I used Universal Android Debloater to remove ai features and other anti-privacy features within the ‘‘recommended list’’.
I’m not using google suite(as in I’m not using gmail, and drive for my stuff) but I have a google account signed in only for the stuff I can only safely get from play store. Also I’m not signed in to any Samsung services. I also use shelter to isolate apps which require more permissions than I’m comfortable with.
I’m using foss alternatives of almost everything (Including things like dialer, contacts app, file explorler gallery etc.) & installing everything from F-Droid and Aurora where possible. I’m also using web apps instead of normal apps for most of the stuff.
I’m also using private DNS with very strict filters (I’m maintaining my own whitelist).
With this setup, I’m pretty sure I’m doing more than 99% of smartphone users globally, but I’m aware that this is probably nowhere near recommended privacy friendly Android distributions can achieve. Unfortunately models like pixels are not available where I live and this is the best I can achieve with my current knowledge. My main threat model primarily focuses on corporate surveillance, and I wonder how much less I’m achieving with using a Samsung phone like this. Also, what can I improve upon? Thanks in advance.
I deleted all kinds of stuff via Shizuku and De1984.
I even deleted some system apps and replaced them with open source.
Had a VPN.
Used a strict firewall.
The phone worked great and all but I had a problem I couldn’t shake in the back of my mind.
What if I deleted an app that had something to do with security thereby making my situation worse?
I don’t know a ton about technology at all. So I can only assume with a phone that’s locked by an OEM with their software no matter what modifications are made may make some difference, but probably with a lot of holes you either can’t fill or create new ones.
That being said, if you know what you are doing, go for it. It’s certainly better than doing nothing.
Me? I don’t know what I am doing trying to modify an OS. So I got rid of the Samsung and took a pretty good loss and bought a pixel.
I’m also living with the same worry lol. Everything works well but what if I removed something I shouldn’t have?
At least you and I tried
I can go get it by travelling, but my country IMEI locks foreign bought phones that can’t be used with local Telecom providers. Regardless of the phone’s original price, IMEI registration costs an additional 1300 dollars(plus plane ticket, accomodation and visa process). As a person living in a poorer country my privacy subscriptions are already costing me an arm and a leg on a monthly basis. I don’t think I can financially recover that . I wish privacy friendly alternatives were more accessible in the cases like this.
What about obtaining a pixel and running certain things on it via WiFi or hotspot?
Just don’t try to register it to use it with your carrier. If you really wanted to go James Bond I wonder if it would be possible to have a VoIP number for calls and Signal for calls and or texts. If you have an excellent data plan you could run the pixel with your hotspot but when out and about you would have 2 phones. Or just keep it at home and use it with WiFi if that’s all you have.
Like things you want to keep private, keep it off your main registered phone.
I have a cheap Android phone I use just for Facebook because right now I need Facebook. Plus any other apps I don’t care of they can talk to one another where I am known anyways.
Thanks for the advice this is one way to approach things but the part of obtaining a pixel is still a significant hassle. My data plans here are also pretty bad like, if you use 1kb, it registers as 100kb and they’re expensive. People are already seeing me as a bit of a weirdo for talking about privacy, so I’m pretty sure using two phones will make my life harder. Plus I have to carry two devices.
For now, I need to find a way to achieve the best with what I have. In the future, I may look into other Android distributions like Lineage if I can find a relatively modern device that supports them. And who knows, maybe Graphene’s new supported devices will be available in my country (hopefully)
If you’re okay disclosing, I’m curious - which country do you live in? I ask because it provides contextual info that makes it easier for others to understand your asks and enables others to better answer.
Then this should not really be the case and I am confused. Mint Mobile has great plans at affordable prices. Plus, Pixels sold there are almost always the cheapest among other places they are usually sold. And you can easily order them too unlike many other countries/most countries.
Unfortunately it is. We are being taxed like you are a company if we order products from other countries (Because gov wants us to pay high taxes locally by not buying stuff from outside). Mint mobile seems like a US provider, which is impossible to use here anyways. Also having bad data plans is not my main concern in this case.
No worries, I actually checked out mint mobile. It doesn’t require you to be a US citizen to be a customer and It offers international roaming but with the cost of 20 dollars for 10 days. Which is pretty much out of my scope as an out of the box thought alternative to my local providers
. I wish privacy friendly alternatives were more accessible in the cases like this.