Hi, all.

We've grown considerably since rebuilding the sub (see https://lemmy.ml/post/2262830). Active monthly users 150 -> 380. 3.5k -> 5.42k subs. It seems to be growing organically now, and the higher we go, the more people will stumble across it. There is always a need to get away from Google, and hopefully our community can help people with this.

If you'd like to join us to help moderate so we have folk in place as we need them, that would be awesome.

If you are interested. Please send a message about why you think you'd be good for the role, and also an example post/comment in this community previously.

Thanks,

CrypticCoffee

Here I will pin a list of recommendations for software. Getting started can be daunting, and it'd be great to pull that information together here for newcomers so they can take practical steps to degoogle their lives.

Disclaimer: These are recommendations by regulars here and on privacy forums. Use at own risk. We cannot due diligence on these, so if people do have issue with items in the list, please create a post and raise your concerns.

Recommendations

Browser -

• Firefox (Strongly recommend in light of WEI and Google's plan that could potentially restrict access to websites)
• Librewolf
• Brave (Not recommended, due to Google's WEI changes. Using chromium is a bad idea. I left this in case you really must)

Search

• Duck Duck Go
• Brave

Email

• Proton mail
• Tutanota

Cloud storage

• Proton mail

Productivity Suite (Alternative to google docs)

• Libre office (Maybe not cloud based)
• Only office (for MS doc compatibility)

Degoogled Android phones

Phone OS - https://lemm.ee/post/663113

• GrapheneOS

• LineageOS (wihh or without MicroG)

• /e/OS

Android app store -

• F-droid

Messaging

• Signal

• Element (Matrix)

Maps - https://lemmy.ml/post/2211048

• Organic Maps

• OsmAnd+

SMS - https://lemmy.ml/post/2256135

Organisation

Task lists - https://lemmy.ml/post/2249613

Calendar - https://lemm.ee/post/704703

• Fossify Calendar - https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Calendar

Discussion

These items are ones either recommended multiple times or seem to have some form of consensus on them being good and privacy focussed. I will link discussion topics so people can see the logic and reasoning behind recommendation. If you are not happy with anything here, please discuss here: https://lemmy.ml/post/2262409

If you would like another item in this, please create a post discussion and we can pull it in and link to it.

On my new phone I'm tempted to switch from LineageOS for microG to IodéOS, just for the ease of a dedicated installer. What are your experiences of pros and cons?

Bonus question, while I prefer full control of my phone, Iodé lists "uninstallable apps" as a feature(?) — what in the world are those?

Edited title for clarity

I use Google Shopping (the “Shopping” tab on Google) to see if local stores carry certain products, what they cost, how far away each store is, etc. It seems to mostly search national or large regional chains, but it was still pretty useful.

Is there any alternative to this (in the US)? The “nearby” function has unfortunately got shittier and shittier over the past year or so. It's gotten less “deterministic," just mixing results from local stores with e-commerce stores, further reducing usefulness.

Hello everyone!

Recently, I saw so many posts about this and I started to think about degoogling (degoogleing?) my life.

I've started with fdroid and found some nice apps in there and I'm curious to know some alternatives I may or may not know

• Youtube: Currently, I use ReVanced and even though is just the default app with something in it, I want an alternative with background listening, import my subscriptions w/ notifications and if possible with sponsorblock
• Mail: Using a combo or Gmail + proton. I started to use proton recently and I want to move everything there when I have time. Suggestions here?
• Cloud storage: Self hosted/proton? Alternatives
• Gallery app: Stock
• Video player: Stock
• Music player: Stock
• 2FA app: I have Authy and I tried to install aegis. I also have Ente but I've never used both
• Mail app: Using K9 and the app is awesome compared to google or Samsung Mail
• Password Manager: Bitwarden
• Weather app: Currently, using Breezy weather

If possible, apps with a nice looking UI, modern with/without Material You

I'm using a Samsung S23 and I would like to know how bad it is to change ROM with something better and if it's really worth Pixel + GrapheneOS. Thanks

Edit: I forgot the most important one with probably no alternatives (?) Thanks to @JustMarkov@lemmy.ml (idk how to mention)

• Samsung pay

So I finally came across a proprietary app that has broken notification support on my degoogled phone and there don't seem to be any alternative ways (like what Telegram FOSS or Signal do) to get it working. I tried a solution called ntfy but it didn't work. So is there a way to get it working now (preferably without utilizing Firebase because Google can read it all you know)?