I use GrapheneOS with multiple profiles. My main profile contains only FOSS apps, along with two proprietary apps that have no network access. One secondary profile is for my personal Google account (just Gmail) for work and bills, while another is for a disposable Google account for apps like Google Maps when I need GPS.
On my PC, I maintain a browser profile for work Gmail, which I almost never check, and I don’t have anything else connected to Google.
I’m not entirely comfortable knowing that I’m not free from Google and still rely on some of their services. However, I feel much better than I did a few years ago, when Google had complete control over my phone and everything I did on it. Now, I feel free most of the time.
What about you? Do you feel free? Or does it ever seem like Google owns a part of your life? Share your thoughts with me
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I’m addicted to YouTube and I can’t seem to find a comparable entertainment app. :(
Freetube is great. It accesses Youtube privately.
deleted by creator
Grayjay maybe? Connects Youtube and other services, like Rumble, Nico Nico, Peertube, etc.
There’s also NewPipe and its fork, PipePipe. Less connected services, but maybe it’d be of your liking.
I moved from NewPipe to PipePipe a few weeks ago. It’s so good, simply the best YT frontend I’ve ever used.
If I may, why did you change?
Oh we’re way past “it’s complicated”. I skipped “on a break” and were now cleaning out the appartement.
All that’s left is double/tripple checking that mailbox for any loose ends and it’s bye bye!!!
Stuck with Google Workspace at work. Fortunately, it’s tolerant of me not being reachable 24/7, so it’s all confined to the browser on a work laptop. I like to think that I’m free from Google’s services in my personal life, though I still haven’t been able to give up YouTube yet. At least I’m never signed in.
Also, one personal Google account created ages ago. I’ve completely gutted it and haven’t logged into it in recent memory, but idk, I can’t be bothered to delete it either.
Knowing that Google isn’t peeking over my shoulder on my GrapheneOS phone is very freeing. I wouldn’t ever be comfortable using a regular Android phone again.
though I still haven’t been able to give up YouTube yet. At least I’m never signed in.
That’s good! Since you’re not logged in, you might want to try PipePipe, which is a fork of Newpipe. The only reason to stick with the official YouTube client is for the recommendations, but even then, I’d suggest checking out Morphe (https://morphe.software/). It’s an alternative to YouTube Revanced that patches the official client to remove ads and add other features.
Knowing that Google isn’t peeking over my shoulder on my GrapheneOS phone is very freeing.
I definitely relate to that feeling!
100% finaly No Google account, no Google services
it feels free 🧘♂️
Amazing. I’ll get there hopefully.
Looks like you and I randomly generate usernames :D
thats great :)
I don’t use anything Google at all anymore, with the exception of YouTube videos (via non-Google apps like PipePipe). That and my phone being a Pixel - running GrapheneOS, no GooglePlay Services running ever. If an app doesnt work without them I simply don’t use it, and just use the web browser. Email, photos, GPS, calendars etc all have viable replacement options.
It feels free and great. I never look back.
Google Maps is the one thing left for me… have tried moving but find other gps apps meh in comparison. I use MacOS for work with office 365. My personal computer is Linux, I use proton for my email. Librewolf browsing. DuckDuckGo for searching. If you count it, I suppose I do use Brave on my work computer, chromium base is needed for some websites I use a lot for work. My cell phone is an iPhone (thanks work)
Waze is also by Google but: Works without gapps installed and without login. Has live traffic data and same features as maps.
Currently backing up my phone to switch to GrapheneOS. That’ll leave my email which I haven’t figured out how I want to replace it yet. Step one should be downloading all saved emails though
I’m as distanced as I can be for now but have one more big cord to cut - Google Fi. It’s just by far the most affordable carrier for our use here, and frankly every alternative sucks ass just as much anyway, but I’d still like to move to something else sooner rather than later.
Otherwise, my gmail accounts are still active but rarely used, both forwarding to Tuta. Been using GrapheneOS for over a year now, Aurora and the Play Store are last resorts for app installs. I only use youtube through a self-hosted Invidious instance. Photos has been long replaced with Immich, Drive long emptied and replaced with OpenCloud. For navigation, Magic Earth’s been the most reliable, not FOSS but so be it, CoMaps is good for browsing/exploring but kind of terrible for driving.
I switched from Fi to US Mobile. They just had a deal running for $150 dollars for your first year of unlimited (it’s since expired but they have deals going all the time). You can swap between Verizon, a&t, or T-Mobile, and they offer everything Fi does I believe
Still depend somewhat, but aside from Google Meets, which I can use without account if I’m not hosting, I reasonably only need to log into it in devices and VMs that are usually turned off. So the least bad option, I think.
I’m getting there more day by day. I’ve moved over to using my own dns and email service, that was a big one, but kept my gmail for leftover items and now it’s mostly for spam. All of my oauth I’ve rolled off Google, and now use a password manager and separate emails. Phone is still the largest annoyance, but I just ordered a fairphone this week! (After google pushed a huge update which killed my battery, seriously sitting at home my battery died at 7pm last night, after barely using it. That didn’t happen even a month ago). So it’s a process.
Until someone comes up with private Immich managed hosting that has shared albums and doesn’t cost a fortune, I have to stick with Google photos. Other than that, google Maps (nothing compares, sorry) and an old gmail address I don’t want to delete just in case someone needs to reach me, that’s all I use.
I switched to Ente Photos recently, it’s not Immich but it seems like a pretty solid Google Photos replacement and has a free tier
I have an old gmail address that catches things I haven’t migrated away yet. Nothing has chrome installed in my house. The phone still has YouTube but I don’t use it much anymore. There’s more ads than content anymore so there’s no reason to go there. Still on iPhone but willing to switch to a Linux phone when they release something with packet radios and reticulum support. Considered a pixel with graphene last upgrade cycle but Googles actions at the time pointed to the death of third party roms so fuck it.
For Gmail – I use Thunderbird for both Android and Desktop (linux) to access my Gmail. I’m sure they are still reading my emails on the server side, but at least the phone app isn’t tracking me 🤣
I use a Google Pixel 6 Pro with GrapheneOS, Google Voice for probable spam, YouTube, and Google Maps for search. Once the GrapheneOS phone comes out that will probably be my next phone (and fuck Google with their planned obsolescence, makes me not want to buy another Pixel). Google Voice I don’t care but I could switch to another paid JMP.chat number if I need to. YT is difficult to leave (both for content and algorithm) and the Google Maps alternatives suck for searching.
Non-existent. I deleted my Google account in January of 2023. I still use YouTube, but only through newpipe. I would encourage people to upload their videos to PeerTube as well. If they did, I would definitely be using it more than I do, although I do my best when possible.
