(I reposted this bc some applications were missing.) I had to install some apps because of school. Btw, can you say improvements that I can make? I can’t install anything that isn’t from playstore. Edit: Duolingo is now just a PWA
Firefox or Waterfox instead of Brave. Vivaldi’s a good compromise if it has to be Chromium.
How about Librefox?
I’m on android
Try IronFox or Fennec (Firefox forks), both are privacy focused and aren’t bad like Brave.
GrapheneOS has shown FF does have some security issues, so if you prefer Chromium then use either Vanadium (GrapheneOS only) or Cromite.
For desktop I do use Librewolf, and Ungoogled Chromium when a website refuses to work on Firefox.
I can’t install apps outside of playstore
Yeah, saw that on another comment. Then just stick with plain Firefox and download the uBlock extension. Seriously, ditch Brave. It doesn’t do anything FF with some settings turned on can’t do.
Unrelated note: I see you have NextDNS as an app. You can’t just change the DNS settings on your phone? Is that blocked by parental control?
I can change the DNS
Yeah, I’d probably let go of the app and just change the settings, saves space.
Furthermore, I saw you have OpenVPN for Android. I’ve never heard of that app tbh, so it makes me wary. If you need a free, open-source, and audited VPN from the play store, then I’d stick with Proton. If you can pay money, then Mullvad.
I know that brave isn’t good, can you just explain why?
Nothing I didn’t really know in the article, thanks for posting though. I know Naomi Campbell pushes Brave pretty hard. Any thoughts on that?
*well
I never.
Still gonna use Brave because it is better technically.
Don’t use Firefox, the original one anymore if you’re really into privacy. I haven’t tried Waterfox, but I can recommend Ironfox. It’s on Acrescent and Fdroid.
OP said they can’t install from anywhere but the Play Store.
OK my bad
co maps over organic maps
Co maps has fewer features though?
Indeed, but it preserves the ethos of being open, while the other does not.
I would recommend moving off of Duolingo if you can. What you move to depends on the language you’re learning. They fired a bunch of their language developers and went hard on AI.
I help run a community for Welsh learners and we’re finding more and more people coming in with questions about a Duolingo lesson where things are wrong and weird. Plus their business practices aren’t great. They realized that they make money from you staying on the app, not learning a language, so your progress is artificial stunted. Plus the complete lack of grammar explanation at all we’re finding hurts people more than helps
As a general recommendation, textbooks are so much better.
I also see Gmail. I don’t have a recommendation for a replacement as I’m doing my research on it now, but getting away from Google is a good idea
I’ve already replaced Gmail (I just can’t disable it and I need for my school) with Tuta. In addition, I was forced to install Duolingo because of my Spanish teacher (at least it was with a fake email address).
You can acess your gmail account with thunderbird
Can verify, it’s super easy to do and I nuked the Gmail app from my phone afterwards.
Try Anki instead of Duolingo. You’ll learn fucking nothing from it.
Also move all the proprietary software into a work profile with Shelter (available on F-Droid) just like I did.
I use Lingodeer instead of Duolingo, in combination with Anki.
These kinds of apps are useful as a starting point but they’re not going to get you fluent and they’ll only barely get you to beginner level. Plus Anki is kinda complicated especially if there isn’t a suitable shared deck.
That’s why I went to the next level and switched all of my devices, sites and accounts to German.
Lol Android Work Feature (and hence Shelter) doesn’t work without Google Play Services. Shit.
I got Shelter from F-Droid.
Me too, but it won’t run without google play services or custom rom
One app you are missing is shelter, Google won’t allow it on the play store since it’s a privacy app, but it allows you to install the school apps and stuff inside a work container so that they can’t access the personal information on your other devices.
Pretty sure Wireguard is better in most regards than openvpn. But I also have no idea what you use the VPN for, or why not just use Mullvad.
I’d replace the default text-messaging app with QUIK or something (also allows you to block people who you otherwise cant block).
And replace Ace Attorney with Wrath Of The Gods ;)
I use proton and I will play ace attorney 😃
I would see if you’re able to actually uninstall or disable the Google apps. They’re likely to still grab info otherwise
I have already disabled Google Photos, but it still manages to save my photos, and I can’t revoke its permission to do so. (C’mon xiaomi, I just don’t want to have all my data in the google servers)
I tried to check the Shizuku app, but it says it’s for an older Android version. When I checked it a few days ago, it didn’t say that.
I don’t use the Pay Store version, so I don’t know what you’re running into there. May not matter though, as I remembered after commenting that you have to have “Wireless Debugging” enabled, which requires the hidden-by-default “Developer Options” to be enabled - something I’ll bet the Parental Controls disallows anyway.
Sorry.
Developer options 😂 (my parental control blocks developer options 😞)
Well, whenever you get the chance to use developer options, you can try Permission ManagerX instead. Does the same think Shizuku does but isn’t outdated and can be downloaded from the Google Play, Fdroid, and the repository (and Amazon app store??? If that’s still alive???).
Amazon app store actually was just killed for non-Amazon devices a couple months ago.
A great step that will solve most of the junk problems that I see, is to move to a custom rom.
deleted by creator
It would be nice to use something like RethinkDNS to block internet connection of these apps you can’t disable. You can also config it to block some trackers by DNS filtering.
I see Maps.
I can’t disable it
Works via adb. What was it’s name, Universal Android Debloater? (set to disable instead of remove first). Btw, you can’t remove the play store itself, causes bootloops. Just keep it frozen. And only disable what you’re really sure about.
And Organic Maps is a good replacement imo, or Osmand for more complex needs.
I can’t enable developer options
What, why not?
Parental controls
Not really imo,
however doing good taking small steps OP! :)Suggestions I’d make:
- Aim to use nothing/as little as possible from the Play Store (proprietary, often filled with trackers)
- Aim to use everything/as much as possible from F-Droid (open source, no or nearly no trackers)
- Switch GApps for MicroG (The open source implementation of the Google system apps to make things like notifications work, which removes spyware)
- Switch your Xiaomi OS (also spyware filled) for a more privacy friendly OS like LineageOS
I’d suggest LineageOS4MicroG:
https://lineage.microg.org/It’s vanilla LineageOS,
with MicroG + F-Droid pre-included.I went to almost every website that offers ROMs and couldn’t find any official ROMs for my device (/e/? Doesn’t work. Lineage? Nope. Graphene? Only works for pixels). I can’t install apks outside playstore (So, no aurora store and no f-droid. Newpipe was an exception) Thanks btw
Ufff sad to hear.
What you could do:
- Not recommened: Search on XDA for an un-official build of a custom rom for your device (stability may vary)
- Recommended: Be patient, until it’s time to buy a new phone, then first look for the OS you want, then choose a device from the list that the OS supports, that’s how I do it nowadays :)
Also interesting, but annoying that you can’t install apks from outside the PlayStore :/ No way to circumvent it?
Just if my parents chose another configuration abt apks in family link (parental controls)
Huh, if your parents are the blocking factor,
how about trying to educate them a bit about F-Droid and data privacy?Software from F-Droid really is much more privacy/battery/storage friendly. Just open source software, no spyware services bloating up the apps.
Perhaps after some convincing, they’ll at least allow you to use F-Droid and Aurora Store! :)
3xodus can help with convincing them:
- https://f-droid.org/packages/com.oF2pks.classyshark3xodus/
- https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/
It shows known trackers (= spyware) in applications.
ClassyShark does it by de-compiling the apps and scanning them on the fly.
Their website shows reports by other users that scanned applications.Nearly everything from the PlayStore contains trackers, while nearly nothing from F-Droid does.
Netflix made the cut?
😞👍 (sadly yes)
Gotta sail the high seas, bud 😉 FMHY and you’ll be set.
Thanks
Nice, Jami. Have you been able to find anybody else who uses it?
I have only converted one friend and he only agreed because I mentioned the chat control. Everyone else went “OMG” and moved on with their lives. 😂
I’ve tried to use it but it’s way too flaky. :(
Same pain! Whatsapp! Unreplacable 😢
No, its replaceable. Just delete it, somebody has to make the step. I told my friends and family they can reach me at signal, call me or just send an SMS. I don’t want to judge but it is easier than you may think.
But they are not listening to me. They believe whatsapp will protect them. Escpecially my sister. She is not ready to switch to a different platform like signal or session.
When considering sms or voice calls (which here often used to communicate), those are insecure by design and unencrypted plain text communication.
Also contacting with teachers, keeping up to date about exams, everywhere everyone first asking for whatsapp number instead mobile number. I hate it. But we have really no control over anything right ? If the messenger we choose signal, session is empty then whats the purpose of keeping it in the first place ?
Isn’t SMS unencrypted?
Yes it is. But WhatsApp encryption is a joke. Whenever someone is doing a backup with WhatsApp inbuilt backupplan all messages are stored unencrypted in the google cloud by default (WhatsApp and Google have everything in clear text). You can make encrypted backups but they give you a very long key with a warning so nobody does that! When you chat with someone on WhatsApp you can’t see that. I don’t use SMS for sensitive stuff but thinking WhatsApp is secure and E2E is a joke.
