~robbyJan 30, 2021

In the last year Google has banned: the Element app, the LBRY app, and several Fediverse apps. If you get all of your apps from a single corporation, be it Google or Apple, you should make an effort to change that.

If you have an Android phone F-Droid is an alternative app repository, and it’s very easy to install! All of the previously mentioned apps have been available from F-Droid throughout being dropped from the Play Store.

If you have an iPhone, please consider other options for your next device. Apple does not respect you enough as a user to consider you possibly more capable of deciding what you should install on your phone than they are. That is absurd; please stop rewarding this behavior with your money.

F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository

F-Droid is the app distribution ecosystem for Android where your user freedom comes first. Discover our app store, explore the world of free and open source (FOSS) apps and [learn](https://f-droid.org/about/) about our app distribution tools.

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@robby
Yes, absolutely.
1) factory default your phone
2) tell google NOTHING!
3) disable/uninstall anything goog will 'allow' you to on your own phone
4) install fdroid
5) install aurora for those corner cases, so you can use googplay anonymously
6) use Klar browser or similar
7) disable location 'services' if possible for your use case

And if you really, really only need the phone part for 'emergencies', just don't have a sim or contract at all: 911 (or your countries equiv.) is free by law.

Jan 30, 2021 at 9:49pmWeb