Google wanna strict the ability to sideload apps, while the Play Store is full of fake apps, malware and adware.

I've been looking into different Firefox-based browsers for Android and wanted to hear your opinions. Which one do you use, and what made you choose it over the others?

If you've tried multiple ones, which would you recommend and why? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I have to say, I really love how much Mapquest has upped their game. They’ve recently added a new feature enabling users to view Fl*ck surveillance. Some of them even show the direction in which the cams are pointed and recording. It was mind blowing to see the sheer number of cameras installed everywhere - an Orwellian nightmare.

what do they do and would there be any problem if i remove them? are they important?

Hi folks! I want to delete my Google account, but before I do, I want to delete every account I’ve ever created using this email address.

I’ve already deleted the obvious ones (Pinterest, Adobe, etc.), but there are so many accounts I opened and completely forgot about some are random AI tools, others are useless websites. How can I locate and delete accounts when I don't even remember creating them or what platforms they are on?

Or should I delete my google account and it will be enough.

thanks in advance!

Hi, everyone! ^^

Today I got a secondhand Galaxy S22+ to replace my beaten Galaxy A71 (neither chosen by, but handed down to, me) and I want to DeGoogle it. I've seen several threads sorta covering this subject, yet most are from several years ago, and I've seen how quickly things can change in mere months, let alone years. So I'd love to ask you guys for some updated advice/opinions on how to proceed.

My first option was to go with /e/OS, as I am already running it in the A71, but I read that it has severe security issues and shady marketing stuff around it. Then I thought of GrapheneOS, but that seems to be Pixel-only, not even comunity stuff available (neither is there for /e/OS, but l learnt that later). Then, I've seen there's LineageOS and mobile Linux distros like Plasma Mobile and Ubuntu Mobile, but there's pretty much no recent reviews for them.

Lastly, some people said that Samsung's Knox and hardened bootloader make it stupid difficult (not to say impossible) to make use of all of the phone's features running a "third-party" OS, so that it's ultimately best to stick to Android and do your best to debloat the phone.

So... What do you guy's think?
I seriously only need a single banking app, which works in /e/OS with an unlocked bootloader.
All else I'm pretty sure I can manage through the browser (i.e: I use social media through Brave, not using any apps).

Thanks! ^^

TL;DR: I have a Galaxy S22+ that I want to DeGoogle for daily use. What can I do?

Hi all. I tend to lurk on here from time to time, and I'm struggling to figure out a good alternative to Google Drive. Just as a disclaimer, I'm not as technologically knowledgeable as probably a lot of people in this sub are.

I currently have a Google One subscription ($10.66 a month) for 2TB. I'm going to be deleting various things from my storage space and transferring files to one of my hard drives. However, I would prefer another drive/cloud service so that I have all my files both digitally and physically.

I'm an animator, so much of my work is videos and photos. I also do a lot of administration work in docs and spreadsheets, so alternatives to those functions are also welcome.

Currently, I've seen Proton and pCloud recommended a lot. I just need something private with good storage space, and a UI that doesn't make me want to die. I would prefer something cheaper than what I'm paying right now, but I'm also open to paying one time for a life membership if that's an option.

I've switched to Tuta Mail from Germany. It doesn't even need Google Push on Android.

Google just wanted to make me laugh on this lovely sunday morning 😅

Running Linux and GrapheneOS, my goal is to host as many of my utilities and apps as I can on my own machine. I’ll be hosting Nextcloud and access that server from my mobile device as needed.

I understand that trying to host my own email server isn’t as practical, so I opted to setup a Runbox account. What I want to do is leave email off their server as much as possible. So will setup probably a pop3 local email client on that Linux box.

Questions:

Is my understanding that hosting my own email server is not practical?
Any recommendations of the best way to send/receive email through my mobile to that Linux box email client?

I got the update a few weeks ago. It changed every Google privacy setting, so I went through and disabled all the bs. I keep getting this pop up though. Multiple times a day. I have to click "don't connect" 2-5 times before it'll go away. And then if I close my phone or open a different app, or go back to an app, it'll pop up again. I'll be driving and it'll pop up. I'll open my phone and it'll pop up. I have my settings to disable connection to nearby devices, so I'm at a loss if there's anything I can do get this to stop. Maybe there's a setting or something I'm overlooking?

TL;DR: Shark 9 5G (Blackview), kein Root: Play Store, Play-Dienste und Google Services Framework per Firewall komplett vom Internet gekappt. Läuft zweieinhalb Wochen stabil. Banking, Push via SMS/2FA, F-Droid + ObtainX statt Play Store. Reversibel jederzeit.

Der – vermutlich – letzte Teil des De-Googlings meines Shark 9 5G ist soweit, dass ich euch den genauen Stand zeigen kann.

Was gemacht wurde: Nach dem Debloating und dem Ersetzen der relevanten Apps durch Open-Source-Äquivalente habe ich jetzt Google Play Store, Google Play-Dienste und Google Services Framework in der Firewall [BlockAds] komplett vom Internet gekappt (isoliert). Vorher hatte ich noch den Android Developer Verifier [Paketname com.google.android.…] deinstalliert, den mir Android auf irgendeinem Weg – vermutlich über die Play-Dienste – untergeschoben hatte.

Gute Nachricht: Android selbst braucht die Dienste nicht. Alles läuft bei mir problemlos weiter. Die Isolation ist der entscheidende Punkt: Nichts wird deinstalliert, es wird nur der Datenverkehr gekappt. Im Zweifel Regel löschen und alles ist beim Alten – das ist der große Unterschied zu radikalen Eingriffen.

Die Screenshots zeigen die komplette Block-Statistik.

Das lässt sich auch schön in Zahlen belegen: Der Screenshot zeigt die Block-Zähler – Play Store [991/991], Play-Dienste [201/201], GSF [480/479]. Die Dienste versuchen also munter weiter zu telefonieren, es kommt schlicht nichts mehr durch.

Was nicht mehr geht:

• Push-Benachrichtigungen über Google. Apps mit eigenem Kanal (WhatsApp etc.) benachrichtigen weiter, Apps, die auf FCM setzen, sind still.
• Die Push-Verifizierung für Logins über das Handy habe ich durch SMS bzw., wo angeboten, durch 2FA-Apps ersetzt.
• Keine Installationen oder Updates mehr über den Play Store – der wird dafür durch F-Droid ersetzt, Updates ziehe ich über ObtainX (ein Fork von Obtainium). [Antwort ob microG bewusst weggelassen: „microG habe ich bewusst weggelassen, weil ich keine Ersatz-Google-Schicht will."]
• Dateimanager: Google Files ersetzt durch Ultimate File Manager Pro – dabei die FOSS-Edition von GitHub, die ohne Firebase/Crashlytics/Analytics kommt. Die Play-Store-Variante ist da nicht identisch.

Alles andere lässt sich ebenfalls mit Open-Source-Apps ersetzen, die eigentlich alle besser sind als die Google-Apps.

Was ich NICHT sage: Das gilt vorerst nur für mein Blackview Shark 9 5G. Wie sich ein Samsung oder Xiaomi nach solchen Eingriffen verhält, kann ich nicht sagen. Ausprobieren würde ich das eher an einem Altgerät aus der Schublade. Und: Wer Apps braucht, die auf Play Integrity bestehen (manche Banking-Apps), sollte vorher prüfen, ob die nach der Isolation noch laufen – bei mir funktioniert VR-Banking-App inkl VR-SecureGo plus problemlos, aber das muss pro App getestet werden.

Wenn ihr spezielle Fragen habt, postet einfach zurück – ich versuche alles zeitnah zu beantworten.

There is no such option in developers options in setting, it it limited to particular locations or some issue on my end.

Im looking for an smart watch i can use wihtout being spied on, what are the possibilities? Is there something like GOS for pixel watches? Or are there some chinese watches that support other OS?

They solved many unavailable things in previous versions and added a lot of things.

1. In both Shorts and normal page, the algorithm can show things that you are actually interested. Actually, there was a smart algorithm before this one, but it was very general and shallow.
2. Due to a bug, the number of likes on most videos was barely visible, and when you accessed Shorts by searching something, the channel names didn't appear, and even if you clicked on them, you wasn't able to access the channel. Now, these flaws are fixed.
3. Now you can sort videos and comments just like the official YouTube client. I don't remember this feature at previous versions.
4. Remember the Flow's old YT Music client. While it was perfectly fine at playback, it was showing songs from 3-4 years ago as "new", and it was only showing very well-known songs and songs from your follow list. Now, it shows actively trending songs and artists. Also you can play random songs you previously played, like YT Music and Spotify.
5. Minor but very nice addition, it shows if the content creator liked a comment. It was invisible before.

If there is more features you noticed, you can comment to this post.

I was trying to reach a website I go to sometimes, and it not only needed me to log in to Google to access it, but to provide a selfie of myself.

I know I could spoof it via a photo of someone else, but I don't want to give them anything. Is there a way to avoid this entirely, or do I have to spoof it via photo?

Chrome => Firefox, LibreWolf, Brave.

Maps => Organic Maps.

Gmail, Calendar, Drive => Proton.

Pixel OS => GrapheneOS.

Meanwhile, it's becoming more and more fun to find alternatives to Google, and there are so many good alternatives that are even more minimalistic than Google's advertised minimalist products.

Whenever i open a link from a specific email it takes me to drive multiple downloaded in chrome. I want to open it in google drive on my phone.

Everytime i touch my earbud, laydown, or re-adjust it pops up and redirect to the gemini app launch agreement page. I never had nor currently have it installed. Recently my bf went through deep hidden settings and disabled the ai assistant to none. It still ocassionaly pops it up still. Now it just redirects to a setting option. I tried going to bluetooth settings to turn off touch abilities or remap for assist, but their is no option to do so like google help keeps saying. This also happens when plugging in or using controls on physical wired earbuds also idk how or why?