5 ms·

That explains it, I was wondering why things suddenly worked. Not just relevant for devs, but also people who want a better and/or more private android experien

That explains it, I was wondering why things suddenly worked. Not just relevant for devs, but also people who want a better and/or more private android experience than what vendors offer.

8organicbits 3y ago
Do you have a good method for cleaning things up? I usually factory reset any new phone and then uninstall via adb the obvious pre-installed spyware/adware/junk (facebook, chrome, candycrush, etc). But it's hard to know what else I can uninstall. I usually go overkill, uninstall most things, see what broke, factory reset again, and then uninstall a little less on the next round. But surely there's a better way.
- Semaphor 3y ago
  I unlock the bootloader and install a custom rom (pretty much exclusively LineageOS nowadays, I’d try GrapheneOS, but I’d have to spend far more on the phone than I’m willing to get that). That is everything cleaned ;) I only buy phones with LineageOS support.
  - pxeboot 3y ago
    GrapheneOS is no harder to install or use than LineageOS. If anything, it is easier, since the documentation is far better and almost always applicable to all supported devices.
    - Semaphor 3y ago
      It’s not about hard/easy, it’s the supported devices. I spend very little on phones (current one is a OnePlus Nord, which I bought for 250€) as I don’t like to use them.
      - 8organicbits 3y ago
        Graphene is Google Pixel only still. The current cheapest available looks like the Pixel 7A at £379 (new). So I agree, the added cost doesn't seem worth it. https://store.google.com/config/pixel_7a https://store.google.com/config/pixel_7a
  - Xeamek 3y ago
    Does it come with it's own version of the 'core apps' (calendar, phone, calculator etc.) or do You install and use some third party apps from app store?
    - Tade0 3y ago
      You can install a custom Google Apps package, e.g.: https://nikgapps.com/ https://nikgapps.com/
      - Xeamek 3y ago
        At that point why would I go for the trouble of installing custom rom though?
        scns 3y ago
        Because you can choose how many of them you want. None, only the Play Store or the whole shebang.
        Semaphor 3y ago
        Besides what sibling said, and lack of bloatware, I find LineageOS to simply be better than original ROMs. Just using vol up/down to move the cursor is already a godsend for me. I’ve also been using CyanogenMod/LineageOS since my first android (HTC Desire Z/T-Mobile G2, damn do I miss that full keyboard) and it’s great to be able to always use the same OS.
    - opan 3y ago
      You'll get AOSP versions of the basics, though some things like the camera app might actually be made/modified by Lineage. I run LineageOS with no gapps and find it to be quite usable. I get most apps from F-Droid, but there's also Aurora Store (installable from F-Droid) if you need anything from the Play Store.
tjoff 3y ago
Or if you want to use scrcpy, which I find indispensable. https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy
- yonatan8070 3y ago
  Scrcpy is an awesome tool, but I never found a use for it in my workflow (built a couple of small, unpublished Android apps) What do you use it for that makes it better than just picking up your device?
  - sir_brickalot 3y ago
    I just had a strong use case: a broken screen. A combination of Google Assistant, Talkback, USB-C-to-USB-A-Adapter and Keyboard, a Bluetooth keyboard, scrcpy, Anydesk and a new Pixel phone for practicing helped get some data off the device and even do a migration to the new phone. Needed all of the above and a lot of trial and error and time!!
    - mintplant 3y ago
      I keep a copy of scrcpy around for exactly this. It's saved me twice now, and helped me rescue some data from a friend's phone, too.
  - tjoff 3y ago
    I do most of my meetings on my phone, and enlarging the screen if someone is sharing their screen works pretty well (it's not perfect, but more than enough for presentations). But I can of course transfer the call to my PC if need be. But I just have scrcpy up in a window on one of my screens/workspace constantly. The keyboard shortcuts work quite well and I don't have to break my flow just to do something on my phone. Clipboard is synced as well. If I get a notification I can check what it is about without taking my hands of my keyboard etc. I'm sure it sounds a bit convoluted, and each usecase (meetings, notifications etc.) have other better/more-native solutions but the experience all in all is a game-changer. To the point where "just picking up your device" is too much of a bother. Why not do it through scrcpy instead? Quicker, proper keyboard etc. and the mouse works really well. To the point where I kind of miss right-click is "back" when I'm outside the scrcpy window.

That explains it, I was wondering why things suddenly worked. Not just relevant for devs, but also people who want a better and/or more private android experience than what vendors offer.

8organicbits 3y ago

Do you have a good method for cleaning things up? I usually factory reset any new phone and then uninstall via adb the obvious pre-installed spyware/adware/junk (facebook, chrome, candycrush, etc). But it's hard to know what else I can uninstall. I usually go overkill, uninstall most things, see what broke, factory reset again, and then uninstall a little less on the next round. But surely there's a better way.

Semaphor 3y ago
I unlock the bootloader and install a custom rom (pretty much exclusively LineageOS nowadays, I’d try GrapheneOS, but I’d have to spend far more on the phone than I’m willing to get that). That is everything cleaned ;) I only buy phones with LineageOS support.
- pxeboot 3y ago
  GrapheneOS is no harder to install or use than LineageOS. If anything, it is easier, since the documentation is far better and almost always applicable to all supported devices.
  - Semaphor 3y ago
    It’s not about hard/easy, it’s the supported devices. I spend very little on phones (current one is a OnePlus Nord, which I bought for 250€) as I don’t like to use them.
    - 8organicbits 3y ago
      Graphene is Google Pixel only still. The current cheapest available looks like the Pixel 7A at £379 (new). So I agree, the added cost doesn't seem worth it. https://store.google.com/config/pixel_7a https://store.google.com/config/pixel_7a
- Xeamek 3y ago
  Does it come with it's own version of the 'core apps' (calendar, phone, calculator etc.) or do You install and use some third party apps from app store?
  - Tade0 3y ago
    You can install a custom Google Apps package, e.g.: https://nikgapps.com/ https://nikgapps.com/
    - Xeamek 3y ago
      At that point why would I go for the trouble of installing custom rom though?
      - scns 3y ago
        Because you can choose how many of them you want. None, only the Play Store or the whole shebang.
      - Semaphor 3y ago
        Besides what sibling said, and lack of bloatware, I find LineageOS to simply be better than original ROMs. Just using vol up/down to move the cursor is already a godsend for me. I’ve also been using CyanogenMod/LineageOS since my first android (HTC Desire Z/T-Mobile G2, damn do I miss that full keyboard) and it’s great to be able to always use the same OS.
  - opan 3y ago
    You'll get AOSP versions of the basics, though some things like the camera app might actually be made/modified by Lineage. I run LineageOS with no gapps and find it to be quite usable. I get most apps from F-Droid, but there's also Aurora Store (installable from F-Droid) if you need anything from the Play Store.

tjoff 3y ago

Or if you want to use scrcpy, which I find indispensable. https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy

yonatan8070 3y ago
Scrcpy is an awesome tool, but I never found a use for it in my workflow (built a couple of small, unpublished Android apps) What do you use it for that makes it better than just picking up your device?
- sir_brickalot 3y ago
  I just had a strong use case: a broken screen. A combination of Google Assistant, Talkback, USB-C-to-USB-A-Adapter and Keyboard, a Bluetooth keyboard, scrcpy, Anydesk and a new Pixel phone for practicing helped get some data off the device and even do a migration to the new phone. Needed all of the above and a lot of trial and error and time!!
  - mintplant 3y ago
    I keep a copy of scrcpy around for exactly this. It's saved me twice now, and helped me rescue some data from a friend's phone, too.
- tjoff 3y ago
  I do most of my meetings on my phone, and enlarging the screen if someone is sharing their screen works pretty well (it's not perfect, but more than enough for presentations). But I can of course transfer the call to my PC if need be. But I just have scrcpy up in a window on one of my screens/workspace constantly. The keyboard shortcuts work quite well and I don't have to break my flow just to do something on my phone. Clipboard is synced as well. If I get a notification I can check what it is about without taking my hands of my keyboard etc. I'm sure it sounds a bit convoluted, and each usecase (meetings, notifications etc.) have other better/more-native solutions but the experience all in all is a game-changer. To the point where "just picking up your device" is too much of a bother. Why not do it through scrcpy instead? Quicker, proper keyboard etc. and the mouse works really well. To the point where I kind of miss right-click is "back" when I'm outside the scrcpy window.