[LIST] Settings for New Users / New Device Setup

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Trying to create a “list of settings” that a new /e/ user could use to configure their phone.

These are settings for non-technical users who do not require any g services.

Here’s the list so far, comments/suggestions appreciated :slightly_smiling_face:

Settings > Network and Internet
DNS > Turn Off “Use network DNS”
DNS > DNS, Set DNS to use > Enter DNS IP “9.9.9.9” > click OK
Hotspot and tethering > Turn On “Allow clients to use VPNs”
Advanced > Private DNS > Select “Private DNS provider hostname” and enter “dns.quad9.net” > click Save

Settings > Connected devices
Connection preferences > Bluetooth > Turn Off
Connection preferences > Turn Off “NFC”
Connection preferences > Cast > 3 dot menu > Untick “Enable wireless display”
Connection preferences > Printing > Default Print Service > Turn Off

Settings > Apps and notifications
See all # apps > microG Services Core > click “Disable”
Advanced > Emergency alerts > Allow alerts > Turn Off “Receive wireless emergency alert notifications”

Settings > Privacy
Trust > Lock screen > Select “Show sensitive content only when unlocked”
Trust > Turn On “Restrict USB”

Settings > Location
WiFi and Bluetooth Scanning > Turn Off both wifi scanning and bluetooth scanning

Settings > Security
Encryption and credentials >Trusted Credentials > Turn Off all entries for “google trust services llc”

Settings > System
Advanced > MicroG > Cloud Messaging > Turn Off “Receive push notifications”
Advanced > MicroG > Google SafetyNet > Turn Off “Allow device attestation”
Advanced > MicroG > Google device registration > Turn Off “Register device”

/e/ Browser
Settings > Privacy and security > Use Secure DNS > Turn On “Use Secure DNS”
Settings > Privacy and security > Use Secure DNS > Select”Choose another provider” > Quad9 (9.9.9.9)

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Do you think making the post into a Wiki which could be edited by users would be good?
Or do we perhaps sense some settings wars then :slight_smile: ?

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yep could be good in a wiki, maybe if theres a few suggestions here to help give it better shape. The above is just what I have on my phone, but as you said that might not suit a lot of other people.

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I would also like to make a separate “list of suggested apps” for new users, I’m not big into apps at all, so this is all I could put together, would really need other people’s opinions on this…

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Possibly :slight_smile: I would strongly disagree with some of those choices, which - for me - would make the phone much less useful and usable. To give just two examples: Mike may not wish to use Bluetooth or NFC, but I do.

I do not think you, or I, or the /e/ Foundation should be telling people what features of the phone they should or should not use.

What might be useful is a document or Wiki which explains what every setting does, what the default is, andwhst the implications are of making different choices. But that document should be neutral, and not telling users what they should not do.

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Yep, and its not to tell people what to do either, I suppose it was just to highlight some settings people might not have been otherwise aware of - for example with bluetooth, when /e/ is installed bluetooth is on by default, which if you dont use it regularly it can be a battery drain, I do use bluetooth but only when I get in the car for long-ish trips at which time its very easy just to pull down the top menu and tap it on. Likewise, I had no idea about the DNS settings, so yeh maybe you are right a wiki explaining the various options is more the ideal way to go - but that was kind of what I was going for…

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Found a difference.

That would surely be helpful, but that’s quite the task.
And “every setting” might be a bit much, I know what it means to even list them :wink: .

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Same deal with the list of suggested apps, I am in no way telling people what apps to use, but if it wasnt for reading reams and reams of threads on this forum I would not have come across organic maps, newpipe, syncthing, even f-droid I learned about here … so I’m trying to make it easier for new users to find these settings and apps quickly, thats all.

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The /e/ email app is a fork of K9 so no real need to install the latter. I wouldn’t recommend Telegram and would suggest people positively avoid WhatsApp (and anything else owned by Meta) and Zoom.

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I like the top list. In terms of shape, as @petefoth’s suggestion, I wonder how much work it would be to make this a table with links to our best link to each subject.

It would be interesting to see if we found an editor’s war on such a subject; I would have faith that it would work. There is the possibility to add several links to some subjects and/or this would highlight issues that are currently missing. I find entry level searching hard here (especially as /e/ documentation is not linked to forum searches), so all cross referencing on important subjects is good.

https://doc.e.foundation/support-topics

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Congratulations on that useful list and marvelous formatting!

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Thanks for putting this together @mike_from_ireland Have marked it as a wiki and List. Think that once more users contribute and add to it, we can add this information to the documentation as a quick reference guide.

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There was an issue with the default email app where it could not save attachments, which is a big issue, not sure if that is resovled yet, but that’s the reason for using K9.

Yep I hear you about Whatsapp but unfortunately that is a real deal breaker for a lot (billions :sob: ) of people… they absolutely just want it, and that’s their call.

Zoom is so people have a way of video calling, it’s popular and a lot better than g or ms options IMO.

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That is a beast :flushed:! Hope the output was automated and not a manual exercise!

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  1. If they have WhatsApp (or Telegram or Signal) then they already have a way of video calling.

  2. Jitsi Meet is a popular FOSS alternative and it’s possible for the more technically savvy to host their own server. Thus avoiding decryption on servers in the PRC.

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Yes true, but often people need to attend zoom calls for things like meetings or public webinars, and these are organised over zoom by the other party.

The lists I’m working on (settings, apps, and a few others) are designed for setting up devices for people who are non-technical (they have next to zero technical knowledge or aptitude, are not interested to find out how to do techie stuff, and are very unlikely to ever use this forum) but do want to be free from big-tech, and are willing to try /e/.

These lists are actually primarily meant to be used by people like me (semi-techie) as a guide to help configure an /e/ phone for a non-techie person - eg friend, family member, or beyond :rocket: so that the phone works well for them and they dont have to do any techie stuff… going into Settings and making some basic changes is a challenge for lots of people.

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I wished there would have been an automated way back then, but I didn’t find one. It was done manually, and I got to see a lot of settings I would never have seen otherwise :slight_smile: .

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thank you the tips at the beginning of /e/ usage :smile: :heart: