Why people use GApps and root when using LOS

Discuss The Industry
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For me security is about being able to backup your own data the way you want. (and to be able to install a good ad blocker)

Why accept an official immage with all google junk in it when you can just install a gapps with as little as possible. (or just not install it at all)

In short, when I bought a phone, I and I alone decide what’s on it. I’m very close to kicking off the minimalistic gapps I have on my phone.

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FP6 Unofficial LineageOS 23
2

Indeed. People who know what they do are most often better off with security

3

are you refering to install “microG” instead ?

4

Nop, just use aurora store. Will look into microG, but I want get rid of all Google apps.

Edit: just learned, microG is a replacement for the services, aurora store just a frontend for the store. Will mess around with it, as I’m going to install the latest Lineage anyway. (in the hope I can finally use my SD card…)

5

yes, an open sources workaround :
even anonymized, connections to Gogol servers are still used,
(but API dependent apps will works…)

6

And the magical wonders of having full access to /data/data.

Some examples of the ways I used root before, to give people an idea:

  • 1 to 1 backup of apps (if done manually you can exclude whatever cache or identifier stored in the app)
  • AdAway
  • Properly integrated home launchers
  • Changing values for offline games (e.g. lives left count, hints counts, etc)
  • Extract TOTP token from bank app so I could use it on a FOSS authenticator and not that spyware
  • Save ‘view once’ or deleted pictures from WhatsApp and possibly similar apps
  • Brick your phone into a bootloop :heart:
  • And probably more that don’t come to mind right now
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7

Yeah, here it’s mainly:

  • adblocker (minminguard, haven’t found anything better yet)
  • app hiding (hide store from games so they stop nagging for your cash, I wish Android had the option to disable IAP like IOS)
  • Real backups, including apk and the option to restore including all settings (not just the few Google wants to save in their cloud)
  • No Google dependency to access my data
  • For my favorite game (CSR2), an option to recover my progress when the game goes on the fritz (again)

I rooted the 1st device I got my hands on within 1 month of getting it. (employer gave a Samsung S2 in ‘12 as we as an IT company should know how these things work) Since then, after I made the mistake to buy the Huawei G700 for the specs instead of custom rom availability, every Android device got a custom rom (did CyanogenMod for Samsung Tab S2 with loads of help)

Alas, previous phone was the proof donkeys are smarter then me, they don’t make the same mistake twice (Dutch proverb loosly translated). The Samsung A13 was worked on for an Lineage build, but just not the model they sell here (or we bought at least). Got it rooted, but what a hastle to stay up-to-date with the main image.

Every device from now on has 1 requirement again, custom rom. (At least those can always be rooted)

8

Only a rooted device is really yours. You are an admin, like using a GNU/Linux distro.
Android in general, together with other ROMS like Graphene, represent a huge step backward in user freedom, always under the premise of security.

On the other hand, I’m not using gapps, by the way.

2 Likes
9

I just kicked gapps of teh phone yesterday. MicroG and Aurora store with login are still used, as I have paid apps I still use, but no google apps. At least, that’s what I tought. As there is no way to format system, some google junk still lingers as it seems. (it’s updatable)

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