Hey folks,
after reading the Article on xda about using Android without google, i instantly fell in Love with the idea. I decided yesterday, that i'll take the plunge and give it a try.
First off, why?
For me, there are a couple of reasons. First of, i generally think, the less a company like google knows about me, the better. So keeping the Data on my phone away from google might help with that. If this experiment goes well i might stop using Google for Calendar and Contacts.
Second reason for me is Battery. The Google Framework and Play Services are always on the Top of my list of Battery consumption. I'd like to see how leaving these away might improve Battery life.
And third, i'm curious if it's possible. The reason i'm on xda is because i'm a tinkerer. So pushing the boundaries and trying new things is what i really like about Android. You have the choice to do whatever you want with your phone.
So, how do i go about it? Well, a bit of pre work needs to be done. First of, you might need a google Account to set things up. WhatsApp or Outlook are simply only available from the official Playstore. Since i start with my daily driver, all was set up already.
I use the 5.0.1 Variant of Nameless Rom. Debloated, Nova Launcher, rooted and stock apart from that. I might go CM later on, but i always find CM draining the Battery more then Stock Roms. We'll see.
What am i going to use instead of all the nice google things?
Play Store: F-Droid
I'll give F-Droid a try. it's obtainable as an apk, so if you only need apps that are available there, you won't need google at all. The Interface and search is not as nice as the Play Store, but the selection is really good, Installation of apps is hassle free (no manually downloading apks and installing them by hand) and it does check for updates daily.
Gmail:
I already moved away from gmail to outlook.com a few months ago. Not because MS is better in keeping your data private (actually they might be as they make money through selling software, not your data) but because i wanted to spread my info. Mail on outlook, contacts on google, Calendar on Strato... The Outlook app was already installed and set up, so no work to be done here.
Contacts:
Here it's getting a bit tricky. Google doesn't want you to move your contacts away form them. So there is no way to directly sync your google Contacts to your phone. As soon as you deactivate the play services, all you contacts will be gone.
For me, i used the Web Version of Google Contacts, exported them all to vcf and imported them to my phones storage. I'm not going to set up a personal sync for now. I'm fine with my contacts on my Phone only for now. I might end up going the OwnCloud route later on, but don't find it necessary currently.
Calendar:
my Calendar is already done through outlook and start (my webhoster). I installed Etar from F-Droid (a open source variant of googles calendar app). All my Calendars were already in on first launch (imported from the phones Accounts). No hassle, everything looks as always.
Chrome:
I've never been happy with chrome anyways. Loading pages is slow, scrolling is nowhere near smooth. I currently compare Firefox and Fenec. Both from F-Droid. Firefox will be discontinued on F-Droid soon as they implemented none OS proprietary add ons. Fenec is a OS alternative to Firefox compiled from Source without Proprietary add ons. Both work well but Fenec is a bit unstable as a daily driver for most people.
Camera is Focal now. Apart from being OS it's also much more capable than samsung camera. Plus easier to use. Whats not to like here?
After setting everything up, i went into the settings and disabled most google stuff (Play Store, Play Services, Calendar, Mail, Chrome). I'm still trying to find out what other Google Services i may disable without braking android. I'll keep this updated here.
I'm not completely done yet. I still use apps that are only available through the Playstore. Maybe you know alternatives, that i should check out:
WhatsApp. I don't see an alternative here. Moving to another service is not really an option. I tried Telegram and liked it, but a nice app is nothing when nobody uses it...
Ebay and Amazon. Both have a good mobile website which should work. But a standalone App is much easier and convenient to use.
Nova Launcher. It's simply the best. I haven't found a OS alternative that has anywhere near the features.
Tapatalk. Again, one App all Forums on hand. Simply the best app for that. Any XDA compatible OS alternatives to it?
Outlook. A OS mail client which supports Outlook, Material Design and is easy to use? I've yet to come up with one...
Over all, the switch went really smooth. After getting F-Droid as a Playstore alternative i was able to do all this in 1 hour. I'll have to see how Batterylife works out. I feel it's better, but the numbers will tell after some days of use. I feel really good to have found a way around google so far. It's nice to rethink things you've been using for years. Even if you're not opting out of google completely, there might be a alternative to something you use, that you'd otherwise never consider.
Let me know what you think. You're alternatives to some proprietary apps. How do you feel about google being in all the parts of your mobile life? Is Android without google something you'd consider?
For further reading, here are the XDA Articles, that inspired me to start this journey:
Setting up Marshmallow without Google
The "Say Sayonara to Google" Series
Have a nice start into the week.
I'll keep my replacement Apps in this Post for Tracking what i've used and what my Pros and Cons are over time.
PlayStore: F-Droid
F-Droid is THE FOSS Android community. A good selection of Apps, easy install and Updates plus a community thats interested in whats happening behind the scenes of apps. Firefox for example will soon not be supported anymore because they now are using proprietary none FOSS compatible sources. For most, this attempt might not be the easy one (they never claim to want to go the easy route), but it sure is the most straight ahead if you want Open Source Apps that are tracked for what they do on your phone.
Outlook: K-9
I replaced Outlook with K-9 for now. It's not as polished or easy to use, but it works, is OS and Outlook was constantly connected without me being able to change that. I only need sync every 30 minutes and outlook doesn't have a setting for that. Lets see how K-9 works out, stability and battery wise...
Google Maps: OsmAnd
OsmAnd seems to be the alternative here. As a plus it allows offline sync of Maps. The Interface is nowhere near as intuitive as GMaps, i've found no traffic information until now and entering a address is a hassle. The Search feature and easy Adress Input has always been a strong point for GMaps. We'll see how the turn-by-turn Navigation Turns out. Also OsmAnd works with plugins, so maybe i'm missing some features here and there.
Facebook: Tinfoil
Tinfoil for Facebook seems to be the App of Choice. In the end it's the Mobile website displayed in an "App". On the Plus site, you don't need that horrifically annoying Messenger. Facebook chat just works from the App, which is great. Sadly, since its a webpage, Notifications are none existant. Since i'm debating leaving Facebook completely anyways it's not a problem for me. Less distraction during the day, which is always welcome nowadays...
Deezer: Tomahawk
When I thought about replacing my Deezer app I did not have high hopes since most streaming services use proprietary api's. I was impressed to find not only a Deezer alternative that's open source, but tomahawk does much more. It combines most streaming services plus some other online music services plus your local music.
One downside for me: you are not able to save Deezer music offline. Tomahawk itself is completely open source. If the Deezer plug in is OS as well I couldn't find out for sure...
Titanium Backup: Oandbackup
Oandbackup works much the same way Titanium does, but with some less options. If you want just a good Backup App, i prefer Oandbackup since it's much less cluttered and options are easier to find. It served me well when i last switched from TW to CM.
I didn't read your what i can only call a thesis on Ungooglying Android write-up, it's an effort that I implore and admire your courage. I too worry about the data that google has monopolised on, it's time we broke this and find alternative ways. I salute you sir in your endeavours.
I will drop by time to time to see how you're prodding along.
Regards
F
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I backp all my contacts using outlook. I still use playstore. I have also disabled as much of Samsung as I can, and im sure there is more I could disable of both. I want my phone set up the way I want it set up, not with what google and samsung say I should. Also use Nova
Sent from my SM-P900 using XDA Free mobile app
I added Tomahawk as a Deezer/Spotify OS alternative In Post #2
Gesendet von meinem SM-N910F mit Tapatalk
I've yet to find a good alternative to the play store personally.
I don't use google services on my Note 4. I use Here Maps and disabled Google Maps, I use Nine for Email, I've disabled contacts and calendar sync, I've disabled every google program like books, games, gmail (I have a google account linked to a generic outlook addy for G services), music, hangouts, G+, etc. I keep my contacts backed up on my own personal .com server via exchange along with the calendar. I also like the Samsung browser, so Chrome is disabled as well. Don't use Now, have all the google account settings set to not target me for advertising, not keep track of location, etc... All the regular privacy concerns taken care of there.
My battery life is about a !% loss every two hours in standby. I wish I could get it better. My old GSIII would lose 1% over an 8 hour time frame at night while I was asleep. The Note 4 loses about 4%.
Oddly, no matter how much I restrict my access to google services, the people section of the play store still links me to a ton of people I know. Some that I have not had contact with since High School. Very strange. The only thing I can think is people I do know have me in their contacts so it assumes I know these people correctly. The phone is obviously reading my phone number without me entering it into my google account. :shrug:
I look forward to reading how it goes for you. (I broke down and signed up for Google Music the other day out of curiosity, but I'll get some of my anonymity back when I cancel my google account and create a new one.)
Alright,
some Updates:
I switched to the official CM12 build yesterday. It seems to run fairly well. My Radio was not able to register in the Network once, but activating and deactivating flight mode fixed that. Reception seems to be better than on TW rom. Concerning Battery i see no major difference for now.
CM is Open Source. I'm not 100% sure that every preinstalled app is 100% open source. During the Weekend i'll review the code and do a build on my own, just to be sure. Also, theres a pure AOSP build coming, which i'll be testing.
This time i didn't even Install Gapps. I did not log in to cm accounts or anything. I installed F-Droid from my SD Card and went from there. One thing i'll have to keep in mind, is, that factory reset means loosing my contacts, so i'll have to do a backup the next time.
Also i switched from Titanium to Oandbackup. I works much the same way and served me well during the switch from TW to CM. For me the relevant options are much easier to find (Safe Backups to external SD...).
Since Battery endurance is one of my concerns, i do some changes to improve that:
- Since the N4 has an AMOLED Display, using Black Background and Dark Apps helps quite a bit. I'm using Dark Material Beta through CM Theme Engine. Its Black (i like solid Black, not Gray or something like that) and white and does theme quite a lot of Apps (WhatsApp as an important one).
- I deactivated AudioFX, All Live Backgrounds, Stock Browser, CM-Backgrounds, Calendar and NFC Tags
- for cLock (Lockscreen Clock) i deleted all permissions to access location and Data. It's been trying to update weather all the time, which you can't seem to disable
I'd really like a simple white Icon theme, but getting most themes for CM depends on the Play Store. There are not many good themes that are available outside of the Playstore... Any help here is appreciated :good:
bbeelzebub said:
...My battery life is about a !% loss every two hours in standby. I wish I could get it better. My old GSIII would lose 1% over an 8 hour time frame at night while I was asleep. The Note 4 loses about 4%...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Over the last night i lost 2% over 7.5 hours. With 4G, WiFi, BT, Mail Sync (once per hour). Quite good, but i think theres a bit in it. K-9 (Mail) and Whatsapp keep the Mobile Network active. K-9 does so relatively long although i should only Sync once per hour. I'll configure some kind of "Whatsapp do not disturde" over night, this should bring down Standby draw a bit...
domsch1988 said:
Over the last night i lost 2% over 7.5 hours. With 4G, WiFi, BT, Mail Sync (once per hour). Quite good, but i think theres a bit in it. K-9 (Mail) and Whatsapp keep the Mobile Network active. K-9 does so relatively long although i should only Sync once per hour. I'll configure some kind of "Whatsapp do not disturde" over night, this should bring down Standby draw a bit...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I leave 4G, WiFi, BT and Mail on all the time as well. It doesn't make any difference when I turn them off that I've noticed. I use ActiveSync for my email / calendars / contacts and it really is no difference from when I used to use google for the calendar / contacts and a pop 3 account. As long as I don't use the stock email app which kills the battery on exchange or Activesync.
There are a few Samsung apps that I can't disable that I would like to. (I'm on a non rootable US model), I think I'll take the time tomorrow and see if I can use debloater to shut them down. Now that I think about it, there were less Samsung things running all the time on my old phone and I'm sure that makes a slight difference.
You can download Whats App from their site without going through Google since its attached to your phone number.
https://www.whatsapp.com/android/
...There is no way Focal is more capable than the Samsung Camera app. How do you figure this?
jetbruceli said:
You can download Whats App from their site without going through Google since its attached to your phone number.
https://www.whatsapp.com/android/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't use whatsapp at all considering they are owned by facebook and every message you send is being tracked. Telegram is the better option.
Toss3 said:
Wouldn't use whatsapp at all considering they are owned by facebook and every message you send is being tracked. Telegram is the better option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is the dumbest reason to not use Whats App. It was bought to protect FB from losing ground. Telegram has all your messages on a server to where as Whats app is peer to peer. There is no reason to worry about big Facebook looking at your every message. Also, i would rather have FB, Google or MS looking at my stuff than some unknown company.
---------- Post added at 10:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 AM ----------
freeza said:
...There is no way Focal is more capable than the Samsung Camera app. How do you figure this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont get that either, also stock camera doenst need google play services to be used.
jetbruceli said:
That is the dumbest reason to not use Whats App. It was bought to protect FB from losing ground. Telegram has all your messages on a server to where as Whats app is peer to peer. There is no reason to worry about big Facebook looking at your every message. Also, i would rather have FB, Google or MS looking at my stuff than some unknown company.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Telegram does not save your messages on a server when you use private chats. They are also encrypted.
Oh and: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/whatsapp-ranked-worst-for-users-data-privacy-in-internet-snooping-report-10328539.html http://time.com/3928503/whatsapp-privacy-watchdog/
This shows how "secure" WhatsApp really is: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33152898
Toss3 said:
Telegram does not save your messages on a server when you use private chats. They are also encrypted.
Oh and: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/whatsapp-ranked-worst-for-users-data-privacy-in-internet-snooping-report-10328539.html http://time.com/3928503/whatsapp-privacy-watchdog/
This shows how "secure" WhatsApp really is: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33152898
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sure there are security holes in everything we use but it doesnt change the fact that Whats App is better for most people. This isnt a whats app vs telegram thread and also, I am not sure if you can install telegram on its own without google or other app stores like you can with whats app
Related
hello,
maybe this is not "off topic", but i could not find a section which description would fit for my question. well, i am planing to change from i***** to android (dhd or sgs). but i am a bit concerned about google and their license-agreements and privacy policy. there is a lot to read and i am not sure if i understand everything right.
i would need my smartphone for both private stuff (pictures, email...) and business organisation (calendar, tasks, ...). and i dont care what google knows about my life. but i care a lot, what others could know.
so i wanted to know, what you think of using google calendar and adressbook. how can i reduce googles insight in my data without loosing the comfort of their services? in fact i would be willing to pay a little monthly fee if google would then keep my private data private.
thank you vm!
kws
Google contact, mail and calendar are there if you want them, take it or leave it. You can use MS Exchange if you wish, however you will still need a Gmail account to install items from the market.
Honestly, I don't see how you'll get more privacy from any other cloud-syncing service, whatever you're reading is probably just pure sensationalism.
what i would prefer most would be apps which i sync directly with applications on my pc. without cloud. or with software on my own server (like open groupware). or in the best case, both.
the problem i see with google is that they live only on selling customer-data to third parties. other providers can finance their cloud-services through other products (soft- and hardware). also google is so much integrated in so many websites and services (esp facebook). and above all google has quite mighty algorythms to seach, compare and cross-reference the data of their clients so they can get the most out of it.
in fact, i dont care if i would get advertisement which is cut down exactly to what they know from my email or docs. but i dont like eg facebook (and all websites with fb-integration, which is nearly every website today) to know my hole adressbook. and most of all, i dont want eg some injurance-company to know my interests and behavement(right word?)-patterns, so they can sell me the more expensive health injurance just because i like to surf on mountainbiking- and skydiving-websites...
anyway, would love to hear some more oppinions on this matter. dont you care at all? or what measures dou you take to stay a little more "unknown"...
thanx again...
kws
kweso said:
what i would prefer most would be apps which i sync directly with applications on my pc. without cloud. or with software on my own server (like open groupware). or in the best case, both.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android is based around Google's services, it is not meant to be synced with a computer (since it's not tied to a particular OS). HTC used to package a tool called 'HTC Sync' on their Sense devices that allow you to sync with outlook.
kweso said:
the problem i see with google is that they live only on selling customer-data to third parties. other providers can finance their cloud-services through other products (soft- and hardware). also google is so much integrated in so many websites and services (esp facebook). and above all google has quite mighty algorythms to seach, compare and cross-reference the data of their clients so they can get the most out of it.
in fact, i dont care if i would get advertisement which is cut down exactly to what they know from my email or docs. but i dont like eg facebook (and all websites with fb-integration, which is nearly every website today) to know my hole adressbook. and most of all, i dont want eg some injurance-company to know my interests and behavement(right word?)-patterns, so they can sell me the more expensive health injurance just because i like to surf on mountainbiking- and skydiving-websites...
anyway, would love to hear some more oppinions on this matter. dont you care at all? or what measures dou you take to stay a little more "unknown"...
thanx again...
kws
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about advertising on search results, I hear Google get a few hits a month. Anyway, how could they possibly match a Google account to a person? They can only work out where you are to the nearest city via an IP address, you could be using a proxy anyway.
I'm not concerned at all, and to be honest I'm not really fussed if they are. My exam dates, occasional saucy emails and contacts (with first names only) aren't useful to anyone.
Does any one know what changes and or new features this supposed update will contain. Quite frankly I found the 4.3 update to be a let down considering all the excitement leading up to it.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app
I suspect you will be disappointed by 4.4 then if you're expecting a lot of new 'features'.
There's all the stuff that makes it look better, but will not matter because we have Sense, then there's this:
Faster multitasking
Android 4.4 takes system performance to an all-time high by optimizing memory and improving your touchscreen so that it responds faster and more accurately than ever before. This means that you can listen to music while browsing the web, or race down the highway with the latest hit game, all without a hitch.
The future is calling
The new phone app automatically prioritizes your contacts based on the people you talk to the most. You can also search for nearby places and businesses, your contacts, or people in your Google Apps domain.
A smarter caller ID
Whenever you get a call from a phone number not in your contacts, your phone will look for matches from businesses with a local listing on Google Maps.
All your messages in the same place
Never miss a message, no matter how your friend sends it. With the new Hangouts app, all of your SMS and MMS messages are together in the same app, alongside your other conversations and video calls. And with the new Hangouts, you can even share your location and send animated GIFs.
//Hopefully this will make Hangouts good. They have the user base; now they just need to make Hangouts reliable.
Print wherever, whenever
Now you can print photos, documents, and web pages from your phone or tablet. You can print to any printer connected to Google Cloud Print, to HP ePrint printers, and to other printers that have apps in the Google Play Store.
Your office, anywhere
Create and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations from your phone or tablet with the newly redesigned Quickoffice
Chrome web view
Applications that embed web content now use Chrome to render web components accurately and quickly.
Device management built-in
If you ever lose your device, you can find or wipe it with the Android Device Manager
Infrared blasting
On devices with an infrared (IR) blaster, Android now supports applications for remote control of TVs and other nearby devices.
Step counting built-in
When you use fitness apps like Moves on Nexus 5, the phone acts as a pedometer to count steps. Android 4.4 and updated hardware make this a more battery-friendly way to measure your activity.
Tap to pay, built a new way
Android 4.4 introduces a new, open architecture for NFC payments that works with any mobile carrier, and lets apps manage your payment information in the cloud or on your device. Now you can tap to pay with Google Wallet or other apps at more than a million stores.
Source: http://www.android.com/versions/kit-kat-4-4/
That's what I'm excited about, anyway.
sauprankul said:
There's all the stuff that makes it look better, but will not matter because we have Sense, then there's this:
Faster multitasking
Android 4.4 takes system performance to an all-time high by optimizing memory and improving your touchscreen so that it responds faster and more accurately than ever before. This means that you can listen to music while browsing the web, or race down the highway with the latest hit game, all without a hitch.
The future is calling
The new phone app automatically prioritizes your contacts based on the people you talk to the most. You can also search for nearby places and businesses, your contacts, or people in your Google Apps domain.
A smarter caller ID
Whenever you get a call from a phone number not in your contacts, your phone will look for matches from businesses with a local listing on Google Maps.
All your messages in the same place
Never miss a message, no matter how your friend sends it. With the new Hangouts app, all of your SMS and MMS messages are together in the same app, alongside your other conversations and video calls. And with the new Hangouts, you can even share your location and send animated GIFs.
//Hopefully this will make Hangouts good. They have the user base; now they just need to make Hangouts reliable.
Print wherever, whenever
Now you can print photos, documents, and web pages from your phone or tablet. You can print to any printer connected to Google Cloud Print, to HP ePrint printers, and to other printers that have apps in the Google Play Store.
Your office, anywhere
Create and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations from your phone or tablet with the newly redesigned Quickoffice
Chrome web view
Applications that embed web content now use Chrome to render web components accurately and quickly.
Device management built-in
If you ever lose your device, you can find or wipe it with the Android Device Manager
Infrared blasting
On devices with an infrared (IR) blaster, Android now supports applications for remote control of TVs and other nearby devices.
Step counting built-in
When you use fitness apps like Moves on Nexus 5, the phone acts as a pedometer to count steps. Android 4.4 and updated hardware make this a more battery-friendly way to measure your activity.
Tap to pay, built a new way
Android 4.4 introduces a new, open architecture for NFC payments that works with any mobile carrier, and lets apps manage your payment information in the cloud or on your device. Now you can tap to pay with Google Wallet or other apps at more than a million stores.
Source: http://www.android.com/versions/kit-kat-4-4/
That's what I'm excited about, anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is also an always listening feature just like the moto x I believe. Can't wait for that
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk
alexnaoumi said:
There is also an always listening feature just like the moto x I believe. Can't wait for that
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's similar, not just like it, the screen needs to be in for it to work unlike the Moto x.
The Moto x feature is heavily hardware based since it has an entire cpu dedicated to voice recognition and analysis.
I'm most interested in the new phone app, but the main question is how much of 4.4 will make it into sense. Do you think htc will get rid of the sense dialer, and switch to the kitkat one?
fachadick said:
I'm most interested in the new phone app, but the main question is how much of 4.4 will make it into sense. Do you think htc will get rid of the sense dialer, and switch to the kitkat one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt it. They've never seemed to before when android has made improvements.
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deadlocked007 said:
So about that camera...
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't be any worse tha,n the M7's camera.
Here's what I want to know:
sauprankul said:
Chrome web view
Applications that embed web content now use Chrome to render web components accurately and quickly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does this include Flash content like YouTube or Vimeo? No matter how hard people are trying to kill this kind of stuff, there will always be a situation where opening an app is just an option. Admittedly, it's getting better; I like the fact that I can open pretty much any embedded YouTube video that I encounter in the dedicated app from browser by clicking on the title bar or YouTube icon.
sauprankul said:
Tap to pay, built a new way
Android 4.4 introduces a new, open architecture for NFC payments that works with any mobile carrier, and lets apps manage your payment information in the cloud or on your device. Now you can tap to pay with Google Wallet or other apps at more than a million stores.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will this include Isis, or will that still need some special security-enabled SIM card?
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Hi everyone, just got my N3 last night and I am pretty excited about it.
I am a long time Mac Rumors member and my past phones have been ...... JB 3g, JB 3gs, JB 4, JB 4s
I am very upset with the tiny screens on my iphones and I refuse to wait another year for the 6 to come out.
So now I am a 1st time Android user and what to really check out the Android scene.
What are the first things I should do with the phone, what should I install right away? (different keyboards, apps, etc)
Is there a thread around here with tutes instructing how to transfer my contacts etc?
I surely will appreciate all replies, so thanks in advance. I really wanna get the very MOST out of this device.
edit: does Google Play offer any rebates/coupons/freebies for newly purchased devices?
Hey I would use smart switch to get your things from iPhone to your new phone but that is after you have it activated
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app
XiphoneUzer said:
Hi everyone, just got my N3 last night and I am pretty excited about it.
I am a long time Mac Rumors member and my past phones have been ...... JB 3g, JB 3gs, JB 4, JB 4s
I am very upset with the tiny screens on my iphones and I refuse to wait another year for the 6 to come out.
So now I am a 1st time Android user and what to really check out the Android scene.
My N3 arrived Wednesday evening, and it's STILL not activated, (and its killing me).
The reason being, I wanna know if there is anything I should do BEFORE I call ATT and activate it.
(I do NOT want to close any windows, so is there is anything you folks recommend I do before I activate it)?
Once activated, what are the first things I should do with the phone, what should I install right away?
Is there a thread around here with tutes instructing how to transfer my contacts etc?
I surely will appreciate all replies, so thanks in advance. I really wanna get the very MOST out of this device.
edit: does Google Play offer any rebates/coupons/freebies for newly purchased devices?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by call ATT and activate it? All you have to do is put your SIM card in and it is ready to go with a few account setups. After that it is up to you except for rooting and modding. Cant be done right now without voiding your warranty.
First thing you do is scratch off the att emblem since they locked the bootloader
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
XiphoneUzer said:
Once activated, what are the first things I should do with the phone, what should I install right away?
Is there a thread around here with tutes instructing how to transfer my contacts etc?
I surely will appreciate all replies, so thanks in advance. I really wanna get the very MOST out of this device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello?
Looking for some help here. This keyboard is way different than iphone, is it something you get used to, or should I install something else?
Please tell me what are some of the things I should change/install right away, (there's got to be some "must haves" no?)
XiphoneUzer said:
Hello?
Looking for some help here. This keyboard is way different than iphone, is it something you get used to, or should I install something else?
Please tell me what are some of the things I should change/install right away, (there's got to be some "must haves" no?)
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Click to collapse
For the keyboard, i prefer the google keyboard over the samsung one. It provides functionality similar to the iphone and is easy to switch between the iphone and android if you use them both in daily life.
As for apps, here is a small list of apps i like to have on all of my devices.
GOOGLE CHROME. Its much better than the built in browser and is able to synchronize with my desktop browsers favorites, etc.
Skype: Perfect for if you are travelling over seas at all with your device.
Google Hangouts: A good replacement for the built in SMS app.
Facebook & Twitter: If you need an explanation, you shouldn't be useing these apps.
Battery Doctor by KS Mobile: Simple app, but is helpful to save battery life and know exactly how much you have left.
Google Music: I have most of my library stored on google so it makes my life easy to have this.
Google Books: The book equivalent of my music library. Syncronizes what i have read across devices and browsers.
Kindle for Android: For the ebooks you buy on amazon.
Google Keep: Great for taking quick notes and having them on all your devices.
Dropbox: Great cloud file storage. Comes with free storage and you can pay to get more.
Google Drive: Google version of dropbox.
MX Player: This video player will play any video format you throw at it.
Google Maps: A must have for all smartphone users.
Zedge: While its quality has gone down a fair bit from what it once was, its still a great place to find ringtones and notification sounds for your android device.
GPS Status: Great for calibrating your devices sensors and ensuring that it works properly.
Now for the ROOT ONLY apps.
Titanium backup
SuperSU
Triangle Away
Hopefully this is a useful list to get you started. I have all these plus many more installed on my devices, and I find I use them all fairly regularly.
djdelusional said:
Skype: Perfect for if you are travelling over seas at all with your device.
Google Hangouts: A good replacement for the built in SMS app.
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Click to collapse
I prefer Hangouts to Skype because Hangouts features free video multi-chat.
But I use Google Voice for SMS because it provides free unlimited texting. Hangouts insists on using the phone's native number rather than your Google Voice number, so you have to pay extra for a text plan or for individual messages.
Doesn't anyone else have any advice for a first time Android user?
XiphoneUzer said:
Doesn't anyone else have any advice for a first time Android user?
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If your new to android I'd stay away from root for a while.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I467 using Tapatalk 4
XiphoneUzer said:
Hello?
Looking for some help here. This keyboard is way different than iphone, is it something you get used to, or should I install something else?
Please tell me what are some of the things I should change/install right away, (there's got to be some "must haves" no?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel like for every-day typical phone use cases, there aren't that many gaps that stand out as needing to be filled by a third party app. You'll probably need a new music player, the defaults are crapola - but I can't be much help here; I keep my music as folders full of MP3 files (like God intended!) and play with Music Folder Player, and shun the dirty S&M ("sync and manage") apps.
There's a big list of stuff that I did when I first got the phone to get it to where I'm happy with it, but all of this was root required stuff. There are apps that come pre-loaded on android devices and can't be removed or disabled without root. Also, customizing stuff that can't be customized without root. I couldn't abide by some of the not-changable-without-root defaults. Getting rid of the "screen turns on so you can unlock it when you hit the home key" behavior is probably the most glaring example for me; my ass* was unlocking it constantly - but coming from iPhone, you probably view that as the Right Thing for home button to do.
I think most people use a custom keyboard. Swiftkey and Swype are the most popular. The phone comes with Swype, but it's an ancient version with limited support for changing the dictionary, you want the newest one.
I use Hangouts for gchat, but not for SMS. I actually prefer default app for SMS..
Settings:
Pull down status bar, long press on wifi, WiFi -> menu -> advanced settings, uncheck auto connect to AT&T hotspots (unless they don't suck where you are. Around here, they often don't have internet behind them, and just break your connectivity for the 30 seconds or so it takes for the phone to connect to them, determine that the wifi is no good, and fall back to 4G. At least this phone does that; Original note would just sit there like a fool trying to use non-functional wifi... I've also yet to find a hotspot that performs better than the 4G does. But I live in a city, so the situation may be different elsewhere).
Pull down status bar, long press on GPS. Uncheck "Use wireless networks" - on newer versions of android, this drains battery while idle; the damned thing wakes the phone periodically to check the networks around it - if the phone is nearly idle, this can halve battery life (!!!)
Pull down status bar, swipe to the left along the options at the top (woah, did you know you could do that?), tap multiwindow to enable multiwindow (this was a headline feature for the note 3, but comes disabled by default). If I long-press back button, that makes the multiwindow tab hide or unhide (once it's enabled), but I don't remember if I had to do something to get this behavior.
General must-have things:
AppOps Starter (to kill permissions from apps that request permissions you don't want to give them)
Battery Monitor Widget (gives you a realtime readout of battery usage)
ES File Explorer
If you want to pretty-ize clock + weather widgets:
DigiClock
Eye in Sky
If you work in IT or have need of these (if you aren't sure what these mean, you don't need them ):
ConnectBot (telnet/ssh client)
AndFTP (ftp/sftp client, supports scp if you pay)
RDP Client (remote desktop and VNC client)
FEAT VPN (OpenVPN client)
Hacker's Keyboard (you'll tear your hair out trying to use swype/swiftkey for terminal sessions or RDP)
If you want to root the phone:
Root it, then immediately install titanium backup and "freeze" AT&T software update, so it won't update your phone (breaking root) while you're not looking
Titanium Backup - freeze all the useless bloatware that AT&T and Samsung included (there's a list of what apps you can freeze here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmzC8GFarItSdGpOZzBfWlR4MC03aDMyZ1BDUFNqU0E - not my work)
Root Explorer
Pen Window Manager for adding apps to the pen window feature
Xposed Framework
Wanam - general huge amount of customization, including selecting apps for multiwindow.
Keyboard Manager (almost a necessity if you use ConnectBot/RDP frequently - keyboards designed for messaging and such are garbage for doing administration of non-phone systems, while hacker's keyboard is garbage for messaging and everyday phone stuff)
Terminal Emulator (gives you a command prompt on phone. Doesn't require root, but there are very few use cases for terminal on android that don't also need root)
*Well, I keep it in my front pocket, so technically it wasn't my /ass/ unlocking the phone....
Hello,
I am interested in the Mi 9 and want to buy it.
The bad news is, that Lineage just started to support the Mi 8 version, so Mi 9 support will take 1 year, too maybe.
I read all threads here, but I dont see any users who are interested in a ROM without Google.
Can someone tell me if there are other ROMs without Google which will maybe support the Mi 9 in the future?
And one question to the Google users: Why do you use ROMs with Google?
Thanks!
hi!
Room without google is chinese MIUI
I personally use google ROMs, as I use some of their services, mail, calendar, youtube to name a few
Well, the device came out two weeks ago and - not as usually Xiaomi do - has already the sources out too (usually they come out around 6 months later)!
So, a ROM like Lineage (unofficial) will probably come from the dev community very soon when someone with the right skills will invest some of his/her time (and then we will have to thank that person massively ).
Anyway if you ahve already the bootloader unlocked, you can try with some of the Treble ROMs (https://forum.xda-developers.com/project-treble)... It can be that some of them works already, even if with some bugs If I remember right phhusson bought a Mi9 too (am I wrong?)! So probably Phh-Treble ROM should sooner or later work for the Mi9
P.S. MIUI China is without Google but with so much more bloat
P.P.S. Well, I like Android for its integration with the Google ecosystem that I use widely in my real life (like probably most of the users... Gmail, Maps, Calendar, Youtube, etc...). If probably I wouldn't have needed it, I would have look to some of the other (few) OS alternatives in the market
mr-mauro said:
Well, the device came out two weeks ago and - not as usually Xiaomi do - has already the sources out too (usually they come out around 6 months later)!
So, a ROM like Lineage (unofficial) will probably come from the dev community very soon when someone with the right skills will invest some of his/her time (and that then we will need to thank massively ).
Anyway if you ahve already the bootloader unlocked and you can even try with some of the Treble ROMs (https://forum.xda-developers.com/project-treble)... It can be that some of the works already even if with some bugs If I remember right phhusson bought a Mi9 (am I wrong?) so probably Phh-Treble ROM should sooner or later work for sure on Mi9
P.S. MIUI China is without Google but with so much more bloat
P.P.S. Well, I like Android for its integration with the Google ecosystem that I use widely in my real life (like probably most of the users... Gmail, Maps, Calendar, Youtube, etc...). If probably I wouldn't have needed it, I would have look to some of the other (few) OS alternatives in the market
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Click to collapse
Thank you for your answer, very helpful.
Why use a ROM with Google services in it?
Because Gmail is one of the better free email services out there. Google Music is far better than Spotify. Games saves my progress when I change to a new phone. Contact sync is extremely easy when it is saved to your gmail anyway. Play Store is the best app store on Android by far. Google's customized news feed lets me stay updated on things far easier than visiting other sites individually or manually setting up new feeds with third party apps that also take your data anyway. Google Photos+Drive is a great way to easily and automatically save your photos and sync them to new phones and without even taking up extra space on your new phone because they are really still in the cloud. Calendar is fine simply because it comes with the rest of the apps and dont have to bother with going and finding a third party app.
EniGmA1987 said:
Why use a ROM with Google services in it?
Because Gmail is one of the better free email services out there. Google Music is far better than Spotify. Games saves my progress when I change to a new phone. Contact sync is extremely easy when it is saved to your gmail anyway. Play Store is the best app store on Android by far. Google's customized news feed lets me stay updated on things far easier than visiting other sites individually or manually setting up new feeds with third party apps that also take your data anyway. Google Photos+Drive is a great way to easily and automatically save your photos and sync them to new phones and without even taking up extra space on your new phone because they are really still in the cloud. Calendar is fine simply because it comes with the rest of the apps and dont have to bother with going and finding a third party app.
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Click to collapse
You forget one thing: It is Google.
I understand people who want to use Google, because they are rich and enough capacities to develope the best UIs.
I understand that some of you don't care about the data you leaves - but please don't forget that a monopoly is not good in any case, and we are talking about a monopoly with huge financial interest.
And yes, Google services are very good, but just the UI. The thing behind is just bad - they are a way better alternative services.
Keep in mind, that there are so many Android phones and on most of them is running a Google service, a monopoly with financial interest.
It is your decision if you stay with Google or not. But someone who care about the future and about his data should go away from Google.
xeDroidz said:
You forget one thing: It is Google.
I understand people who want to use Google, because they are rich and enough capacities to develope the best UIs.
I understand that some of you don't care about the data you leaves - but please don't forget that a monopoly is not good in any case, and we are talking about a monopoly with huge financial interest.
And yes, Google services are very good, but just the UI. The thing behind is just bad - they are a way better alternative services.
Keep in mind, that there are so many Android phones and on most of them is running a Google service, a monopoly with financial interest.
It is your decision if you stay with Google or not. But someone who care about the future and about his data should go away from Google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol. So you can give your data instead to all the other 3rd party companies who want to eak out every Dollar they can since they have so fewer users? Nothing is different except Google, Apple, MS, Amazon has to maintain far more responsibility. By handing your data to unknown persons from various smaller companies you have no idea whether your data is being used responsibly or not or even if it is safegaurded well (which it isnt). At least with Google or Apple you know exactly what it is used for and where it is stored (which in the case of Apple, it is stored with Google anyway).
EniGmA1987 said:
lol. So you can give your data instead to all the other 3rd party companies who want to eak out every Dollar they can since they have so fewer users? Nothing is different except Google, Apple, MS, Amazon has to maintain far more responsibility. By handing your data to unknown persons from various smaller companies you have no idea whether your data is being used responsibly or not or even if it is safegaurded well (which it isnt). At least with Google or Apple you know exactly what it is used for and where it is stored (which in the case of Apple, it is stored with Google anyway).
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Click to collapse
GMail is not open source for example. Why should I trust a closed source more then a open source service?
And I prefer services where I pay with my money and not with my data. And the monopoly fact is still there.
I know it is not easy to prevent all data leaks, but it is possible to 99%.
At the moment it is not easy, because there are so much money interested companys, which will collect your data.
For example: Why do you use WhatsApp, when you are using eMail? This make no sense, because eMail is decentral and WhatsApp not.
So you suceed to use a decentral message service like eMail, but failed to do the same with your IM.
The french goverment understand this, thats why they switched to an good new IM open source protocol.
But is is your decision. You need to understand the whole thing. I can't decide it for you.
If you want you can send me your browser history via PM, thank you.
xeDroidz said:
But someone who care about the future and about his data should go away from Google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you shouldn't be using a Xiaomi phone with MIUI, read their Privacy Policy. Miui even has you accept different
privacy policies and user agreements for different BUILT-IN apps. It's ridiculous.
More on point; mostly every android based custom ROMs have you install Open GApps to use Google functions,
so simply don't do this. When setting up your device don't sign in with a google account. Then root your phone and
strip any leftover (if any, I'm not sure) packages from your device. I think this is the most non-Google you will get.
LineageOS would be the go-to ROM for you (and me).
Here is some more info for you: link
The Dutchman said:
Then you shouldn't be using a Xiaomi phone with MIUI, read their Privacy Policy. Miui even has you accept different
privacy policies and user agreements for different BUILT-IN apps. It's ridiculous.
More on point; mostly every android based custom ROMs have you install Open GApps to use Google functions,
so simply don't do this. When setting up your device don't sign in with a google account. Then root your phone and
strip any leftover (if any, I'm not sure) packages from your device. I think this is the most non-Google you will get.
LineageOS would be the go-to ROM for you (and me).
Here is some more info for you: link
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your answer.
Which ROM do you use atm? There is not Lineage Support for the Mi 9 atm.
I have same. I dont want Google framework and services in my phone when Android is open source system. Its very difficult have good translated rom with MIUI and havent Google. I testing remove Google from MIUI.EU rom long time but all my tests failed and China rom is bad for losing translations, have bloatware and more.
I'm interested too, I've long dreamed of a Roma without Google services as it was not enough they also added covid-19 if you find a solution let me know, thanks.
Looking for a new phone really like the Mi 11 ultra question I have is any phone I get off also used as my work phone need to run multiple Microsoft apps for work still wondering if this works be the right phone or of I should keep
I'm using the Microsoft Authenticator and Outlook for the office without any issues. What other Microsofst apps are you talking about? In SIM1 my private and SIM2 my company card.
Using it for my work related apps that are part of the Microsoft ecosystem and i have zero issues.
I was glad when I saw i could sync my corporate email ( based on office 365 exchange ) that requires additional safety checks .
Teams and Skype for business works perfectly.
I have a couple of authenticators that i use without issues ( VIP Symantec, google authenticators etc. ).
All the apps sync without issues, never missed anything as of now. Heck, even Gmail pushes the email on the now .
If you have any specific apps that you need let me know and I will see if I can test it out.
Cheers !
Same here I am using outlook for corporate email(365 exchange) and MS authenticator with no issues. Bonus the AOD screen also shows outlook notifications icon on it as well.
Thanks for the information really helpful mostly using Outlook and Excel from Microsoft I guess the only ones more I'm not completely sure of world be click mobile it's a routing app and service now but I think they should be okay
those work on mine, just push notifications are spotty on my tmo service in upstate ny. still haven't gotten one work slack blip and only get emails if i have the app open, but screen off. i dunno, i'll give this phone another week and if i can't figure it out it's going back to giztop and i'll just grab the 1+9pro from the tmo website
Thanks let me know how it works out that was the other phone I was looking at as well
oh, no opsgenie either....which i kinda need when i'm on call. my huawei mate 20 pro gets all those still luckily.
i'm going to try to flash to the global/eu rom today and see if that helps at all
speedstream said:
those work on mine, just push notifications are spotty on my tmo service in upstate ny. still haven't gotten one work slack blip and only get emails if i have the app open, but screen off. i dunno, i'll give this phone another week and if i can't figure it out it's going back to giztop and i'll just grab the 1+9pro from the tmo website
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure to have the AutoStart enabled and also disable battery optimizations.
Also i noticed something the first time i setup my phone.
It tends to "learn" the app behavior somehow.
I'm saying this because after installing all my apps sometimes notifications didn't came trough right away.
It took one or two days until everything worked flawlessly without me doing anything special other than adjusting the config/permissions for each app.
I saw this behavior by watching the battery app and looking what process was using it the most.
And of course i saw android system process that was running. This one stopped after two days or so and everything was smooth since then. So i'm guessing the MIUI optimization process and some other functions are running in the background at start setting things up.
Also note that i didn't disabled/removed via ADB any preinstalled Chinese applications ( only those that were possible to remove from within the xiaomi getapps application - uninstall section )
I just muted the ones i didn't care about and i'm happy with my battery life ( i'm monitoring it via the battery app built in and also accubattery pro where i can see exactly how much each app is consuming between charges )
So my advice is to set the applications properly and have a bit of patience
Cheers !