What apps do you use in a second profile instead of your main (owner) profile?

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Basically title, cant decide which apps im gonna use on my main profile vs my second user profile

Kryptos

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My main profile will be used for apps I consider low risk and that don't require the Google Play Framework (GPF). I'll create a second profile specifically for apps that require the GPF sandbox or are higher privacy risks.

As for the applications with higher privacy risks, I'll likely forego the Android app and use PWA where convenient.

If I had apps that shared a unique context, I might create an additional profile for them.

Anyway, I haven't even used GOS yet. This is just my perspective after a bit of research.

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Kryptos

What kinda apps would you use in your second profile? What is the use case of different profiles even anyway, since alot of people say all apps are sandboxed already lol

Kryptos

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If I absolutely needed an app that required the Google Play Framework (GPF), I'd install it in the second profile. Many banking apps require GPF, for instance.

Or anti-privacy apps like Facebook, Instagram, Tik-Tok, WhatsApp, etc might go in the second profile.

But honestly I don't plan to and would use a second phone if I absolutely needed to use any of these services. Why expose the phone to unnecessary fingerprinting risk?

If any of these anti-privacy apps share with another, you could segment further by placing them in separate secondary profiles.

nrt

Profiles for different identities. Use an always on VPN in secondary profile with Facebook for instance.

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nrt

Hmm i see, so lets say if i make a new reddit account on a seperate profile, reddit wont know that i have 2-3 other account right?

Can i only use that seperate profile to log in to the new reddit account, or can i log in to it on my PC too (with a VPN on ofcourse)?

*Btw, since the app is downloaded through the aurora store, will they get any hardware info?

nrt

nrt to clarify what I mean by separate identities:
"Android's user profiles are isolated workspaces with their own instances of apps, app data and profile data (contacts, media store, home directory, etc.). Apps can't see the apps in other user profiles and can only communicate with apps within the same user profile (with mutual consent with the other app). Each user profile has their own encryption keys based on their lock method."

nrt

apps don't have access to hardware identifiers.
If you use the same browser (or app) on different profiles you can be fingerprinted.
Use vanadium on 1 profile, and brave on another to use multiple reddit accounts.
As device fingerprinting becomes more advanced this might not work in the future.
any device can be fingerprinted, a VPN won't prevent that

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nrt yeah i think using browsers to access the reddit accounts is more private than using the apps right?
Sorry if im asking dumb questions but last time i used android was like 8-10 years ago lol.

But (if using apps is just as private as using browsers) i just need to use 1 reddit acount on my main profile, and another account on the other profile with a different VPN region?

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nrt why cant a VPN prevent fingerprinting btw, i mean it can on PC, + if you use useragent spoofers and other extensions right?

nrt

nrt so if you are using Facebook and give it contacts permission on 1 profile it will not have access to your contacts on the other profile.

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Kryptos what do you mean if the apps share with each other?

nrt

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Test it yourself create a secondary profile, launch this fingerprinting website on both profiles. Notice what identifiers it uses. This will give you an idea of how websites can uniquely identify visitors.
https://abrahamjuliot.github.io/creepjs/

nrt

If you use the reddit app in both profiles it will likely have the same unique fingerprint, associating the 2 accounts.
So in your main profile you can use the reddit app and in second profile use brave browser for instance. Use a VPN solely for the purpose of changing your IP address not to prevent device fingerprinting.

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nrt hmm yeah that makes sense.
Okay I'm only going to use the new account in my main profile then.
I don't like brave browser BTW, do you have any other recommendations? TOR maybe?
I must say I'm running my VPN on a TOR server so idk if it makes sense to use TOR browser on top of that.

And what is the best way to reduce device fingerprinting other than the things we discussed just now?

Kryptos

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Android apps can communicate with one another. This is how: https://developer.android.com/guide/components/intents-filters

TLDR: Each app's manifest file contains explicit and implicit intents as well as intent filters. So if you were to dig in, you could more clearly analyse an app's privacy.

nrt

The best way to not be unique is to use default settings and try to blend in. Use your browsers default settings.

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nrt I'm on stock vanadium, but the website said this: 'crowd-blending score: 27% F'

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Kryptos Do they start to communicate with other apps the moment you install them?

Can i block them from communicating with each other?
Thanks for linking the source btw!

Kryptos

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When they communicate depends on the app implementation. But theoretically they can as soon as installed.
I presume you could uninstall the other apps they communicate with but don't know of another way to limit this communication.