this post was submitted on 15 Mar 2025
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Right now a lot of us are trying to divest and diversify from having our entire lives on Google both because of the way Google spends its money and the long-standing privacy concerns seeming a bit more scary now.

What services have you switched to and what has your experience been? What do you like, what don't you like, would you recommend them?

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[โ€“] murky0106@lemm.ee 3 points 1 hour ago

Desktop Environment

  • Operating System: Fedora Workstation Linux

    • Great package manager updates
    • Excellent performance
  • Productivity Tools:

    • Note-taking: Zim Wiki (preferred for GUI and plaintext storage)
    • Document Editing: Considering OnlyOffice if Collabora Office doesn't work out
    • Backup Solution: Filen cloud provider with desktop sync app
  • Browsers:

    • Primary: Firefox with Arkenfox
    • Backup: Ungoogled Chromium (for sites incompatible with Firefox)
  • Password Management:

    • Bitwarden (kept on phone)
    • KDE Connect for clipboard sharing between devices

Mobile Setup

  • Device & OS: Pixel 8 Pro running GrapheneOS

    • More stable and polished than previous CalyxOS on Pixel 5
    • Better Google Play sandboxing compared to microG
  • Mobile Apps:

    • Browsers: IronFox and Vanadium
    • App Sources: Primarily open-source from GitHub/F-Droid, updated via Obtainium
    • Non-FOSS Apps: Sandboxed Google Play for banking and other essential apps
    • Maps: HERE WeGo (previously used Magic Earth but it lacked public transport info)
    • Loyalty Cards: Catima
  • Search Engine: Kagi

    • Quality results
    • Sound business model (subscription-based)
    • Fediverse integration for Lemmy search
  • Self-Hosted Services:

    • Contacts and calendar via Radicale on NAS with Nginx
  • Car Integration:

    • Still using Android Auto (found MagSafe holder alternatives more distracting)
    • Physical cards stored in MagSafe wallet on phone back
[โ€“] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 hours ago

I had to change my name and hairstyle

[โ€“] scheep@lemmy.world 10 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

for me:

  • google drive > pcloud (objectively better app tbh)
  • chrome > librewolf > floorp (i like having the tab bar at the bottom, and librewolf is a bit annoying sometimes)
  • photos > ente
  • gmail > proton > tuta > "disroot" (proton and tuta aren't IMAP, and their first-party apps are slow. disroot probably isn't the best one, I just chose one that supports IMAP)
  • google search > ddg > SearXNG
  • google office > onlyoffice on windows, libreoffice on linux
  • google maps > Organic Maps
  • google passwords > bitwarden
  • google auth > ente auth :)
[โ€“] pineapplelover@lemm.ee 5 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

Google office stuff > libreoffice

Chrome > firefox and librewolf

gmail > proton

Google > ddg

Iphone > grapheneos pixel

Youtube account > newpipe, libretube, grayjay with exported subscriptions

Google drive > synology

I think that covers about everything google specific.

Note: I included iphone because even iphones ping google SUPL servers whereas Grapheneos settings host their own servers to ping to avoid sending stuff out to google.

[โ€“] UltraMasculine@sopuli.xyz 5 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (2 children)

If I remember correctly I started deGoogling "seriously" in the last summer. At this point YouTube and Youtube Music are the only Google products/services I still use daily but only on PC. I never use them on phone. I also am quite forced to use Gmail sometimes but otherwise I avoid it like a plague.

I think my phone is as deGoogled as possible without rooting and/or changing the OS. I have uninstalled every Google app that I have been able to uninstall and also I have disabled every Google service that is possible to disable. I still have to deMicrosoft my PC. I want to move to Linux but I have understood that there's some compatibility issues with Reaper and virtual instruments. That's the only reason I haven't done it yet.

Anyway. Here is a list of apps/services I use instead of Google's sh*t:

  • Browser: Waterfox on PC and Ironfox on phone (of course both with uBlock Origin)
  • Cloud storage: Proton Drive
  • Email: Proton Mail
  • Calendar: Proton Calendar
  • Authenticator: Aegis
  • Map: OsmAnd
  • Search engine: DuckDuckGo and Brave Search
  • Play Store: Droid-ify and Aurora Store (not signed in)
  • Speech Recognition & Synthesis: SherpaTTS
  • Find My Device: FindMyDevice (FOSS)

I think that's all. There's some other FOSS apps and services that I use but they are not exactly replacements for Google's sh*t.

[โ€“] ArsonButCute@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

On your PC, freetube will work as a Youtube frontend, you can point it to an invidious instance to act proxy to youtube if you like.

[โ€“] UltraMasculine@sopuli.xyz 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

I actually know FreeTube but for some reason I haven't even tried it yet, but now I will. Thanks.

Be warned, moving your subscriptions over is a bit of a pain in the as since you have to use Google takeout to download a json list if all your subs, otherwise it's solid and smooth, comes with sponsorblock built in

[โ€“] SuperDarke14@lemmy.ml 1 points 13 hours ago

I've recently been thinking about this.

I've seen plenty of recommendations for the Proton suite, but seeing as the premium plan runs 10 bucks a month for:

  • Mail (Need premium for IMAP compatibility with the Proton Bridge)
  • Calendar
  • Drive service --more on this one later
  • VPN (this one looked nice, but IIRC VPNs are less necessary for home traffic if all my requests are HTTPS)
  • Password Keeper
  • And crypto wallet,

it was a mite expensive for my tastes who was only going to use the mail service and calendar and perhaps the VPN. I looked into Posteo.de and it had all that I wanted from an email provider (encryption on-server, IMAP compatibility and privacy-focused). It's much cheaper (1 EUR/mo.) and it has a fantastically retro and sleek website (the epitome of web design-- nice-looking without being obese or fiddly).

I'm also trying out a few search engines, namely Mojeek and Marginalia-search because I want to both move away from Big Tech and Google in particular as well as open my horizon to the more human side of the web.

I have yet to figure out what to do about Android. I'm trying out using a dumb-phone for a while, but that's more of a temporary thing.

With regards to Proton Drive, it seems nice but I've heard of poor Linux support. That's a big dealbreaker for me.

I'm afraid that I can't step away from Big G just yet; work runs off it. But one can dream. And every bit of data that Google doesn't have is one degree fewer of control they will have over me eventually, when the Big Tech overlords pull the trigger on whatever they have cooking up.

[โ€“] Frenchys_prospecting@aussie.zone 4 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

I am absolutely dumb with this stuff so I have one question: how do I get all of my photos off Google cloud? That's the only thing stopping me from shitting it down.

I also have a google pixel phone but that will be destroyed once my contract is up and I can afford something not google related

[โ€“] Rusty@lemmy.ca 11 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Don't destroy your phone, you can install grapheneos(a privacy focused android distro) and it's working great on pixels.

[โ€“] Frenchys_prospecting@aussie.zone 2 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Interesting. Is that an app or do I need some technical know-how to implement it on my device?

[โ€“] Rusty@lemmy.ca 5 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Here's the official guide https://grapheneos.org/install It's a bit technical, but very detailed.

Awesome. Thanks friend. Just like cooking: if I follow the recipe to the tee then it should have great results

[โ€“] pineapplelover@lemm.ee 2 points 13 hours ago

I know there are more options out there but what I have is a synology nas.

I self host the nas at home and I can still access the photos and stuff everywhere I go.

I chose synology because even though its proprietary and a little overpriced, at the time, I was short on time to learn the inner workings of free operating systems and setting up all the certificates, ddns, ports, etc.

Ofc there are also other cloud providers as well, but I use the synology for jellyfin so I killed 2 birds with one stone.

[โ€“] meekah@lemmy.world 6 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)
  • Desktop OS: Linux (Arch)
  • Phone OS: /e/OS
  • mail, notes, calendar, online storager: mureno
  • maps: cittymapper, magic earth

I'm pretty happy with all of those

[โ€“] KingDionysus@lemm.ee 1 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

You don't use gentoo? Ha. Peasant. /s

I actually love arch and somehow found arch easier than all the other distros once you get it down.

[โ€“] rraggl@feddit.nl 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)
  • Desktop: Linux (Tuxedo)
  • Browser: Vivaldi
  • Search: Ecosia & DDG
  • Mail / Groupware / Calendar / Contacts / Cloud Drive / Meet: Infomaniak kSuite Pro
  • Backup: Syncthing
  • Movies / Netflix / Amazon Prime: buying DVD / Bluray and ripping to my home media server with Jellyfin and Videoland.nl
  • Mobile Phone: Fairphone with /e/OS or Calyx
  • Whatsapp: Signal, Matrix / Element, Briar, Threema
  • YouTube: Grayjay, Floatplane, Nebula, Curiosity Stream
  • Maps: Magic Earth
  • Photos: ente.io
  • Authenticator: Ente Auth
  • Twitter / X: Mastodon
  • Cards: Catima
  • Keep / Evernote: Notesnook / Anytype
  • Backup comms: Meshtastic / UHF / VHF
  • Translate: DeepL
  • Podcasts: Antennapod
  • Google Home: Home Assistant
  • Google Assistant / Gemini: Mistral Le Chat / LLama
  • Router: openWRT (GL.iNET Flint2)
  • Firewall: opnSense (Deciso)
  • Pushbullet: KDE Connect
  • speedtest.net: LibreSpeed
  • Fing: Ning
  • Kobo / Kindle: Pocketbook
  • Amazon: Local / European dealers
  • Pocket: Wallabag
  • Creality / Bambulab: Prusa
  • VPN: Proton, Wireguard, Tailscale
[โ€“] melmel@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 11 hours ago

Wow OK! I didnโ€™t know about Infomaniak kSuite, thank you. Looks great!

[โ€“] black0ut@pawb.social 3 points 23 hours ago

Vivaldi is google

[โ€“] 1rre@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

for speedtest, fast.com is pretty great as it's a pretty lightweight page and uses netflix's servers which mean it's not really possible for ISPs to game it

[โ€“] Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

Cloudflares test site is more informative btw

[โ€“] Bronzie@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)

Almost everything, finally!
OS: GrapheneOS
Calendar: Proton
Browser: Firefox
Storage: NAS
Youtube: NewPipe and SmartTube

Iโ€™m still stuck with Maps and Android in my car as it has Android Automotive, but Iโ€™m happy with my progress so far

[โ€“] piracysails@lemm.ee 1 points 22 hours ago

If only osm had better search and complete addresses...

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