Pre-installed Google Apps on a De-Googled System? My Frustrations with /e/OS Latest Updates

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Lately, the developers of /e/OS have started releasing pointless apps and bundling them into system updates—apps that can’t be removed without using adb. For example, the recently added parental control feature: seriously, how many users actually use this? Maybe 0.01%? Fine, but what about “Find My Device”? I installed version 3.0 and wanted to disable it, but of course, that wasn’t possible. Sure, this feature might be important to some, but why not give users the option to turn it off?

Another example is the pre-installed Health Connect app. While health and fitness tracking can be useful for some, bundling such an app by default without an option to uninstall or disable it feels unnecessary for many users who don’t use these features. This adds to the growing list of system apps that clutter the system.

And the biggest shock: the so-called de-Googled system still uses Google Assistant? Are you serious right now?

It feels like the /e/ Foundation is drifting away from their original mission. Instead of maintaining system hygiene and security, they’re turning /e/OS into just another Google-like Android or Xiaomi’s HyperOS—with pre-installed apps that can’t be disabled. On top of that, building your own custom ROM now requires at least 16GB of RAM and 400GB of free disk space, which is not an easy task for the average user—especially if they don’t know how to work with Docker. Those who do will probably just build GrapheneOS for their phone instead.

If you’ve run out of ideas for protecting and improving the system, why not create a website where users can suggest real, useful features and vote on them? As developers, you could always keep veto power over which ideas get integrated.

After updating to 3.0, my system crashed, forcing me to roll back to 2.9 with a recovery wipe. I also noticed that the system’s password length limit, previously capped at 16 characters, now seems unlimited (though I haven’t tested the maximum length). I suspect something else might have been broken, especially since there’s no mention of password length changes in the official release notes on e / os / 🚀 Releases · GitLab.

My main point is: don’t turn /e/OS into just another second-rate system filled with unnecessary bloat. Give users the freedom to choose which apps they want to keep or remove—including Health Connect, parental controls, and “Find My Device.” That’s what real user empowerment looks

Here is my build information:
e_alioth-user 14 AP2A.240905.003 eng.root.20250322.060729
The device is not rooted.
/e/os: 2.9-a14-20250322478432-community-alioth
The same problem with v3.0-a14
I did not check the version below V2.9-a14
Phone model: M2012K11AG / alioth/ poco f3

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On my OTA-updated (2.9-t → 3.0-t) device it’s disabled by default.

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I don’t have the Google Assistant on my phone and I had to explicitely turn on the Find my device service.

After recovery of 2.9, you have managed to install 3.0, right? And then there has been Google Assistant and the Find my device service turned on, right?

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I’m sure your phone has Google Assistant, it’s just hidden from regular apps.

I’m using 2.9-a14 now because 3.0-a14 is broken.
By disable I mean the “Disable” function - in the app settings, which disables the app completely.

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So, if your 3.0 crashed and you reverted to 2.9 - how come that the new feature from 3.0 (Find my device) is activated on your phone? I don’t understand.

About the Assistant. I have been searching in “Show system” and “All apps” - no Google Assistant with my phone on 3.0.

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I am sorry @particularteal to welcome you to the forum with the message that your assertion the Google Assistant was present in your Edit, officially published build is not credible.

I notice that having demonstrated above “Show system” you do not show the presence of Google Assistant there.

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More information required:

  • Manufacturer
  • Model
  • /e/OS build (official/community/…)
  • …

As far a I know, the assistant is part of AOSP, but should be excluded from builds.

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I installed v3.0, and before the system crashed, I checked its functionality, including “find my device” and found “google assistant” there, but after a while the system crashed and I had to install v2.9-a14, checking what programs were there I found that “google assistant” was also installed there.

why didn’t I see this before? - before that I updated via System update, and got 2.9-t and I didn’t see “google assistant” there

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Is it somehow possible, that another app might have sideloaded it? I did not have it and I am pretty sure, since I have been trying out an assistant from F-Droid and was not able to choose another in the list of assistants.

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I made a video for you.
Whether Google Assistant is currently in use or not doesn’t matter. The important things are:

You can’t turn it off.

You can’t block its access to the internet.

The fact that it’s not being used right now is irrelevant — it’s like standing on a landmine and saying it hasn’t exploded yet.
Also, for some reason, Google Assistant starts immediately with some cached data and user data

This is a link to pcloud, you can watch this video without downloading

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Probably you can using a private VPN app like RethinkDNS. You can block each app, also system apps, very consequently. A question is if this will work well (or if it then comes with annoying notifications or strange malfunctions (battery drain) or whatever…)

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I don’t want to use workarounds like DNS blocking. I am capable of building my own custom ROM and installing only what I need, but I don’t want to spend time on that. I trusted the developers, and if they promised a degoogled and clean system, I want to actually get that. Yes, I didn’t pay for it, but since this is an open-source project (at least partially), the users’ opinions should be taken into account regardless of whether they paid for the product or not.

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Well, I don’t have the google assistant on my phone.

What kind of phone is it? Is this a community fork that you are using? Perhaps someone has added it before you flashed your phone?

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No, it can’t be, because the system has Google Assistant from the very first launch.
Even on the first launch without internet access, it is present.
I also only use open-source apps downloaded from F-Droid.

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G-assistant is present on my Oneplus 9 pro too. Just updated to 3.0. Perhaps someone from the team could answer why it is there, although it seems to be doing nothing.

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On the FP3 there is no Google Assistant after upgrade from 2.9 to 3.0 official.

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No Google Assistant here on official v3-t on FP5 updated ota yesterday.
find my device present but turned off by default, not able to disable but then I do not expect to be able to disable a system app.

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seems to be a device thing inherited from upstream (Lineage)

the way this works: check lineage.dependencies in the device repo which common repos it goes back to. If the common repos do import OEM apks in propietary-files.txt you’ll get them too. Appid of that assistant is com.android.hotwordenrollment.okgoogle.

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I don’t have (Google) Assistant on my FP5 running e/OS 3.0 either, but I basically agree with you! For me too, Murena is on the wrong track!

Instead of finally sorting out the basic details of the system and ensuring acceptable security update frequencies, instead of updating the few existing apps promptly, instead of working for appropriate version updates of the Android system and instead of finally keeping the Murena cloud in acceptable condition, they are tinkering with new details that hardly anyone needs.
Murena reminds me of an architect who wants to build a house and starts building on the third floor!

That’s why, as I wrote elsewhere, I’m out too - I’m working on switching to a different system. Thank you for the 4 years with e/OS and I wish Murena continued good luck, even if I can’t imagine it can go on for much longer.

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here dependency chain and a bit of commit history

users reported the apk for other devices, here’s the chain:

this is the HOW and WHERE - you’d need to read into the repo WHY it’s needed.

And on a personal note,… y’all are sitting on heaps of binary blobs :kissing_closed_eyes:

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