I've been wanting to write a full guide for this for new comers, but for now I'll write a very brief version for you.
When installing make sure you use a chrome based browser or USB compatibility for the install wont work. I recommend Brave (if windows).
Once installed:
- Update
- Go through EVERY setting and subsetting and set them to your preference. This is important. It takes a bit of time but much less time than a regular phone as a lot of BS google settings aren't there to deal with.
Now you have a basic phone, but its really not ready for you.
Installing apps procedure:
- go to https://github.com/ImranR98/Obtainium , get and install Obtanium. This app will allow you to install apps from github and other sources and help you update them very conveniently.
- Open Obtanium, click Add App, and put the obtanium github address mentioned in number 1 in the "App Source URL" and click "add". Make sure "include Prereleases" is selected for this item. (only needed for Obtanium. For other apps this should be off). Now you have Obtanium installed and it can update itself.
- Install Aurora Store. Obtanium > add app > https://gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore .
- Install Droidify. Obtanium > add app > https://github.com/Iamlooker/Droid-ify . this is the better choice for a front end for F-droid.
Now you have all the major sources (stores) to install apps from and to update the apps through.
- Get the following apps using obtanium by adding the addresses:
- Get these apps from Droid-ify:
- Geometric Weather (best to get from fdroid)
- OsmAND+ (map app - best to get from fdroid)
- Metro - Local music player
- Get these apps from Aurora:
- Brave
- Magic Earth (map app)
- Get from Aurora or F-droid:
- VLC (Video/audio player)
- Etar (Calendar app)
Now you have a phone that is more or less on par with a regular phone in terms of functionality, all major elements work well, except no voice recorder. On basic GOS this is not the case as audio/video files don't play, there is no calendar, no note taking, etc.
Other apps you might want:
- Read You (github)
- Telegram FOSS (github)
- Lawnchair v2 (Aurora)
- Infinity (github)
- KeePassDX (github)
- Antennapod (f-droid)
- Snapdrop
- Trebleshot
- Tasks.org
- Exif Scrambler
- Google photos
- Google Camera
- Google Maps
Google Camera and Google photos Will give you better post processing and better photos. If you want to install them I recommend installing both of them together in a secondary profile and keep them isolated in that profile and keep that profile fully offline.
If you need google maps, I recommend you install it in a separate profile by itself and behind a VPN. And don't let it know your own addresses (home, work, friends).
Notes:
- Some apps I've included for your convenience/utility. Not required. (ViMusic, Browsers).
- I recommend Simple Calender over Etar because I feel its slightly better (features and looks). If you find the look of simple calendar undesirable at first know that once you change the colors it will look MUCH better and very modern. I recommend you try Etar too and make your own mind.
- Simple Gallery and Aves are both great, but they trade blows. Try both, decide for yourself. Look of Simple gallery can be improved through settings.
- Keyboard can be a personal thing, but OpenBoard is superior to the default KB. Start there, and find better keyboards down the road.
- Some apps can be gotten from multiple sources. Sometimes there are differences based on where you get them from. This is why I have specified sources for where to get some of these apps. My recommendations are based on privacy, google-free-ness, and ease of update.
- if you add too many apps to obtanium it might give errors on auto check for updates, "too many requests" or something. In obtanium you can turn off auto check and just check manually once a day or two days.