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

  • sovietknuckles [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    1·
    13 hours ago

    If I just upgrade to the latest version (by flashing) and not install mind the gapps, is it basically a degoogled phone?

    It would probably have to be a clean install that wipes userdata, not an upgrade. But yes, LineageOS is pretty much as degoogled as you can get on an OS forked from Google’s AOSIP, if you don’t explicitly add GApps.

    German privacy researcher Mike Kuketz does not agree, but it all depends on how much effort you’re willing to put into degoogling, or how much you’re willing to compromise on usability.