The experience of using a degoogled phone, both from the AOSP and Linux side of things.
Should you DeGoogle your smartphone?
https://peertube.wtf/w/0da0e1fd-c2df-4412-b7c1-cb8efeef8314
https://peertube.wtf/w/0da0e1fd-c2df-4412-b7c1-cb8efeef8314
The experience of using a degoogled phone, both from the AOSP and Linux side of things.
40 Comments
FuyuhikoDate@feddit.org · 56 pts · 45d
Short answer: yes
Long answer: yes totally!
Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe · 17 pts · 45d
While I agree (and I'm largely degoogled for a couple years now), there are a few things that make it quite a pain.
Maps being the biggest one. I have 5 mapping apps (CoMaps, Magic Earth, CoPilot, Organic, Waze and Gmaps) and even the combo of them doesn't approach what GMaps can do, unfortunately.
I've paid for CoPilot to have true offline mapping, I would pay for an app that can do what GMaps does.
But the average person will have a real hard time de-googling, unfortunately. Google has done an exceptional job locking people in.
RmDebArc_5@piefed.zip · 7 pts · 45d
What exactly are you missing? The /e/os team has their own FOSS maps app in beta. In my experience it's not that great, but you seem like someone who can't get enough map apps (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)
plateee@piefed.social · 13 pts · 45d
Not OP, but I can't find replacements for two Google maps uses:
SteveCC@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 45d
Location sharing - Zood Location.
jeena@piefed.jeena.net · 1 pts · 23d
Share My location is build in to many chat apps like WhatsApp and element X
clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 45d
I have rarely found the store/town/restaurant I was selling in OSM Apps. There is no traffic data. I can't search for places in maps that I haven't downloaded already - this makes sense, but it means I can't just look up a place of I don't already know where it is.
plateee@piefed.social · 4 pts · 45d
To be fair, Google maps has started to get super shitty with their search - especially voice. I forget if it's normal maps or Android Auto maps, but one of them has started trying to open apps instead of actually navigating to places.
Maybe gmaps will keep getting worse and worse and eventually osm maps will catch up.
LemmyEntertainYou@piefed.social · 0 pts · 44d
Searching for businesses on anything other than Google Maps is atrocious.
NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 45d
Given how many times google maps has been wrong and OSM right, I think I will stick with OSM.
j5y7@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 44d
Back in my day we'd stop and ask for directions.
DahGangalang@infosec.pub · 15 pts · 45d
Haven't read article yet, but my experience jumping to Graphene: it was surprisingly easy, but I'm a tech nerd who already understands a lot / has reps and sets on digging through documents to learn. Its definitely not one-for-one swap with Android and there are some minor inconveniences I put up with that some in my family would never tolerate.
Overall: doable and worth it. Expect at least a small learning curve as you do it.
krashmo@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 45d
What are the minor inconveniences you're referring to? I've run e/os on a Fairphone for a while so I'm pretty sure they will be similar but I've never used graphene so I'm curious
DahGangalang@infosec.pub · 3 pts · 44d
Total grab bag of random things that immediately come to mind. There's probably more, but first set that come to mind:
Some apps won't boot at all (mostly the grocery store apps I was using at time of swap + Costco - though I've found the Costco browser experience is actually better than in app).
Some features of apps just don't load or error out (Thinking insurance and banking apps, especially when trying to sign docs - I expect its them doing a flavor of play store verification that I have blocked at the app level).
I know its possible to set up Android Auto, but I've run into some difficulties with it and ultimately determined it wasn't worth the privacy sacrifices. But the inconvenience of not having Android Auto be plug and play is something a buddy commented on.
There's not an Assistant search bar in the app tray. This "feature" of stock android is baffling to me. A different buddy commented on it (when I passed them my phone to DJ while I drove) since they usually open the app tray and type the app they want to use (vs finding it in the list).
bloogoose@lemmy.zip · 14 pts · 45d
grue@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 45d
As the owner of both a Pixel 8 running Graphene and a Pinephone, you really aren't missing anything.
GreyEyedGhost@piefed.ca · 3 pts · 45d
The missing feature I really wish FairPhone 6 had.
bloogoose@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 45d
01189998819991197253@infosec.pub · 2 pts · 45d
Same. Been a dream of mine for about a decade.
Alberat@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 45d
the biggest problem is banking and government apps that require strong play integrity... this kills the custom rom
01189998819991197253@infosec.pub · 9 pts · 45d
One degoogled as a daily, one cheap stock for these privacy invading apps. Phone A goes with you, while Phone B stays home and comes out to play only when required. At least, that's my take.
AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 44d
That's probably the simplest solution. Even though it's not intellectually satisfying, I don't think there's another option at the moment.
newton@feddit.online · 3 pts · 45d
Depends on your country .
kuiskaaja@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 45d
yeah... stuck with a phone loaded with spyware cus of that :x
i hope jolla and their sailfishos become a viable option in the future
SpikesOtherDog@ani.social · 1 pts · 37d
If you are technical you could run an android VM at home and then just remote into it when needed
Alberat@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 36d
do android VMs pass play integrity? I thought the whole point was to deter bots...
SpikesOtherDog@ani.social · 1 pts · 36d
Idk. I thought the whole point was to keep people in the Google ecosystem.
Alberat@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 36d
it's both. a happy coincidence that enforcing security also lets them lock customers in. it's a common plan that governments share: "we need to collect your data for security"
quick_snail@feddit.nl · -5 pts · 45d
If you're doing banking on a phone, lol, you're doing it wrong.
j5y7@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 44d
I never thought it was a good idea myself.
Alberat@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 43d
it's unfortunately convenient... like for splitting bills at a restaurant
LodeMike@lemmy.today · 7 pts · 45d
Yes
hash@slrpnk.net · 6 pts · 45d
Recently lent a family member an old phone and took a chance by leaving GrapheneOS on it. Of course they reinstalled all the google apps but it's cool to see they can still get some benefit without major issues.
nevyn@slrpnk.net · 3 pts · 45d
quick_snail@feddit.nl · 4 pts · 45d
Lineage is degoogled...if you don't install gapps
nevyn@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 45d
ryannathans@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 45d
Source?
nevyn@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 45d
quick_snail@feddit.nl · 2 pts · 45d
It's literally an optional step in their install guide
nevyn@slrpnk.net · 3 pts · 45d
hexagonwin@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 45d
there's just no reason to have gapps installed even on a manufacturer rom unless you really need the google safetynet shits
Trilogy3452@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 45d
What about notifications
timbuck2themoon@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 45d
Microg. But in the end the real obstacle is devs not adding unified push support which as I understand is not that immense. Work sure, but not insurmountable.
Trilogy3452@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 44d
The result unfortunately is the same. Luckily microg exists, although GOS doesn't see much valie in it vs sandoxed gapps
solxix@pawb.social · 1 pts · 45d
UnifiedPush
Eternal192@anarchist.nexus · 2 pts · 45d
Which OS can easily be installed on an HMD skyline.