Hi, so my question is - what can I do to stop Google, Samsung, Facebook, Snapchat, etc from snooping on everything I do on my phone?
I have a rooted Samsung with a custom Rom, but I have some basic Google apps. (When I installed it I didn’t know any better).
I know that going back to TWRP, wiping the phone and flashing an OS like Copperhead, encrypting and changing to a new SIM and changing the IMEI would be better, but for right now I can’t do that.
So far I’ve installed NetGuard, Tor Browser, Lucky patcher, replaced most pre-installed programs with open source alternatives (but some are grudgingly still on somehow), removed Google ads from programs that had em, firewall blocked some Google apps that I know, uninstalled, disabled and froze most Google apps. Disabled location services (not that it does anything, since sms cell tower triangulation is a thing Google uses).
But the quantity of all the com.google.something, com.samsung.something, location services for apps and services on the phone is overwhelming.
So any tech savvy people who can give a simpleton like me any tips? Please use laymans terms (I’m no programmer).
To completily remove Google from your Android device I would recomend rooting the device, then flashing Lineage OS on it. It’s Android, but no Google. If your phone does not support root then the next best thing to do is sign out of your Google account, install f-droid https://f-droid.org/, install Google alternatives, and uninstall or deactivate all Google apps (revoke permissions from deactivated apps just in case).
Hope this helps you out. Getting rid of Google is one of the smartest things you can do.
GrapheneOS (the successor to Copperhead) is similarly de-Googled but both it and stock LineageOS lack F-Droid so you’d have to install that yourself. microG releases builds of LineageOS with both F-Droid Privileged installed as well as its own microG framework (but if you’re de-Googling then you may not want microG at all, since it is used to connect to Google services).
There’s also CalyxOS, which I haven’t done much research on, but to my understanding it is a GrapheneOS fork that also includes F-Droid + privileged extension and a few other goodies. Do your research from here before making a final decision (or play with them all).
Also, in my experience I haven’t needed a system-wide ad blocker ever since I’ve primarily stuck to FOSS apps, e.g. those from F-Droid. Many of them work for my needs, and the few proprietary apps I do have (Twitch, Authy, LingoDeer) aren’t really intrusive to begin with.
grugq is selling custom secure phones, search his Twitter feed for hardened Android examples (he is a leftist so just ignore his political posts). I don’t know the details completely but it’s an out-of-the-box solution, and you’ve got his reputation to count on, so. Here is a medium article he wrote on it.
I agree with @truxx on GrapheneOS and would also recommend bare AOSP. These are the keys to making your phone as secure as possible. Consider switching to it ASAP. Read some security-related dev docs to see what options are available to make your custom Android even more bulletproof than usual. You won’t need any coding knowledge at all. Just follow the basic instructions or watch one of the few million YouTube step by step vids.
As an addendum to the answer about simply flashing a new Android-based OS on it… if that does not work, simply stop using mobile data (disable it), only connect to the Internet via WIFI and then simply use a PiHole to block all those domains.
Although rooting and flashing a new ROM is the better option. Still, if you can’t make it work…you could try my suggestion.
Do you have anything to back up your speculation? Tor Project has already invested most of their resources in Tor, TBB, and Tor Browser for Android to work on anything else most likely. The Tails OS is developed by a third party, so Tor Project isn’t even responsible for that. People have their hands too full to develop a full mobile OS. It is beyond complicated and incredibly resource intensive.
