Cutting the Google cord

[jae]

Im starting to take my privacy a bit more serious, and have never really cared for all the data google has on me (but oh how convenient those services are), so Im going to try to cut Google out. Ive been using Nextcloud/Owncloud for years for calendar, contacts, and file storage. I have my own hosted email.

I just need to know, are there any good Google Play alternatives? I used appbrain in the past, but it looks like the project has turned into something different. If worst comes to worst will i have to download apks individually?

 

[lxskllr]

I use f-droid. It's a very small subset of available programs, but all are libre software with sources available. I have less than a handful of proprietary programs I've sideloaded. Everything else is from f-droid.

 

[MarkizSchnitzel]

I don't want to open Pandoras box, but I am genuinely interested in all this privacy concern trend.
Can someone point to to some source of info like what are the cons or pros of googles practices?

 

[lxskllr]

I don't want to open Pandoras box, but I am genuinely interested in all this privacy concern trend.
Can someone point to to some source of info like what are the cons or pros of googles practices?

Here's a wikipedia article...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_concerns_regarding_Google

From my pov...

Pros...

Convenience. The more they know about you, the more personalized the experience will be. Various bits of software will begin to "know" you, and can anticipate what you want before you want it.

Cons...

See above. All that personalized data goes into a nice neat database, and can be used against you in major and minor ways. Search links results you like, and opposing views aren't as likely to be shown. Governments can access the data for prosecution. Some countries are worse than others.

AFAIC, what I do is no one's business but my own. Trivial conveniences aren't worth inviting a company into the most personal aspects of my life. I spent the vast majority of my life without google, and I can spend the rest of my life without them.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

I use F-droid, Amazon Appstore, and direct download, in that order.

 

[Red Storm]

Why not just use a dummy gmail account for app downloading? As you said you don't use the other Google services so you don't need to worry about Calendar, Drive, Gmail, etc.

 

[Oyeve]

Don't use anything and stay off the grid.

 

[shabby]

You need to install cm13/14 first on your phone, its a bare rom with no google services. Then install fdroid and any other non google apps.