De-google your phone!

What if I'm an Apple user?

Unfortunately, there's no way to remove proprietary Apple code from an iPhone. Apple devices in general tend to have more restrictions placed on the user than any other brand. If you're looking for freedom and privacy, you'll have to switch to a different platform. If you want a privacy-respecting, secure and long-lasting phone, consider getting the latest or second-latest Google Pixel. Just make sure you buy it OEM-unlocked (or factory-unlocked). This advice may seem counter-intuitive at first - I mean we're trying to get rid of Google, aren't we? But Pixels are currently the only devices capable of running GrapheneOS - a hardened fork of Android which gives you not just privacy but also excellent security out of the box. Security is crucial as it enables privacy. Without security, any privacy measures can be reversed by any party capable of cracking the code.

What about feature phones?

Dumbphones or feature phones are raising in popularity recently. They promise a distraction-free environment and allow you to live a life that's more in touch with reality. However, in the context of privacy, they're easily beaten by de-googled Android phones. Feature phones lack support for privacy-preserving forms of communication like Signal or Session. Digital minimalism is great but dumbphones are a major compromise forcing you to use outdated, overpriced and heavily monitored platforms like calling and SMS.

What am I gaining?

By de-googling your phone, you'll get extra privacy by making sure that Google doesn't have their secret agents spying on you through your phone. It's not a miraculous solution to all your issues and will certainly not compute the meaning of life, universe and everything. Most problems you'll encounter like issues with notifications, banking apps refusing to work, etc. are solvable and those that aren't - you can deal with them with a slight change of habit.
Another easily forgotten benefit of de-googling is the increase in battery life. A phone without all the tracking technology listening 24/7 will stay on a single charge for longer, since less processes are running in the background, sucking battery.

What am I sacrificing?

De-googling your phone means you're losing access to some apps which detect system modifications. Most notably, banking apps. Some other features that don't work on de-googled devices are: Google Pay and Android Auto. Most de-googled ROMs (except GrapheneOS) don't implement Google Play Services so you lose access to apps that rely on them, like many games and social media apps, which you shouldn't have installed anyway. You won't have access to the Google Play Store (again, unless you're using GrapheneOS) but you'll be able to install apps by other means.

Which ROM should I choose?

Choosing a flavour of Android to install might be a hassle. There a so many of them you could genuinely write a book just by enumerating them. There are different ROMs available depending on your exact phone model. If you're just starting out, here are some things to look for (or avoid):
• avoid ROMs which come with GAPPS (Google Apps) preinstalled. These are essentially tweaked versions of stock Android and you won't gain much privacy by going with them.
• if you're on a Google Pixel device, you should first check out GrapheneOS. It's a custom ROM with a focus on security. As discussed above, without security there's no privacy to be had. People sometimes also recommend CalyxOS, which offers a comparable level of privacy but doesn't have the same level of security.
• stay out of ROMs which are unmaintained, unpopular or are stuck on an old Android version. This will save you from a lot of headaches and with such ROMs you usually won't get good support in case of issues.
• if you want a just works, one-size-fits-all solution, check out LineageOS. It's a decently popular OS which has just enough features to get you going. It has a broad device support and usually provides updates longer than the phone manufacturers themselves.

Required technical knowledge

If you're installing GrapheneOS, it's as easy as pressing buttons on a screen. Installing LineageOS means copying commands from their official website into a Terminal window. Other ROMs may not be as straightforward to install and will require you to perform several steps, some of which depend on your device make/model. I encourage you to contact me using the methods listed below if you need assistance :)

Still need help?