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> Better, get a de-Googled ROM If you have the patience and knowledge, I can't recommend this enough. If you don't have the patience and the knowledge, this i
by II2II 6y ago
> Better, get a de-Googled ROM
If you have the patience and knowledge, I can't recommend this enough. If you don't have the patience and the knowledge, this is a good way to end up with a non-functioning phone. (It will probably be recoverable, provided that you have the patience to acquire that knowledge and don't mind being without a phone in the meantime.)
When I say I can't recommend it enough, I mean it. I have been okay with simply disabling Google services for the past few years, yet Google seems to be embedding their services deeply in applications like Phone, Messages, Contacts, and Files. It is at the point where these applications would throw up a stream of notifications when Google services were disabled on Android 10. Even though they appeared to be usable, they are clearly trying to annoy people into re-enabling Google services.
- lorentztt 6y agoWhich one do you use/recommend?
- crocodiletears 6y agoI personally use a Pixel 3 running Grapheneos. You need a non-Verizon version of the device to do so, but there are services out there that'll hunt the devices down and even install the OS for you if you lack the time/patience https://grapheneos.org/ https://grapheneos.org/ https://noagendaphone.com/ https://noagendaphone.com/
- II2II 6y agoIt depends upon what is available for your device and what you want out of the firmware. What I will suggest is looking at the device specific forums at XDA. You will get an idea of what is available and what is reliable. Personally, I shy away from distributions that don't include a "what works" and "what doesn't work" section in the first post. I also prefer "official" distributions. At the very least, it is easier to track updates. The next filter I use is feature based. In this context, look for distributions that don't include Gapps and offer additional privacy enhancing features. Once you have something that you think you want, read the thread for the distribution. It often reveals pitfalls, variations within the model, and variations between carriers. These pitfalls exist even with the popular distributions, which is another reason to check out the forums. I went with OmniROM this time around, but I have been happy with Resurrection Remix on other devices. Some devices have nice alternatives that are specific to them. As an example, I use KatKiss on the Asus TF300T. For a while, it was running a more recent version of Android than my much newer phone!
- doc_gunthrop 6y agoFor maximum security & privacy, go with GrapheneOS (used to be CopperheadOS back in the day). Caveat is that you won't have Google Play (or even MicroG), which means some Google apps (and paid apps) won't work and if you want apps from Google Play then you need to install Aurora app. If you want the above, but also want access to Google Play apps, then install CalyxOS. The third option is LineageOS (was originally CyanogenMod back in the day). This custom ROM is the most accessible for a variety of devices. It's good for privacy, but, because the bootloader is left unlocked (which may or may not be relevant depending on your threat model), it is the least secure of the three. Both GrapheneOS and CalyxOS have very user-friendly installation methods, but exist primarily for the Pixel line of devices. LineageOS has the most involved installation process, but it's available for the widest variety of Android devices. I've installed all three ROMs on several different devices. For the average person, CalyxOS will probably be the best bet (though I think the Trebuchet launcher in LineageOS is better).