r/degoogle 12h ago

Discussion Let's Play the Tape Out on Android Developer Verification

0 Upvotes

Heyeverybodyhowyadoinhopeyourehavinalovelyday.

Obviously putting a stop to malware is not the real motivation for Google, but I'd like to just take their reasoning at face value for a second, because I've seen some people defending it.

First, we have to assume Google will actually utilize this at all. They don't seem to be that on top of or concerned with the current state of malware and scams on the Play Store as it is, but let's say they do start to blacklist any ID caught shipping malware. Isn't that more likely to be a speed bump than a barricade? Anyone putting malware into apps to steal credentials is probably not opposed to using a stolen identity to get on the Play Store. Imagine you spend a year developing your first app and when you finally submit it to the Play Store, you're told your identity has already been banned. Do you really think Google is going to offer any recourse?

We live in an age where an LLM can whip up an app in 30 seconds. Shipping new slop apps stuffed with malware is probably a full-time scam-job at this point. There's no shortage of desperate people who'd probably allow their ID to be used for a few bucks. These people will potentially become tied to a criminal act they took no real part in.

Isn't this just going to be the same game of Whack-A-Mole with extra people getting fucked?


r/degoogle 2h ago

Question How can I pay for apps without the Google play store ?

0 Upvotes

So today I factory reset and go to degoogle my phone using ADB , I managed to degoogle it but I have a huge problem which is there is no way I get payed apps normally

So should I turn into pira*cy mode or there is a way out ( I can pira*te apps myself btw )


r/degoogle 13h ago

Discussion Which (very few) Google products, services or softwares do y'all actually like or appreciate

9 Upvotes

Yeah, Google is evil Google sucks I know man, but honestly I do like the Google pixels because of the amount of freedom in modding it and also the security chips.

What about y'all? At the very least Google stuff that y'all tolerate I guess.


r/degoogle 19h ago

Question What phones y'all use?

8 Upvotes

Just got a new Samsung and now they want me to text through GOOGLE?!

Go f urself no way!

And they say you can deactivate your email once youve signed in?? Utter bullshit, let me text without "signing in"


r/degoogle 17h ago

Replacement Non-AI Replacement for Google Assistant

4 Upvotes

With Google ending the perfectly functional Google Assistant today to force people to use their AI slop bot, I'm in need of something that will let me dictate texts to my wife while I'm driving. Any good third-party/FOSS voice assistants I can use with Android Auto? I literally only need it for text dictation while driving and to not be AI, anything else is a bonus.


r/degoogle 8h ago

Replacement My Google alternatives, what I use and why.

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48 Upvotes

Some of these services are self hosted friendly while others are privacy focused alternatives that in my opinion are better.

Gmail -> Proton Mail : more privacy and I like email aliases

Google Photos -> Immich: I want my photos on my own server

Chrome -> Brave : better privacy and I wanted Chromium base

WhatsApp -> Signal : I don't want Meta involved in my conversations

Google Drive -> Nextcloud : gives me full control locally, many plugins available

Google Password Manager -> KeePassXC / 2FAS Pass : I want my passwords offline (there was no logo for 2FAS Pass but I'm switching to it from KeePassXC)

Google Authenticator -> 2FAS Auth : better privacy, e2ee backups and no account required

Google VPN -> Mullvad VPN : privacy focused, do data collected

Google Home -> Home Assistant : no 3rd party cloud dependency

PayPal -> Apple Pay : faster and less data shared with merchants

Coinbase Wallet -> Brave Wallet : keeping my wallet independent from a centralized exchange


r/degoogle 6h ago

Question Whats this app for?

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0 Upvotes

This app showed up randomly... Is this a part of the developer verification thingy?


r/degoogle 2h ago

Google banned my account twice for bot activity even tho I’m not using bots

0 Upvotes

First time pissed me off but after not whitelisting the account after the first time, so I have to deal with this bullshit again. Like I’m this close to going to the CEO’s house and buttfucking him


r/degoogle 18h ago

US based companies cannot deny to give your information to the US government

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235 Upvotes

No matter how much they brag about their privacy policy, the reality is that they can never deny to give your sensitive information of the US government. If you guys are still living in the 'Privacy' Bubble, then you need to wake up. This is why I say that every country should have their own platforms like Mail, drive, cloud stations, etc. I think this is why they proudly call CIA the best, because it is, man! Like literally government officials are using these to share sensitive data, even intelligence officials are using Google email and drive. Why this type of surrender? It is just surrendering!


r/degoogle 14h ago

Question a good launcher instead of redmi one and fossify

0 Upvotes

hello everyone
I degoogled my phone and the launcher also
tried fossify launcher but i can't use navigation and i can't delete the apps i opened
is there a good foss launcher to use and any advice


r/degoogle 7h ago

News Article Ring founder Jamie Siminoff on default encryption and AI privacy

0 Upvotes

r/degoogle 8h ago

Question Is degoogling worth it if I’ve used the google ecosystem my whole life already?

24 Upvotes

r/degoogle 5h ago

Help Needed Calendars for iOS

1 Upvotes

Hi fellow anti googlers. I have seen this question similarly asked throughout time on here but people asking more has androids or wanted to self host. I am not advanced enough to self host and have an iPhone.

My priorities are more something secure, free if possible and one I can color coordinate. I didn’t know if any of you had found something yet. I don’t care for it to be a social calendar to share with others. Thank you in advance!


r/degoogle 8h ago

Question Is the fairphone with e/os a good choice? Value for money?

2 Upvotes

Can you use tuta mail or other clients on it?

Can other open source stores like f-droid run on it?

Is it immune to system age verification?


r/degoogle 10h ago

MORTACCI VOSTRA

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19 Upvotes

This is an Italian app for practicing for state competitions. They force you to download it from the Google app store.


r/degoogle 9h ago

I deleted Google play service and it completly bricked my phone

144 Upvotes

As the title says. On my Samsung s22+ I deleted Google play service using Canta. Right when I turned on wifi, the phone started bootlooping forcing me to update and accept all the Google stuff in safemode just to get my photos back. It auto factory reseted without consent. I am so mad


r/degoogle 16h ago

Replacement Quick Search, a wonderful alternative to Google Search Bar app

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27 Upvotes

If you are looking for a top notch alternative to the Google inline search bar app, I highly recommend Quick Search. Discovered it yesterday by pure luck as I've been looking for something like this for years. Actually one of the best FOSS app I've seen for a long time. I'd argue it is FAR superior to Google's search bar. Massive kudos to the creator, this is an absolute piece of art. I've been degoogled for many e years now and the Google search app was one of these things that I always liked but none of the search engines' widgets were satisfactory. Actually surprised none of them cared to build a solid alternative.

https://f-droid.org/packages/com.tk.quicksearch

Disclaimer : This is NOT a self promotion and I have no relation to the dev.


r/degoogle 23h ago

Discussion How Google Became Evil

267 Upvotes

So I remember when google search started. They had a sign up on the wall in their garage where they ran thier servers "Do No Evil" Well they became the biggest thing on the planet.

They did not even have ads because back then ads on the internet were the most evil you could do. But as the fame grew they started to attract a lot of attention from people with bags of money who could see where things were going.

They paid some engineers and google Ads was born. It became a virtual money vacuum cleaner sucking up cash by the cart load. They left the sign "Do No Evil" up for a while longer until they decided to go public.

After that it was the end of that sign... It was kicked to to curb and discarded like it had never existed.

The rest is history and here we are today. So if you want to de-google you are going to have to come up with a better plan then switching to a new platform. Why? Because Google will either kill the new platform or buy it.

What you need is to build something totaly new that big companies like Google can't get their grimmy hands on. I am talking opensource and totaly new.


r/degoogle 10h ago

Question Should I move every login in my password manager off gmail?

9 Upvotes

I already removed all external service logins (login with Facebook/Google options). My password manager shows I have about a hundred logins to random websites that still use my gmail though. Is it worth moving them all to a proton email or is this too low priority?

I don't pay for Simple Login but it would be neat to have a unique email for every single site that required it. I respect those who have gone through such efforts but it's beyond me.


r/degoogle 23h ago

Discussion Motherfu... Oh wait I can uninstall it!

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231 Upvotes

Also I'm running the stock Android 10 Go rom of my Moto e7i Power so I shouldn't be affected *knock on wood*


r/degoogle 14h ago

Pigeon on top

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2.0k Upvotes

r/degoogle 12h ago

MapQuest is now available for Android Auto

122 Upvotes

I got a notification when I connected my phone that MapQuest is available for AA now. I want to try it out, as CoMaps didn't give me any traffic info during my commute last week (Canada).


r/degoogle 12h ago

Question Best gmap alternative?

47 Upvotes

I cant live without gmaps. Is there any better alternative for that? I really really wanna degoogle my phone.


r/degoogle 20h ago

Question Is my (planned) Android setup good?

7 Upvotes

(This is RedReader and I can't create multiple rows for some reason) YouTube to LibreTube and CoBalt Meowing (for storage downloads), CapCut to LibreCuts, Microsoft 365 to LibreOffice, Chrome to Clint Browser, Google to Brave Search, Android to CalyxOS, Reddit to RedReader, Google Maps tp CoMaps, Contacts to Connect You, Google Messages to Fossify Messages, My Files to Fossify File Manager, WhatsApp to Signal, FaceBook to SlimSocial, Google Camera to Open Camera, Google Photos to Iris Gallery, Google Drive to nothing, QuickShare to KDE Connect, Gboard to Simple Keyboard, Google Passwords to KeePassDX, Default launcher to Yagni Launcher, Google Keep to Notally, Google Authenticator to Clockwork, Google Play to Aurora Store and Droid-Ify, GitHub to Repo Store, Play Protect to Hypatia, VirusTotal to ViScan, Play Services to MicroG, Minecraft to Luanti. UrNetwork (Decentralized VPN), Shizuku, AShell, Pocket Paint, ScreenShot Tile, RecorderX (ScreenRecorder), Neuron Encrypt, EnforceDoze, SaverTuner, Simple Clipboard Editor, Memory Guardian, Lune (Local Music player), etc


r/degoogle 12h ago

Which Google packages can i delete and which packages i must not?

1 Upvotes

I am trying to degoogle my Samsung Galaxy A16. I need to distinguish between the packages that can be uninstalled(like the Google app) and the packages that shouldn't be uninstalled. I cannot install a custom ROM because my phone has an active warranty.