I need a new phone so have started looking into degoogled phones

I would still like ideally to be able to use Australian banking apps, Spotify, google maps - or equivalent, facebook/facebook messanger, instagram, garmin connect for my watch etc.

I've contacted one supplier of degoolged phones and they have told me I can do that but would be a waste of money as those apps would still be tracking me etc. I guess these apps get a lot of permission/access to your phone's data or can you block some of this on Graphene?

I see a lot of people still using these apps etc. so is there a way around this, or are they oblivious to the tracking still and think Graphene OS somehow protects them?

What is the cost of privacy? how much of the connivence of a regular phone do you have to give up for privacy? I think I have blocked google on from recording my voice on my current phone, e.g. android auto voice prompts don't work which I can live with, but ideally I would want some good maps to work via my phone on my car stereo for example

Thanks

    jb7 "I've contacted one supplier of degoolged phones and they have told me I can do that but would be a waste of money"

    I mentioned this to you, but I wouldn't buy from this person.

    This question isn't really answerable, I don't think you really understand what you are asking. Privacy isn't a defined concept, its just exercising sharing what you wish to share and withdrawing what you wish to not.

    Whoever is the vendor of those phones has a seriously flawed idea of privacy and more importantly probably doesn't know what he is doing and may sell you an insecure and non functional phone.

    Setting up GOS takes 20 minutes, buy a pixel from google themselves or your local electronics store (make sure the pixel is carrier unlocked).

    After that, simply consider what you do, and don't, want shared. GOS makes it easy to control app permissions (well, android in general but GOS has more options and security features)

    • jb7 replied to this.
    • fxnn likes this.

        With sandboxed google play services installed, the app compatibility should be nearly on par with stock Pixel OS, except some Banking apps and a few other apps enforcing strong play integrity. Many apps will also run fine completely without Play Services, but YMMV.

        The apps you install, for example Instagram and Spotify, can still track you through their algorithm, the files you upload or give them acces to, IP address (unless used with VPN or TOR), etc., but thanks to features like storage scopes and contact scopes you can better limit what files and contacts on your device the app has access to. Also through the extensive security hardening the GrapheneOS devs implemented, you will benefit from running such apps on a GrapheneOS device no matter what.

        Regarding android auto I can't speak from first hand experience since I never used it, but as far as I'm aware it should mostly work with sandboxed google play services (with the exception of few cars that use a non-standard implementation I think. You'll likely find better answers to this by searching for "android auto" on this forum).

        jb7

        jb7 I've contacted one supplier of degoolged phones

        Don't do that. Buy a Pixel and install GrapheneOS. It is easy, secure, free and you know what is in your phone. As for the apps, you can use whatever apps you like with a much higher level of privacy with GrapheneOS and sandboxed Google Play than on stock OS.

            jb7 I agree with @raccoondad, you can't really be sure if the phone comes from legitimate source or if it's even genuine in the fiest place.

            Also this person seems to be equating privacy with anonymity which is not the same thing, not even close.. Another red flag imo, as people who try to sell 'anonymous' phones are scammers at best, straight up criminals at worst ;)

            This topic was discussed over a lot, you'd find plenty of opinions including people involved in the project. Do your research and decide for yourself. But in the end, make sure you buy the phone from reputable seller.

            • jb7 likes this.

              jb7 "Spotify, google maps - or equivalent, facebook/facebook messanger, instagram"

              As long as you give your data willingly to Meta & Co, using a degoogled phone seems a bit like putting a band aid on a broken arm.

                  jb7 What is the cost of privacy? how much of the connivence of a regular phone do you have to give up for privacy?

                  That's subjective. IMO not that much. Most of the sacrifices you're making are features you were able to live without before they existed.
                  Also just because you use a meta product, doesn't negate every privacy step you've made.

                    BaronAfanas Using those apps on GOS will still provide higher privacy and security, than on stock. (as long as you don't willingly enable the unnecessary permissions). Of course it is not perfect but imho one of the reasons why Graphene is at the top is due to the viability of such a usecase.

                      raccoondad

                      Thanks, yes I don't understand much about privacy, hence why I'm asking.

                      I like your analogy though of exercised sharing, I'm obviously oblivious to how much I am currently sharing, and I'm not sure if there is a guide somewhere simplifying what you are sharing exactly without reading pages of Terms of Service etc.

                      I don't think the vendor is dodgy but I won't post there details here to check ;p I agree as Oxsigsev said they probably are more talking about 'anonymity' as they are more from the freedom movement and probably fear a future of the Government going full 1984

                      If as you have all mentioned it is easy to do myself then I will give it a go and see how I get on figuring it all out!

                          BaronAfanas

                          Possibly, but if you have a business social media tends to be basically critical these days.... what are the work arounds?

                          I guess in terms of tracking, if I use Facebook etc. on a browser like Brave I guess that is better than installing the app

                              jb7

                              Yeah just buy a pixel (CARRIER UNLOCKED, carrier branded pixels can't be used with GOS) from the google store, that's your best bet. Otherwise your local electronics store will have them, but I prefer going to google directly to make sure its carrier unlocked.

                              The install instructions are at https://grapheneos.org/install/ and will take about 10 minutes.

                              https://tosdr.org/en

                                BaronAfanas "As long as you give your data willingly to Meta & Co, using a degoogled phone seems a bit like putting a band aid on a broken arm."

                                GOS is still hardened and google play services are more contained than stock Pixel OS. There's no real reason to run the stock OS outside of compatibility if you were to ask me.

                                  jb7 "what are the work arounds?"

                                  There aren't, if you use the service that's just how it is.

                                  "Better than installing the app"

                                  Not by a huge amount, using the web app or the android application both are going to give a similarish amount of data.