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Debloat non-rooted Android devices

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Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#111

Post by robin_reala »

mFixman wrote: post #99
TacticalCoder wrote: post #89

If, according to this thread, Samsung is so bad and I don't t want buy a Chinese phone... What are my options for an Android phone? Is there any Android phone brand/model that is not exploiting its users?

Let me disagree with this thread. I've used flagship Android Samsungs since Google stopped Nexus phones, and they were great. The hardware is fantastic, you can install and change any default app, and their performance doesn't degrade in time. I can count 4 pre-installed apps that I forgot about. It has much less bloatware than an iPhone, that comes preinstalled with a dozen useless apps that cannot be removed from y…

What apps can’t be uninstalled on iOS?

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#112

Post by bornfreddy »

rightbyte wrote: post #81
andrepd wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The need for stronger legislation is overdue by now. There is already a Foss mobile OS, it's called Android, or more specifically a distribution of it like LineageOS. But installing it is so difficult that only 1% of people have the technical know how to even attempt it, and it's getting more difficult as manufacturers introduce more and more hurdles in this process. Which is all irrelevant anyway because the vast ma…

Ye that is true. As I see it the problem is with the phone manufacturers, only supporting Google. Also, there is this problem with banks requiring signed OS:es for their silly app "security".

There should be regulation that requires bank to offer a dedicated hardware OTP solution. Mobile apps security (banking or not) is abysmal anyway.

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#113

Post by Dudhbbh3343 »

Defletter wrote: post #107
morsch wrote: post #18

I bought -- full price, retail -- a midrange Samsung phone for a relative recently. The amount of bloatware was incredible. Various social networks and shopping apps were preinstalled. In addition to all the Samsung apps that more or less duplicate the Google stack, poorly. The entire setup process was full of dark patterns designed to extract as much data from you as possible. No way a regular person gets through th…

> dark patterns designed to extract as much data from you as possible It's insane how prevalent this is. The other day, I opened my calculator app and was met with a cookie banner ( https://imgur.com/a/njJEiqY ) - I uninstalled it on the spot out of sheer incredulity. The irony was that I originally installed Simple Calculator because it was simple and open source, so I presumed it would escape being a trojan horse f…

All the "Simple" apps were recently sold to a company that's apparently filling them with ads.

There's a group that forked the original open source apps:

https://github.com/orgs/FossifyOrg/repositories

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#114

Post by magicalhippo »

tayo42 wrote: post #55
resource_waste wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a user/psychology problem. No one in their right mind is suggesting Samsung. Heck, similar to Apple, you have swaths of people warning you about Samsung. Samsung lives and dies off their huge marketing budget. Buying their phone is more of a psychology thing, than 'I did lots of research and I bought a high quality phone'.

What android brand are people going with? I thought Samsung was the biggest alternative to pixels

I just bought a Motorola Moto G73 for $180, was 50% off as precious gen phones often are once the new comes out.

I got a Samsung S21 as my daily driver, but just wanted to check out a non-Samsung one over time.

So far I've been very impressed. It comes with Google apps for almost everything, the Moto specific stuff seems to be addons you can easily ignore.

Even came with a transparent protective case and audio jack.

Performance-wise I don't notice any difference in normal use, ie surfing, pictures and such. I don't play games though, there the S21 would blow it out of the water according to benchmarks.

Screen isn't quite as good, but close enough that I'd be happy with it as a primary phone.

Only thing that's a bit of a downer is they only do 3 years of security upgrades it seems. This is a bit short I feel.

Haven't tried any of the other brands over time in recent years, just adding my 2 cents.

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#115

Post by jeroenhd »

TacticalCoder wrote: post #89

If, according to this thread, Samsung is so bad and I don't t want buy a Chinese phone... What are my options for an Android phone? Is there any Android phone brand/model that is not exploiting its users?

I've never seen the bloatware a lot of people on here are talking about. My suspicion is that they bought a phone through a carrier. Carriers push tons of weird bloatware onto their users (which is probably why their models are cheaper). If you just buy a phone, I don't think there will be any obvious bloatware on Samsung phones. There are some duplicate apps, but I'm pretty sure that's limited to Chrome vs Samsung Internet and Google Play vs Samsung Store.

My tablet came with a weird Google Now replacement that I can't remove, but that's the only bloatware I really encountered. The rest was free versions of paid apps like drawing software and the standard Samsung suite. No weird shopping apps, no ads anywhere, just what I wanted for the tablet.

Xiaomi is pretty bad, though. It kind of makes sense, because they need to develop their software for China, where there is no Google cloud, so they've become their own Google. Every app prompts for agreeing with a privacy statement. Some models of phones actually include ads in the system apps (which can be disabled by a setting, but it's still a problem). Their privacy policy is also a blatant lie. I love the bang-for-the-buck nature of Xiaomi phones, but I wouldn't buy them unless there's a good custom ROM available. Other Chinese brands suffer similar problems, but not to the same extend.

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#116

Post by BLKNSLVR »

croes wrote: post #88
bboygravity wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find it mind blowing that: 1. Samsung is able to sell phones like that legally. 2. People are not in jail. 3. Governments somehow think it's ok that random companies can see everything their citizens do online. National security risks maybe? Trade secret issues? It's almost suspicious to the point where I would start thinking those third party spy companies are possibly (US/5 eyes) government run?

They don't care as long they are not Chinese.

Like this: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-17/coalition-steps-up-ca...

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#117

Post by Symbiote »

bonki wrote: post #63
Symbiote wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some banking apps detect this, or might detect it in the future, and refuse to work. In some countries (Scandinavia...) not having the banking app is inconvenient, as it's used for authentication with many other services.

That's a bold understatement, you're pretty much fucked without BankID on your phone.

In Denmark, MitID supports non-phone authenticators. You have to request it, but a few days later they send a TOTP generator keyfob. They also have a version for blind people.

I would find it annoying if I had to carry the keyfob. I have it as a backup.

https://www.mitid.dk/en-gb/get-started-with-mitid/mitid-auth...

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#118

Post by mFixman »

robin_reala wrote: post #111
mFixman wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let me disagree with this thread. I've used flagship Android Samsungs since Google stopped Nexus phones, and they were great. The hardware is fantastic, you can install and change any default app, and their performance doesn't degrade in time. I can count 4 pre-installed apps that I forgot about. It has much less bloatware than an iPhone, that comes preinstalled with a dozen useless apps that cannot be removed from y…

What apps can’t be uninstalled on iOS?

Back when I used a iPhone for work, I remember having Safari, Apple Music, Apple Rock Band, Apple Podcasts, Apple News and a lot of built-in apps being un-uninstallable and unremovable from my home screen.

Safari was the most egregious, since all other browsers had to use it as a backend.

Re: Debloat non-rooted Android devices

#120

Post by INTPenis »

TacticalCoder wrote: post #89

If, according to this thread, Samsung is so bad and I don't t want buy a Chinese phone... What are my options for an Android phone? Is there any Android phone brand/model that is not exploiting its users?

I've been using Google Android phones since the G1 and I'm very happy with their stock OS. Currently on Pixel 7a.

My parents both each have some Samsung and it's awful whenever I have to help them do something.

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