Stop google

[cptkirkam56]

Can anybody build a replacement for the google phone os? Now's the time to get together and get it done!

 

[wizardfromoz]

G'day

Forum Assistance is for inquiries about site navigation and display &c, I am moving this to General Linux.

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

 

[SpongebobFan1994]

Can anybody build a replacement for the google phone os? Now's the time to get together and get it done!

There's Replicant, which replaces all of the proprietary software of Android with libre equivalents. https://www.replicant.us/

 

[LorenDB]

Check out this recent thread: https://www.linux.org/threads/what-...-os-base-for-mobile-phones.32492/#post-110681

 

[jglen490]

For the OP, what is the problem as you see it?

 

[KGIII]

There's the PinePhone project that actually shipped products, much to my amazement.

 

[LorenDB]

There's the PinePhone project that actually shipped products, much to my amazement.

Why are you amazed? People want Linux! I'd actually love to have one myself.

 

[KGIII]

Why are you amazed? People want Linux! I'd actually love to have one myself.

Because of the hardware requirements. So much phone hardware is closed source, binary blobs - at best.

That they managed to put it together with their requirements is a testament to their dedication. I did not expect them to succeed.

 

[LorenDB]

I think that they actually had some closed source blobs in there, but the community is working on making open source firmware.

 

[f33dm3bits]

To get rid of all my google service I tried hosting my own calendar and contacts for 2 years I think using a product with a license. With each update something broke and I wasn't able to use my contacts and calendar until I was able to fix it with support from the vendor. After two years I got tired out of the annoyance with it breaking each time there was an update so I switched back to google for my contacts and calendar, why not use something that provides a better service than I can get else where? Sure I could use nextcloud for contacts and calendar but I don't have to host everything myself, I host my own e-mail that's already an improvement. As a search engine I mostly use DuckDuckGo and every now and then when I am not happy with the results I get I use a google search.

I used to have an Android phone running a custom ROM(LineageOS) because Samsung only provides updates for 2 years after the release of a phone. I had it twice that my phone wouldn't boot after an update, the first time I was able to restore from a backup the second time my backup wouldn't even restore my phone to a working phone. So I bought an iphone since you get a minimal of 5 years support and since Apple's core business isn't personal information I find it a better option than having google integrated in every part of my phone.

 

[cptkirkam56]

For the OP, what is the problem as you see it?

They have too much control and way too many tracking aspects to their platform. I also think the people on here would be better at building a cleaner OS that would be easier for the tech challenged older users.

 

[LorenDB]

Google also locks down your phone and doesn't let you customize it (vendors do this too). A good example is the way that you cannot uninstall Chrome.

 

[MatsuShimizu]

Can anybody build a replacement for the google phone os? Now's the time to get together and get it done!

If you are looking for alternatives to Android, there are a few:
- Calyx OS. (You can search for the official website on Google).
- Graphene OS.
- Ubuntu Touch.

However, keep in mind that these Android alternatives are not suitable for all phones.
You can also try these, but they are not the best options if you care about privacy:
- Harmony OS from Huawei.
- Kai OS.

Google also locks down your phone and doesn't let you customize it (vendors do this too). A good example is a way that you cannot uninstall Chrome.

Yeah, if you are on Android, it is not that easy to get rid of Google services, especially Google Play Services. You can try removing it by rooting the phone that is using software like KingoRoot. But rooting is not easy for most users. Sometimes it works but sometimes it is not.

However, you can disable most Google apps on Android. Go to settings > search for apps > Disable Google Play, Chrome, Google Drive, etc.

They have too much control and way too many tracking aspects to their platform. I also think the people on here would be better at building a cleaner OS that would be easier for the tech-challenged older users.

Even if you don't use Google products, Google still tracks you as long as you use the internet. The majority of websites on the web are using Google Analytics and Google Adsense, which means your visit to these websites will be tracked and logged by Google.

If you install adblocker like Ghostery and Privacy Badger, you will be surprised by how many websites are installing Google and Facebook scripts.

 

[f33dm3bits]

LineageOS has support for a lot of phones.

How to Use Android Without Any Google Apps or Services

There have been concerns with how much personal information Google tracks and all the things they know about us. Of course, that's what makes Google services so useful, they can use that information to cater to each of us individually. So yes, it serves a purpose, but it's not great for personal...

android.gadgethacks.com