[ProgressingAmerica]

Re-flashing phones has long been an option for those interested in getting off of Big Tech. For those who can't be bothered and will only purchase something, here is for discussion.

[ProgressingAmerica]

Might be of some interest.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Bkmrk

[mikelets456]

I used to “flash” different operating systems IE-Cyanogenmod) on an Android phone. However, I had to sideload apps and they didn’t work properly without a Google account. Also, I assume they work with “Carplay/Android auto”?

It’s been so long I have no idea what ROMs are out there now.

[qam1]

Android fork /e/OS

What a stupid name. You can't find it online as all searches ignore the slashes.

Great idea, but it will fail because of stupid branding

[glorgau]

Yeah, but they still have Chinese electronics. I trust that less than I trust Google.

[meatloaf]

I bricked an Android when it ended up asking for a password.

[meatloaf]

How is that done?

[Openurmind]

Thank you!

[farming pharmer]

Lineage and Graphene are the only two I would trust at the moment.

Total security is a myth, especially depending on how much of a pain in the ass to the government you are.

[sauropod]

bkmk

[ShadowAce]

[Vigilant1]

Here's another source for 'deGoogled' phones:

Rob Braxman's Store

[Paal Gulli]

The problem with being G**gle-free (and you're either G**gle-free or you're a G**gle slave) is that you can't access the G**gle Store. You can always download your apps by other means (e.g., F-Droid.org) but more and more apps insist on being able to communicate with the Google Store to confirm their authenticity, else they won't work.

One solution to that problem -- which works for me, but I have no idea what percentage of G**gle-free users this will work for -- is to use MicroG to "spoof" the G**gle Store. MicroG makes its own fork of the LineageOS ROM but they haven't "micro-geed" every Lineage ROM in existence, so there aren't MicroG ROMs available for as many devices as there are LineageOS ROMs for.

But you can always apply the MicroG patch to the OE LineageOS ROM's kernel, but that requires you create the patch for your hardware using the Smali patcher. Connect your LineageOS device to a Windows PC by USB and run the Smali patcher application. It will extract the files it needs from your device and patch them. Copy the patched file to your device and flash it from recovery and your device will be Micro-Geed.

If that sounds overly complicated, that's because it is. Unless you live for this kind of stuff (and are a glutton for punishment), better you should buy ready-made.

That or submit to G**gle. And I'll burn in hell first.