Mastodawn

🧵 4/5
I disabled all possible permissions for Google Play Services, blocked background data, and use it only as a necessary evil for WhatsApp and Signal notifications. It's not ideal, but it's pragmatic.

🧵 3/5
You can install microG on stock ROM (root required, and even then it's unstable). For me, risking a bricked phone without local technical support is too dangerous. So I made a concession: I keep Google Play Services for now.

🧵 2/5
The open source replacement is microG. It emulates Google Play Services without spying. But microG works best on custom ROMs like LineageOS with signature spoofing. My Samsung A12 has no official LineageOS build.

#degoogle #privacy #digitalsurveillance

Episode 4:

🧵 1/5
Google Play Services is like an OS inside the OS: push notifications, location, authentication, app compatibility. Many apps (WhatsApp, banking, etc.) depend on it. Without it, notifications break or apps crash.

#DeGoogledAndroid #privacymatters #digitalsurveillance

🧵 8/8
Episode 4 will tackle the hardest nut: Google Play Services (notifications, location, authentication). Can we replace it with microG? Spoiler: not easily on this phone.
⬇️ Continue to Episode 4.

🧵 7/8
What about Google Play Services? That's the next episode. For now, these replacements cover 90% of daily use. Everything works offline or with minimal data. Speed? Surprisingly good on a Samsung A12.

🧵 6/8
Email and VPN: Proton (ProtonMail + ProtonVPN free tier). Mullvad is better but requires payment, which is very hard to manage from Cuba. Proton's free plan is limited but works.

🧵 5/8
To download apps from Google Play anonymously: Aurora Store (from F‑Droid). You can log in with a dummy session. Yes, F‑Droid shows a warning because it connects to Google servers, but it's far better than having the real Play Store installed.