I have to update a phone that currently has LOS, and degoogle it at the same time. If I just upgrade to the latest version (by flashing) and not install mind the gapps, is it basically a degoogled phone? It seems that installing /e/ over the current LOS would require me to flash stock rom first, which takes more time. The current LOS version on the phone was just 1 or 2 iterations below the latest version, 20 or 21 I don’t remember.

TIA

  • MajorHavoc@programming.dev
    5·
    2 days ago

    To answer your technical question with perfect accuracy:

    I don’t know.

    To answer your privacy question:

    Yes. You’ll get roughly the same privacy benefit.

    Standard disclaimer: to gain full privacy from Google also requires regular use of a VPN, strict 3rd party cookie blocking, regular clearing of any mystery cookies that show up, and some luck.

    • skaarl@feddit.nlOPEnglish
      1·
      2 days ago

      Thanks, and is there one DNS provider that is better than the others in terms of privacy and degoogling?

      • MajorHavoc@programming.dev
        1·
        2 days ago

        Google’s DNS is 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Public_DNS)

        Most of the alternate Android builds will have already replaced it with a better option.

        In theory it’s possible that any DNS provider is selling your browsing behavior, but that sold traffic would still need to be correlated back to your purchase, political or religious behaviors to be useful. And that correlation probably relies on either tracking cookies and or whatever Google app can do to track you.

        So I don’t stress about DNS provider as long as I think my tracking cookies are under control and my VPN configured.

        That said, if you want to confirm the Privacy of your configured DNS provider, this guide may help:

        https://www.privacyguides.org/en/dns/