Enfys J. Book [they/them]Feb 6, 2025

If you use Signal, Discord, or any other messaging app and you DON'T want Google or Apple monitoring/reading/learning from your messages, follow these steps.

Android:
1. Open Google app
2. Tap your profile photo
3. Settings
4. Google Assistant
5. "Your Apps"
6. Choose the app (e.g., Signal)
7. Toggle "Let your assistant learn from this app" off

iPhone:
1. Settings
2. Apps
3. Choose the app (e.g., Signal)
4. Toggle Apple intelligence or Siri settings to off (“learn from this app”)

Show threadEnfys J. Book [they/them]Feb 6, 2025
Note that your Android instructions may differ depending on your model. Those worked for my Pixel, but please feel free to chime in with directions for other models.
Show threadAlison WilderFeb 7, 2025
@EnfysBook Wow, I've been on GrapheneOS for a while and didn't know that the Google Assistant app was doing this now. That's absolutely insane.
Show threadDoktor Lond has movedFeb 7, 2025
@alisynthesis @EnfysBook totally insane - though not surprising - and you can't just disable google assistant all together or toggle the setting off for all apps - they've made it cumbersome do to it ... argh
Show threadAlison WilderFeb 7, 2025

@doktorlond @EnfysBook graphene is really great!

Edit: you have to have a pixel to use it.

Show threadDoktor Lond has moved
@alisynthesis @EnfysBook I've been dreaming about a de-googled phone for long - but in denmark it's not so easy because so much authorisation is bound up on ios and android specific apps - all kinds of interaction with authorities and banking and getting messages from your kids school and and and ... I just spoke to a neighbor who had to skip it and buy a standard android because one of these apps we not running - it's really mad - big tech must love the danish goverment!
Feb 7, 2025 at 12:24pmWeb
Show threadAlison WilderFeb 7, 2025
@doktorlond @EnfysBook That sucks. Yeah, even in the best case, degoogling has to become a hobby for a while when you do it. They are really, really dug in.
Show threaddecibyteFeb 7, 2025
@doktorlond @alisynthesis @EnfysBook I installed LineageOS with microG on my Fairphone 4 the other day and the only problem I haven't solved so far is with in-app purchases. Banking app (Merkur) and MobilePay works just fine. I don't use any of the government apps, so can't say whether they would work. But I'm generally quite impressed with how few problems I have.
Show threadDoktor Lond has movedFeb 7, 2025
@decibyte @alisynthesis @EnfysBook right - I guess you will have mitid installed ... which I've also heard should be working - my neighbors problem was with the app they use to comminicate with their kids school, aula i think it's called - never heard which os he tried out by the way ...
Show threaddecibyteFeb 7, 2025
@doktorlond @alisynthesis @EnfysBook Nope. I live a decent life without the MitID app. The one time code generator is great: https://www.mitid.dk/en-gb/get-started-with-mitid/mitid-authenticators/mitid-code-display/
MitID code display

Show threadAlison WilderFeb 7, 2025
@decibyte @doktorlond @EnfysBook I feel like "I live a decent life without X app" should be some sort of modern mantra/affirmation
Show threadDoktor Lond has movedFeb 7, 2025
@decibyte @alisynthesis @EnfysBook ah that thingy - forgot about that one - alright cool
Show threadAlison WilderFeb 7, 2025
@decibyte @doktorlond @EnfysBook Nice, lineage looks really cool. I've had a few similar problems on graphene and have pretty much always just hit uninstall when I come up against that stuff. I've always found another way to do whatever I need to do, and if it's that invasive that I literally can't make it work on graphene, fuck em. (This is not to say that's an approach everyone can take. I know that there are requirements in life and sometimes they suck and are not fair!)
Show threadAlison WilderFeb 7, 2025
@decibyte @doktorlond @EnfysBook You can actually force graphene to do a lot of things that it doesn't do on the surface, although I do think lineage is probably a little more friendly to normal apps in general.
Show threadDoktor Lond has movedFeb 7, 2025
@alisynthesis @decibyte @EnfysBook yeah - sure - the problem is if all your surroundings assumes that everything works for you then suddenly it's not good enough checking your messages or whatever on a desktop in the evening because everybody assumes that you've gotten your messages instantly - stuff like that
Show threadAlison WilderFeb 7, 2025
@doktorlond @decibyte @EnfysBook I totally understand. I've heard that from other parents as well. I don't have kids and I'm single so it's a little easier to operate outside the norm because there's no one really counting on me but me.
Show threadThe Great Llama Feb 7, 2025

@decibyte @doktorlond @alisynthesis @EnfysBook
I ran Lineage for a few years and it's definitely better than stock android, but I recently switched to Graphene. It's on a whole other level for security.

It was also the easiest install I've ever done... Once you unlock "developer mode" you just load up the Graphene website on another machine, plug in your phone, and the site basically does the install for you.

Seriously, highly recommended.

Show threaddecibyteFeb 7, 2025
@TheGreatLlama @doktorlond @alisynthesis @EnfysBook I would absolutely have gone for Graphene if it would run on my Fairphone!
Show threadThe Great Llama Feb 7, 2025
@decibyte @doktorlond @alisynthesis @EnfysBook
Yeah, that's the one downside. I can say, having tried it, my next phone will ALSO be a Pixel running Graphene.