps package comes bundled with, it weighs in at a hefty 500MB+. Chances are you will not use a majority of the apps that will be pre-installed on your device using this package, so I will recommend you to not download and install this Gapps package on your device.
The ‘recommended’ Google apps package
This is the package that you should flash on your device if you use a majority of the popular apps and services from Google. This package includes all the useful apps from Google like the Google Now launcher, Google Search, Google Calendar, Google Fit, but does not contain less frequently used apps like Google Wallet and Google Earth.
- Google Calendar
- Google Now Launcher
- Google Play services
- Google Search
- Google Fit
- Google Text-to-Speech
- Gmail
- Hangouts
- Maps
- Street View
- YouTube
Other less common Google apps like Translate are not bundled in this package and can be downloaded from the Play Store. Thanks to fewer number of apps, the ‘recommended’ Google Apps package is only 235MB big.
Core Google Apps package
If you are looking for the absolute minimum Google Apps package that will only install the core Google apps like the Play Store, Calendar Sync, and Play Services, this basic Google Apps package is for you. This package does not include offline speech files, Live wallpapers and other such goodies.
If you are using an older Android device that frequently runs out of storage space, this is the Google apps package that I will recommend for your device.
Aroma: If you want to decide what Google apps to be pre-installed on your device, download the Aroma Gapps package. This flashable ZIP contains a graphical UI that allows you to select or de-select the apps that you want to install on your device.
