Android Without * Google? – Thurrott.com



[ad_1]

A big part of Android's appeal is that you can customize it to your needs and preferences. Incredibly, this includes the ability to exorcize its maker from the system to a degree that is not possible on iPhone.

No, you can not fully understand Google from your Android handset. (That explains the asterisk in the title.) But you can minimize your exposure to the firm's apps and services. And to its tracking of your activities as well.

To be clear, I do not necessarily recommend doing this, and I certainly do not need it. And that's true I'm on Android, as I am now, or using an iPhone. Google Maps is a great example, but there are many others.

That said, I do not know where this is.

But for those of us Microsoft bent, it's even worse. The mobile world has evolved in such a way that there is no obvious answer. Both Apple and Google, and the mobile platforms they spawned, can be problematic for the Microsoft user for any number of reason.

I'm not interested in the two extremes here. I do not feel that blindly trusting Google is smart. But I do not think that completely eliminating Google from your life is particularly smart. Surely there's a balance.

But that's just me, and the degree to which you-your Android handset is up to you, of course. So let's discuss the ways in which one might do this. From the obvious-changing, and your home screen (launcher), assistant, keyboard, and so on. To the less obvious. For example, what might be to minimize Google's tracking?

Some of this is familiar to me, obviously. I'm spending a lot of time researching what's possible here. But I also need your help. What I'm looking for is the type of changes you'd like to make to Android. And any tips you can have about your own configurations.

I'm thinking this could turn into an interesting series over time. So I'll start with the basics. And move forward based on feedback.

So let me know what you think, please.

[ad_2]
Source link