2w ago

No, Android is not doomed. No, Android is not as bad as iOS. It takes 5 clicks to opt out of Gservices. If you are unable to do that, theres Degoogled Phones. Your Bank? Theres cheap used Phones.

To be honest, im more than Tired of this whole "Mimimi, Google is restricting installing Android apps, so its worse than iOS now Mimimi"

So heres 4 Options, how to Opt out of Gservices, and therefore not have this whole Debacle of Verified Apps, in varying degrees of Difficuilty from "3 Year old iPad kid can do this" (Aka install Via Browser) to "You have to Copy 3 Text snippets and Paste them", to even "Order Online".

And before everyone starts Crying, there are more than Enough Apps and Alternatives to the Propriatery stuff youve been using until now. No, you dont need a Burgerking App, no, you dont need an App for Kaufland. They are Selling your Data, and thats the only reason they Exist. If you consent with having your Data sold, you have no reason to opt out of Gapps anyway.

Install Via Web Browser.

https://e.foundation/get-e-os/
https://calyxos.org/install/ (Currently not Availible for a few Months)
https://grapheneos.org/install/

Install Manually (aka. Paste 3 or so Lines into cmd)

https://e.foundation/get-e-os/
https://calyxos.org/install/ (Currently not Availible for a few Months)
https://grapheneos.org/install/
https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/

Adb and Magisk MicroG Module (Please use uBlocks Badware Filter list, as there are many fake Sites)

Buy a Degoogled Phone

https://cryptwerk.com/company/digital-privacy-shop/

31 comments

We need rules regulating that banks do not rely on closed services to function - period.
Suggesting to use a second used phone for banking is ridiculous, for most of us banking and mobile payments are literally the most important functions of a phone after getting messages and email.
- I would just use a web browser. The apps do the same thing, but get it done a bit quicker.
  Thankfully my banks don't use hardware attestation.
  
  It's not that simple for everyone, though. I can't deposit a check through my credit union's website, unfortunately. Also, because it's a credit union instead of a corporate bank, it's not like there's a branch next door or anything. The closest branch is literally a day or two of driving away from me. I have to use a mobile phone and their app to do check deposits.
- Yes, we need regulation.
  But for Mobile Payment, you already have a Card so you can pay in store and every bank has a website.
  I am talking as someone who has lost access to the Mobile bank for 2 weeks, and still you can dfo just about everything with the Self Service terminals
  
  To access my banks website I need to authorize the login with the mobile app, there is no alternative to using either iOS or stock Android to get in - NONE.
  Doing transactions at the bank, even at the terminal is not free and also ridiculously inconvenient…
  As far as mobile payments go, i live in a country with its own currency so my only option to get favorable exchange rates in the EU is using a virtual card from a Neobank which only works with Apple or Google Pay.
  
  If Self Service Terminals still exist.. might be the case for Germany, but here's a complete demolition of all those Terminals. They have been replaced with a more general terminal which doesn't have the same functions.. basically only withdraw and deposit, so you are required to do online banking or make an appointment with the bank to discuss a transaction etc.. also a lot less terminals these days.
While degoogling is accessible right now, what worries me is that all of these projects are 100% dependent on Google's whims because they use Android as the upstream. Same reason why I don't use Chromium browsers: yes, they can patch over things, but they can't fight the direction of the upstream project and they are powerless if the upstream stops publishing commits / source, like Google seems to be moving toward. Additionally, what "the big distros" aka stock ROMs do to prevent FOSS apps being installed means a much much smaller potential userbase for them. I develop an Android app, and (while I don't have analytics) I don't find it unlikely that at least half my users are on stock roms that would lose access to my app with this policy. It's much less motivating to develop something when I know less people will benefit, and especially knowing I'm supporting only custom roms that are 100% beholden to Google. Degoogling is a good first step. I've been on Lineage for many years now. But I believe that the step that will truly make us independent is moving to Linux phones.
- What is hard about side loading apps. Just download and install the F-Droid apk. Am I missing something?
  I share the concern about the reliance on the Google supply chain though.
  
  Google is making android require a signed key from Google to install apps. I’m probably not explaining properly, but it will stop people side loading unsigned apps
  You can aa shit bet that new pipe and smart tube aren’t getting a key
The problem is that most of those custom ROMs are based on Android, so they inherit the bad parts of Android they don't specifically take care to remove, and they don't support most devices, so I'd have to buy a new phone for instance to use one of them, and Linux phones still lack the app support, feature support, hardware goodness, and widespread availability to be used as primary devices for people.
Also the government supports centralised control of the internet, with laws like the 'Online Safety' Act and Chat Control, so we can't trust them to save us against the evil corporations.
go linux mobile or go home imo
- Might as well just go dumb phone then...
  
  It's become clear that I will require a dumb phone with hotspot, 5G, and a massive battery in the near future. Throw in a good camera, and make it water-proof ...
I would have agreed with you before Google announced they will no longer actually open source their reference version of the OS to squeeze Graphene et al. This is clearly an effort to lock down Android under unilateral Google control taken together, and on an indefinite timeline, they will win.
- You are wrong. They are still open sourcing a reference Version. That Version is just not their pixel model, but instead a dummy implementation.
  
  I would argue a reference implementation that is not implemented is no reference implementation.
This is also my worry.
But it is also about taking personal responsibility for our privacy.
Its like having your home continually burgled, while you continue to refuse to install new locks.
So you install a ring doorbell instead, Amazon will keep you safe!
Again this is not taking personal responsibilty for our privacy and safety, but relying on big tech's surveillance answer.
The incessant belief that you must use an app for convenience, is beyond me.
We have our bank cards and cash to buy stuff from stores. Personally I go to the bank each week and get enough cash to last the week. pay everything cash.
I pay all my bills online, use my bank, manage my direct debits, transfer money to my kids, all online with my linux laptop, Librewolf and a vpn. Takes 30 seconds to login.
I do not need to authorise my login with an app. I told my bank I do not have a smart phone.
I could use Ente Auth or KeepassXc on my desktop for 2FA. no phone required.
Plus being an old git, I dont have to piss about with a tiny phone screen and keyboard with my gnarly fingers.
I absolutely refuse all offers of apps.
When asked by check-out staff if I have the app, or, do I want their app.
I say: I dont do apps! I do not give up my privacy or share my personal data.
As Mat says. I too worry about the future of custom roms. I managed to get all my family on custom roms.
It is a great shame that Mozilla gave up on the Firefox OS phone. Great little phone.
- You're lucky your bank doesn't require a phone. Nationwide pushes you to use a banking app on mobile, and if you want to use the website anyway, every time you'll have to input a passcode and an SMS verification code, or use a physical card reader.
  
  Hey TheLeadenSea
  I was unware that certain banks had different ways to access bank accounts.
  I'm such a dinosaur sometimes.
  I did think it was as easy as my experience. but clearly not.
  Thank you
- I do their same too, but unfortunately, my Bank requires a costum 2fa app for any Kind of online payments and online banking, but fortunately dosent use Play protect, so I can just make a profile with the apps + sandboxed Gservices
  I mean, I could use Paypal since it has the Option for SEPA and handle all my online stuff, but I'd rather just use my card instead of paypal
I think for noobs it will be better they buy the Chinese phone such as Huawei that does not certified by Google and emulated it with gbox for GMS support. Then they still they got their favourite apps going even banking apps as well. https://storage.googleapis.com/play_public/supported_devices.html
- If your in the US or the west in general, geopolitics kind of suggests that buying any Chinese tech product is kind of questionable. What could go wrong.
  
  Oh no, overseas might know as much about me as my fascist government does!! Seriously, when I ditch the US, I might start worrying about China, but until then, I hope my FBI/NSA handler and CCP spy meet up for drinks on the regular to mock my shitposts.

31 comments