Can I degoogle a phone without root?

2 years ago by GolfNovemberUniform to c/degoogle

I am in need of a separate degoogled phone for some things that require high level of privacy (nothing illegal).

I have 2 phones that I can use. One of them is my business phone (it has my business number, apps, data and that sort of stuff) which is now running an OS with all the Google spyware because it's necessary for the apps to work. I can reinstall everything on the second phone and use the first one as the secure device since it supports everything I need. The problem is that it has some issues on vanilla ROMs that I don't really want to deal with and the reinstalling will take a lot of time.

The issue with the second phone is that it is rocking an old MTK chip and rooting instructions are let's say a bit beyond my ability to understand. I still want to use it without Google if possible though. So can I degoogle its stock ROM with ADB or something? And is it worth trying or there will still be some vulnerabilities?

EDIT: to clear some possible misunderstandings, the reason of why I need a separate secure phone is that I am forced to use a very invasive proprietary app that I'd prefer just keeping on a separate device instead of trying to limit its spyware abilities with firewalls and that kind of stuff. I don't trust the last solution much. Also I can't use it in a VM because I need it to always be accessible wherever I am and yk carrying a PC is not an option

lemmyreader 32 points 2 years ago

One thing you can do :

  • Install F-Droid app if you haven't do so.
  • Install NetGuard https://f-droid.org/...
  • In the NetGuard settings block all apps including system apps.
  • Start allowing the apps you need to have WiFi and/or Mobile Data access
  • Consider donating to NetGuard or go Pro to support the developer https://netguard.me/
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Blaze 3 points 2 years ago

Interesting, I was using https://rethinkdns.com/ until now, I guess NetGuard is a more straightforward approach to blocking?

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lemmyreader 3 points 2 years ago

Up to you. Netguard does need a local VPN connection on the phone to work, so if you would need some VPN app to run there's a problem. Netguard blocks network access per app (with choice for enabling/disabling WiFi and/or Mobile Data per app) which I think is cool. And it is an open source app available via F-Droid.

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Blaze 4 points 2 years ago

Rethink is very similar: uses a VPN connection too, and allows blocking per app, is available on F-Droid

Anyway, the interface of Netguard seems a bit easier to use

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Openai 2 points 2 years ago

You can use wireguard configuration with rethink DNS

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GolfNovemberUniform -10 points 2 years ago

I don't really trust such stuff. Once I tried disabling system apps via ADB (not deleting). They appeared as disabled but still could run in the background...

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MentalEdge 19 points 2 years ago

The point isn't to stop them from running. It's to stop them from talking to the internet, which is a lot simpler to achieve.

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GolfNovemberUniform -17 points 2 years ago

What I meant is that if we can't disable them without root we probably can't disable the network access either. I don't have the knowledge and time to test outgoing packets and stuff like that

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MentalEdge 15 points 2 years ago

Android has built in support for VPNs. If there was a way for the OS to leak traffic, that would be a massive security vulnerability that would have corporations dumping all android company phones within a week.

Non root ad blockers work by creating a vpn within the phone that all network activity goes through, which then doesn't allowed ad traffic.

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Anamana 8 points 2 years ago

It's fairly secure that it works, because it's basically setting up a VPN connection that effectively blocks every network traffic outside of the tunnel.

But if you wanna be 100% sure you need to invest either the time or root your phone.

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Empricorn 6 points 2 years ago

It's okay to admit you don't understand stuff, you don't need to push conspiracy theories. None of us is omniscient....

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MinekPo1 5 points 2 years ago

to my knowledge disabled apps do not run so you must have misunderstood something

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BearOfaTime 2 points 2 years ago

System apps can appear disabled but still run. Yea, it's fucked up.

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GolfNovemberUniform -2 points 2 years ago

Well it was on a Redmi phone. Everything is possible there. They have like 6 spyware apps installed by default

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merde 3 points 2 years ago

try deleting, disabling is not enough

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GolfNovemberUniform -6 points 2 years ago

I know and I tried. Deleting works fine I guess

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merde 2 points 2 years ago

it does :)

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muntedcrocodile 19 points 2 years ago

Nope. Best cause of action is buy a google pixel and put grapheneos on it.

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GolfNovemberUniform -57 points 2 years ago

Ok then send me the money

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muntedcrocodile 26 points 2 years ago

Solve ur own problems mate. Unless u wanna replace the phones ROM and can relock the bootloader not a whole lot any degoogling attempts can achieve.

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ProtoShark 2 points 2 years ago

They were just making the point that buying an entire new phone isn't worth it.

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GolfNovemberUniform -56 points 2 years ago

Lol hope you get banned for rudeness

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muntedcrocodile 20 points 2 years ago

Ur the one begging for money that's pretty rude imo. Its just not a whole lot u can do without at least rooting.

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Maddier1993 3 points 2 years ago
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impure9435 15 points 2 years ago

You can try uninstalling as much Google crap as possible using the Universal Android Debloater

Then perhaps use a firewall like NetGuard in whitelist mode, to only allow selected apps to access the internet

As an additional layer of security, you can use NextDNS with the No Google blocklist, and block all connections to Google servers in DNS. If you need to access specific things like YouTube, you can whitelist them.

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MinekPo1 2 points 2 years ago

just gonna say , rethink combines both a firewall and a DNS blocker .

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Blaze 2 points 2 years ago

Interesting, I was using https://rethinkdns.com/ until now, I guess NetGuard is a more straightforward approach to blocking?

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MinekPo1 1 point 2 years ago

if I understand correctly the rethink app does also work as a firewall , so no . I've also found netguard to be less intuitive and to have a less readable UI .

if you are just using rethink as a DNS provider however then netguard (or the rethink app) can allow you to have more granular control over specific apps .

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Blaze 2 points 2 years ago

I see, thanks

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GolfNovemberUniform -22 points 2 years ago

Mister/miss, I have no idea how to use advanced DNS stuff and firewalls (like at all). It's faster to reinstall everything on a different phone than learning all of that. Still thank you for replying

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matron1049 12 points 2 years ago

Time to start learning...

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GolfNovemberUniform -14 points 2 years ago

I don't want to share sensitive medical and other personal data. I'll just say I have reasons not to do it now

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impure9435 4 points 2 years ago path: 0 9686161 9686530 9689417, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 1
PipedLinkBot 2 points 2 years ago

Here is an alternative Piped link(s):

https://piped.video/WUG57ynLb8I

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.

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smeg 7 points 2 years ago
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GolfNovemberUniform -10 points 2 years ago

Installing a custom ROM on that phone is not much less hackery than rooting it + there are no trustworthy options because the model is really really rare and it has an MTK

Then I guess I should reinstall everything and use the first phone as the secure one

Nah buying a new device is a very big deal

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smeg 3 points 2 years ago
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GolfNovemberUniform -4 points 2 years ago

Agreed. Fortunately the first phone has magnificent custom ROM support

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alb_004 4 points 2 years ago

@GolfNovemberUniform In redmi turn off miui optimization then you can use the app called disable manager from f-droid to disable most of the apps. After disabling turn on the miui optimization.

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GolfNovemberUniform -4 points 2 years ago

The second phone is not a Redmi. Ain't no way I'm using a Redmi without a custom ROM

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alb_004 3 points 2 years ago path: 0 9684684 9684703 9684723, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0
michael_palmer 4 points 2 years ago

You can disable google apps with adb without root.

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GolfNovemberUniform -9 points 2 years ago

I guess it's true but idk. That phone doesn't even have recovery mode (yes there are such phones) so if I mess up just a bit, I hard brick it straight away

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michael_palmer 2 points 2 years ago

I'm curious. What is the model of your phone?

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GolfNovemberUniform -7 points 2 years ago

Which one?

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michael_palmer 2 points 2 years ago

The one that does not have a recovery mode

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