BrilliantBadger

Nice. Similar, I got the N100 off the bay to give a try. VoLTE now works good in USA with Tello /Tmobile, at least in my area, that was certainly a show stopper for some time, huge win!

Got OpenVPN working, uWolf runnng my NextDNS so can filter/watch the logs, MMS has some issues (only works with wifi disabled, but I think they have a fix coming), no RCS as you mention.

As you say, not quite there, but good progress overall. Hope for continued progress, and love to see the many more posts on it than ever before!

Using a privacy focused Android phone project for now, but long term the real answer is Linux or some other new project to tear away completely from Bigtechs dependency & stranglehold. Thanks for your adding development to the cause!

Had no idea. Did some research, very unfortunate. Appreciate the heads up.

You do you. I stand by my principals and don’t feel the need to pretend I’m some sort of Jason Bourne.

Weird how now that Google went quarterly with their older device updates… it’s suddenly just not the big deal the GOS folks used as a hammer, with their ad nauseum attacks on other privacy projects. Back then I could smell their overhyped, overplayed security scare marketing tactics from a mile away. As it turns out, I was right.

Not having any google crap in my household? Absoltely priceless

e/OS is fantastic, IodeOS also IMO, plenty good choices. LineageOS with rethinkDNS in whitelist only mode is also amazing

And for extra goodness supporting open source apps without trackers

All without handing yet more $$$ to nasty google, imagine that

When I started my degoogle process some time back & researching options I literally laughed at loud at myself. Am I seriously going to hand over yet more money to the very beast I am trying to get away from? Talk about instant compromise of values

Years later, extremely proud of that decision. Just a non starter. Buying second hand also creates a market value for selling more google crap

Just ordered a cheap Nord N100 should arrive soon, just for purpose of testing/running UT. Tried UT little over a year ago, as someone else mentioned the VoLTE is/was a full stopper in USA, which sounds like progress made(?) based on user comments

I’ll work around loss of apps, for example banking app if I have a good browser. Sure, more painful but I only need that in a pinch. Same for many other missing apps

Build around a solid browser experience I think would ease the transition, for people like myself who are slowly heading toward a more “dumb phone” experience and back to PC/laptop for most needs. I am likely a minority there though

Looks like uWolf browser and a new one (to me) called Merezhyvo Browser are having good success

In any case, look forward to seeing how it goes this time around :)

Tuta is great, I like it has its own client, in particular Linux has so few options. Thunderbird is became concerning for me based upon FF underpinning & associated AI moves

That said, I team it with Posteo which is also great, and hard to beat the price

Both bring solid reputation & strong company values & ethics

Tuta works only with its clients

Posteo doesn’t do custom domains

In any case you can try Tuta for free.  :)

Fedora Silverblue has been utterly fantastic for me. Only item layered is Opensnitch which is of course also amazing

When I look for new distros to try immutables are highest on my preferred list, Aeon & Kinoite, also very nice, can’t go wrong with any of these IMO

You can set exceptions for cookies on per site basis. I know because I also thought this for long time before finding it.

Settings - Privacy & Security - Cookies and Site Data - Manage exceptions

One item off the annoyance list. :)

Last I saw Vivaldi had a very strong no AI stance

Happy long time user of librewolf so havent kept up though

Good article. Have used e/OS for quite some time and it’s excellent, just as IodeOS is. Not perfect for all, but every app I needed worked without issues, while blocking most if not all of known trackers.

Using these phones is also just as importantly about educating ourselves & changing some of our habits. Using the privacy tools, Exodus and such, find yourself making better educated decisions in all things privacy, almost instinctual over time. And across platforms.

Was quite infuriating to see one of my banking apps use so many trackers. But at least now they are blocked. Other apps you begin to weed out and switch to FOSS alternatives as you can. For some apps infested but service occasionally needed, switched to just using a browser and DNS filtering service like NextDNS.

It’s of course a cat & mouse game, Davids against the bigtech Goliath megabucks with effectively government power & policy control.

Appreciate the great work of Gael and others, they are all needed as we find our new way forward.

Started with Niagara so many years ago, never thought I could find a suitable open alternative then joyfully discovered Olauncher been using that for long time. Phone without icons is pure bliss, elegance and far easier to use/find apps