Hello, how did your journey unfold?
Pixel 7 with GOS.
1 profile
Google Play sandboxed and Fdroid basic.
No VPNs
Aegis for most of 2fa
Signal and rarely cause forced Whatsapp
PGP, Cryptomator and Syncthing
Strong passwords, aliases everywhere.
Most of basic apps are selfhosted (except email) on my nas + a rpi and protected with authelia+caddy/crowdsec - the fronfacing - and the rest wireguardāed (vaultwarden, adguard, immich, meshcentral, outline, owncloud OCIS, syncthing, baikal, miniflux etc).
Using yubikeys wherever I can.
Common sense with checking links before clicking bundle 
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āWhy Notesnook over Apple Notesā
Basically because Apple Notes isnāt open source at the opposite of Notesnook.
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Samsung phone
Basic apps
Default Phone app (bc video call support)
Default files app (the alternatives arenāt great)
Default Keyboard (could change)
Default Clock app
Default Camera and Gallery
Fossify Messages, Fossify Agenda, Fossify Voice recorder(great easy interface)
App Stores
Obtainium for most apps
Aurora Store for proprietary apps
F-Droid for discovery of apps (then use Obtainium to get)
Samsung Store ONLY for system apps update
Communication:
Proton Mail App
Proton Mail Webapp (2nd address)
Molly/ Signal (supports SOCKS5/TOR, and has a standalone passlock)
Instagram Web App (one in desktop mode using Brave Beta)
Browsing:
Brave
(Brave Beta)
Mull for uBlock elements picker
Security:
Ente Auth
Bitwarden (auto-fill enabled)
Mullvad and IVPN
Media;
Grayjay for YouTube/Odyssey
Spotify for Music
Movie streaming :fmoviesz.to (easier than to use anti-VPN Netflix, which I have a profile in)
Utilities:
FUTO Voice Recognition (barely use it)
Document Viewer from GitHub
Calculator++
Google Translate WebApp
SimpleLogin webapp
Shopping webapps (painful)
Cloud :
Tresorit
Proton Drive (free plan)
Ente Photos
A few proprietary apps that have no webapp and that I need for daily life.
Do note that I did remove system apps when I had a OSS alternative installed (I removed Messages, Calendar using ADB)
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I wanted to introduce myself as a new member.
In terms of my devices, I use iOS for personal use and Android for work, specifically with Google Workspace.
Here are the apps I currently use (iOS): no iCloud services!
- Signal
- WhatsApp
- Proton Mail
- Proton Calendar
- Proton Drive
- Proton Pass
- Proton VPN
- Adguard
- Nordea Banking app
- SEB Banking app
- Swish app
- Kivra
- BankID
- Deepl
Whatshapp isnāt especially bad, worse than Signal but better than Messenger/email/sms. What are you using AdGuard for?
AdGuard Safari browser extension and DNS (native) protection when Proton VPN is down.
Why do you need a DNS app ? You can just change the DNS in the settings.
I need Adblock Safari protection.
I was wondering if you recommend uninstalling unused built-in apps in iOS, such as Mail, Calendar, and Podcasts etc. I would appreciate your insights on this matter.
Iām on GrapheneOS
App Stores
Obtainium than for Github repositories
Play store sandboxed
F-Droid Basic
Communication
Proton Mail
Tuta (Iām thinking of switching completely to Proton)
Signal (Finally, my family and friends are migrating more and more)
Whatsapp (No choice)
Telegram (Just for certain channels)
Snapchat (Just to stay connected to others, I donāt take any snap)
Discord
Browsing
Firefox Beta with Startpage and UBO (Loyal to Mozilla, I wouldnāt change)
Vanadium
Tor Browser
Security
Aegis
Bitwarden (Loyal to Bitwarden, I donāt see myself switching to Proton Pass)
Proton Drive
Proton VPN
SimpleLogin
Media
Spotify
LibreTube
Shazam
Maps
Magic Earth (Just excellent)
Organic Maps
Google Maps (Which I rarely use, but if I canāt find it on Organic Maps)
Citymapper
SreetComplete (To contribute to OSM from time to time)
Other
DeepL
HeliBorad (You can configure the BEPO keyboard, which is indispensable)
Feeder
FotMob (to follow soccer)
Pocket
Standard Notes
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What makes you say there is no privacy on iPhone anymore?
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Iām not the person youāre replying to, but Iāll give you my answer and what I do: yes.
Any app on your phone is a possible entry point. I doubt zero-click attacks like PWNYOURHOME and FINDMYPWN and one that used Calendar would work without those apps installed. Just like iMessage exploits wouldnāt work if you disable iMessage in Settings>Messages>iMessage.
Iāve deleted most of Appleās apps like Wallet, Find My, FaceTime, etc. I only kept the ones I use like Calculator, Clock, Contacts, Music, etc.
Itās much easier deleting Appleās apps on iOS and iPadOS than macOS. It is possible but you have to disable System Integrity Protection first. I donāt think thatās recommended though.
Generally, the less apps you have means you have a smaller attack surface. Itās also better for privacy.
GrapheneOS on Pixel 7. 1 profile.
- Remote attestation with Auditor (before connection to Internet after install).
- LTE-only. NFC Always off. Timeouts for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
- Allow USB peripherals when unlocked only.
- Autoreboot 12h + regular manual reboots.
- Hardened memory allocator and native code debugging and WebView JIT : 0 exception (except PDF app for JIT).
- DCL via memory disabled by default (exceptions : ente, recorder, onlyoffice, Spotify, ā¦)
- DCL via storage allowed.
- No app has accessibility or device administration.
Apps (installed via Play Store when possible):
When no internet access.
- Action Dash for screen time.
- Addy. io app
- Bitwarden
- Bura Weather
- Ente photos
- Feeder for the news.
- Libretube for YouTube
- Moshidon for Mastodon
- Notesnook
- NumberHub calculator
- OnlyOffice
- Organic Maps
- Proton Calendar
- Proton Mail
- My only browser is Vanadium.
- Windscribe VPN with R.O.B.E.R.T. (without killswitch so I can pause when needed)
- Signal
- Spotify
- Google Markupš“
- Google Photosš“
- Google Clockš“
- Google Cameraš“
- Google Recorderš“
- Google Speech servicesš“
- Google Play Services for ARš“
- Google Play Services (sandboxed)
- Google Play Store
- Google (for Lens and Shazam)
- Google Translate
- Gboard
- Google Maps
- Google Messages
- 4 bank-related apps
- Komoot
- Several apps to rent cars, bikes, taxisā¦
- Public transports app
- Some PWAs
I review each apps permission but favor usability. For instance, I let Gboard access internet to use the translate feature + emoji kitchen.
I donāt use 2FA, privacy payment method or VOIP (not available in Europe). I use SMSPool though.
I also use a MacBook.
I store my contacts locally but there are also in Proton (but not all. Proton Contacts is bad).
Do you have any comment ? 
I welcome comments.
Pixel 7 with GrapheneOS:
Apps, listed alphabetically:
AntennaPod
Blue Letter Bible (least invasive of the Bible apps that I actually like)
Brave (primary browser)
(Google) Camera without network permission
Carrion
Gboard without network permission
K-9 Mail (for use with the little Gmail I still have)
Magic Earth
Mull
Obtainium
Google Photos (until I decide if Iām gonna pay for Ente or Proton Unlimited)
Play Store (sandboxed)
Proton Drive (free tier)
Proton Mail (primary email)
Proton Pass (paid tier for unlim email aliases on the fly)
Proton VPN (free tier. Deciding between Proton Unlimited and Mullvad)
Services, by Planning Center (required scheduling app for church workers at my church)
Signal
Slack (temporary while Iām on a project with a team that uses it)
Standard Notes
Tuta Mail (for encrypted contact sync)
Tuta Calendar
WhatsApp (because some people refuse to use signal, and WhatsApp is better than SMS)
of course, all the GrapheneOS preinstalled apps are there too
Love posts like this one. Like it says in the description I would like to know what the community use for their apps and I hope this post gets taken up and everyone updates their setup.
Here goes mine, using a Pixel 6A
Bitwarden
Etar
Signal
WhatsApp (Using this only for my parents who are using this simply out of convenience and would absolutely not switch. As someone said in the posts above, itās a lot better than SMS)
Vanadium (email, bank logins)
Mull (browsing)
Brave (Mastodon, forum logins)
NextDNS (Used as a profile)
ProtonVPN (free tier, used only for public WiFi)
QuikSMS
Stock Contacts, Dialer, Calc, Clock and Gallery app
GCam (no network)
GBoard (no network, compromised for a usable keyboard with Swipe. Hate big phones. Swipe helps with one hand use. Saves time.)
Futo (using as a secondary keyboard, love the no-network voice-to-text. Will switch to this keyboard as primary as soon as they get their swipe function sorted)
Here Maps (usable and reliable, offline maps)
Breezy Weather
AntennaPod
Joplin
Syncthing
LocalSend
Aegis
Accrescent
Aard2 Dictionary
Obtanium + Fdroid Basic for apps. (Might switch to Fdroid alone sometime in the future. Obtanium can be a chore sometimes when adding links or looking up apps)
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Phone:
Pixel 6 with GrapheneOS with sandboxed Google Play Services and only using owner profile.
Apps:
Where I get my Apps:
- Accrescent
- App Store (GrapheneOS)
- Play Store
- Obtainium
Basic Apps:
- OpenCalc
- Proton Calendar
- Google Camera (without Internet)
- Proton Drive
- Ente Photos
- Gallery (pub:Ionut Iacob in Play Store)
- HeliBoard (will switch to Florisboard when itās more usable for me)
- Lawnchair 15
- Standard Notes
Messaging:
- SchildiNext
- Signal
- Threema
Browser:
- Brave
- Vanadium
- Tor Browser
Transportation (I mostly commute by puplic transport):
- Ćffi
- Organic Maps
- Bolt
- Magic Earth
Mail:
- ProtonMail
- Tuta Mail
VPN:
- Proton VPN
- Mullvad (for some sites I need where proton gets blocked more often)
Password manager:
- Proton Pass
- KeePassDX (as backup)
- Aegis (for 2FA)
Entertainment (rarely use these on my phone except Spotify):
- Netflix
- Prime
- Spotify
- YouTube
Misc.:
- Auditor (device attestation)
- Banking App
- Exif Eraser
- HiPER Calc Pro (scientific calculator)
- LocalSend (local file sharing)
- Nzbleech (for usenet downloads)
- PDF Viewer (GrapheneOS)
- Read You (RSS reader)
- DeepL (Translator)
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Have you considered using an RSS reader like Feeder for updates? I find it easier to set up new feeds than obtanium
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This will cause leaks, you should be using split tunneling if you donāt want certain apps using VPN IP.
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I initially used ReadYou and quite liked it. I should probably try it. There was a time last year when I used it for a short while on my brief outing with a custom ROM before I got overwhelmed and crashed. Went back to iOS. Switched back to customROM again this year but this time slowly. Thank you for the suggestion. Do you have a recommendation for an app?
1 Like