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No mention of Android and how to DeGoogle it? I mean, I suppose this is mostly an advertisement for ProtonMail & friends, but still... This is, for me, the are

No mention of Android and how to DeGoogle it? I mean, I suppose this is mostly an advertisement for ProtonMail & friends, but still... This is, for me, the area where DeGoogling has the strongest downsides: losing access to the ability to install apps from Google Play, and not being able to run the majority of modern android apps due to the heavy reliance on Play SDK. I definitely get some funny looks when people tell me to "just install the app" and I respond with "I can't install apps."

lawn 2y ago
I've been using CalyxOS with MicroG for Google Play services and the Aurora Store to download apps without logging in. It's been working great and the only thing I've had to give up is reliance on in-app purchases. I was worried about banking apps in particular but so far everything has worked without issue.
- em-bee 2y ago
  same here with /e/OS-murena. never tried payments though or buying google-play apps for which you still need a google account and log in.
friend_and_foe 2y ago
I've been living this way for close to a decade and I'll tell you it's not as hard as it seems. Most of those apps are available elsewhere, most of them still work even without the play services and for the ones that give you a hard time, you can spoof play services. I think I've installed maybe 2 apps in the last decade that didn't run. Granted, I don't play games on my phone. For the odd piece of software maybe you paid for or something, there's usually a FOSS alternative that works just as well. I haven't engaged in software piracy on my phone in many years, it's just not necessary or worth it. I'm not missing much. All you need is an AOSP rom, Aurora store and MicroG. Tangential, someone who just willy nilly tells you to just willy nilly execute software on your device is not someone you should be listening to. I'm not installing and running a program on my phone to get a free $5 box from taco bell. I don't know what kind of app recommendations you're getting, but usually, even if I can run something, my response is "no thanks."

lawn 2y ago

I've been using CalyxOS with MicroG for Google Play services and the Aurora Store to download apps without logging in. It's been working great and the only thing I've had to give up is reliance on in-app purchases. I was worried about banking apps in particular but so far everything has worked without issue.

em-bee 2y ago
same here with /e/OS-murena. never tried payments though or buying google-play apps for which you still need a google account and log in.

friend_and_foe 2y ago

I've been living this way for close to a decade and I'll tell you it's not as hard as it seems. Most of those apps are available elsewhere, most of them still work even without the play services and for the ones that give you a hard time, you can spoof play services. I think I've installed maybe 2 apps in the last decade that didn't run. Granted, I don't play games on my phone. For the odd piece of software maybe you paid for or something, there's usually a FOSS alternative that works just as well. I haven't engaged in software piracy on my phone in many years, it's just not necessary or worth it. I'm not missing much. All you need is an AOSP rom, Aurora store and MicroG. Tangential, someone who just willy nilly tells you to just willy nilly execute software on your device is not someone you should be listening to. I'm not installing and running a program on my phone to get a free $5 box from taco bell. I don't know what kind of app recommendations you're getting, but usually, even if I can run something, my response is "no thanks."