You're not alone: This email from Google's Gemini team is concerning
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I don't think it saves time on net if you have to read it and then go verify it anyway. Might as well go directly to the more trustworthy source in the first place! And if you don't care if your answer is correct, why even search? Just make something up.
It's just more convenient. I'm not usually Googling if a mushroom is poisonous, I'm Googling how to get the length of an array in python or something similar. If it doesn't work, I come back and look at the second result, which happens less than once a week.
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Laughs in eu
Laughs in degoogled android
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Have you a link? This sounds like I would need root?
You just need developer mode enabled
GitHub - Universal-Debloater-Alliance/universal-android-debloater-next-generation: Cross-platform GUI written in Rust using ADB to debloat non-rooted Android devices. Improve your privacy, the security and battery life of your device.
Cross-platform GUI written in Rust using ADB to debloat non-rooted Android devices. Improve your privacy, the security and battery life of your device. - Universal-Debloater-Alliance/universal-android-debloater-next-generation
GitHub (github.com)
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Laughs in degoogled android
Cries in non-eu, non-degoogled android
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I have a Pixel phone im bout to throw in the river
boo! custom roms!
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Google’s Gemini team is apparently sending out emails about an upcoming change to how Gemini interacts with apps on Android devices. The email informs users that, come July 7, 2025, Gemini will be able to “help you use Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, and Utilities on your phone, whether your Gemini Apps Activity is on or off.” Naturally, this has raised some privacy concerns among those who’ve received the email and those using the AI assistant on their Android devices.
Can't you just delete Gemini with Canta?
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Yeah only reason Apple hasn't done it is because they haven't figured out a way to connect it all to its ecosystem.
Like they say, the Apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Actually, the apple climbs up the tree and claims it made it
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Well I guess I’m glad I moved over to apple. But I guess the enshitification of all our phones is coming soon.
switch to grapheneos unless you're in the eu
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I have a Pixel phone im bout to throw in the river
get grapheneos!!
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There are ways they can work around it, but their lead developer was drafted into their country's military. Ultimately, they're going to have to make their own phone, and it looks like they're making plans to do that.
For now, it's fine.
they're also working on backporting android 16 to pixels. in phase 2/3 last time i checked, so they are doing decently well. it's not over, it just adds more work for them that i'm sure they can overcome. security updates already backported
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But what about banking apps and surch?
banking apps partially work
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switch to grapheneos unless you're in the eu
I was writing a comment that my device is unsupported and all the supported pixel phones are flagship priced. Then I decided to check my work and look it up.
Long story short I have a refurbished pixel 6 on the way, it was cheaper than my current phone was.
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I was writing a comment that my device is unsupported and all the supported pixel phones are flagship priced. Then I decided to check my work and look it up.
Long story short I have a refurbished pixel 6 on the way, it was cheaper than my current phone was.
glad to hear, enjoy it!
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Well, yeah. I haven't actually seen this email yet in my personal inbox,
nor have I found the opt out personally. Google is kinda weird with their staggered rollouts but I figure it'll turn up. I'm on a Pixel, so anything else would be quite odd.edit: seems to be in the top right corner of Gemini, press your profile picture and then apps. That's where the settings are. You can opt out of Gemini having access to any app in the list on an individual basis.
It is my memory at fault or it was discovered, various times, that Google (and all the others obviously) tracked people also when they opted out ?
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It is my memory at fault or it was discovered, various times, that Google (and all the others obviously) tracked people also when they opted out ?
I don't remember, but it wouldn't surprise me.
Like, I personally find it useful enough to have stuff enabled, but I do get that people want it off for real. I wouldn't be surprised if the only way to achieve that is to degoogle the phone.
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glad to hear, enjoy it!
Thanks, I've wanted to do this for ages, but I got this current phone before I knew about grapheneos and the compatibility issue. Now all I need is to fully switch my main email and I'll be significantly de-googled.
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I can't bring myself to use a Pixel because I don't trust Google-everything. I have so much to say, and yet I've said it a thousand times already. So I'm just gonna sigh.
And yes, I know I'm on Android either way.
It was free a few years ago, I've hated it since I got it.
I think I got vibes from the windows phone a friend had some years ago and .. thought it would be the same? Idk
Mine broke, and it was free. EhRiver, meet phone.
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Why not throw graphene or another alternative on it (if supported) instead of turning it into e-waste?
I know nothing about it. Next time I feel wired up for learning, I'll look into it.
Just making jokes about the river, littering is never cool
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If you want you can install Pixel Camera (official Google camera) from Aurora Store, and deny it Network permissions and any other permissions you want. It still works pretty well for point and shoot but I can't speak for every single feature. Also you can install simulated services that the Gcam requires to function, without having to run Play Services.
Novice question: I think I am understanding that Aurora is a way of accessing the Google store without actually installing the Google Play Store, but is there a software package that it comes with? Is it MicroG? I am a little lost with how these relate to each other.
I installed Lineage and MindtheGapps on my Pixel 3a yesterday, but I'm interested in alternatives before I commit to this setup. It seemed like the easiest route given my lack of know-how, but my hope had been to de-Google gracefully and I don't know if that's possible with system-level Google still installed on my phone.
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Novice question: I think I am understanding that Aurora is a way of accessing the Google store without actually installing the Google Play Store, but is there a software package that it comes with? Is it MicroG? I am a little lost with how these relate to each other.
I installed Lineage and MindtheGapps on my Pixel 3a yesterday, but I'm interested in alternatives before I commit to this setup. It seemed like the easiest route given my lack of know-how, but my hope had been to de-Google gracefully and I don't know if that's possible with system-level Google still installed on my phone.
My understanding is that, in broad strokes...
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Aurora acts like a proxy or mirror that doesn't require you to sign in to get Google Play Store apps. It doesn't provide any other software besides what you specifically download from it, and it doesn't include any telemetry/tracking like normal Google Play Store would.
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microG is a reimplementation of Google Play services (the suite of proprietary background services that Google runs on normal Android phones). MicroG doesn't have the bloat and tracking and other closed source functionality, but rather acts as a stand-in that other apps can talk to (when they'd normally be talking to Google Play services). This has to be installed and configured and I would refer to the microG github or other documentation.
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GrapheneOS has its own sandboxed Google Play Services which is basically unmodified Google Play Services, crammed into its own sandbox with no special permissions, and a compatibility layer that retains some functionality while keeping it from being able to access app data with high level permissions like it would normally do on a vanilla Android phone.
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