Advanced Privacy and ProtonVPN

Using /e/OS Applications
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Being new to Android and searching online I am unable to determine if my privacy is in a better place using the Advanced Privacy settings e.g. Online Privacy Protected, managing my internet address so that my real IP address is hidden, and my location is faked instead of my real position OR turning these to the OFF position and using ProtonVPN. Which service is more conducive for me? Pro’s and Con’s?
I would hope that the /e/ OS would be more secure than a pay service such as ProtonMail, ProtonVPN, and ProtonCalendar. Do not have the experience and knowledge to be aware of that but the tech’s here on this forum would and explain it in detail.

Thank you!

Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/ the unGoogled mobile OS and online servicesphone

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I don’t use Advanced Privacy yet because I use Tracker Control + Proton VPN but I’ll certainly start using AP as soon as it gets more “mature”.

You can learn something from here: Advanced Privacy - know all about it

And other members will probably take some time to suggest you some more readings.
Cheers

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I would also like to know more about this. I currently use Proton VPN on my computers and phone.
I might be wrong or be over-simplifying it, but I think a VPN does 4 different things:

  1. It hides some of your metadata from websites and apps. So a website or app thinks you are in the Netherlands when you are really in the UK. (This can be for privacy because you think it is none of their business, or to trick them into thinking you are in a specific country/location to access streaming services.)
  2. It stops your ISP from knowing what you are doing, your ISP provides your access to the internet but all they see is that you are connected to a server (they might know it is a Proton server). So your home broadband or mobile provider thinks you are spending all your time connected to one website and they don’t know what is going back and forth. This also means that they don’t have any useful data to sell or to share with government agencies.
  3. VPNs can also block ads, trackers, malware etc.,
  4. They provide extra security when connected to WiFi in a cafe or airport where someone might be able to intercept the traffic in between your device and the router. All they would see is gobbledegook.

From what I have read, it looks like Advanced Privacy helps with the 1st and 3rd. Your apps won’t know where you are and it blocks ads and trackers.
If those are you main concerns, then it is great to have that built-in to the system and that you don’t have to pay a subscription for it.

From what I can tell, it does nothing for 2 and 4. It won’t stop your ISP from knowing (and sharing) what you are doing on the internet. I don’t think it helps with security on open WiFi networks either.

If you use both, it means that even if your VPN is switched off, whether by mistake or manually, you still have 1 and 3.

I would like to know which one overrides the other, so if you are in the UK and your VPN is set to Germany and in AP you have an app set for France. What will the app see? Or can you not have both trying to hide your IP address?

Please let me know if I have misunderstood something or if it could be explained more clearly.