Hello everyone, since this would be my first post within the Lemmy squad, I'm deciding to talk about my degoogling process.
I have learn most of it via scrolling through Reddit, but I was able to find apps that I would like to use, to cater to my needs.
First off my phones,
I currently have 3 phones, one for work, one for personal and one I was using as a MP3 Player (phone is completely broken, lol)
My Work phone: Samsung Galaxy A36 5g
Unfortunately, I need a device that has access to google/microsoft apps for work. Unless something changes, this is what I currently use.
My personal phone: Samsung Galaxy A16 5g.
A16 5g -> Teracube 2s (Degoogled version with e/OS)
I'm waiting for this phone to come in the mail and ill be transfering everything over. its basic, got a replaceable battery, headphone jack, sd card/sim card slot, with a 6inch screen. I really wanted a Linux phone, but the market for them right now is either too expensive or they have issues with "working like a phone" - (unable to simply call/text).
I just want a phone that works and can do the following;
- Call and texting
- Emails
- Calenders
- Note taking apps
- Music/podcast
- A app for storing my books
- Accessing a Web browser
- Need a Weather app
- Youtube alternative for every now and then
- Maps
That's pretty much it.
Now here are the apps I'm transfering everything over towards:
Messages & Phone Calls
Google Messages -> Quik; Google Phone/Contact -> Fossify phone\contact
Email; Gmail -> Tuta mail
Fossify apps: for some general things
Voice recorder
Camera
Notes
Clock
App Stores: experimenting with these stores
Aurora Store
Neo Store
F-Droid
Droid-ify.
Browser; Startpage & DuckDuckGo
Calender; Samsung Calander -> Fossify calander and Tuta Calander (email only)
Notes app; Colornote and Fossify Notes
Internet browsing
Reddit -> Lemmy
Lemmy on mobile: Blorp and Interstellar
Security Checks
Privacy Scanner (app on Aurora store??)
Streaming; Youtube -> Rumble + Flow
Maps: Google Maps -> MapQuest & CoMap
MapQuest: the honest, closest thing to google maps that is not owned by google. Well... It was at one point the google maps before google came along.
Weather: Weawow
Files; Samsung Files -> Fossify File Manager
Gallery/Photos; Samsung Photos -> Ente Photos
Launcher: Yagni Launcher
Keyboard: Samsung Keyboard -> Urik Keyboard
Books(phone) : Episteme oss
Calculator -> Unitto (Neo Store)
Currently trying out Fauxx
Unihertz Jelly Star (the now broken MP3 player)
Canta and Shizuku (debloating) - I was experimenting with these apps when learning on reddit about debloating, but while doing that - I can't use my music apps since it'll restart itself. This device, even with unlocking the bootloader and opening USB debugging, is almost impossible to degoogle. Installing a diffrent OS system dosent work either. Only thing I can do to it now is factory reset it.
I definitly advise to not buy it. The software on this phone is garbage.😅
I am also learning on how to use Linux on my PC and moving away from Apple products (just an Ipad) as well.
Well thats all for now.....
I'd recommend not using any weather apps if you're in the US. They're basically all private entities trying to sell you shit.
I keep a Firefox tab of my zip code from weather.gov open for when I need weather info.
Firefox + uBlock Origin can handle YouTube via browser, too, so no need for the app.
There are foss apps for weather, like breezy weather, which use free, open forecasting.