I have neither Google Play nor Google Play Services, as I run a deGoogled OS.
However, I fear that I might not be able to escape the Google monopoly much longer.
Does that mean anything if you only use apps from F-Droid?
F-Droid apps are probably safe from this shit. Unfortunately, most people need proprietary apps too. Banking and official ID apps (for those in countries where the authorities have strongly adopted the internet for identification purposes) come to mind. Or the app from the provider your company chose to report working hours or input expense reports. Or Teams (again, mandatory for many jobs).
If you can't install those apps on your deGoogled cellphone - segregated in a work profile to prevent them from vacuuming your data of course - then you need a separate cellphone running the full Google spyware stack just for them, which is all shades of dystopian.
Nope! I'm Google-app free.
My only app store is F-Droid. And I have yet to install any proprietary apps on my phone.
I've got Shelter set up in case my work ever pressures me to install any proprietary apps, but so far they haven't pushed anyway.
what do you use in place of maps and android auto?
That's the neat part. I don't!
I've got enough privacy concerns about my car's privacy policies that I don't want my phone talking to my car. (Except via the aux audio port, at least.)
And since I first got a smartphone, I haven't done enough traveling that I've ever felt the need for a maps app. But there are options on F-Droid. I just can't speak to how good they are as I've never used any of them.
Though, honestly, I can also just use https://maps.google.com/ through my browser.
Yes
no
You mean the play store? Yeah sure, I use the official repos on all my devices.
Yes, but no account on it. I get apps from aurora store.
I have Play Services on my secondary LineageOS device for some occasionally-needed things, but I don't have it signed in with a google account.
My daily driver is rooted with Play Services disabled; everything is from F-Droid or Aurora Store. Haven't tried removing it with the de-bloater since it wouldn't actually remove it (just masks it).
In a different profile, sandboxed... I need it to get notifications between that profile and owner
Hates things from Google. Uses Android. 🤡
What's the alternative that would render them not a clown emoji?
Google sucks, but Apple sucks too. And if you hate them both, Android is the better choice for a smartphone because you can use it with minimal interaction with Google whereas any Apple device firmly has you in the Apple ecosystem.
