Install Whatsapp, Telegram, Instagram, google apps, etc
Use Google ID to sign up for all social media and a real phone number of course.
Not using a VPN.
Install government apps. <3
And then thinks that you’re safe and private now because you’re using a private SFOS. lol. It’s basically turned into another android phone with shaky app compatibility and bugs.
I’ve been thinking about privacy a lot lately. I just wanted to share my thoughts.
The good thing about custom ROM is that it removes the inbuilt spyware from the system level that otherwise cannot be removed in stock android. Providing you with a clean start. But user still have to practice privacy hygiene by themselves and exercise caution on the internet.
So what are your BEST practices and advice for new SFOS
Or just don’t? I do need a bunch of Android apps, doesn’t mean that it’s not a net win when the base OS doesn’t spy on you. Or when using MicroG which means the “Play Services” don’t spy on you.
If the Android apps you want to use run well on Sailfish, it could still be better than plain Android.
You can start App Support, fire up the Android app you want, do whatever you intended to do, stop App Support again. This should minimize the time anything Android can spy on you to the absolute minimum and you still have a smartphone with you that can take phone calls, texts or browse the web at any other times.
This might be a little different for different people but what I suggest is the following:
Install SFOS.
Install AAS.
(this is fine by itself and just gives you the opportunity if you want to use it later on, make sure it is not started automatically but only when you really need it)
Do not / never install Playstore, Google apps itself or the G-Suite. If you need apps from Google Store, use at least Aurora Store and be very selective what you install. NEVER use a Google Account to download stuff… for most things you do not need it anyway. (an exception might be paid apps, but still I would not recommend doing it)
Install StoreMan, ChumGUI and F-Droid.
Anything you are searching for should be searched for like this:
Search on Jolla Store, ChumGUI or StoreMan for a native app that can do what you want the app to do. For instance Telegram can be most likely covered by Fernschreiber, YouTube can be covered by SailPipe, Google Maps can be covered by PureMaps, etc.
If those didnt work, have a look at F-Droid. (here you need AAS, but this is still FOSS APKs, so pretty ok in many cases. Still, be selective.
If nothing of the options above gave you a useable solution, ask in the Forums or on Telegram channels, etc. if somebody has a good solution.
If no one has a good solution, try to go the author’s webpage or go to Aurora Store and download the APK of the app and install it. (again, be selective!)
If for whatever reason this doesn’t work, don’t use the app / the service and find an alternative.
If you want to, use a VPN. By not using G-Services and being selective you are already very much better off than you were before in most cases, but if you want to use a VPN, do that. BE SELECTIVE WHICH VPN SERVICE YOU USE!
If you need government apps, you can use them – but make sure AAS is not running all the time but shut off if you are finished whatever you need to do with it. (again… be selective in what you install)
This is my guide for newbees to find first the app stores to use and then the apps. Maybe it helps:
If people want to contact me, they can install Signal, Telegram, send an SMS, e-mail or call. If they only want to use Whatsapp, they loose text communication with me.
If(/when) my bank won’t allow PC web access without app, they’ll lose me.
For the very rare few cases where I really need an app, I have some old trash phones from Goopple. Best would be one phone per app.
And for a potential emergency case that finally never happen, I have AAS installed.
I still find it hard to trust the operating system itself. I don’t even want to use a fork of android like GrapheneOS, LineageOS or CalyxOS. I want a entirely new operating system from the groundup to ensure all the google spyware is gone. Because you just never know. I want a linux computer like my desktop whereby all my stuff are LOCAL and not collecting anything or do any cloud syncing.
Btw it’s not just about Android apps.
To get many decent native apps you have to go to openrepos, where you basically trust any random person on the internet and somehow this feels secure for many. And on top of that, most of them ask for WAY too many permissions.
Personally as an example I know 5 people that I trust to run their apps on my phone and that’s about it.
Not everyone can inspect every inch of the code on every app (and every app update), and even if you can, should you do it just to use an app?
There are a few mobile devices that run (close to) mainline Linux. E.g., here’s a list of ones that run postmarketOS. This might be what you’re looking for. You will notice when you browse the list that there are a number of supported phones that aren’t capable of stuff like . . . making calls, so there’s really only a handful of good options. You’ll also notice that only a few of the well-supported devices are still available new.
To obtain access to the above goodies make sure to use the maximal identity exposure in digital payment method & filling in personal account details to Jollaboys in line with to the details loyally used in Google and other Compliance & Conformity Softwares.
Be sure to enable fingerprint scanning in SFOS.
If all goes well and services do their jobs SFOS does already have backdoor(s) by […] that combined with closed m0dem software on the mobile hardware make next steps redundant and those may even help to normalise your digital citizen profile back to average green lit “just curious about privacy thing” Android running subject.
regarding bank apps: they now do require an app to confirm transactions etc.
the goverment at least accepts fidokeys but banks did stop to use sms or are in progress to do so and then you need a android brick at home just to do banking on pc in web.
