Honestly, I'm worried. Current Linux options are expensive and or shitty. IDK if Sailfish is still a thing. I can't use Apple. If I keep taking good care of my not-so-shitty Xiaomi phone, maybe I have a couple more years until I'm pwned.

PostmarketOS seems promising, though.

I love my Mac. I can install all kinds of cool software, as my Mac has been upgraded to only run Linux Mint.😉

I have F-Droid on my Android phone. Iike having a marketplace where I can download floss apps.

Time to popularize Linux phones. I read that the security model is lacking, but especially given that Android is Linux too, it shouldn’t be too difficult to catch up. The EU is also interested in tech independence, so that could be one of the sources of funding. And there are a few viable early projects, like Ubuntu Touch and Sailfish.

PostmarketOS is already in a good state for a secondary device, though I don't think it can completely replace an Android phone just yet. Most devices still have some fundamental hardware support issues even on the more well supported phones (camera is the big one, call audio is also problematic on a lot of devices). However, as a pocketable Linux machine, it is wonderful. I got a second cheap SIM card so I can have data on my OnePlus 6 postmarketOS phone as there are a lot of tasks that work better on Linux than Android. I keep an Android daily driver but am trying to do less and less on it and more on the postmarketOS device.

I thought installing apps through ADB will still be possible ? So we can assume it will be possible with shizuku ?

Sailfish is not very alive. Ubuntu Touch too.

But honestly yes. I think the problems are mostly in hardware support.

No, unless you use GrapheneOS, iOS is far more secure than Android.

can i walk around this by simply never updating my phone? been (not?) doing that for a year already anyways

It's Android with all of the Google removed where possible and sandboxed where not. You can choose to install the Google Play services and use it like any other Android phone or use it without any Google software.

Some things won't work, namely things like some banking applications and NFC payments, because they require on hardware attestation that Google will not allow Graphene to pass. Essentially everything that isn't banking/payment related works exactly like any other Android phone.

It is just a secure phone (though you can still install Facebook on it if you want) that is designed around mitigating attacks that could violate your privacy and security.

Very easy to install, you just buy a Pixel directly from Google (don't buy from the carriers, they'll be locked). Enable OEM Unlocking in the Developer menu and then plug it into USB and you can install it directly from the Graphene site via WebUSB. It takes about 5-10 minutes, then your phone will reboot (It'll give you a scary looking screen about not running a Google OS that you'll see every time it reboots but it's just informational, it doesn't affect anything and the system will boot into GrapheneOS in a second or two).

The more complete instructions and WebUSB install process:

https://grapheneos.org/install/

I look forward to LibrePhone coming online. I hope it comes soon ...

"Librephone — Free Software Foundation — Working together for free software" https://www.fsf.org/campaigns/librephone

I imagine lots of developers will jump to fdroid.

Not sure what closed source apps who don't want to pay Google will do though...

What really bugs me about it: The first step from "how to ungoogle your phone" is "go, give money to Google" by buying their hardware.

Also. Apple has alt app stores in other regions. Data transfer on Apple hasn't needed iTunes for a long time, and it will read USB-c hard drives and keys. I don't disagree with you that iOS is more locked down, just pointing out the gap keeps getting smaller. I have a Jolla pre order in, because I'm a fan of open hardware, but it will likely be my android phone that I drop in favour of it.

If you care about using third-party Android apps, I have good news for you, but grim news for the ecosystem. You will still be able to use third-party apps. But it's going to be harder. You'll probably need to use something like Shizuku or an ADB tool. The first wave of those affected won't be you and me; it'll be people who aren't quite as technically competent. Then, slowly, a chilling effect will echo across independent development.

It bugs me also.

My thinking is that the part of Google that I think is bad is their advertising and algorithmic recommendation systems which are built on private data that I no longer wish to divulge.

The Pixel is made by a company that used to be called HTC before they were consumed by Alphabet. That company produced good hardware that was smartly designed and innovative. That legacy continues with the device that Google has sells as the Pixel.

There are a few things about the phone that Alphabet has tainted, such as the inability to use NFC payments because hardware running GrapheneOS isn't allowed into their secure hardware attestation chain. Not for any real technical reason, only because it allows Alphabet to disincentivize people away from a competitor by abusing their many monopoly powers.

GrapheneOS takes advantage of the excellently designed HTC hardware to create an operating system that is designed from the ground up to be secure. It then leverages the complete control over your hardware to put Alphabet's other software inside of a little box where it constantly lies to the software in a way that lets your applications work without them actually being able to access everything on your device.

Yes, it is technically an Alphabet product and giving them money can feel distasteful. However, in this case by buying their hardware you can cut off their software, which is the actual thing that is negatively affecting everything.

I'd buy any other phone that fully supported GrapheneOS's requirements for future devices.

Until then, I'm less worried about giving HTC money than I am about having a device that I know is under my control and that works to protect my privacy.

Nothing changes for now but other moves by Google clearly show they are trying to kill 3rd party ROMs by locking down Android's code. In my opinion, unless EU steps in and mandates phone manufacturers and Google to support google free apps we're fucked.

While it does not affect them directly, it is unlikely most app developers will give significant effort to only support a small percentage of Android users running custom ROMs. So while GrapheneOS users will be able to install apps, there will likely not be that many apps to install.

Edit: What I mean is that most applications will have to choose to either agree to google terms and identify themselves, or develop only for custom ROMs, or stop developing altogether. And I don't think many will choose the 2nd option. Also, 1st option may not be available if google does not like your app.

How do we defend our privacy on Android now?

It's the other way around. GrapheneOS users will be able to install all the apps but stock Android users will not be able to install apps from F-Droid and other alternative sources*. F-Droid will lose access to about 99% of the market.

*Technically it will still be possible for open source devs to distribute apps to stock Android users but it will require handing Google your personal information and setting up way more complicated build configuration.

Will most likely not be a problem short-term but over time there will be apps that will require a newer OS version than the one you are stuck on and just stop running.

The main reason you should not do that is because of known security issues that are not fixed in your old install. So you are opening yourself up to being more vulnerable to malicious software.

The european movement away from american stuff however is increasing, I’m hopeful that Jolla, Fairphone and the ROM world will actually increase in importance and numbers

aw whack you're right, when my banking app stops supporting my OS version i'll have to update

ya i know, but i don't really download anything on my phone or click suspicious links, i know this is not a perfect defence, but honestly, i hate UI changes more than i worry about malicious software

The political problems driving the push for independence are fairly recent, so the current state is unlikely to be extrapolable.

There are devices using these operating systems that are also gaining popularity, like Jolla, Volla and Fair phone.

At least I can get almost 10 years of updates on iOS.

Privacy isn't really in their interest. They feed off our data.

It is surely called competition law?

There need to be enforced of competition law here. Companies aren't going to voluntarily support a platform with few users. Users aren't going to move to a platform without critical apps.

We live in a dystopia were you have to have the banks app to do online banking even on your desktop. You can't charge your car without an app. You can't navigate your car without a map app that has traffic information. Etc etc. I want FOSS alternatives to all these, but there isn't and Google could take even having a FOSS platform at all.

This something we need regulators to fix. It is a politically problem, not a technical one.

America screwing up trust should wake up Europe to dealing with American tech monopolies. Now it's not something just nerds and economists complain about, it is a geopolitical problem.

Just wanted you to be aware. Not blaming you. It's an overall shitty situation / outlook.

That's obvious, but before, we could use GrapheneOS and F-Droid etc to defend it ourselves.
I'm not expecting Google to help, just hoping the resistance has something up its sleeve too.

The EU has no interest in allowing privacy on devices, since it is increasingly attempting to control alternative narratives. We're in touching distance of the Fourth Reich now.

I'm writing this on a GOS Pixel tablet with only free/libre installation sources. There are quite enough applications to install.

You bank will be the last. Without your bank's app, you may not be able to do online banking. Car park apps. Public car charger apps. Even theme parks now have a ride booking app. There is more and more "app for that" with no alternative.

We require law makers to get involved. America making it's tech monopolies a visible geopolitical problem should help us.

Buy refurbished. GOS support will be coming to a (yet unnamed) OEM.

How soon before Windows copies this, given they already tried this sorta lockdown with S Mode?

Also, couldn't Ubuntu hypothetically lock down the Snap store like this?

Fully agree, there should be regulations, temporary at least, that require/incentivize critical companies to make a mobile Linux version of their apps, as well as strategic funding and incentives to make the platforms viable. We as citizens should contribute too, increasing pressure for this to happen, spreading the message, becoming early adopters where possible, submitting feedback, contributing to development, etc.

Yeah, uh, no alarm bells in the market watchdogs? None at all?

Would not be sure about that. There has been steps in opposite directions in the past.
Remember the regulation regarding 3. party app Stores on IOS, or even further back in the past the "Free Brwoser Choice" in MS-Windows.

I understand, but there's a good argument that android is the reason why GNU/Linux phones don't get good.

The death of android as an "open" platform would put some pressure to actual develop an alternative.

I'll switch in a heartbeat if they support a nonGoogle phone

SailfishOS is still very much a thing and they have a brand new phone on the way. Since it hasn't been released yet it's hard to get into specifics, but early interest seems to point in a positive direction at least.

carrying a laptop won't help. If it helped, I won't mind running a termux os via proot also. I dont mind if it isn't optimised for small touchscreen yet.

right now most mobile payment options in my country only work with android/ios. My bank requires a phone for its device token (2fa).

The food and cab ordering platform is also exclusively on mobile only.

very sad

EU wants phones to be locked down so they can then make Google implement mass surveillance for "national security" reasons

This describes the EU, in a nutshell https://theuaob.substack.com/p/the-comprador-calculus-why-europes
The fascists have already won.

What are you basing this on? If you say "Chat Control" I will just ignore you.