Google Keeps Making Smartphones Worse
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There is an Xposed module to replace the tiles back to a simple on/off toggle, for both BT tile and WiFi tile.
You need to grab your control back lol
Also if you don't have root on your personal Android devices these days... lol may Google have mercy on you lmao (hint: they won't lol)
root is a security risk on many security focused ROMs.
See the 4th reply in this GrapheneOS thread
and this from CalyxOS's FAQ
If you can link the xposed module though I wouldnt mind making a feature request and asking for the module itself to be integrated into their forks.
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Is there no Linux for mobile options currently available?
Your options are mostly UBTouch and PostmarketOS. Due to how PMOS is designed, it doesnt fully function on the phones it supports. UBTouch does work well due to the ability to use a driver compatibility layer with android IIRC, but you still have the issue of needing a phone that can support it. (I think the latest pixel UBTouch runs on is the 3?)
also, the security model of mobile linux is nowhere near what android is. Things that keep android secure like verified boot are not yet implemented on linux phone OSes AFAIK
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GrapheneOS: the private and secure mobile OS
GrapheneOS is a security and privacy focused mobile OS with Android app compatibility.
GrapheneOS (grapheneos.org)
/e/OS - e Foundation - deGoogled unGoogled smartphone operating systems and online services - your data is your data
ECOSYSTEMKEY FEATURESGET /E/OSNEED HELP /e/OS is a complete, fully “deGoogled”, mobile ecosystem /e/OS is an open-source mobile operating system paired with carefully selected applications. They form a privacy-enabled internal system for your smartphone. And it’s not just claims: open-source means auditable privacy. /e/OS has received academic recognition from researchers at…
(e.foundation)
be free
Graphene is the only one that gets rid of webview right?
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So far it's been good for about a week. Highlights have been the easy install, secure by default but lets me override when I want (block app network access on install is awesome), and getting access to the other app repos than Google's I haven't seen since I installed dirty unicorns years ago. I setup multiple users so I can keep my primary like a root which was also simple to do.
Only complaints I have are when I get messages on another user than primary I can see the messages in the app but not the message content in the notification, its just a generic alert message like new messages received. Nice to have but not going to make me switch back. And the keyboard doesn't have swipe typing so I use gboard with network access turned off.
Also I did install the Google app store to get a couple paid apps and calendar/contacts I need to move out of Google. It does sandbox by default which is really cool and i think should be required for phone manufacturers. I just disabled services/store/calendar access to the network after I let it download everything.
Edit: also not a OS thing but I tried switching VPN to orbot/tor at the same time and it is still really unreliable for that use with the way so many sites try to sniff out your location
Only complaints I have are when I get messages on another user than primary I can see the messages in the app but not the message content in the notification, its just a generic alert message like new messages received. Nice to have but not going to make me switch back.
I haven't confirmed it, but enabling "Sensitive notifications" or a similar setting might fix this. Although it is more secure in theory not to have your message content visible on a locked screen.
Also I did install the Google app store to get a couple paid apps and calendar/contacts I need to move out of Google. It does sandbox by default which is really cool and i think should be required for phone manufacturers. I just disabled services/store/calendar access to the network after I let it download everything.
FYI you can use Aurora Store instead to download from Google Play, and even use it anonymously. It's sometimes buggy, but IMO the tradeoff is maybe worth it.
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I'm thinking about getting the new FairPhone 6 when it comes out and running /e/ OS, but I'm so reliant on Google Maps and Gmail (my email account, not necessarily the app ... but I do rely on the app).
I'm afraid that I'll either install Google apps and end up with a phone just as compromised as a stock Android install, or if I don't it will be too much of a pain in the ass to use.
There are Maps alternatives. For instance, Organic maps or the fork CoMaps. Not nearly as good UX as Google Maps.. and zero traffic data available.. but the upside is they work entirely offline.
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Sure, but what did they expect you to do before making that change.
It's designed as an always on device. They expected you to leave it always on. Wankers
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Graphene is the only one that gets rid of webview right?
What do you mean by webview? If you mean the entirety of webview then no ROMs do that AFAIK. android would be broken without it. If you mean replace Google's webview with their own version, I'm pretty sure all the ROMs I listed there do it. I didnt fact check it though so feel free to prove me wrong
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So far it's been good for about a week. Highlights have been the easy install, secure by default but lets me override when I want (block app network access on install is awesome), and getting access to the other app repos than Google's I haven't seen since I installed dirty unicorns years ago. I setup multiple users so I can keep my primary like a root which was also simple to do.
Only complaints I have are when I get messages on another user than primary I can see the messages in the app but not the message content in the notification, its just a generic alert message like new messages received. Nice to have but not going to make me switch back. And the keyboard doesn't have swipe typing so I use gboard with network access turned off.
Also I did install the Google app store to get a couple paid apps and calendar/contacts I need to move out of Google. It does sandbox by default which is really cool and i think should be required for phone manufacturers. I just disabled services/store/calendar access to the network after I let it download everything.
Edit: also not a OS thing but I tried switching VPN to orbot/tor at the same time and it is still really unreliable for that use with the way so many sites try to sniff out your location
do you have the ability to remove whichever apps you dont like?
The user notitication makes sense, i guess its more secure. Btw, so everytime you switch user, you have to restart?
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What do you mean by webview? If you mean the entirety of webview then no ROMs do that AFAIK. android would be broken without it. If you mean replace Google's webview with their own version, I'm pretty sure all the ROMs I listed there do it. I didnt fact check it though so feel free to prove me wrong
The second one, it appears you're correct
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There are Maps alternatives. For instance, Organic maps or the fork CoMaps. Not nearly as good UX as Google Maps.. and zero traffic data available.. but the upside is they work entirely offline.
Organic Maps is great in many ways. It's maps are so much better. But the lack of traffic data is a killer for route planning in the UK. All the open source maps suffer this. There needs to be open access traffic information for there to be competition.
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Mobile GNU/Linux is getting better, but I think it is 5-10 years out from what's needed. I suppose people need to adopt Desktop first. The nice thing is you can install Android apps including Google Play on it natively, and they appear in your app drawer like a regular app
My big problem is banks and satnav.
SatNav need traffic info and there is none, so their routes are bad.
Banks require apps to even use their website for "secure codes". Those apps try to detect ROMs and refuse to run, not even really being Android is going to make passing that harder.
Let alone random things like parking apps where the app is the only way to pay.
This is a political problem as much as technical. Competition is basically dead. We need government to step in and make competition possible. But they are in big tech's pocket and the status quo suits them too. Voters either don't care or believe what big tech says. It's a mess.
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My big problem is banks and satnav.
SatNav need traffic info and there is none, so their routes are bad.
Banks require apps to even use their website for "secure codes". Those apps try to detect ROMs and refuse to run, not even really being Android is going to make passing that harder.
Let alone random things like parking apps where the app is the only way to pay.
This is a political problem as much as technical. Competition is basically dead. We need government to step in and make competition possible. But they are in big tech's pocket and the status quo suits them too. Voters either don't care or believe what big tech says. It's a mess.
Satnav there is Pure Maps (OSM client), which can connect to sources like HERE to get traffic data to provide voiced guided turn-by-turn instructions. Of course there is also all the Android apps like Google Maps available, and their mobile site works fine.
On the topic of mobile sites, you can also install them as dedicated app drawer icons via Gnome Web & Firefox PWA for any site.
This means if your bank app doesn't like vanilla Android, GApps, you can use a comparable dedicated web app.
For parking, I've found a surprising amount have mobile sites, so I don't need to install their bloaty Android app onto my GNU/Linux phone.
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Unless they get NFC payments working on it and banking apps. It literally will never matter.
The single most common thing phones are used for at this point outside of entertainment is payments and banking.
There are Google Play Android bank apps (mine works fine), and you can use mobile sites as dedicated app drawer icons. Their mobile site is top notch.
NFC payments won't come anytime soon to native GNU/Linux, but I don't use them. Maybe Google Wallet works, I haven't tried and don't know if NFC can be passed through to Waydroid. OnePlus 6 is the best supported originally Android phone for GNU/Linux, someone with that would need to test.
I just have my card in a silicon sleeve on the back of the phone and I get the same effect. I'd rather Google not have my purchase history anyways.
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do you have the ability to remove whichever apps you dont like?
The user notitication makes sense, i guess its more secure. Btw, so everytime you switch user, you have to restart?
Yes, and it comes with very few by default as well
No restart needed, pull down twice and the switcher is on the bottom right. Usually takes just a couple seconds to switch.
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Yes, and it comes with very few by default as well
No restart needed, pull down twice and the switcher is on the bottom right. Usually takes just a couple seconds to switch.
thats nice to hear. I thought you need to restart to change profiles.
You're on the 9a right? How is the battery under Graphene? I used to have the OG Pixel (codename sailfish) and try different roms on there, but the battery is just terrible.
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I've been considering moving to GOS because of all the Google shenanigans, but I need to make sure everything works since my job means I have dozens of MS authenticator entries for various admin tasks. I really want to try it out, but can't afford to have to rebuild all those entries on a new system (and the notifications not work)
I had to use MS Authenticator for work and it worked in GOS, notifications and all. Now, that was about a year ago, and I haven't tried it since. At the speed GAFAM are enshitifying everything, there's a chance it doesn't work anymore.
I keep a Pixel 8a stock for banking and some other apps that I need (such as EV charging networks) and won't work or are unsustainably wonky on GOS.
As I mentioned in another post, RethinkDNS is worth it, but it does take some trial and error to get it to work without breaking stuff I need, but once I got there, it was all good (that's how I keep the 8a less intrusive). -
thats nice to hear. I thought you need to restart to change profiles.
You're on the 9a right? How is the battery under Graphene? I used to have the OG Pixel (codename sailfish) and try different roms on there, but the battery is just terrible.
I'm still feeling that part out since it's only been about a week, a full charge can last me multiple days (5100mAh) and the battery in my pixel 5 (4080mAh) was pretty run down.
Fully charged 25.5hr ago & pretty heavy use yesterday and I'm at 63%, the 5 would have been twice dead by now.
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Satnav there is Pure Maps (OSM client), which can connect to sources like HERE to get traffic data to provide voiced guided turn-by-turn instructions. Of course there is also all the Android apps like Google Maps available, and their mobile site works fine.
On the topic of mobile sites, you can also install them as dedicated app drawer icons via Gnome Web & Firefox PWA for any site.
This means if your bank app doesn't like vanilla Android, GApps, you can use a comparable dedicated web app.
For parking, I've found a surprising amount have mobile sites, so I don't need to install their bloaty Android app onto my GNU/Linux phone.
Good to know. I'd really like to try a proper Linux phone as a daily driver.
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Organic Maps is great in many ways. It's maps are so much better. But the lack of traffic data is a killer for route planning in the UK. All the open source maps suffer this. There needs to be open access traffic information for there to be competition.
As far as I know, traffic data is gathered via spying on users—Google Maps and similar apps sending device location to a central cloud service. Maybe somebody could provably anonymize the data somehow to make an alternative service for the open competitors to use.
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As far as I know, traffic data is gathered via spying on users—Google Maps and similar apps sending device location to a central cloud service. Maybe somebody could provably anonymize the data somehow to make an alternative service for the open competitors to use.
That's what we need.
