Any issues with /e/ in the USA?

I came across /e/ the other day and want to hear feedback from anyone using it in the USA. My carrier is Ting which is a Verizon MVNO (been with them for years and can’t recommend them enough). I am on an Essential PH-1 / Android 10.

It seems like /e/ will basically do all I really need it to do, though I am concerned about running a couple of apps like Micro$oft Outlook + Teams (work) and Ubiquiti Amplifi (for our home wifi) and a couple of others commercially available on Google Play. I think I’d just opt to buy one of the devices for sale instead of installing on the Essential (—> Samsung S9).

I’ve seriously been entertaining de-Googling myself for years, but the hassle of actually doing it (especially installing the new OS) has always been the roadblock for me… how does the /e/ ecosystem compare to Google’s? I really only use Drive, Photos, Docs, Gmail, youtube…I can learn to change/adapt these services but I just would like to hear any US user’s experiences and what not.

Thank you.

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

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Hi. I’ve been using /e/ for a couple months, and I really like it. The community is great. I’m not using the /e/ ecosystem only because I had been deGoogling for some time and already found other services that I like and am used to. So I can’t really speak to that.

As long as your phone connects to your network now, there shouldn’t be any reason for it to not connect with /e/ installed.

One thing I experienced with my OnePlus is that I had to do some extra steps on the installation since it was a T-Mobile variant (not one purchased directly from OnePlus). I’m not sure if this may be a similar case for you, perhaps if it is a ‘Verizon’ variant.

I’m pretty sure that pre-installed /e/ phones are not yet shipped to the US. I think they may not also work on US networks, but not sure. Supposedly, there will come a service that you can send in your phone to have /e/ installed for you. Not sure how far along that is.

I actually bought an inexpensive ‘practice’ phone to learn how to install ROMs. I would have kept using it had all the frequencies worked in the US. A number of the phones usable with /e/ can be purchased for 10’s of $/€, used.

If you do end up buying another phone, make sure the frequencies are compatible with those used in the US.

Dan.

Thanks for the info.

EDIT:
After poking around and doing some actual reading, I’ve found my options here in the US are super limited. Every so often I’ve tried to find a way to de-Google, easily/cleanly and without a super-tricky root/flashing process, and I always come up empty handed. They really need to breakup the tech monopolies…

The only other viable path is trying out LineageOS, but there’s no ecosystem similar to Google, which is why /e/ is attractive to me. So it seems the best thing for me to do is stay with my Essential and install /e/ on it, seeing how I’ve already got it and have been happy with it for the last few years.

The /e/ OS didn’t work out for me, and I’m trying out Lineage now. It’s clear that my phone and the US market are not a priority for /e/. That’s too bad, the potential is there, and I bet that a lot of people in the US would prefer a 3rd, less skeezy option…

Lineage is definitely a good OS (/e/ is forked from it, after all). Depending on why /e/ didn’t work out for you, the answer may be available on /e/'s gitlab. The staff pointed me to a solution for a technical problem I had when I was first trying to install.

Or you could also open a support thread here on the Discourse forum as well.

Dan.

Also in the U.S. Running /e/OS on my Axon 7 since whenever version 0.1 was out and also on my Essential PH-1 (Nougat, then Pi/e/). T-Mobile carrier.
Across several other devices (LG G3, Moto G5 Plus, Moto G5s Plus, Samsung Galaxy Light), some multibooters (including the Axon, Motos, and G3), I’ve been running mostly MicroG or UNlp based ROMs for some years. For me /e/ was/is just another NoGApps ROM.

I do use the ecosystem though and now all ROMs make use of it. Chiefly contacts and calendar syncing. Even on the Pinephones where applicable/possible.

There are no issues with /e/ in the U.S. other than the limited number of U.S. carrier supported devices.

Has anyone had more luck - in the US - with running /e/ on a device that /e/ sells? i.e. is supported more fully?

Let’s say I purchase one of the US versions of the Samsung Galaxy 7/8/9, install /e/ and go to town - if all the apps sync, and everything else works as designed, I may try again and see if I can de-google permanently.

Can anyone verify this?

Hi @Cornfarmer, I outlined my experiences here if you’re interested. Have a good day and Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanks @mcmd for sharing…getting closer to pulling the trigger but the echo problem is concerning, I’ll need to search around and see if it affects the 7 8 or 9.

Make sure to report back what you find out- my understanding is that the S9 is likely going to be the best bet going forward due to official Android Q support. Also, @SuzieQ is an excellent source of information- perhaps she’ll see this thread and reply with her take.

I just read / bumped a thread about this, i.e. the older S8 having a newer build than the newer device (S9)? Can’t find anything confirming an update (yet), that alone is a bigger negative.

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