New to GOS, need help finetuning setup

User2288

Lets say you want to use a potentially privacy invasive app like google maps, it doesnt by default know your "identity". So you could install it and use it with a vpn, and it wont know who you are. However if you then install another privacy problematic app in the same profile like uber or doordash that actually knows your identity (have your phone number / credit card), then its possible google maps will "acquire" your identity. Even if the apps dont directly use IPC to talk to each other, because they both see the same "profile ID", if doordash shares any analytics data with google then google will find out who that profile ID belongs to and associate it with your google maps app.

So be mindful of how you mix your " identity revealed" and "identity hidden" apps in the same profile.

This is less of a problem though when mixing identity-revealed bad apps (whatsapp, Netflix, spotify, etc) with FOSS apps like signal or tutanota, as tutanota for example will not be sharing any data with google or Facebook. Google maps will see a tutanota app present but will not know its "identity".

So in some cases its ok to install bad apps in the same, and in other cases its better to separate them. Just be mindful what apps you mix in each profile.

If you install google play components in a profile, and install an identity-revealed app too then very likely those play components will get your identity through the app for that whole profile. If you are log into a google account then, that identity will pass to that google account. All fyi.
You can copy over already installed apps from other profiles (just the generic app, not any personalized data) however you can not transfer over any settings. You have to set everything up from scratch on each profile.
You can block internet access to some of those 34 apps, but some might need it. However don't be afraid to try. Nothing bad will happen. Same applies to sensor access. You can block sensor access to newly installed apps, but default apps already had them. You can then go and block default apps too. Some will be ok, some wont. But ultimately you kind of don't really need to do that because those apps are trustable.

AaronWeiss

User2288 Thanks for your detailled answer. I'll keep that in mindandnseparate apps that know me fron those which dont'.

Hb1hf

User2288
take a look at this:
https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/5775-device-fingerprinting-test-results-concerns-and-questions

Apps may not see the list of other apps installed in other profiles, but GOS is easily "fingerprintable" and all apps know they're in the same device, even if in different profiles.

So don't waste a lot of effort on this.

titaniumtown

[deleted] ...what?

GrapheneLover

titaniumtown

Don't pay any mind to that Aliceoff guy its the same guy who always spilling nonsense on this board, his past usernames were investigator and bouledeneigeofff he's always coming here and posting nonsense things and getting into it with other members lol.

titaniumtown

GrapheneLover yea, complete nonsense lol

[deleted]

titaniumtown It's strange that you end your sentences with lol, a bit like 15-year-olds in the throes of puberty.

[deleted]

[deleted] You are triggered by a lol?

[deleted]

[deleted] probably not, but lol is unmistakable sign of immaturity

[deleted]

[deleted] Unmistakable you say? Your opinion is not a fact buddy.

AaronWeiss

Hey everyone,

A few followup questions:

What Mail App do you recommend?
I have a work email and a private hotmail that I mainly use for buying stuff or signing in on websites. Would you recommend using them on separate apps/ profiles?
What Apps know my identity? Just the ones that have my phone or credit card? Doesn't for example my Youtube account probably know who I am by now? Should I make a new one?

Thanks again for your help and teachings!
I've had GOS for like 2 weeks now and it feels strangely satisfying to take back control of my privacy.
Big thanks to the devs!

Hb1hf

AaronWeiss

FairEmail and K-9 Mail, as per https://www.privacyguides.org/en/email-clients/.
I've never tried K9 so I can't compare both. I use FairEmail and am very satisfied so far.
For privacy it doesn't really matter how many profiles you use. Create a work profile if it helps you organize yourself.
Technically they can all get your id if they really want to (see my previous post). That's why it's best to try to avoid them at all. Replace youtube with NewPipe, Twitter with Nitter, etc. For the stuff you really can't do without, try to use the website versions (or create webapps) instead of apps.
You also can't really create a new Google account without providing a phone number, so there's not escape.

AaronWeiss

Hb1hf
I tried New Pipe and it's great!
I dont have twitter, but if you have any other alternatives for Spotify, a normal music player, maps and/or an app to learn italian, etc. I'm to check it out

User2288

AaronWeiss

Privacy invasive apps generally try ti fingerprint you heavily, so its best not to install them when possible and use alternative frontends as @Hb1hf said. Search for "alternative frontends" on search engines and see a bunch of interesting options.

See this post and the links inside it for some useful apps.
https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/5267-basics/9

Hb1hf

AaronWeiss

@User2288

There's also this, on the web side (the extension is fantastic, by the way, for desktop):
https://libredirect.github.io

[deleted]

AaronWeiss

Hi,
I would not recommend F-Droid since Its official client app literally targets Android 7.1 (No SECURE app would ever do that), You can read more here: https://privsec.dev/posts/android/f-droid-security-issues/

As for Aurora store, Its like very incomplete, unmaintained and Google can simply stop it from working at any time—and using the Anonymous login means you'll be downloading apps in account(s) of random strangers, meaning they can track what apps you use. Aurora store also does not support Play feature/asset delivery.

casualmilkenjoyer

[deleted]
There are some legitimate complaints to be made about Aurora, but unmaintained it is not. https://gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore shows changes in the last few days, and the Dev is active on the GitHub bug tracker. Maybe "poorly maintained" is a better descriptor ;).

AaronWeiss

[deleted] Thanks for your answer. How do you download apps if not with f-droid or Aurora?

[deleted]

[deleted] No.

treequell

AaronWeiss Rather than Aurora Store, you could use Google Play Store, with sandboxed Google Play Services. Rather than F-Droid, you could install apps from GitHub using Obtainium.

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