Google Free Android

[Ishayin]

Seeing as I hardly ever use any Google apps in the first place, I was considering transitioning to a "de-Googlefied" Android setup sometime in the not too distant future and thought it could be a good topic to start a thread on. I have one friend who has done this already and seems to work ok for them outside of some notification issues with certain apps that they don't care about anyhow.

 

Is there anyone here with experience of this? What are your thoughts?

 

Below are some resources I have to hand on this subject. Please post if you have any others!

 

[Note that since I have not gone down this road myself, I cannot speak from experience for most of the below. So try at your own risk etc.]

 

Background general reading:

Spoiler

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/using-android-without-google/
https://www.androidpolice.com/2021/03/27/install-use-custom-rom-no-google-apps/
https://fsfe.org/activities/android/liberate.en.html
https://android.gadgethacks.com/how-to/use-android-without-any-google-apps-services-0193735/

 

Alternative app stores and repositories:

Spoiler

https://f-droid.org/
https://apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/
https://gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore
https://github.com/yeriomin/YalpStore
https://uptodown-android.en.uptodown.com/android
https://www.apkmirror.com/

 

[There is also Aptoide, though note some complications and concerns related to it.]

 

Services (Micro-G):

Spoiler

https://microg.org/
https://android.gadgethacks.com/how-to/install-microg-replace-google-play-services-prevent-data-mining-0193787/

(apparently you can make do without it)

 

Alternatives to Google apps:

Spoiler

YouTube [also PeerTube / SoundCloud / Bandcamp ]
https://newpipe.net/

 

Keyboard... numerous. e.g.:

https://github.com/florisboard/florisboard

 

Maps... numerous, e.g.:
https://maps.me/
[this has long always been my favourite map app in any case]

 

..what else does anyone ever use from Google??

 

 

[Hertzian56]

I try to minimize using google apps like play, using a third party browser to access gmail and anything else rather than an spy/batt draining app. Gmaps is already built in so I don't see too much benefit from going after another. I don't watch youtube a ton on my phone and it's through a browser not the app. Bitchute an alternative with less arbitrary censorship/agenda that plagues yt.

Of course Google is the OS maker so it's just minimizing it, for that I could see getting Motorola phones which seem to be stock android with no bloatware.

[6730b]

IMO one comes a long way (on any phone\brand\android version\OS flavor) by just using these 2:
https://adbappcontrol.com/ to uninstall\disable anything one does not want\use\like.
https://netguard.me/ to control all app's data activity.

Navigation\driving alternative to Google, am using https://wego.here.com
If one wishes, becomes just a GPS > all needed maps downloaded to phone, data off (or netguard killing eventual connection attempts).

[Reciever]

I hear Graphene does well for Pixel phones

[jaybee83]

1 hour ago, 6730b said:

IMO one comes a long way (on any phone\brand\android version\OS flavor) by just using these 2:
https://adbappcontrol.com/ to uninstall\disable anything one does not want\use\like.
https://netguard.me/ to control all app's data activity.

Navigation\driving alternative to Google, am using https://wego.here.com
If one wishes, becomes just a GPS > all needed maps downloaded to phone, data off (or netguard killing eventual connection attempts).

 

noice! saved those links for future reference, thanks 🙂