PAST & CURRENT SETUP:
Browser: Firefox >> Brave (Been a Firefox user since 2017)
Search Engine: Google >> Startpage/DDG >> Brave.
Mail:
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Moved all unofficial and Misc services (Social media, etc.,) to proton mail and that to with a ddg alias.
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Only for college purposes i have kept a single gmail id, which is linked to almost all college related and co curricular activities (Coding platforms, github, matlab etc.). I haven’t decided what to do with that as of now.
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Deleted all but one gmail account, after backing up all photos and important stuffs (Contacts, Mails, Yt Subscriptions). I created these gmail IDs cz my storage was becoming full so I enabled sharing across these accounts.
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Unlinked almost most of Accounts I logged in with Google Account and replaced them with Proton mail with DDG alias and randomized information I gave to them.
Password Manager: None >> Bitwarden
2 step verification: Google Acc >> Ente Auth
Private DNS: ISP’s >> Next DNS (for both phone and pc)
Calender: Google Calender >> Proton Calender
VPN: Turbo,Pawxy >> Proton VPN (For now I am using its free tier alone, in future I am thinking of IVPN / Mullvad)
Music: Spotify >> Tubular (Background play); I am also currently trying Auxio app to play music locally from folders.
Youtube >> Tubular (Android). Haven’t tried any desktop options yet. Currently using Youtube with Brave on desktop.
Play Store: (Haven’t started using Aurora yet, will try in the future). Droidify for FOSS Apps
GBoard: FUTO Keyboard
Google Pay (UPI): PhonePe UPI (India)
Social Media:
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Whatsapp >> Dont have much option with this, all official stuffs + relatives are on whatsapp.
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But a personal win is I have managed to make my sister and 2 close friends switch to Signal for conversations, and I am planning to make my parents switch soon too.
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Instagram,Twitter >> Deleted
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Linkedin, Reddit >> Only use via browser and configured settings for maximum privacy.
Replaced the following Samsung apps with FOSSIFY ones: Calculator, Contacts, Messages, Dialler. Uninstalled all possible apps that dont cause issue with Canta.
The apps I can’t delete are: Camera, Clock, Galaxy store, Gallery, My files, Settings.
As of now I am using a 5 year old Samsung Galaxy A71 5g which doesnt have a degoogled ROM, so I am plannning to buy a Google Pixel 9a phone when the prcies are low.
Office Apps and G Suite Apps:
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Android: OnlyOffice (xlx, ppt files) + Librera Reader (pdf). Onlyoffice is buggy for certain pdf files.
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PC: Libre Office
On that note…
Desktop OS: Dual Boot (Windows 11 (Just for emergency purposes) + Kubuntu (Ubuntu + KDE Plasma))
Bought a Privacy screen protector for my phone, I mostly use wired earphones only. (I recommend watching Techlore Youtube Channel’s Go Incognito Course)
FUTURE PLANS:
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Google Drive, Google Files >> Self Hosted Next Cloud + Ente Photos
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As already said, Google Pixel phone for Graphene OS.
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AI: Replace ChatGPT with local hosted LLM.
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Be midful of what infos i give online, and remove as much as possible.
Google / Big Tech Apps I don’t think I’ll ever replace:
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Gmaps: In India, even places locals don’t know are on Maps. The accuracy, real-time traffic, and navigation are unparalleled. Alternatives like Organic Maps are good for offline use, but for daily commuting or exploring new areas, nothing comes close.
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Gmail: Official purposes - many institutions, companies, and government services rely on Gmail. Replacing it would mean constant compatibility headaches.
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Gmeet: Official purposes - Most corporate and educational setups use Google Meet. I can’t dictate what they use.
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Google Lens: Still unmatched for OCR (text extraction) and quick translations. Super useful for copying text from books or screens, especially when ChatGPT free limits kick in.
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Play Store: To some extent atleast - for banking or government apps
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Git / GitHub & Visual Studio Code: Industry standards.
Maybe using these google apps on a Pixel device with Graphene OS’s sandboxed services may help with privacy but that I’ll leave it for future me.
If you read till here… Thank you very much!!! Any suggestions / advice is much welcome.
