Remove Google from my FP3

AFAIK you’ll need a ROM which allows signature spoofing for microg, which is not available on stock roms: https://github.com/microg/android_packages_apps_GmsCore/wiki/Signature-Spoofing

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Hi, I have my FP3 now. My phone before that is the FP1 1st edition / crowdfunding I which is stll working quite ok, and that I got in January 2014.

I was hoping that the FP3 would be google-free and useable with an alternative OS to android - after attending a Fairphone event years ago where they discussed sailfish etc. But now I understand that is not possible yet.
So we removed a lot of google stuff and apps but there is so much still, standard search engine, calendar, contacts with google preference and so on and on.

They delivered the FP1 googlefree and that was really great.
Apparently FP2 (which I didn’t need) had various options. I really hope they are working on this for the FP3 as well. It is a bit contradictory to have a fair phone in so many aspects but have it loaded with google software data collecting etc.

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Good to see you back, Ruth :+1:

@urs_lesse how nice, thank you! It’s been a while indeed. I missed all the FP2 years because my FP1 was running OK (still on 2nd battery!)

My most recent original FP1U battery graph

:sunglasses:

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It’s still new.
In fairness, all Fairphone 2s, too, were delivered with a standard Android including all the Google stuff. It was up to the user to install other OSes and …

So I would say let’s see where we stand in the middle of 2020 regarding OS options or at least a roadmap for them.
I can understand the impatience, but let’s just be realistic.

As for living with what we have, the community has started to collect some possibilities of limiting Google on the Fairphone 3.
A Wiki about that was started here …

How to live without Google on an FP3

A topic about replacing Google stuff is here …

Google Apps keep reinstalling/ reactivating

And further in-depth discussion about privacy aspects is here …

Telemetry, Spyware, list of privacy threats on FP3 Android 9

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I like the concept of the Fairphone but I have no bought one until now for one single reason: Google.
Please, provide an alternative without Google.

I am working in an area sensitive to privacy and Android devices are forbidden.

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So what’s allowed then in your “sensitive area”? Custom ROMs??

BTW: Basically all alternative OSes are Android-based, too - it’s just that some of them do not use Google services.

Privacy is always important, as soon as GDPR is involved for example it is important already.

In some areas of work (e.g. national security) electronic devices are not at all allowed. That would be regardless of the device running Android, iOS, an other OS, or it even being a smartphone or a walkman.

@teezeh : at the moment, iPhone managed by the organization and some very old Nokia are still used.

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i know it says lineageOS there, which confuses me, because we are talking about fp3 google version. so am i right that i can use that launcher for my fp3 google-android9 version?

Yes, at least it worked when I tried it.

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hi there, i use
signal for sms
wire for chating
nextcloud
Somnote
Ecosia (browser that plant trees !)

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Hello @javiz87
I have a good news for you: there is a 100% unGoogled OS currently in development named /e/OS. It’s a ready to use OS with it’s own AppStore with + 80000 Apps included FOSS Apps and all default App (email, calendar, sms, weather, note, contacts etc…) has been also unGoogled. It’s name is /e/OS.
Here is the post about the development : https://mastodon.social/interact/103912398236907028
and here is the website talking about /e/Os : https://e.foundation/
I hope this is useful :slight_smile:

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Hello!!

I have installed /e/OS and it was quite easy!! (with a Debian PC).

I am so exited to get out the big G out of my phone. I will wait some time to tell you how it works for me.

Thank you very much for the information!!

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All pleasure is mine :slight_smile:

Well, I have be using /e/ OS and I admit is quite good. You have interesting apps in the alternatives app stores while most of Play Store apps works on my PF3. There are a few that doesn’t work but are very few and it is not a problem.

The problems with screen (I think I have had bad lucky and the hardware is defective) are still there and that’s the big deal since I bought it, but the /e/ OS works better than stock OS. Now, the phone runs perfect, no issues founded (at the beggining I had a lot).

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I recently discover an alternative to Youtube in F-droid. The app is: NewPipe.
I dont use youtube, but the website I used to check (Invidious) has stopped.

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Using NewPipe or the now stopped Invidious are surely preferred over using Youtube directly, although the videos still come from G00gle servers, so they still get your connection metadata+info about the videos you watch. At least you avoid the other trackers on their page, so it’s a progress for sure. :+1:t3:

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