this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2023

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How much of your life have you degoogled? (beehaw.org)

submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by frogman@beehaw.org to c/technology@beehaw.org

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We're reaching the end of an era wherein billions of dollars of investor money was shovelled into tech startups to build large user-bases, and now those companies (now monoliths) are beginning to constrict their user-bases and squeeze for every single penny they can possibly extract. Fair or not.

Now more than ever, it's important for us to step back and reconsider whether we want to be billboards for these companies anymore.

For anyone unfamiliar, some good resources to have when starting your degoogling journey are below:

Privacy Guides - A list of privacy-respecting services you can use.

Plexus - A crowdsourced information bank of service compatibility with degoogled devices.

This random PDF - A study from 2018 detailing data that Google tracks about its' users.

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[–] Awwab@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Google still runs a good chunk of my life and some of it I know I could use some of the great alternatives that others have mentioned but some of it I'm not really sure about.

Namely:
Maps
Messenger (web browser access to my texts)
Contact sync and backup
Google voice
And all the various services that let my phone operate...

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[–] meldrik@lemmy.wtf 1 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I degoogled by switching to an iPhone 😅 DuckDuckGo is my default search engine.

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[–] InterSynth@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I've degoogled my life as much as I can, but it's almost impossible to completely ditch Google Maps, YouTube, and Android. So I'm not even sure I've done anything significant, because I assume they get pretty much everything from my phone.

[–] blackstrat@lemmy.fwgx.uk 1 points 2 years ago

Magic Earth for maps
NewPipe for Youtube
Android with no Google account & FDriod + Aurora Store

[–] coolin@beehaw.org 1 points 2 years ago

I used to be on GrapheneOS, but the drama with the developer plus mainly not being able to put my university ID on the wallet, forced me back on stock Android.

Besides Android, I use Google Play Store, YouTube, and Maps. For YouTube I've technically degoogled, using Invidious and NewPipe, but that's obviously still using Google services.

I really wish that digital payment didn't rely on two proprietary services (Google Wallet and Apple Wallet). It would be so much easier for phone companies to ship privacy friendly versions of Android if there was a FOSS alternative directly integrated into AOSP. I also wish apps didn't have to use Google service framework just to function, it seems stupid af. I don't think this will ever improve, so I'll probably end up on a true Linux phone whenever those catch up (2030 YEAR OF THE LINUX PHONE???)

We also need open collaboration on mapping. There is the OpenStreetMaps and Overture maps from Linux foundation, but those aren't really there yet unfortunately.

[–] PiselloSauro@feddit.it 1 points 2 years ago

Basically outside of Youtube I don’t use any Google service. Started by migrating to Kagi search, and while it requires a subscription, its a price I am willing to pay for a search engine that actually work good.

Everything else I use a mix of FOSS and subscription services.

[–] baggins@beehaw.org 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Tried DDG a few times over the years. Sorry, but it just doesn't do it for me. Results were terrible. Google had lots of results and it was just too much effort to keep switching from DDG if it doesn't provide an answer. Because I know Google will.

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[–] ArugulaZ@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

(sigh) Probably not enough. I was enthusiastic about Google when I first started using it in 2002 (twenty years ago, it really was a cut above other search engines) and had intense loyalty to the brand, which hasn't entirely evaporated. I still use the search engine from time to time, still use Gmail, still use Android phones. There's a lot Google was doing right at the beginning, but eventually, they cast aside the façade of "don't be evil" and revealed themselves to be only slightly less sleazy than Microsoft.

I still use Microsoft products, too. Just could never get used to the taste of Linux in my mouth.

[–] code_is_speech@lemmy.fmhy.ml 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

LineageOS for microg: degoogled android. DuckDuckGo: search. Firefox: web browser. Ublock origin: ad blocker. Proton: email. OsmAnd+: maps.

Only google product I still use is youtube, but I have made some efforts here:

On desktop pc I use firefox with sponserblock and ublock origin to hide ads and automatically skip sponsered content. I also have an addon called unhook, which hides recommendations, 'people also watched' etc.

I also use and recommend Odysee as a youtube alternative.

On my TV I use SmartTubeNext, on my phone I use revanced.

I host my own music server with navidrome (and my own video media server with Jellyfin). But when I dont have access to that, I also use ViMusic as a youtube music replacement for (degoogled) android.

Can absolutely recommend any and all of the tools I listed.

[–] tokadorium@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 years ago (6 children)

Only apps by Google I use are gboard, gmail and translator. If someone knows well designed alternatives please share.

[–] thayer@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 years ago

FlorisBoard keyboard is the one to watch as the Gboard killer. v0.40 will finally bring word suggestions and inline autocorrect. In all other respects, it's more customizable than Gboard and can be configured to match the exact size/layout.

For email, K-9 Mail (soon to be Thunderbird Mobile) has made a lot of progress in modernizing its UI this year now that Mozilla has partnered up with the main dev, cketti.

[–] tranceFusion@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Fastmail is fantastic from a user experience perspective, though depending on your privacy demands it may not pass the test.

[–] nickb333@beehaw.org 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Long time Fastmail user here. Where is it failing with respect to privacy?

[–] pvr@beehaw.org 0 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Love Fastmail! I used Protonmail for a while but their development is soooo slow and they never seem to be able to deliver things on time. Promising features that are years late.

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[–] Coeus@coeus.sbs 1 points 2 years ago

I'm still in the Google android stuff just because of convenience but I have ditched Chrome and Google search. Eventually I would like to do more.

[–] knobbysideup@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago

As much as possible. I run my own mail, calendar, and contacts, for example.

[–] bug@lemmy.one 1 points 2 years ago

Proton's services, Cryptomator, Invideous, GrapheneOS, a handful of apps from f-droid.

Also, quick plug - !privacyguides@lemmy.one is the official Privacy Guides community on Lemmy!

[–] Silviecat44@vlemmy.net 0 points 2 years ago

Not much honestly. Still use Gmail and Drive

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