So I’ve got Android as I want. LineageOS, no Google, Magisk, MicroG but with AndroidAuto with OsmAnd+.
But the outside world of WhatsApp, Bank apps, etc is putting pressure to join. Plus not everything works properly with MicroG instead of the Google service provider. Makes me cross techno-politically, but I can’t always hard life tech choices when it effects others.
So, what do others do? At the moment, I’ve thinking I need a non-free phone and a free-phone! Then what, I keep swapping SIM?? I can’t see a workable VM solution to run a non-free Android in a freer Android.
The state of the phone market is pitiful.
I think there is a common misconception that LineageOS is a good rom for privacy when in fact its really meant for keeping an old phone useful and does not provide much in the way of added privacy or security.
OP if you want privacy on your phone there are better roms, the trade off with privacy is convenience. Banking apps especially have issue with privacy oriented roms.
Oh my phone is old, but 6GB RAM is still ok. LineageOS gives me the latest Android on old hardware, while giving me an easy out of Google data mining.
It doesn’t do a whole lot to prevent Googles’ data gathering. Still connects to a quite a few services in the background
Even without any of the Google services installed? I don’t think that’s true. It doesn’t have my Google login.
Like the other commenter said, its usefulness doesn’t really exceed keeping an older device up-to-date.
This article is only available in german, so I guess that’s the time to shine for the new translation feature in Firefox:
https://www.kuketz-blog.de/lineageos-weder-sicher-noch-datenschutzfreundlich-custom-roms-teil4/
And Lineage OS can be de-googled fairly easily to remove such telemetry.
To someone who installed Lineage in the first place, further degoogling shouldn’t be too hard, I agree.
GrapheneOS does look interesting. Though the Android Auto, that I use as the car satnav (with OSMAnd+), looks like it might be even more a pain to setup…
I can’t get over what a techo-political dystopia is, without a lot of faff. We need some law here, forcing standardized open interfaces! (And copyright trolling DRM pushing dark forces will fight that, because of media playing)
Shouldn’t be a problem, GOS has sandboxes play services
Also, at the same time, there’s an alternative app for google auto on fdroid
Wait what? What’s that? I’ve not seen it!
I can’t find the one from fdroid, they probably don’t have keywords i’m looking for
But there’s https://github.com/lamemakes/pilot-drive