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Google Blocking Oculus App

jgkurz
Honored Guest

Hello, I am trying to connect Google Photos in the Oculus Gallery app to my Google account. I follow the instructions in the Oculus app to link Google but Google keeps blocking. My Google account has no security alerts or notifications. Any suggestions?

 

Oculus app.jpgError.jpg

3 REPLIES 3

SuperFlyEDSguy
Explorer

I’m not certain if this will work, but I ran into similar issues in the past.

 

First, Google has taken application security to pain the the rear levels! I get it that they want to at least appear like they give two cents about our privacy, but some of the ways that they and other enterprise tech companies go about it ensure an even shorter lifespan to otherwise perfectly usable hardware and software. I’m afraid this may be the case here as it’s potentially secondary to Google tightening up security standards. Some of these instances may be bypassed by a Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) admin, but we individuals that do not pay once per month also don’t have access to those ‘luxuries,’ I mean ‘tools.’ You also need to remember that the Go is no longer a priority for Oculus (or Meta, these days) and fixes are not likely to come out any time soon.

 

That said, you may try logging into your Google account, go to Security settings, and toggle “On” the “Less secure app access” setting. This may allow the older security protocols to work. Google doesn’t recommend it and I’m not sure that I could either as a permanent ‘fix,’ but the reality of the situation is that you’ll likely (read: 99% chance) be just fine!

 

Last, but not least, make sure any 2FA is disabled (both first and third party). I would think that you could re-enable it after successfully logging in and setting up “Sign-in with Google.”

 

All said, there are legitimate security concerns and you have to weigh what you relax against your overall information security needs. I have personally ‘obsessed’ over fixing access to or enabling a ‘feature,’ but after hours of working on it had come to realize that it may simply not be worth it for an app that I’ll realistically be using only once or twice.

 

I hope this helps. Be well 🙂

Thank you for the response and suggestions. I tried your recommendations but I keep getting the "This App is Blocked" message. It seems the Google Photos integration with Oculus GO is unlikely to be fixed. I hadn't owned the GO long before it was discontinued. I am hesitant to buy another set of VR googles from Oculus/Meta/Facebook. Disappointing to say the least...  

Sorry to hear, but this is the sad reality these days that I mentioned regarding Google taking security measures to otherwise absurd extremes. This has been the case now for years regarding security protocols in e-mail clients such as Microsoft Outlook.  Enabling “less secure apps” is a must if you want it to work anymore if you have an earlier version of the e-mail client that does not support “add account” + 2FA to get Gmail working. 🙄 Microsoft of course doesn’t recommend this, but they too are in the subscription business and Outlook365 does support the newer, more secure Gmail setup. 💰

 

You’re 100% correct in assuming that the Go’s browser will not be supporting such capabilities in the future as folks are having a ton of issues with even browsing straightforward websites over the past month or so! Fortunately, I do have a solution — sort of! 👌 

•  You could easily use Virtual Desktop to link your Oculus Go up to your PC and browse your Google pictures using the power of your PC and it’s apps! You do need a solid WiFi connection, preferably 5GHz, to use this solution. 

•  Another option that I could recommend is RiftCat VRidge and it works to connect your Go to your PC with either WiFi or USB!

 

•  One last thing, you’re NOT limited to the OEM browser on your Go! I just found this and it looks very promising! I also have been very successful side-loading and getting Android apps working (in Developer mode of course)!


I’m sure you could find some solution through one of these ideas. 💡 

 

Regarding your last point, I got my Go because it was a cheap path to get started with VR. The value for the price was amazing though I too was not thrilled with it’s discontinuation shortly after making my purchase. I was not happy to see that the license for Oculus Go apps do not allow us to install them on a Quest 1/2 if we drop even more money on Meta products going forward! The issue is that this is not only a problem with a single brand or manufacturer, but one that’s worsening industry-wide. I could only recommend that you choose your next device very carefully no matter who manufacturers it as there will undoubtedly be variables that are out of your hands. See what has the best options to connect with a PC, side-loading, etc. If going for price alone, expect it’ll do certain things very well, but limitations literally come at that price. There unfortunately is no perfect solution.

 

I hope this helps! Be well 🙂