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I am buying a new phone, and might end up buying a Samsung, though I absolutely hate all the garbage they default install. How do I protect myself from such at

I am buying a new phone, and might end up buying a Samsung, though I absolutely hate all the garbage they default install. How do I protect myself from such attacks on Samsung in the future?

poisonborz 4y ago
Probably by not registering a Samsung account and not using their services. While the phone OS will push you for it, it's only used for their bloatous offerings, and is skippable.
- cik 4y ago
  Exactly what I did. I get hassled at least weekly, and with every update - but I've yet to create an account.
marak830 4y ago
Only way to be sure, would to not buy their hardware. I wouldn't trust their preinstalled software to follow the rules.
- abdullahkhalids 4y ago
  What smartphone company would you recommend?
  - yosito 4y ago
    Apple, or a Google Pixel with a custom ROM if you're technical enough. I couldn't otherwise recommend an Android smartphone in good conscience.
    - marak830 4y ago
      Second, custom ROM all the way. If stuck with stock, I run a no root firewall and choose what gets access to the internet and when.
solarkraft 4y ago
Attacks on Samsung? The best way to prevent illegitimate data collection is to run software made by people who don't have it as their business model. E.g.: Lineage OS.
ornornor 4y ago
Samsung is so bad at what they do. They have demonstrated over and over that they have no regard for security or their users. Their phones are preloaded with so much useless barely functional crap, and they pretty much wrote the book on corruption in Korea.
- MikusR 4y ago
  Blame Google. They demand the Duo/Chome/Goolge search/Youtube preinstall.
  - gurchik 4y ago
    Samsung preinstalls a dozen more of their own apps on the phone too.
  - ornornor 4y ago
    I’m talking about the pile of garbage Samsung apps that are shoved in your face with any Samsung phone.
    - hungryforcodes 4y ago
      Like which ones? I'm on my second Samsung after fleeing iOS, and aside from the Google apps mentioned above, I have a neat folder with the Galaxy Store, a recording app, a radio app and a few others which seem quite useful. I also use Samsung Notes often enough.
shmde 4y ago
> hate all the garbage they default install. In India, samsung reinstalls new garbage bloatware with every update. I have to take my mom's phone and uninstall every one of them after every update. Thats the only way they keep prices low I think.
yosito 4y ago
If you're interested in protecting yourself, don't buy Samsung.
jamesrr39 4y ago
Happy Fairphone user here. Fairphone OS installed by default (pretty minimal without much bloatware). Haven't tried it myself, but if you want to go further, they have guides for installing /e/OS or other OSes, they support that, and reverting to Fairphone OS if you wish. https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/4405858189585-FP4-Android-without-Google-services-Open-OS- https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/440585818958...
- awiesenhofer 4y ago
  Maybe a bit late, but interested in trying /e/OS, how does it handle banking apps or NFC contactless payment - does it work?
  - jamesrr39 4y ago
    No idea, sorry. The phone has NFC but whether your bank has an app you can get without the Google Play Store is dependent on your bank, but often not the case. If these are deal-breakers to you then it's going to hard to recommend all-in with /e/OS at the moment. You could also try it and revert to Fairphone OS, they do support that, but presumably it's a non-trivial and time-consuming thing. You could try running /e/OS on Anbox to get a feel of it and what can and can't be done? That's probably the simplest way forward.
hansvm 4y ago
If your model isn't boot locked then swap the OS. Otherwise: (1) Don't make a Samsung account or otherwise lean in to the ecosystem. (2) Much of that crap can be uninstalled or disabled. (2a) There's more nonsense than you think. I replaced the camera and all sorts of things that shouldn't have been phoning home or displaying ads. (2b) You need a mechanism for handling updates, since all that crap will come back and all your privacy settings will be reverted. You could automate the process the first time and just search for any new stragglers, but I just disable them and manually handle it when some sort of critical RCE comes out. You're not supposed to be allowed to disable them without nagware, so see (3). (3) DNS blocking is a godsend. The crap you're unable to remove can be effectively neutered with a little work on this front. (4) You might want a little extra userspace modification on top of that like remapping the Bixby button.
- abdullahkhalids 4y ago
  Do instructions like these work? https://technastic.com/remove-samsung-bloatware-safe-to-remove-apps/ https://technastic.com/remove-samsung-bloatware-safe-to-remo... Or these are also temporary?
IYasha 4y ago
Unfortunately, Samsung is the second Apple, they make it very hard to unblock their phones, known to install tons of spyware (even if you don't use their apps and don't have an account). Carefully investigate if device is rootable (even if you don't plan to) before you buy.

I am buying a new phone, and might end up buying a Samsung, though I absolutely hate all the garbage they default install. How do I protect myself from such attacks on Samsung in the future?

poisonborz 4y ago

Probably by not registering a Samsung account and not using their services. While the phone OS will push you for it, it's only used for their bloatous offerings, and is skippable.

cik 4y ago
Exactly what I did. I get hassled at least weekly, and with every update - but I've yet to create an account.

marak830 4y ago

Only way to be sure, would to not buy their hardware. I wouldn't trust their preinstalled software to follow the rules.

abdullahkhalids 4y ago
What smartphone company would you recommend?
- yosito 4y ago
  Apple, or a Google Pixel with a custom ROM if you're technical enough. I couldn't otherwise recommend an Android smartphone in good conscience.
  - marak830 4y ago
    Second, custom ROM all the way. If stuck with stock, I run a no root firewall and choose what gets access to the internet and when.

solarkraft 4y ago

Attacks on Samsung? The best way to prevent illegitimate data collection is to run software made by people who don't have it as their business model. E.g.: Lineage OS.

ornornor 4y ago

Samsung is so bad at what they do. They have demonstrated over and over that they have no regard for security or their users. Their phones are preloaded with so much useless barely functional crap, and they pretty much wrote the book on corruption in Korea.

MikusR 4y ago
Blame Google. They demand the Duo/Chome/Goolge search/Youtube preinstall.
- gurchik 4y ago
  Samsung preinstalls a dozen more of their own apps on the phone too.
- ornornor 4y ago
  I’m talking about the pile of garbage Samsung apps that are shoved in your face with any Samsung phone.
  - hungryforcodes 4y ago
    Like which ones? I'm on my second Samsung after fleeing iOS, and aside from the Google apps mentioned above, I have a neat folder with the Galaxy Store, a recording app, a radio app and a few others which seem quite useful. I also use Samsung Notes often enough.

shmde 4y ago

> hate all the garbage they default install. In India, samsung reinstalls new garbage bloatware with every update. I have to take my mom's phone and uninstall every one of them after every update. Thats the only way they keep prices low I think.

yosito 4y ago

If you're interested in protecting yourself, don't buy Samsung.

jamesrr39 4y ago

Happy Fairphone user here. Fairphone OS installed by default (pretty minimal without much bloatware). Haven't tried it myself, but if you want to go further, they have guides for installing /e/OS or other OSes, they support that, and reverting to Fairphone OS if you wish. https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/4405858189585-FP4-Android-without-Google-services-Open-OS- https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/440585818958...

awiesenhofer 4y ago
Maybe a bit late, but interested in trying /e/OS, how does it handle banking apps or NFC contactless payment - does it work?
- jamesrr39 4y ago
  No idea, sorry. The phone has NFC but whether your bank has an app you can get without the Google Play Store is dependent on your bank, but often not the case. If these are deal-breakers to you then it's going to hard to recommend all-in with /e/OS at the moment. You could also try it and revert to Fairphone OS, they do support that, but presumably it's a non-trivial and time-consuming thing. You could try running /e/OS on Anbox to get a feel of it and what can and can't be done? That's probably the simplest way forward.

hansvm 4y ago

If your model isn't boot locked then swap the OS. Otherwise: (1) Don't make a Samsung account or otherwise lean in to the ecosystem. (2) Much of that crap can be uninstalled or disabled. (2a) There's more nonsense than you think. I replaced the camera and all sorts of things that shouldn't have been phoning home or displaying ads. (2b) You need a mechanism for handling updates, since all that crap will come back and all your privacy settings will be reverted. You could automate the process the first time and just search for any new stragglers, but I just disable them and manually handle it when some sort of critical RCE comes out. You're not supposed to be allowed to disable them without nagware, so see (3). (3) DNS blocking is a godsend. The crap you're unable to remove can be effectively neutered with a little work on this front. (4) You might want a little extra userspace modification on top of that like remapping the Bixby button.

abdullahkhalids 4y ago
Do instructions like these work? https://technastic.com/remove-samsung-bloatware-safe-to-remove-apps/ https://technastic.com/remove-samsung-bloatware-safe-to-remo... Or these are also temporary?

IYasha 4y ago

Unfortunately, Samsung is the second Apple, they make it very hard to unblock their phones, known to install tons of spyware (even if you don't use their apps and don't have an account). Carefully investigate if device is rootable (even if you don't plan to) before you buy.