I am excited about the OS and understand some compromises had to be made with MicroG to be competitive in market with non tech savvy people. Although I don’t agree with it as a default app, I think I might understand why it is. Since the OS is for non tech savvy people, it is easier for them to use apps they want when they don’t understand the degoogling sacrifices.
Will my phone crap out if I remove MicroG and only keep the app lounge, like for fdroid apps? Disabling MicroG does not disable the calls home to google; only my domain filter does. My threat model is to prevent ANY data google can use, even if it is just for use metrics. Also if they register my device SN, and use it with their partners, it is easy for them to fingerprint the person.
I do not have another software to use in place of microg. I would just fully remove the app lounge but I want to take advantage of the hard work and developments of the other default apps. I just hate google and want no google trackers. Using fdroid or codeberg for apks rather than a package manager is fine too.
I have put off adding apps and setting the device up fully just to get the data issues sorted. If I find a way to factory reset in case I soft brick the device, I’ll probably go ahead and get the MicroG portion off. I absolutely want nothing to do with Google. I could have read that before buying but who has time to read everything about every provider and OS? I just want no Google. I wish it was opt in rather than having to hack it out. I just hate finding time to connect to a computer and find/download the command line interface. No Google out of the box would be better. However, the problem is with Google and the main service over Murena (T-Mobile.) If the trackers send my device serial number, then I’d have to be brain dead to think the provider chain is not aggregating data with Google at some point. Expecting the worse out of US Tech giants is really the most accurate outcome.
So glad Murena and e/OS are trying though. We just have to be patient and realize people have different threat models. I’ll update.
When I bought the fp5 from Murena I was also extremely disgusted, it says “de-Googled” but that’s a lie, false advertising, it should say that it’s a system using a different service that is in contact with Google.
I know that the future phones I would no longer take from them at all because it’s a scam, false advertising.
Previously I had made a post to be able to simply remove it, but nothing.
They just need to add a built-in uninstaller to allow us to uninstall it.
If you find a solution to uninstall micro G I am for it.
Also E/OS must offer the service as indicated, so give us the possibility of completely removing micro G.
micro-G is really at the heart of /e/OS hence imho the lack of replies to how to uninstall.
/e/OS is simply LineageOS with added “benefits”, that is benefits for a certain group of people. The simple answer to no micro-G is vanilla LineageOS.
It is still AOSP so the user has a device with an operating system provided to the manufacturer by the advertising agency, Google … a purist would say this is not ideal.
i agree,
this possibility to have the choice regarding default Apps was expected by many ethousiasts at the first years on the forum,
most of them have leaved the project when they realised the idea was not shared by the managers
Deactivating device registration and Cloud notifications in Micro G setting is enough. Though do bear in mind that it is not just a matter of “tech savy”vs mainstream users, by switching OFF those two services, you make Banking apps unusable, meaning that for most people in most countries they cannot anymore connect to even web-browser banking website to check expenses or pay bills or wire some money. It is not the end of the world to go by foot every week to the bank but it does defeat the whole purpose of a smartphone, hence the consistent choice of /e/OS to not only include Micro-G but also activating it by default.
When using Applounge, you will also have to define the app sources as being only F-droid.
If that solution does not suit you, then you can use Lineage OS without micro G but that will be much worse regarding calls to Google: the default DNS will be google, the clock server will be google, etc
As you said, if you want absolutely no tracking by google then the only realistic option is not to use a smartphone… As you said, even the network can track you with your EMEI which is one way or another very easily associated to your name and person (be it only because the network provider does know your name and has very likely sold it to google because why not, everybody does it for profit).
Why don’t you use your anger to simply root your device? With apps like AFWall+, AppOps, XPL-EX you can limit all traffic, set fake spoofed values for almost any calls going home, send fake feedback to servers etc. Or like suggested before: switch to LineageOS. But even a naked Android version is made by…. Google!
Because i buying for a smartphone announced “degoogled” , so I believe that E/OS must respect their commitment especially for those who have purchased and this sound has been made!!!
/e/OS - Murena is actually very transparent, they do define accurately what they mean by degoogling:
One must also understand that murena is an extremely small organisation and a customer cannot expect the same perfect service that we are used to get from world companies. Your expectations should be set at a level in relation to the reality. Yes the price is high, but in practice that does not entitle us for consumer-goods level of expectations, the price is merely high because murena needs revenue to work and they earn only the price difference on an already expensive smartphone.
Murena with /e/OS is more trying to be an Apple iOS alternative for basic users who want to use mainstream apps,
than developing a “pure” android OS, we can see it as a transitional step awaiting full linux solution for smartphones
I understand that it’s a smaller outfit. I have no issues paying more to support their business. The whole point of buying it was so I didn’t have the constant headache of hacking it. I understand it is in their documentation, but I can’t read every fine detail about every OS and app that exists. It’s completely overwhelming to the point that I forget some by the time I’m done. There is one place that I occasionally need to use Starlink, and having to block Google’s constant attempts to send my info literally destroyed the battery in my last phone, which is a huge safety problem. It could have burned the house down. I am not angry and am willing to be patient, but it’s very frustrating.
Yeah, I get it. Countermeasures eventually get exhausting, though. I am also not angry, other than with the market conditions. This is good effort and I am glad people are trying.
I figured if MicroG was not there, the lack if functions such as banking would reduce their market share and make their business infeasible. That’s why I am not upset about it.
Thanks for the warning about Lineage also. Those are deal breakers.
Additionally, I too realized the device ID could cause an info leak with Google. I still have not figured out a solution for that one but intend to attempt later for sure.
are you sure microg processid is originating the mtalk.google.com traffic after disabling fcm? I cant attribute the used app in the screenshot if it does os level packet filtering / logging and could show
