this post was submitted on 31 Jul 2024

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Privacy

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How to be private with google services and noroot. (cuddly.space)

submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

11 comments fedilink hide all child comments

@privacy How to be private with google services and noroot.

I can't disable google play services for a lot of reasons (school apps, UPI, etc). I have three main google apps enabled. Gservices, gmail+meet, gpay. I have replaced as much apps as possible. Any guide for being private for me?

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 months ago

Impossible. Get a second device.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Island work without root. It is based on a "work profile" feature of android devvices. It is not a complete privacy, but at least it allows to separate google apps from other apps.

https://f-droid.org/packages/com.oasisfeng.island.fdroid

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I wonder how good it is compared to shelter

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

It is an interesting question... It seems to me I compared it and I chose Island. But I cannot remember why :D

UPD. I chose Island/Insular only because it is updated more frequently:

The latest release of Insular was at May 20, 2024 and frequency is ~ a release per two months
The latest release of Shelter (on F-Droid) was at Dec 12, 2023 and frequency is ~ a release per year

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Take a look at this:

https://www.privacyguides.org/en/android/general-apps/

Shelter is recommended over Insular and Island as it supports contact search blocking.

When using Shelter, you are placing complete trust in its developer, as Shelter acts as a Device Admin to create the Work Profile, and it has extensive access to the data stored within the Work Profile.

I also remember starting with island but changing to shelter because it supports app pausing without using a third party proprietary app to pause work apps

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Can't gapps act as root on all profiles? I don't think this buys you anything as long as gapps is installed.

[+] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

[removed by mod]

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago

It's probably Google sharing that information with Amazon. Amazon isn't actively spying on Google searches. I could be wrong though, but that is what Google "Ad Privacy" spyware is really about. To let Google share your interests with other companies.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I just ran a test on my stock Pixel 8 Pro connected via Proton VPN:

I opened Firefox and searched DuckDuckGo for "pool heater".
I scrolled down until I saw an Amazon link, then closed the tab and Firefox.
I opened the Amazon app. I scrolled through the "deals" on the app's home page and did not see anything pool related at all.
I typed "pool" into the search slowly, to see if and when "pool heater" was suggested as a search. I typed in "pool" entirely, yet "pool heater" was never suggested.

I don't know what that implies, but it seems like if I am using Firefox, DDG, and Proton VPN, Amazon isn't monitoring my Internet searches.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

How to swim without getting wet without a websuit?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Get secondary device for private privacy stuff.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You might be able to get a large part of google functionality with a degoogled device running microG or something similar.