Through certain Services, we collect personal information about your online activities on websites and connected devices over time and across third-party websites, devices, apps, and other online features and services through cookies and similar technologies. We use third-party analytics services on our Services, such as those of Google Analytics, Firebase Analytics, and Adobe Analytics. The service providers that administer these analytics services help us to analyze your use of the Services and to improve the Services. The information we obtain may be disclosed to or collected directly by these providers and other relevant third parties who use the information, for example, to evaluate use of the Services, help administer the Services, and diagnose technical issues.
Sure, they have a ton of services. But it’s not related to when you back up and sync to their account with E2EE enabled.
I think I will end my opinion here regarding a stock Samsung vs CalyxOS. I gave my opinion: a stock Samsung > CalyxOS in terms of privacy, as the privacy feature I use can’t be found in CalyxOS. I could be wrong and everyone should take it as a grain of salt.
This is included in Android 15 and above so will be in Calyx. I do not understand how you believe Samsung is more private. That is just simply not true at best and genuine ignorance at worst.
The features of Secure Folder when compared with Private spaces is like this -
Secure Folder (i took the headlines from the page you linked) :
Separate and secure confidential data
Enhanced encryption [sidenote : it’s just marketing normal Android user profile encryption as “enhanced”]
Just for you - Keep your Secure Folder even safer by enabling a passcode or biometric lock.
It seems you edited a part in your post that I didn’t see before. Here’s my thought:
Secure Folder.
Until then. But it’s in Samsung devices for years, happy to see this useful privacy feature implemented in Android, finally. I have seen many users on Reddit requesting this feature on Pixels for years.
Moreover, the work is done in Android. So, back to the point that I made earlier, I don’t see the point of CalyxOS at all. There’s almost nothing to make them standout in privacy space. It has a hard time even when comparing to a stock ROM.
On the hardware side, Pixel users would go to GOS over CalyxOS. Other few devices that they support over GOS are either really old + non-economical (more expensive than the competitors, while almost at EOL) or niche.
It seems, after Android 15, I will have to re-evaluate this topic again. Seeing as One UI 7 is nearly release (currently in beta 2), I’m interested to see how they will go with Secure Folder. I hope that they’ll remove it in place of Private Space (if it’s essentially the same), but I don’t think so. Another duplicate app it seems
You continue to ignore the fact that Samsung has far more extensive telemetry. You are wrong when you say Samsung is more private just because it had one exclusive feature that stock Android didn’t have. I have tried to explain to you multiple times with sources that the point is false, yet you continue to reiterate the same shit. Samsung is not private.
I think I will end my opinion here regarding a stock Samsung vs CalyxOS. I gave my opinion: a stock Samsung > CalyxOS in terms of privacy, as the privacy feature I use can’t be found in CalyxOS. I could be wrong and everyone should take it as a grain of salt.
If you feel like you could be wrong, why are you not taking an opportunity to at least read the links I attached? Hell, if you do not trust me, at least search for the Samsung privacy policy and manually review it.
It’s not just this feature. And you are wrong. Samsung also supports E2EE backup and sync that the stock Android don’t have.
The fact that I can’t possibly list all the features on top of my head right now, doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. I can’t even list all the features that I don’t use. I am just sharing my point that, a stock ROM could have more privacy benefits than a custom ROM sometimes.
Didn’t I also tell you multiply times that telemetry is not everything? If you don’t agree, just agree to disagree, as there’s no point in further discussion.
How did you know I didn’t???
Again, how did you know I read it or not? Whether I put it into consideration is another matter entirely. As I told you, it’s not related to E2EE which I care more than the telemetry, as it’s also a tangible privacy benefit.
Stay on the matter, and please don’t assume something you don’t know about me.
OK? Do you know about the SeedVault application? It provides E2EE local backup for CalyxOS. It doesn’t have sync across devices, because it is just a backup application, but that does not matter because there is no Google account integration for syncing data across devices.
The fact that I can’t possibly list all the features on top of my head right now, doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. I can’t even list all the features that I don’t use. I am just sharing my point that, a stock ROM could have more privacy benefits than a custom ROM sometimes.
Fine, I will accept that there aren’t much privacy exclusive features. However, it’s not completely blank.
There is a “Redact all cleartext traffic” option in CalyxOS to block all http traffic
Why sync functionality has anything to do with Google account? Samsung account’s syncing is also not related to Google account. I doubt that SeedVault has anything you can compare to Google’s or Samsung’s backup and sync which sync on the cloud, while SeedVault is a local backup tool.
Many things in there only apply to opt-in features. For example If you’d use Calyx VPN on CalyxOS, its not their problem that you OPTED to route your traffic through them. Same with Samsung Account etc. on OneUI.
Samsung will collect telemetry regardless of whether you create an account.
From their privacy policy :
This Privacy Policy applies to all of our Samsung devices and services where we process personal information, from mobile phones, tablets, TVs and home appliances, to the customer services and online services we provide on our Samsung website. We will refer to these devices and services as the “Services” in this Privacy Policy.
Even their devices are referred to as Services. And like I previously mentioned :
This Privacy Policy applies to all of our Samsung devices and services where we process personal information, from mobile phones, tablets, TVs and home appliances, to the customer services and online services we provide on our Samsung website. We will refer to these devices and services as the “Services” in this Privacy Policy.
Your data is collected when you use the device, accountless or not.
The level of mental gymnastics I am seeing here is absolutely impressive.
This doesn’t disprove anything i said.
You stated : “Many things in there only apply to opt-in features.”. Do you consider buying the device as an opt in feature? Because this privacy policy applies to you if you buy the device and gives Samsung full rights to collect any data they detail under their privacy policy.
If you then tell me “Well, you bought the device. Therefore you agree to having your data collected.”, then your entire “Samsung is more private than Calyx” thing falls apart. There is no form of in built telemetry in Calyx. The Calyx VPN feature is also accountless. I am not a Calyx VPN user, but please for the love of god stop spouting bullshit. (went on further detail below)
Okay. And? Not like that matters in this context.
It matters because you assume Samsung will not collect any data (or, you say, “the telemetry is way less when you dont opt-in”)
Also. Can I have sources for these?
My argument is that its better than you think and that the telemetry is way less when you dont opt-in to using their online services.
So is Samsung telemetry. I brought calyx VPN up originally to make the argument that its up to the user to destroy their privacy on the device.
(Calyx VPN doesn’t have any telemetry-like features anyways, but…)
CalyxOS does not collect any telemetry if you choose to not use Calyx VPN (unlike samsung above)
For what? The common knowledge that if the policy says “we may do something” its highly context dependent
…I was replying with that image to your “Is it so hard to undestand that not everything that is being written into a general privacy policy happens INSTANTLY or automatically the moment you start using the device? Many things only trigger when you opt-in to them or use the related service.” statement. I then talked about the amount of telemetry to other statements.
Of course:
Samsung Keyboard information: The words that you type when you enable “Predictive text”. This feature may be offered in connection with your Samsung account to synchronize the data for use on your other Samsung mobile devices. You can clear the data by going to the “Predictive text” settings.
Its from their document you cited.
Fine, but can you opt out of this data collection altogether?
Oh also, it is stated that the data is collected regardless of whether you opt in or opt out. Can you show proof that Samsung respects your choice and stops collecting data related to this service when you opt out?
It’s been nearly 2 years since that article was published, so within that period a lot of changes have happened :
CalyxOS has the ability to add 16 user profiles, not just 4. This was
erronous even at the time of writing.
CalyxOS major OS updates have exponentially sped up. The huge delay between Android 11 to Android 12 was a one time occurence. The time taken for the first build to land after AOSP release for the next major updates are as the follows :
COS A12 to A13 - Took one month
COS A13 to A14 - Took 10 days
COS A14 to A15 - Took 5 days
One of the talking points was about microG being less compatible :
As a result, it only supports the various parts that have been reimplemented, meaning some things such as Google Play Games and In-app Billing API are not yet supported.
Larger apps, especially games, require Play Asset Delivery to be installed, which is currently not implemented in microG. Authentication using FIDO with online services on Android also relies on Play Services, and does not currently work with microG.
All of these features (except for FIDO, I believe) are now available in microG :
Android 12 comes with special support for seamless app updates with third-party app stores. The popular Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) repository F-Droid doesn’t implement this feature and requires a privileged extension to be included with the Android distribution in order to have unattended app updates.
I feel like this thread is missing the forest for the trees. 80 replies after DivestOS was ended last week, when it should be plain to see CalyxOS is no replacement.
AFAICT, DivestOS was recommended for its broad hardware support. GrapheneOS sets a really high bar for privacy, security, UX etc., but not everyone can afford or obtain a Google Pixel.
How does CalyxOS compare?
CalyxOS supports exactly 5 devices other than Google Pixels at this time (three Motorollas and two Fairphones); a far cry from what DivestOS supported. I could not find any listing for these less phones than $450, and I’m not confident they are easier to obtain in regions that people have trouble getting Google Pixels (especially Fairphones). They are also significantly worse for privacy/security perspective. I mean, Motorolla requires you to make an online account to unlock the bootloader and sign additional legal terms. Why in the world would Privacy Guides recommend that?
We all miss DivestOS but CalyxOS just doesn’t fill the hole it left behind. On the same hardware, there’s really no reason to recommend CalyxOS alongside GrapheneOS. Unless either of those things change, I don’t think anything else really needs to be said.
