I am not a nerd(respectful), but I would like to know how you’d set up your phone. I’d like to start leaning into more opensource/privacy minded apps and such to avoid having as much of my data harvested. I’m still going to use apps like Instagram which are obviously horrible but I figure trying to do better in other areas is better than nothing.
- what to delete
- what apps are a must (calendar, maps, app store etc)
- vpns?
- keyboards?
- email besides proton? Is there a way to have my emails from Google forward to this address?
- everything needs to connect to Google accounts is there a way around this?
And yes any other advice on making your phone functional/fast/anonymous/aesthetically pleasing is welcomed thankkkkks
App Management: Work outside of the play store where possible. Use F-Droid, either the official client or a third party one like Droidify. If something is not available there but has its own repo, go for Obtainium. If all else fails fall back to play store or aurora store. Aurora store is more anonymous but sacrifices signature checking so it’s technically less secure than play store, be aware.
Core Apps: check out the Fossify apps on f droid (might also be on Google play store idk). They have really solid apps for your calendar, file manager, dialer, sms, gallery, music player, clock, etc which also look nice, I think. I also love DavX5 for my contact and calendar sync but that might not apply to your workflow.
Keyboard: Try Futo, it’s source available and feature rich with respect for your privacy. For fully open source, I recommend HeliBoard. You could also try FlorisBoard but I don’t have experience with it.
Navigation: Either OsmAnd+ or Organic Maps are great, both are open source.
VPN: Mullvad is the only well vetted option IMO. Others trust proton for this but Mullvad has an unbeatable track record.
E-mail: Proton is good and yes you can forward all your Gmail messages to a proton account, they have a whole guide for it. Tuta is another good provider. For accessing other email accounts I like K9 Mail and FairEmail.
Weather: I like Breezy weather from f droid.
Others: Using a FOSS launcher like LawnChair, Fossify Launcher, or Kvaesitso gives you an open source base to build on and removes another route for tracking and analytics. You can get fully FOSS browsers on F Droid, but if you’re looking for Firefox it’s not there; look for Fennec instead, it’s the FOSS build. Apps that don’t use Google play services might not have full push notification support, but a growing open source standard is UnifiedPush; look into their compatible apps and download ntfy to use them if you’re interested. Look into alternate front ends for media consumption types of services, e.g. using NewPipe or GrayJay for YouTube to avoid signing in or breaking anonymity.
Hell yeah this is super detailed thank you!
how does one get a OnePlus in the mail?
I just ordered it directly from their website. I’m in the US, so not sure if they sell directly to many other countries
i could have sworn I tried to do that before but thanks for the info!
I would bet they were sold out at the time. I think BestBuy is selling them as well
Proton is cia
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I was curious about the ROM thing, what exactly would that do anyway?
I’ve never heard of the aurora store so that’s cool I’ll definitely check that out. I think I tried to use obtanium but had no idea what I was doing lol.
You mention deleting those stock apps manually, I imagine that could be something that someone (me) could screw up pretty easily if they don’t know what they are doing? It sounds tempting for some apps that I know I’d never touch in my life but also do not want to explode my phone.
Thank you for the info this was helpful
A ROM is the operating system on the phone. So you replace all the existing software from scratch.
In a prior comment I just suggested you installed CalyxOS which is a custom ROM. It is very easy and indented for use by non-nerds to provide them with the most private, secure phone which works as expected. You must still be brave to do things you aren’t used to perhaps. But it should proceed easily (as long as you get the right phone). Here is the instructions for installing on Pixel 7 from Windows computer as an example https://calyxos.org/install/devices/panther/windows. I was shocked the first time I did it that it worked properly on the first go. I had set the whole day aside assuming I would fuck it up again and again but it was done in like 20 minutes.
When you restart after install, it has everything you need set up: browser, email, chat, app stores, bluetooth works, etc. Just like a regular new phone except it has had as much as possible of the spy tech removed. And unlike some other ROMs it also keeps the device physically secure in case it gets stolen or something.
Oooo thanks for explaining. I read your other comment and fuck, I’m just gonna keep the oneplus lol. I have shit opsec and just want to improve a bit. That does sound tempting though, I’m not a luddite and can figure technological stuff pretty easily so.l that’s encouraging that it’s that quick to install
you can use an android without a google account, there are alternate app stores like f-droid (default repo only has open source apps) and aurora store (gives you access to google play apps without an account, can be downloaded from f-droid)
I don’t use android much so I don’t know of many apps, but aside from the two above, two others I always install are firefox, which allows you to use ublock origin, and newpipe, an open source youtube frontend that gives you most of the youtube premium features for free
Sweet I think it was suggested I use Firefox with ublock the other day and i will definitely check out newpipe. Do you have any particular email service you like?
I use protonmail but tbh I’m not as confident in it as their CEO recently seems to be a trump supporter. at this point I’d simply avoid using email to transmit sensitive information regardless of the provider
Send it back right away, or resell it. Then buy one of the phones listed on this page https://calyxos.org/. It must be FACTORY (aka bootloader) unlocked (not just vendor or SIM unlocked) and install CalyxOS. It installs like a dream with no bullshit and you get a functional, as private as possible phone.
You can spend hundreds of hours futzing around with sideloading and everything and get a mess of a device that is only marginally better than the default. Or 1 hour and get it done right from the beginning.
If you’re already buying a specific phone for it, might as well go for a used Pixel and install GrapheneOS
disable the “Google” app you dont need root
https://www.xda-developers.com/disable-system-app-bloatware-android/
for keyboard you can use whichever you like and disable internet access in the settings for the said app, i would suggest doing the same for all apps which dont need internet access
I mean basically add as little as possible. Adding Google Play services is something you should avoid if you’re serious about privacy. There is an alternative backend called MicroG.
But I wonder if you have any favorite Google alternative apps that you would use instead? Like for maps, weather, etc
Organic maps, yr.no . Scroll f-droid add some repos . Yr.no has an app, however you can just go to the website and add it as a browser app ( called add to home screen in my browser menu) no need for apps. This is the first thing i check for any service i need. Do the same for my cell provider, insurance company and so on
Xda forum and get a rom, find linage os for microG and follow instructions there. 99% Of googles stuff works. Oneplus at least used to be easy to work with. Regular linage wont work with microG. You will need twrp installed as well im order to flash your rom. Then you also can play around with magisk for root and modules later on.
Get a vpn, recomending mullvad.
You wont get the best GOS or the 2nd best calyx on your device, but something to look for on the next phone. Calyx might add support for oneplus as well if you are lucky
