A process that started roughly a year ago with just changing browser and search engine, now feeling that I got somewhere. The journey ended up being more than just degoogle, but also demetaing and taking more control over my data and privacy.
Before and after picture with notes:
Chrome -> Zen browser (Firefox on iOS)
Google -> Qwant
Gmail -> Proton Mail
NordVPN -> Proton VPN (I don’t use VPN very often, but have NordVPN through another subscription, now replaced with Proton across my devices)
Google Drive / Photos -> Proton Drive
Google Password Manager -> Proton Pass
Google Authenticator -> Proton Pass / Ente (Ente Auth is only used to store my 2FA keys for the Proton account, other keys are stored in Proton Pass)
Google Translator -> DeepL
YouTube -> FreeTube (Unwatched on iOS)
Google Maps -> Magic Earth (OSM on desktop)
WhatsApp -> Signal
Notion -> Anytype
Keep / Notes -> Notesnook
X -> Mastodon / Bluesky
Reddit -> Lemmy (Voyager on iOS, dreaming of an eventual complete migration)
Instagram -> Pixelfed
Facebook -> stopped using
Windows 11 -> Ubuntu (Only personal laptop, work laptop still windows)
You must log in or register to comment.
I want to use Signal but can’t convince everyone to get on it
The US DoD uses it
And they hand out invitations to group chats
Is that a good or bad? Could go both ways 🤭
Matrix/element doesn’t make you give out a phone #
That’s not why most people aren’t on Signal.
Neither do signal anymore i think
Them dropping sms took away a big carrot for adoption though.
They absolutely do, but you can hide that behind a username after you’ve registered now. But you still have to come up with a number to register a new account.
Ah perfect thabks for the clarity, yes it was the username introduction that confused me - didnt realise it was both.
Nope, they still require a number.
From their site:
Requiring phone numbers in Signal lets people see which of their friends they can easily talk to on Signal while limiting the potential for spam within the app.
There are options to spoof a number in the States, and probably some areas of th EU, but many other places are SOL.
Them dropping sms took away a big carrot for adoption though.
Still miss that feature everytime I get an SMS or have to send an sms if data isn’t working.
Isnt iPhone already degoogled?
Yes, but iOS is even more closed than Android which makes all iPhones a small prison for open-minded and privacy oriented people.
Google is Big Tech, logs everything. Apple is Big Tech too, but only logs tiny less than Google. All Big Tech is a big no-no if you’re privacy oriented. This applies to all services that uses Big Tech, too.
Here’s my response to the -2 votes or whatever it is called. I bet it’s because of the last sentence. If you surf a website with a browser with uBlock Origin and blocks Big Tech, that’s good. But a lot of people visits websites and allows everything, feeding Big Tech with even more data than they already have. That was why I wrote it is a big no-no even services that uses Big Tech. Signal included.
Next step is to de-Apple your Iphone.
Fuck that, next step is linux 🚀
Saving this post. I have been deGoogling as much as I can but havent done the research to find some of these options. Thanks
Hmm people keep talking about qwant I wonder what it’s like…
Thanks for your visit
Unfortunately we are not yet available in your country.
lol wtf
Reddit -> Lemmy (Voyager on iOS, dreaming of an eventual complete migration)
I too long for when communities (Indian and some niche ones) have more activity on Lemmy. They exist here, but have no activity after their creation. Until things pick up, I continue to access Reddit on iOS using SinkIt.
YouTube -> FreeTube (Unwatched on iOS)
Thank you for sharing about Unwatched. It fills the void in iOS that Tubular fills perfectly in Android.
P.S.
I am not entirely sure why, but I remember seeing Unwatched’s creator @fer0n@lemmy.world/@fer0n@lemm.ee quite often back when Lemmy iOS apps were starting off (Mlem, Memmy, WefWef, etc.) in the fall of 2023, perhaps he was a major contributor or creator of such apps.
I didn’t know about sink it, will have a look! I currently use hydra to access Reddit on iOS.
Am I only one who doesn’t like proton services?
For some reasons, I don’t get the OTP emails in proton mail. Just the OTP emails…
Try Impressia for PixelFed
I feel like my story is a lot similar to yours almost a year ago now I saw a YouTube video about degoogling. It caused me to switch to Firefox with betterfox on the betterfox github pages there was a new oil link which I read and followed ultimately leading me to all of this and so much more.
Wow, thenewoil website is great. Thanks for sharing.
Saved! Good work and thank you.
What’s unwatched?
YouTube player app. Open source, no ads, no login, just import your subscriptions and playlists and you’re ready to go.
YouTube -> FreeTube (Unwatched on iOS)
De-Google but using an Apple. Yeah, Apple is soooo much better than Google 😂
As I mentioned in other comments, I didn’t buy a new phone to degoogle. I’m sure there are more people on the same boat. And this is a degoogle group.
After experiencing the iPhone 3 and MacBook pro 2009 I knew I’d never want to give Apple my money anymore. Boy did they try to scam me. “Broken hard drive? (500gb non-SSD) Sure, well fix it! 600 euros!” I’ll never sell my soul to Apple anymore.
Imagine spending 1k USD and then Not using any what you paid for lmao
Wdym? 😭
So you start with an iPhone…
Why don’t you put an edgy sticker on it?Gotta start with what you have 🤷
Somehow I think you may have had a choice about what phone you buy.
I have had the same phone for the past 3 years, so the degoogle process started a couple of years after I got it.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket (dont use proton for everything)
esp since we now know the owner is a fascist
I usually tell people the same, this is a decision I will have to live with. I am happy with Proton and also happy to support their growth, hopefully it will go well for a long time.
From the other services I tried, Filen and Ente deserve an honorable mention. I was close to just go Mail Plus + Filen + Ente. But as soon as you do Proton Mail + VPN, you then go with Proton Unlimited and that is what makes the most sense financially.
I recommed Tuta for mails. May be not good as Proton but not American, not from Google and most important, private as Proton.
I love Tuta as well, they are great. But not being able to use Tuta with thunderbird was a deal breaker for me. Proton is Swiss btw.
Yeah I know Proton isnt American. Just wanted to remind Tuta’s situation. Yes, lack of another client is really bad but I enjoy the official app, we may differ at that point.
But as soon as you do Proton Mail + VPN, you then go with Proton Unlimited and that is what makes the most sense financially.
That’s how they get you! ;)
Mail and VPN are something I would never want to cross associate, though. After all, any mail provider can see the full contents of any unencrypted email at some point (including Proton), and any VPN provider can see as much as your ISP used to see about your internet activity.
I don’t understand your point, if data will be exposed at some point, why would you want that exposure with 2 separate companies instead of one?
