3 ms·

As someone who is beginning to really dislike both Google and Apple, is it possible to buy/use an Android phone without the Google store where you only sideload

As someone who is beginning to really dislike both Google and Apple, is it possible to buy/use an Android phone without the Google store where you only sideload software?

NathanielK 5y ago
Yes, but it may require you update things manually. You can disable the Play store and any other apps and only use F-Droid.
throwawayboise 5y ago
With one or two exceptions, I only install Google software on my Android phone. Since I'm already on their platform, I don't guess that makes me any more open to their data gathering. And I don't trust any of the other apps.
ttctciyf 5y ago
There's a few different approaches to this. Here's one page about it, I'm sure there are plenty more. https://fsfe.org/activities/android/liberate.en.html https://fsfe.org/activities/android/liberate.en.html
rchaud 5y ago
Look for Android models that have been confirmed to work with LineageOS or E-foundation OS. Both are de-Googled, I believe.
boudin 5y ago
It is definitely possible with some limitations. Totally ungoogled you won't have the google service layer, if you still want to use some proprietary apps, it is possible but some won't work. The biggest constraint is often push notifications not working. As an alternative you can use microg [1] which is a client side re-implementation of google services. Some part uses alternative service as backend, some will use google though, like push notifications. Side loading can have its limitations has you need to find sources for APK that you can trust. The best non google store is f-droid [2] in my opinion, all open source and build reproducible. If you need some proprietary apps from google store, you can use the client Aurora Store [3] which still sources app from google play store. In term of buying a phone with most of that, /e/ does sell phones with android + microg + their own store [4] Otherwise plenty of phones allow to easily replace the operating system. You can look for phones supported by lineageos which comes with no google apps. [5] [1] https://github.com/microg https://github.com/microg [2] https://f-droid.org/ https://f-droid.org/ [3] https://gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore https://gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore [4] https://e.foundation/ https://e.foundation/ [5] https://lineageos.org/ https://lineageos.org/
- GekkePrutser 5y ago
  Another option: you can choose not to sign in to Google play. And just use other app stores. This limits Google's data collection somewhat as they don't know your account. It's not as good as micro g or a completely ungoogled phone but the benefit is you can use manufacturer roms with all security features like bootloader locking turned on. I do this with my OnePlus as I don't like leaving the bootloader unlocked. Anyone can pull a disk image off it through recovery then. Another benefit of this is that Google play services like location and push still work, they don't require an account. But you do give up extra privacy compared to the other options. There are grapheneos and calyx which do allow bootloader locking but they only work on pixel phones and those are really poor value for money IMO (expensive but still having fingerprint on the back, midrange soc etc). And really hard to get in Europe now. The 5a 5G is not coming here and probably the 6 isn't either. So this is why I ended up with this option. At least Android has a wide spectrum of choices. With Apple it's take it or leave it.
  - boudin 5y ago
    You can relock the bootloader with other roms as well, some people do it on the oneplus 3.
- altantiprocrast 5y ago
  > The biggest constraint is often push notifications not working. A massive problem, but the UnifiedPush project is trying to change that with an open spec for push notifications. Apps that support it: https://unifiedpush.org/users/apps/ https://unifiedpush.org/users/apps/
donmcronald 5y ago
This is why I don't understand how Microsoft can't compete in the mobile market. They could be successful just by using AOSP with Office and an alternate app store that doesn't screw developers and users.
- GekkePrutser 5y ago
  I'm pretty sure MS would like to push the same kind of limitations, take the same cut etc. They really saw a cloud of dollars went they went all in with Tablet design in Windows 8 and UWP etc. They're coming back from that now because nobody wanted it but I don't doubt they still want to create their own walled garden. It's free money off app sales, control that gives them leverage over their customers and develops, data which they love (they're always pushing telemetry). I don't really see what's in it for them to make a really open store.
- ThatPlayer 5y ago
  Feels like a chicken and the egg problem: no one is buying Android phones without Google Play Store (except in China, which has no Google Play Store), so no developers are releasing apps for it. Look at Amazon App Store, and it's failed Fire Phone. Amazon has cornered the market on low-end tablets with it and people still try and install Google Play Store on it. And according to Epic's lawsuit, Google has been actively preventing hardware manufacturers from packaging alternative app stores with products.
  - Marsymars 5y ago
    > Look at Amazon App Store Also the Huawei AppGallery outside of China since they lost access to Google apps.
- LeoPanthera 5y ago
  Maybe they looked at the Fire Phone and didn't want to repeat that disaster.
- dylan604 5y ago
  Why do you feel Microsoft wouldn't "screw developers" too?
abawany 5y ago
CalyxOS offers a preloaded Pixel 4a on their site and also lists all of the handsets they currently support: https://calyxos.org/get/ https://calyxos.org/get/ .
pomian 5y ago
Yes. Completely. Never sign in. Never allow any Google install on original boot.. Disable all Google at that time. Pre copy fdroid into SD card ahead of time. Also can copy on, a collection of already downloaded apks. Don't forget the keyboard apk. You need that one almost first, so you can enter letters into fdroid. Then you may also use other apk sites than fdroid - which are good, just not as verified. You may miss some Google layers or other so called "ease of use." I don't.

As someone who is beginning to really dislike both Google and Apple, is it possible to buy/use an Android phone without the Google store where you only sideload software?

NathanielK 5y ago

Yes, but it may require you update things manually. You can disable the Play store and any other apps and only use F-Droid.

throwawayboise 5y ago

With one or two exceptions, I only install Google software on my Android phone. Since I'm already on their platform, I don't guess that makes me any more open to their data gathering. And I don't trust any of the other apps.

ttctciyf 5y ago

There's a few different approaches to this. Here's one page about it, I'm sure there are plenty more. https://fsfe.org/activities/android/liberate.en.html https://fsfe.org/activities/android/liberate.en.html

rchaud 5y ago

Look for Android models that have been confirmed to work with LineageOS or E-foundation OS. Both are de-Googled, I believe.

boudin 5y ago

It is definitely possible with some limitations. Totally ungoogled you won't have the google service layer, if you still want to use some proprietary apps, it is possible but some won't work. The biggest constraint is often push notifications not working. As an alternative you can use microg [1] which is a client side re-implementation of google services. Some part uses alternative service as backend, some will use google though, like push notifications. Side loading can have its limitations has you need to find sources for APK that you can trust. The best non google store is f-droid [2] in my opinion, all open source and build reproducible. If you need some proprietary apps from google store, you can use the client Aurora Store [3] which still sources app from google play store. In term of buying a phone with most of that, /e/ does sell phones with android + microg + their own store [4] Otherwise plenty of phones allow to easily replace the operating system. You can look for phones supported by lineageos which comes with no google apps. [5] [1] https://github.com/microg https://github.com/microg [2] https://f-droid.org/ https://f-droid.org/ [3] https://gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore https://gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore [4] https://e.foundation/ https://e.foundation/ [5] https://lineageos.org/ https://lineageos.org/

GekkePrutser 5y ago
Another option: you can choose not to sign in to Google play. And just use other app stores. This limits Google's data collection somewhat as they don't know your account. It's not as good as micro g or a completely ungoogled phone but the benefit is you can use manufacturer roms with all security features like bootloader locking turned on. I do this with my OnePlus as I don't like leaving the bootloader unlocked. Anyone can pull a disk image off it through recovery then. Another benefit of this is that Google play services like location and push still work, they don't require an account. But you do give up extra privacy compared to the other options. There are grapheneos and calyx which do allow bootloader locking but they only work on pixel phones and those are really poor value for money IMO (expensive but still having fingerprint on the back, midrange soc etc). And really hard to get in Europe now. The 5a 5G is not coming here and probably the 6 isn't either. So this is why I ended up with this option. At least Android has a wide spectrum of choices. With Apple it's take it or leave it.
- boudin 5y ago
  You can relock the bootloader with other roms as well, some people do it on the oneplus 3.
altantiprocrast 5y ago
> The biggest constraint is often push notifications not working. A massive problem, but the UnifiedPush project is trying to change that with an open spec for push notifications. Apps that support it: https://unifiedpush.org/users/apps/ https://unifiedpush.org/users/apps/

donmcronald 5y ago

This is why I don't understand how Microsoft can't compete in the mobile market. They could be successful just by using AOSP with Office and an alternate app store that doesn't screw developers and users.

GekkePrutser 5y ago
I'm pretty sure MS would like to push the same kind of limitations, take the same cut etc. They really saw a cloud of dollars went they went all in with Tablet design in Windows 8 and UWP etc. They're coming back from that now because nobody wanted it but I don't doubt they still want to create their own walled garden. It's free money off app sales, control that gives them leverage over their customers and develops, data which they love (they're always pushing telemetry). I don't really see what's in it for them to make a really open store.
ThatPlayer 5y ago
Feels like a chicken and the egg problem: no one is buying Android phones without Google Play Store (except in China, which has no Google Play Store), so no developers are releasing apps for it. Look at Amazon App Store, and it's failed Fire Phone. Amazon has cornered the market on low-end tablets with it and people still try and install Google Play Store on it. And according to Epic's lawsuit, Google has been actively preventing hardware manufacturers from packaging alternative app stores with products.
- Marsymars 5y ago
  > Look at Amazon App Store Also the Huawei AppGallery outside of China since they lost access to Google apps.
LeoPanthera 5y ago
Maybe they looked at the Fire Phone and didn't want to repeat that disaster.
dylan604 5y ago
Why do you feel Microsoft wouldn't "screw developers" too?

abawany 5y ago

CalyxOS offers a preloaded Pixel 4a on their site and also lists all of the handsets they currently support: https://calyxos.org/get/ https://calyxos.org/get/ .

pomian 5y ago

Yes. Completely. Never sign in. Never allow any Google install on original boot.. Disable all Google at that time. Pre copy fdroid into SD card ahead of time. Also can copy on, a collection of already downloaded apks. Don't forget the keyboard apk. You need that one almost first, so you can enter letters into fdroid. Then you may also use other apk sites than fdroid - which are good, just not as verified. You may miss some Google layers or other so called "ease of use." I don't.