There has always been some concern about the large amount of information that Google collects about us. On the one hand, it has its good side, since that makes applications show us super-personalized information, but the dark side also flourishes, and we do not know to what extent it is in question. the security of our personal data.
Can we use an Android device without Google apps?
If we want to distance ourselves from Google, we must take into account several factors. The company of the Big G is integrated into all areas of our life on the Internet: we use its search engine to obtain information on the web, we watch videos on YouTube, we navigate with Chrome, we use its maps to drive and move, and we cannot forget about your virtual assistant.
Can you live without all this? Well, the truth is that yes, but from the outset it is not as easy as it seems (especially if you have an Android mobile). Next, let's review all the changes that we must make in our Android terminal to operate without any of the Google Play applications and Services.
1- Install a custom ROM
One of the most important steps to get rid of Google's perennial gaze is to install a custom ROM. In this way we will replace the Android version that comes by default on our phone with a more customizable version where we will have greater control over the applications and services that are pre-installed in the system.
Most custom ROMs are based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project), but they don't come pre-installed with any of Google's proprietary services that we see on most Android devices, including the Google Play Store.
Now, installing a custom ROM implies unlocking the bootloader of our phone, installing a new custom recovery and flashing a ROM compatible with the device. A good option in this regard is Lineage OS (the successor to the popular CyanogenMod), considered one of the best custom ROMs for Android due to its high degree of security and privacy.
2- Install MicroG instead of Google Apps (Gapps)
As we said, AOSP ROMs do not include Google's basic applications and services, although that leaves us a bit out of the game, since many third-party applications interact and use these essential components to function properly.
One way to ensure that our phone continues to be operational without resorting to Google services is through install MicroG. This is responsible for offering all those essential services but without going through the Google filter.
3- Replace the Google Play Store with an alternative app store
The Google application store is one of the most difficult tools to put aside: that is where all the apps that we install on our Android are. Luckily, in addition to a few quite interesting alternative app repositories, we can get around the Google Play store using the Aurora Store.
The Aurora repository offers the same applications and updates that we would find in the Play Store, although we will have to install them by hand using APK files. It is not as fast as pressing the "Install" button and that's it, but it allows us to install any application without using a Google account or any of its associated services.
Another remarkable advantage is that if we have root permissions Aurora is able to update all applications automatically, and even allows us to uninstall system apps! If we think about it coldly, it is still a small price to pay to free ourselves from the shackles of Google.
4- Replace Google Chrome with Brave
It would be useless to install a custom ROM, MicroG and an alternative app repository if we then use Chrome to browse the Internet. In this sense, it is important that we replace the Google browser with another that is stricter in terms of privacy and security of our personal data.
A good alternative is Brave, a browser with a wide set of privacy-focused features. Encrypted data traffic, script blocking, cookie blocking and much more. It is also fast like few others. Here is a list with the best browsers to maintain privacy on Android.
Download QR-Code Brave Browser: fast, secure and private browser Developer: Brave Software Price: Free Download Brave in APK
5- Change the Google search engine for DuckDuckGo
If we want to distance ourselves from the Google ecosystem we have no choice but to stop "googling" things in your search engine. For this we can refer to DuckDuckGo, a search engine that gives us the same functions as the Google search engine but with an extra layer of privacy. This will help us get rid of personalized ads based on our search history, among other things.
Access DuckDuckGo
6- Replace Android Messages with Signal
The default application to send SMS messages on an Android with the standard Google apps package (Gapps) is the “Messages” app. Therefore, if we want to put Google aside on our device, we will have to find a feasible alternative to send SMS messages.
One of the best alternatives currently is the Signal app, which allows us to chat, but also send SMS / MMS text messages from an encrypted messaging platform.
Download QR-Code Signal - Private Messaging Developer: Signal Foundation Price: Free Download Signal in APK
7- Replace Google Maps with OpenStreetMap
Google Maps offers a really useful service for drivers and helps us to establish the best routes when we go by car, and to know if there is a lot of traffic in a certain area, among other things.
Luckily we can get rid of Google Maps by going to OpenStreetMap, an open source tool based on the MAPS.ME project with which we can obtain updated map information, offline navigation and local traffic data, as well as other interesting functions.
Download OsmAnd QR-Code - Offline Maps & Navigation Developer: OsmAnd Price: Free Download OsmAnd in APK
8- Replace Google Drive with Dropbox
The truth is that it is difficult to recommend a product that is so closely related to Microsoft as an alternative to a Google product, but that's life. Even so, Dropbox places special emphasis on the security and privacy of user information, so if we are looking for a tool to store files in the cloud, this is one of the most acceptable options as far as possible (of course, if you want to protect your data 100% it will always be better not to store anything online).
Download QR-Code Dropbox: Cloud Storage Developer: Dropbox, Inc. Price: Free Download Dropbox in APK
9- Change Gmail for ProtonMail
Email is another one of those key tools on any Android device worth its salt. Here what we would recommend is to install an email client like Proton Mail, which has end-to-end PGP encryption, which means that an email can only be read by the sender and the recipient, as well as other interesting features such as self-destructing emails. You can find other powerful alternatives to Gmail at THIS ANOTHER POST.
10- Replace Google keyboard with AnySoftKeyboard
Another of those essential utilities is the keyboard, and as you can imagine, the one that comes standard on Android is GBoard, the Google keyboard. A tool that we have become accustomed to and that is not easy to put aside.
However, today there are still other really powerful keyboards for Android, such as AnySoftKeyboard, an open source keyboard with support for multiple languages, incognito mode, emojis and various customization themes. You can also find other alternative keyboards in the post “The best keyboards for Android”.
Download QR-Code AnySoftKeyboard Developer: Menny Even Danan Price: Free Download AnySoftKeyboard in APK
In addition to all these changes that we have just mentioned, we will also have to put aside old customs, such as the use of Youtube as an entertainment platform (we can go through Twitch or DailyMotion, although the offer is not varied), and rule out the use of applications such as Google Photos (We can install Amazon Photos, although in the end we would be replacing one large corporation with another) with other offline gallery applications such as Simple Gallery to save photos safely in the internal memory of the device.
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