I have degoogled my phone few years ago it really hit me how much the phones depend on Google services. Few examples from of my daily usage when I compromised:
- Communication
I’m in students group, people there have own group chat on facebook messenger. They share info regarding tests, deadlines etc. Basically standard uni messaging. Unless I had fake Facebook account to be there I would have to collect all info by myself. The alternative is a discord server, which in privacy terms is questionable choice too.
At least I have few friends who use Signal or Element, but it’s minority.
What do you usually use and offer when people ask you for contact?
- Banking app
Banking app I used has blocked me from app after few years of using it when they realized I have it from “unofficial” source - Aurora store. That motivated to switch the bank and app, which doesn’t really on Google Play services. The easiest way to do that was browsing Huawei app store and finding the most suitable app. Do you use baking apps?
- Taxi/Transport
Of course theres no way to use Bolt/Uber for transport on degoogled device. What’s your way of transport after having few beers in pub? Do you use taxi via calling it directly or use that weird Telegram taxi addon?
- Map directions
Is there a way to convert google map pins to open source solutions and vice versa? What’s your recommended software for directions? What do you use for driving?
- Fitness
Do you track fitness activities?
- Phone
Do you have good phone recommendations? I know that GrapheneOS+Pixel is one, but what about others?
For communication I just tell them I have signal or other close apps or they can text me. Rather have regular texts than Messenger.
Banking apps works fine for me even if they complain about the lack of google.
I use Organicmaps but I really wish they could make it so it could accept gmap links without me having to use another app as a medium.
I’m trying to find the best apps for fitness. I have a wear watch with Fitbit that I use, but I would like to integrate the Fitbit stats with a calorie tracker and an exercise app.
Right now I have all apps on a separate profile on my GrapheneOS. Except Waistline but that can’t integrate, so I’m looking for alternatives.
energize for calories -
gymroutines for logging exercise -
trale for bodyweight log -
gadgetbridge for storing tracker information
I only have a smartphone because a job gave me a monthly stipend to have it in the past and I don’t currently have a plan for it. that being said I am deeply in bed with google. I actually am more concerned with the fact that google could just drop all the services one day than the privacy so I am and advocate for government email (not as much in the last week or so) that would be guaranteed to not go away and allow for in person support maybe run by the post office (and run with similar independence and rights) or at the state level the secretary of state. Maybe both. Would it be my main social email? No, but I could rely on its stability. Most people are aghast at this but I really don’t get how having some corporation, no matter how well their current safeguards are, is better than a government one run similarly.
Some food for thought:
Absence of information is its own sort of information. You may find it worthwhile in your search for an acceptable compromise to place some kind of value on “looking normal”.
I think it’s a lot to do with developing a threat model that works for you, and understanding that, unless you’re trying to be Jason Bourne, there’s always going to be SOME compromise - the level of compromise again, depends on you.
A couple years ago when I started down this rabbit hole, I was doing EVERYTHING that I read on every privacy blog: I started using GrapheneOS, completely degoogled my phone, didn’t use any non-FOSS apps, no location apps, the whole 9 yards.
I soon came to realize I had to find a compromise. I now follow a threat model that best works for me… Naturally there are weaknesses in it, but it’s things I’m willing to risk.
- I use Element with anyone willing to use it with me. I use QKSMS with anyone else.
- I created a separate profile on my phone with Graphene that only has my banking apps. It still uses Aurora store and sandboxed Google services.
- I don’t live in an area where things like Uber are available so that ones not a problem for me. I just call for a taxi oldschool.
- OSMand+. I won’t turn it on (or location) until I’m away from my house and already on the way. You can also manually download apps for offline and use it like an old school paper map.
- Kind of unrelated but, I use Obsidian for almost everything I keep track of in my life. I document my fitness exploits on Obsidian.
- I use a Pixel 8 with GrapheneOS. I use my phone calls as per normal but usually try and text (see #1 above) my phone also has a record button when you call someone - I’ll generally record every conversation I have with anyone from any company, etc., which has already saved me some headaches in a few cases where service providers promised something and then didn’t follow through and I could go back in the recording and prove they said a certain thing.
A few extras:
- I also have an audio recorder on my phone with a shortcut that turns it on when I double tap my screen. I use this whenever I go somewhere strange/alone like a Kijiji meet up or something, get pulled over by the cops, etc. - just for safety/contingency.
- I use Kmeet for video chat with family, friends.
- I use Pipepipe, Newpipe, etc. for videos and most music.
- Proton for VPN
- Proton/Tuta for email.
- Ente for photos.
That’s just my little process… I know some of these aren’t directly related to common phone usage but it’s how I use my phone daily, so hopefully some of it is interesting to you.
- I tell people to contact me on signal or SimpleX, and if they don’t, then I don’t talk to them.
- My banks app ran fine, but I wanted to use the website instead of having the app and the website did not support all functionality, so I switched banks entirely to an older style bank, not one of these new Neo fintech banks. Think Wells Fargo instead of chime.
- At least at the moment, you can still use m.uber.com.
- Use gps-coordinates.net, put in the address you wish to go to, and then copy the latitude and longitude given into OpenStreetmaps OSMAnd (f-droid).
- No, i dont
- The combination you mentioned is definitely the easiest. Otherwise, you have to look at lineage OS. And that doesn’t have as many security protections.
In addition to the answer #4, you can use Geo Share to automatically convert google maps links then open in OsmAnd for example.
For OsmAnd+, there is another option for addresses. OpenSuperMaps joins national address registries with openstreetmaps. For American maps, it enables OsmAnd to make sense of American style address searches.
It is phenomenal.
