• General

  • Some probably basic beginner's questions

Hello and welcome aboard.

1: Using Google (overall) and google apps wouldn't compromise the GOS security but will definitely compromise your anonymity.
If you install gservices and login to play store (any other gapp) with your previous email you will be identified and tracked by google as on any other device.
2: Google apps running in owner profile aren't sandboxes as such. But if you create and use google services and google apps in a separate profile, you can achieve some degree of sandboxing functionality.

3: It depends, in my personal case, I never let my GOS device to even smell google, meta, MS etc crape. There are fantastic FOSS alternatives out there.

That being said, your choices will mainly depend on your threat perception and the purpose. On a side note, play around with your phone for a week without Google, try different apps and services. At the end when you are comfortable, do a factory reset and start clean.
Good luck.

    Oppressed Google apps running in owner profile aren't sandboxes as such.

    Wrong. IPC means they can communicate with each other, but that doesn't mean that they're not sandboxed.

        Dumdum what does Sandboxed mean?
        Any two apps can communicate with each other inside a profile through mutual consent. ( In this regard, mutual consent = By default (mostly)).
        Put two google, meta, Microsoft etc apps in a single profile and enjoy your Sandbox forever.

            To what degree is your wife interested in changing the way she handles her digital life? The answer to that question will heavily weigh in on the setup deployed. If she's not all that invested the play store route is totally fine, that way you avoid unexpected outcomes like apps behaving differently than normal, etc. Things can always be moved around if she grows more keen as time goes on.

            Hi again!

            Many replies - thank you all!

            My wife is not that interested in privacy, but wouldn't mind having it, if it doesn't complicate her using the phone.
            I, on the other hand, don't want to be tracked and spied upon by my phone's apps. That's why I use /e OS on my old Redmi 8, but that more and more gets on my nerves, so I want to replace it with something more modern and more functional.

            Ok, I understand using Gplaystore is the way to go for my wife. Battery optimization means to toggle "stopping the app when unused" to off, - right? Or is there another menu entry for that?

            When I have my own Pixel, I should use Gplaystore for apps, Thunderbird for mail, and maps from the website, right?
            I could have a second profile for all G apps, but that sounds complicated? Switching to another profile to check my mail? Hm.
            Will navigation work when geolocation is routed to the OS? (Navigation never worked on /e on my phone, another reason to switch).

            I saw that Thunderbird is available as beta - for testers. Is that stable, or should I use a K9 version that is older but more stable?

            Sorry for the many questions.....thanks in advance for your time!
            Oliver

              Goldtop57 Battery optimization means to toggle "stopping the app when unused" to off, - right?

              No. That setting has nothing to do with battery optimization.

              The setting you want is App battery usage > Allow background usage (click on that text) > Unrestricted

                Goldtop57 Will navigation work when geolocation is routed to the OS?

                Yes.

                Some people do run into issues getting navigation to work in various apps, but that shouldn't be one of them.

                  Goldtop57 I saw that Thunderbird is available as beta - for testers. Is that stable, or should I use a K9 version that is older but more stable?

                  I have Thunderbird working smoothly since beta test became available. meanwhile K-9 Mail continues to work as well.

                    Thank you all very much!!!!

                    I'll be back.

                    Probably.

                    Oppressed 1: Using Google (overall) and google apps wouldn't compromise the GOS security but will definitely compromise your anonymity.

                    if you keep your google apps in one profile only for google apps, does this compromise your anonymity?

                        rellhom if you keep your google apps in one profile only for google apps, does this compromise your anonymity?

                        Depends on what information you give Google, or give them access to.

                        The purpose of keeping Google apps in a separate profile is to prevent other apps from sharing data with Google or vice versa. (Though it doesn't absolutely prevent it if they are determined.)

                        Assume the Google apps are hoovering up whatever data they do have access to though.

                          a month later

                          Ok, I am some steps further now.

                          Current problem:

                          I installed Digical, Bring (shared shopping list) and more, that, when I want them to log into google to gain access to the calendar or other required stuff, tell me "No Network access", even though Wifi is on and mobile Data are on, too.

                          What is wrong? My wife needs those apps, and I cannot figure out what is missing. Do these apps maybe try to access Playstore, which I do not use (I use Aurora instead) and so didn't allow network access...?

                          Any help much appreciated...

                          Cheers,
                          Oliver

                          Ok, some apps work now that I allowed network access for playstore. Does not feel all too comfortable.....

                          Digical still cannot access the google calendars. Upon adding her gmail address, the app says that this account is already activated, but no calendars are shown.

                          Can you recommend a calendar app that easily can access the google calendar?

                            Oppressed

                            I'd love to see a list of some of your daily FOSS apps if you wouldn't mind sharing!

                              Goldtop57 I think you would be better off just using the Google Calendar app. Digical seems to share data with over 140 providers and 67 partners, I wouldn't be comfortable with 207 entities knowing my appointments and events.

                                Dumdum how does that recommendation help with syncing Google Calendar to the phone? You can't encrypt Google Calendar afaik.

                                    Goldtop57 it's very likely Google won't directly share that data, but bundle it up with other data and sell (they don't really sell anything, too long to explain) an advertising profile. You're taking out one party (or rather 207 parties) out of the mix that way, which is already a huge improvement. If you don't care about the provider, there's a ton of possibilities to integrate calendar (including self-hosted solutions), in that case Dumdum's advice makes sense.