From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

What would you modify in this list of best 1:1 Google app replacements?

YouTube app ==> NewPipe
Gmail app ==> FairEmail
Chrome browser ==> Ungoogled Chromium/Bromite
Google Play Store app ==> Aurora Google Play Store app
Google calendar app ==> Etar (perhaps with DAVx5)
Gboard keyboard & stt ==> OpenBoard
Messages ==> PulsSMS (last known good version)
Android App Drawer ==> Muntashirakon App Manager
Google Contacts ==> OpenContacts
Pixel Launcher ==> Nova (last known good version)
Google Maps ==> OSMAnd~ (not 1:1 replacement, particularly for traffic)
Google Voice ==> TextNow (but not really a 1:1 replacement)
Google Play Services ==> Micro-G (signature issues on non-rooted phones)
Google search ==> DDG search
Google Drive ==> nextcloud,sync.com (not sure, I don't use 'em)

Anything else to replace Google on a phone that has no Google Account
set up on the phone?

Note: You can have a thousand Google Accounts; just don't set the phone up
with any of them. That one action provides privacy like you can't imagine.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 2025-08-22, Marion <marion@facts.com> wrote:

What would you modify in this list of best 1:1 Google app replacements?

YouTube app ==> NewPipe
Gmail app ==> FairEmail
Chrome browser ==> Ungoogled Chromium/Bromite
Google Play Store app ==> Aurora Google Play Store app
Google calendar app ==> Etar (perhaps with DAVx5)
Gboard keyboard & stt ==> OpenBoard
Messages ==> PulsSMS (last known good version)
Android App Drawer ==> Muntashirakon App Manager
Google Contacts ==> OpenContacts
Pixel Launcher ==> Nova (last known good version)
Google Maps ==> OSMAnd~ (not 1:1 replacement, particularly for traffic)
Google Voice ==> TextNow (but not really a 1:1 replacement)
Google Play Services ==> Micro-G (signature issues on non-rooted phones)
Google search ==> DDG search
Google Drive ==> nextcloud,sync.com (not sure, I don't use 'em)

Anything else to replace Google on a phone that has no Google Account
set up on the phone?

Note: You can have a thousand Google Accounts; just don't set the phone up with any of them. That one action provides privacy like you can't imagine.

Deja view. We've been before.

Camera => OpenCamera

Fossify Apps => Phone, messages, contacts, calendar, filemanager,
gallery, voice recorder, notes.

Put on termux and termux:Widget and build you own file sync/backup to
your linux home server or desktop.

So what's changed for you since the last time you went round this?





--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Marion <marion@facts.com> ha scritto:

Google Play Services ==> Micro-G (signature issues on non-rooted phones)

It seems dangerous. Removing google play services from the system
could get you (me) into troubles before you (me) could replace it
with micro-g or any similar. I'm still facing a boot loop on a
non-rooted magic os 9. What's most crazy it's google play
services wasn't enabled on the device and everything was running
smoothly... until Canta removed it.

Anything else to replace Google on a phone that has no Google Account
set up on the phone?

Google voice search or speach-to-text ==> https://github.com/woheller69/whisperIMEplus
--
Qihe
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On Sat, 23 Aug 2025 01:04:17 +0200 (GMT+02:00), Qihe wrote :

Google Play Services ==> Micro-G (signature issues on non-rooted phones)

It seems dangerous. Removing google play services from the system
could get you (me) into troubles before you (me) could replace it
with micro-g or any similar. I'm still facing a boot loop on a
non-rooted magic os 9. What's most crazy it's google play
services wasn't enabled on the device and everything was running
smoothly... until Canta removed it.

Thank you for that additional information about the most important of
Google packages which needs to be replaced, IMHO, for better privacy.

Every time we cover this most critical of all questions in the Android newsgroup, together we learn more so thank you for bringing that up.

As you're aware, microG is an open-source re-implementation of Google Play Services. However, it won't work on my unrooted Samsung because it needs signature spoofing support for apps believe that it's the official Google-signed package.

Hence, on non-rooted devices, microG is usually only used in limited
contexts (e.g., inside a sandboxed environment, or as a special build for Huawei devices) rather than as a full system replacement. Full replacement
is generally only safe on ROMs designed for it, which mine isn't.

The danger isn't inherent to microG itself though. The danger, as I
understand it, is that removing a core system package without the OS being prepared for it can break the device.

However, it can be done in certain sandboxed environments (e.g., Shelter/Island) or on devices without Play Services (Huawei, some
de-Googled ROMs). I've tried them myself, but so far I've failed.

This does not touch the system partition, so it carries far less risk. Apps
can be pointed to microG in that isolated space, but most of the system
still uses Play Services.

However, replacing Play Services entirely only works safely on ROMs built
for signature spoofing or with a spoofing patch applied. On non-rooted
Android like mine is, this is not supported.

My main point is only that people sometimes hear "use microG" and assume
it's always a direct swap. On a non-rooted stock ROM, a full swap is technically blocked and risky. Using microG in a sandbox is much safer, but it's a different setup and doesn't replace Play Services system-wide.

However, when I tried it, I failed. Sigh.

Anything else to replace Google on a phone that has no Google Account
set up on the phone?

Google voice search or speach-to-text ==> https://github.com/woheller69/whisperIMEplus

I like it!
Nobody has suggested WhisperIME+ before (at least based on my memory).

WhisperIME+ looks like a solid privacy-friendly swap for Google's voice
input as it's an offline speech-to-text (STT) keyboard based on OpenAI's Whisper model.

Running a search, it seems nothing gets sent to Google's servers.

That's key as is the ability to work offline as a standalone app or as your system-wide voice input method, and even translate languages into English.

I'll add it to the list.
<https://github.com/woheller69/whisperIMEplus>
<https://github.com/woheller69/whisperIMEplus/releases/tag/V1.3>

Drat! Is there only source code available?
I wish I had a tutorial of how to compile source for Android APK creation.

I'll have to write it first. :)

Anyone else have favorite replacements for other Google services?
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On Sat, 23 Aug 2025 02:28:04 -0000 (UTC), Marion wrote :

I'll add it to the list.
<https://github.com/woheller69/whisperIMEplus>
<https://github.com/woheller69/whisperIMEplus/releases/tag/V1.3>

Drat! Is there only source code available?
I wish I had a tutorial of how to compile source for Android APK creation.

Aurgh. I spent hours starting from scratch to build the
Whisper APK on my Windows PC, and I don't like the tool.

It doesn't work well at all, even though both Samsung
and Google voice to text keyboards work just fine.

Anyway, maybe someone else can test out Whisper for
the team as it may just be my Android is locked down
too much for Whisper to stand a chance of working.

From: Marion <marion@facts.com>
Newsgroups: alt.comp.os.windows-10,comp.mobile.android,alt.comp.os.windows-11
Subject: Tutorial: Build your first Android APK on Windows from Github WhisperIME source code
Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2025 09:23:09 -0000 (UTC)
Message-ID: <108c19t$1o40$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com>
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Marion <marion@facts.com> ha scritto:

I'll add it to the list.
<https://github.com/woheller69/whisperIMEplus>
<https://github.com/woheller69/whisperIMEplus/releases/tag/V1.3>

Drat! Is there only source code available?

The package is available on f-droid. https://f-droid.org/packages/org.woheller69.whisperplus

Aurgh. I spent hours starting from scratch to build the
Whisper APK on my Windows PC, and I

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On Sat, 23 Aug 2025 19:39:44 +0200, s|b wrote :

What would you modify in this list of best 1:1 Google app replacements?

Gmail app ==> FairEmail

Thunderbird for Android

Thanks for adding this, as Thunderbird has been getting better now that K9 morphed into it - although I haven't tested the latest versions of TB/K9.

Chrome browser ==> Ungoogled Chromium/Bromite

Mozilla Firefox; yes, I realize you can argue about the Google funding.

Thanks for suggesting a Mozilla browser to combat Google's Chrome.
Too bad LibreFox or MullVad aren't on Android but "Mull" is on Android.

To get the latest you need the Divestos Repo for F-Droid though.
<https://divestos.org/fdroid/official?fingerprint=E4BE8D6ABFA4D9D4FEEF03CDDA7FF62A73FD64B75566F6DD4E5E577550BE8467>

Apparently the old name for Mull is still in the package name of Fennec
<https://f-droid.org/packages/org.mozilla.fennec_fdroid/>

Messages ==> PulsSMS (last known good version)

So not this one?

<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=xyz.klinker.messenger&hl=en>

Long ago I tested every single free ad-free SMS/MMS app for Android.
The open-source PulseSMS app, by the Klinker Brothers, won handily.

Last known good version of Pulse SMS 5.4.6.2816 by Luke & Jake Klinker
<https://tinyurl.com/pulsesms>

The devil (Maple Media) bought PulseSMS in October 2020 though.

The last known good version still works fine as I use it every single day.
PulseSMS by Klinker Bros <xyz.klinker.messenger> 5.4.6.2816version
Size: 23847875 bytes (22 MiB)
SHA256: F83E0264EFEDF98773D22B658B932A023F4CE912C11FA5F8094AE322346944FF

One issue though is we need to replace RCS where Google has a stranglehold.

Pixel Launcher ==> Nova (last known good version)

I don't know why, but I've never experimented with these things.

Long ago I tested every single free ad-free launcher for Android.
Nova, by TeslaCoil won handily.

Nova is fantastic, but a different devil bought them too!

Branch, a mobile analytics and deep-linking company acquired Nova Launcher
on July 19, 2022, but the last known good version works fine on my phone.

Last known good version of Nova free/adfree launcher 7.0.57 by TeslaCoil
<https://tinyurl.com/nova-launcher>

Google search ==> DDG search

Can't you use Startpage.com? Google results, but not through Google.

Good ideas. I think most of the privacy-aware search engines should work.

Personally, I don't do searches on a phone, as I don't use a web browser if
I can help it, but I figured a lot of people must be using Google Search package (which I long ago removed from my non-rootable USA Galaxy).

It seems DuckDuckGo, Quant, Ecosia (& StartPage, MetaGer, SwissCows) are
often suggested but, unfortunately, StartPage, MetaGer & Swisscows don't
have dedicated apps for Android - so I didn't want to suggest them.

Of course, with a one-tap shortcut, you can fake a dedicated app for them.
SO replacing Google's search engine app is perhaps the easiest privacy win.

Thanks for thinking about the problem set, where too many people don't
think, but when we pitch our ideas together, we all benefit from teamwork.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On Sat, 23 Aug 2025 13:30:32 +0200 (GMT+02:00), Qihe wrote :

[...] the most important of
Google packages which needs to be replaced, IMHO, for better privacy.

You're right. It comes with several trackers embedded.

The danger isn't inherent to microG itself though. The danger, as I
understand it, is that removing a core system package without the OS being >> prepared for it can break the device.

You're right, I did it so (on a huawei device) and it was a great
mistake that I wish to solve doing a firmware update in safe mode
...if I just get the right file to upload (customer care doesn't
help at all).

However, it can be done in certain sandboxed environments (e.g.,
Shelter/Island) or on devices without Play Services (Huawei, some
de-Googled ROMs). I've tried them myself, but so far I've failed.

Huawei? Their magic os doesn't like google play services removal.

However, replacing Play Services entirely only works safely on ROMs built
for signature spoofing or with a spoofing patch applied. On non-rooted
Android like mine is, this is not supported.

Do you mean that updating a spoofing patch on a non-rooted magic
os won't work?

Yes. Apparently on Huawei's MagicOS (or similar non-rooted Android systems) applying a spoofing patch isn't feasible. AFAIK, signature spoofing
typically requires root access or a custom ROM that explicitly supports it (like /e/, LineageOS with microG, or CalyxOS). Without that, the system
won't allow apps like microG to impersonate Google Play Services, which is essential for compatibility with many apps.

In your case where you apparently removed Play Services and are facing
issues, a firmware update might help restore stability - but as you said, getting the right file from Huawei can be a challenge. If you're stuck, you might consider checking XDA forums or community-maintained repositories for your device model. Just be cautious with unofficial firmware to avoid
bricking the device. I bricked two Samsungs before I gave up rooting them.

Also, if you're experimenting with sandboxing tools like Shelter or Island, they can help isolate apps from trackers, but they won't replace Play
Services functionality. They're more about privacy compartmentalization
than full de-Googling. Again, I tried this, and mostly failed at it.

Sigh.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 24/08/2025 04:28, Marion wrote:

On Sat, 23 Aug 2025 19:39:44 +0200, s|b wrote :

What would you modify in this list of best 1:1 Google app replacements?

Gmail app ==> FairEmail

Thunderbird for Android

Thanks for adding this, as Thunderbird has been getting better now that K9 morphed into it - although I haven't tested the latest versions of TB/K9.

But with no NNTP client - and it won't have one according to Mozilla. So
it's not Thunderbird as we've known it for 20+ years. I believe that the correct name is "Thunderbird Mobile" (<https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/mobile/>).

I'll be staying with FairEmail, even though I've used desktop TB for 10
years.

It seems DuckDuckGo, Quant, Ecosia (& StartPage, MetaGer, SwissCows) are often suggested but, unfortunately, StartPage, MetaGer & Swisscows don't
have dedicated apps for Android - so I didn't want to suggest them.

I can't comment about MetaGer and Swisscows, but as for StartPage: <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.startpage.app&hl=en_GB>
In fact, a reminder about the app pops up every time I go to
www.startpage.com when I use FF on my mobile!
--
Jeff
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Marion <marion@facts.com> wrote:

[...]
a firmware update might help restore stability - but as you said,
getting the right file from Huawei can be a challenge. If you're stuck, you might consider checking XDA forums or community-maintained repositories for your device model. Just be cautious with unofficial firmware to avoid bricking the device. I bricked two Samsungs before I gave up rooting them.

Thanks for sharing. If I could only get adb "authorised" it will
be easier to fix it...
The command "adb devices" detects the "brick" while it's on
"update mode via usb" (by pressing Power+volume up) ...but it's
"unauthorised".
I guess the device's name here isn't "Honor" but "Dis-Honor"!
;-)
--
Qihe
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On Tue, 26 Aug 2025 01:43:31 +0200 (GMT+02:00), Qihe wrote :

a firmware update might help restore stability - but as you said,
getting the right file from Huawei can be a challenge. If you're stuck, you >> might consider checking XDA forums or community-maintained repositories for >> your device model. Just be cautious with unofficial firmware to avoid
bricking the device. I bricked two Samsungs before I gave up rooting them. >>

Thanks for sharing. If I could only get adb "authorised" it will
be easier to fix it...
The command "adb devices" detects the "brick" while it's on
"update mode via usb" (by pressing Power+volume up) ...but it's
"unauthorised".
I guess the device's name here isn't "Honor" but "Dis-Honor"!
;-)

I hear ya. I feel ya. I've been there. Done that. It sucks. I agree.

I bricked my Samsung Galaxy A32-5G to a similar point, trying to root it.
*How to un-freeze an unresponsive Samsung Galaxy A32 5G*
*with reboot, reset, factory reset, odin mode, download mode,*
*android recovery mode & debug mode* <https://xdaforums.com/t/how-to-un-freeze-an-unresponsive-samsung-galaxy-a32-5g-with-reboot-reset-factory-reset-odin-mode-download-mode-android-recovery-mode-debug-mode.4526629/>

I didn't know at the time that the USA Samsungs are essentially unrootable.
*Is my almost-3-year-old T-Mobile (network unlocked)*
*Samsung Galaxy SM-A326U bootloader still unlockable*
*(and hence is my SM-A326U still unrootable)?*
<http://xdaforums.com/t/is-my-almost-3-year-old-t-mobile-network-unlocked-samsung-galaxy-sm-a326u-bootloader-still-unlockable-and-hence-is-my-sm-a326u-still-unrootable.4638955/>

Thanks for pitching in on suggestions for 1:1 Google app replacements.
The more we replace that comes from Google, the more private we can be.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Marion, 2025-08-22 22:07:

What would you modify in this list of best 1:1 Google app replacements?

YouTube app ==> NewPipe

I prefer RVX.

<https://rvxapp.com>

Gmail app ==> FairEmail

I prefer K9 Mail.

<https://f-droid.org/de/packages/com.fsck.k9/> <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fsck.k9>

Chrome browser ==> Ungoogled Chromium/Bromite

Vivaldi - includes adblocker and can be synchronized with the desktop
version.

<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vivaldi.browser>

Or Firefox which also supports a number of addons:

<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.firefox>

Google Play Store app ==> Aurora Google Play Store app

<https://f-droid.org/de/packages/com.aurora.store/>

Google calendar app ==> Etar (perhaps with DAVx5)
Gboard keyboard & stt ==> OpenBoard

HeliBoard - supports the swipe libraries (which have to be installed
manually due to copyright).

<https://f-droid.org/de/packages/helium314.keyboard/>

Messages ==> PulsSMS (last known good version)
Android App Drawer ==> Muntashirakon App Manager

"App Drawer"? This part of my launcher, I don't need a separate app.

Google Contacts ==> OpenContacts
Pixel Launcher ==> Nova (last known good version)
Google Maps ==> OSMAnd~ (not 1:1 replacement, particularly for traffic)

But for nearly everything else and it supports offline maps with small
delta updates if you get a subscription for the "+" version for a few
bucks a month. Editing maps as contributor is also possible.

OSMAnd+ also supports 3D maps, height profiles and regional weather
forecasts - so it is even better than Google Maps.

Google Voice ==> TextNow (but not really a 1:1 replacement)
Google Play Services ==> Micro-G (signature issues on non-rooted phones)
Google search ==> DDG search

SearXNG in my own server ;-)

Google Drive ==> nextcloud,sync.com (not sure, I don't use 'em)

I host Nextcloud for around 90 users - along with FolderSync a very
helpful solution.

Anything else to replace Google on a phone that has no Google Account
set up on the phone?

Note: You can have a thousand Google Accounts; just don't set the phone up with any of them. That one action provides privacy like you can't imagine.

Yes, if you use Aurora as Google Play replacement and if you don't need
any banking app.
--
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Qihe, 2025-08-23 01:04:

Marion <marion@facts.com> ha scritto:

Google Play Services ==> Micro-G (signature issues on non-rooted phones)

It seems dangerous. Removing google play services from the system
could get you (me) into troubles before you (me) could replace it
with micro-g or any similar. I'm still facing a boot loop on a
non-rooted magic os 9. What's most crazy it's google play
services wasn't enabled on the device and everything was running
smoothly... until Canta removed it.

The idea is not to remove it! Micro-G is for ROMs which don't have
Google Play Services at all, like LineageOS.
--
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On Tue, 26 Aug 2025 13:06:27 +0200, Arno Welzel wrote :

What would you modify in this list of best 1:1 Google app replacements?

YouTube app ==> NewPipe

I prefer RVX.

<https://rvxapp.com>

Teamwork. I love it. Thanks for adding value to the concept!

Wow. I am surprised I have never heard of "RVX". Good catch!
However it seems "related" to revanced, I guess?????
"RVX is a short name for ReVanced Extended, led by inotia00.
This project is a fork of ReVanced, which allows enthusiastic
users to try more exciting features for free.
Background playback, more advanced player controls,
ad-blocking and customisations."

It's pretty advanced, it seems, in that it allows:
"SponsorBlock lets you skip unnecessary segments of the video.
It includes intros, outros, promotions, and all other things
that users think are unnecessary. It requires users to submit
segments."

"no interruption at all while watching the video or before
the start of the video. It is all possible because of
the ad-free mechanism."

Lots more. It's confusing to me. But I guess we'd have to use it to know
what it really does that's different from the others (like NewPipe).
<https://secure.rvxapp.com/RVX_20.12.38.apk>
Name: RVX_20.12.38.apk
Size: 193459999 bytes (184 MiB)
SHA256: BB935C4C84F5CCF2E8197B05B6961628200C2D9142EC48E4A66701F99E1BA37C

Oh, oh... Oh... I see.... it's not what I thought. That's not bad.
That's not good. It's just different.

Apparently you first install YouTube (which I don't have installed).
Most people would have YouTube installed already though.
So that's not a problem for most people.

Then you install Download GMSCore APK and RVX APK and log into Google.
Then it gives you all that good stuff.

This is nice to know... but it's not for me.
But it's likely for almost everyone else so thanks for letting us know.

Gmail app ==> FairEmail

I prefer K9 Mail.

<https://f-droid.org/de/packages/com.fsck.k9/> <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fsck.k9>

Yup. There are quite a few. The point is that some Google apps, GMail and Google Voice being two of them, will *create* a Google Account on the phone
the instant you log into your Google Account in those special Google apps.

Most Google apps do NOT create an account; but some do.
Gmail is one of them. So if you're like me, you can't use GMail app.

Although you can log into the GMail app on iOS, which doesn't add the
Google Account (showing that even iOS can be better than Android at times).

Chrome browser ==> Ungoogled Chromium/Bromite

Vivaldi - includes adblocker and can be synchronized with the desktop version.

<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vivaldi.browser>

Or Firefox which also supports a number of addons:

<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mozilla.firefox>

Good choice of Vivaldi. It's not open source like Bromite is but it has a built-in ad blocker like Bromite has. And it has configurable tracker
blockers like Bromite's aggressive blocking. Apparently Vivaldi may have minimal telemetry, whereas Bromite has none. Likewise, Vivaldi has limited fingerprinting protection while Bromite's is just OK. Both Vivaldi &
Bromite can set the search engine. Vivaldi is updated more than Bromite is.

Overall they're both good choices, with Vivaldi not being open source but updated more than Bromite is.

Google Play Store app ==> Aurora Google Play Store app

<https://f-droid.org/de/packages/com.aurora.store/>

Yup. Nothing beats the Aurora Store. It's better than the Google Play Store
app in every way possible. People think it's a separate store. It's not.

It's just a separate "skin" on top of the Google Play Store repository.
Much like a browser is a skin on top of the YouTube video repository.

The beauty of the Aurora Store is you don't need to set a Google Account on
the phone; but the disadvantage is you can't buy stuff (which is OK by me).

Google calendar app ==> Etar (perhaps with DAVx5)
Gboard keyboard & stt ==> OpenBoard

HeliBoard - supports the swipe libraries (which have to be installed
manually due to copyright).

<https://f-droid.org/de/packages/helium314.keyboard/>

Yup. I agree. Heliboard is nice. I have all the offline packs I think.
SO it does offline speech to text just fine as I recall.

Messages ==> PulsSMS (last known good version)
Android App Drawer ==> Muntashirakon App Manager

"App Drawer"? This part of my launcher, I don't need a separate app.

Yeah. You do. You just don't know that you do. There is likely no app on
all of Android that is better than Muntashirakon is.

It does pretty much everything...
<https://github.com/MuntashirAkon/AppManager> (apk)
<https://muntashirakon.github.io/AppManager/vi/> (doc)

I've turned a few people on to Muntashirakon in this newsgroup.
Try it. You'll be shocked at what it does for you.

You'll never use any other app drawer app ever again.
(and no, not even those in the launcher)

Google Contacts ==> OpenContacts
Pixel Launcher ==> Nova (last known good version)
Google Maps ==> OSMAnd~ (not 1:1 replacement, particularly for traffic)

But for nearly everything else and it supports offline maps with small
delta updates if you get a subscription for the "+" version for a few
bucks a month. Editing maps as contributor is also possible.

OSMAnd+ also supports 3D maps, height profiles and regional weather
forecasts - so it is even better than Google Maps.

I'm all for OSM stuff. I agree. The offline capability is great.
Unfortunately traffic is harder to get though with the OSM maps.
I get traffic w/o Google Maps but most people don't know how to do that.

I have entire threads on how to get traffic without using Google Maps.

Google Voice ==> TextNow (but not really a 1:1 replacement)
Google Play Services ==> Micro-G (signature issues on non-rooted phones)
Google search ==> DDG search

SearXNG in my own server ;-)

Above my pay grade...

Google Drive ==> nextcloud,sync.com (not sure, I don't use 'em)

I host Nextcloud for around 90 users - along with FolderSync a very
helpful solution.

Also above my pay grade, especially for a Windows PC as my "server".

Anything else to replace Google on a phone that has no Google Account
set up on the phone?

Note: You can have a thousand Google Accounts; just don't set the phone up >> with any of them. That one action provides privacy like you can't imagine.

Yes, if you use Aurora as Google Play replacement and if you don't need
any banking app.

Yup. Both make sense. What I love about most of these apps is that they're
far more functional than the Google app that they're replacing.

This thread and the wonderful additions are a win:win for everyone.
Thanks for all your wonderful suggestions so that we all can do better.
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From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Marion, 2025-08-27 07:28:

On Tue, 26 Aug 2025 13:06:27 +0200, Arno Welzel wrote :

What would you modify in this list of best 1:1 Google app replacements? [...]>>> Android App Drawer ==> Muntashirakon App Manager

"App Drawer"? This part of my launcher, I don't need a separate app.

Yeah. You do. You just don't know that you do. There is likely no app on
all of Android that is better than Muntashirakon is.

You misunderstood me - I talk specifically about an APP DRAWER and not
an APP MANAGER.

[...]>> SearXNG in my own server ;-)

Above my pay grade...

Less than 5 USD per month: <https://www.hetzner.com/cloud/>

And I think there may be even cheaper options for a simple container to
run just the SearXNG docker image.
--
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de
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From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On Fri, 29 Aug 2025 18:51:49 +0200, Arno Welzel wrote :

On Tue, 26 Aug 2025 13:06:27 +0200, Arno Welzel wrote :

What would you modify in this list of best 1:1 Google app replacements?

[...]>>> Android App Drawer ==> Muntashirakon App Manager

"App Drawer"? This part of my launcher, I don't need a separate app.

Yeah. You do. You just don't know that you do. There is likely no app on
all of Android that is better than Muntashirakon is.

You misunderstood me - I talk specifically about an APP DRAWER and not
an APP MANAGER.

Hi Arno,
My bad. I understood actually, but I didn't make it clear that I have never found an "App Drawer" app (whether native or added) that was worth using,
but that's from my perspective where I have a thousand apps on my system.

Most "App Drawer" apps, for example, organize by 'Application Label',
versus by 'Package Name', which, when you have a thousand apps, just wastes time and effort. Also, many make it hard to find the Package Name, and
worse, many times either or both are truncated in the App Drawer display.

From that (and many other reasons), from my technical perspective, I've
found that app drawer apps (whether built-in or third-party) just don't typically offer much in terms of advanced functionality.

As you know though, I agree that App Drawer apps are great for those who
only need basic organization and accessibility, which is perfect for casual users. But for those who dive deeper into Android customization or
productivity workflows, these apps tend to fall short of what I'd consider
a power-user suite of tools.

[...]>> SearXNG in my own server ;-)

Above my pay grade...

Less than 5 USD per month: <https://www.hetzner.com/cloud/>

And I think there may be even cheaper options for a simple container to
run just the SearXNG docker image.

My mistake for not being clear on that "pay grade" means in this context.

When I said it's "above my pay grade", what that means is I'm not trained
for that level of technical detail. It wasn't about money but about
knowledge. You're well above me in knowledge when you talk about SearXNG.

The golden rule of privacy is never log into any one's server (except your
own) that you don't have to, and never pay a single cent for anything, as
the loss of privacy at 1 cent is the same loss of privacy at 100 dollars.

As I said, it's above my knowledge level, but looking up what it does, apparently these platforms are good for low-traffic, personal search
engines like SearXNG.

Platform | Price | Highlights ---------------|-----------|-------------------------------------------
Hetzner Cloud | ~$4/month | 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 40GB SSD, 20TB traffic
Kamatera | ~$4/month | Customizable VM, root access, global DCs
Fly.io | Free tier | Edge deploys, Docker support, CLI-first
Railway | Free tier | Git integration, rollback, Dockerfile support Koyeb | Free tier | Global load balancing, Git-based deploys DigitalOcean | ~$5/month | One-click Docker, great docs, scalable

I once wrote a news story in the 90's about how to find anything on your computer, where it started off with something like "if you're running a
search, you're already doomed", since I have a model of a place for
everything and everything in its place.

I'd have to shoot myself in the head if I ever had to search for something
on my computer that I put there. But I do realize most people search.

Needing to search for something that you put on a computer is, to me, a
blatant admission of failure - but I do realize many people do it daily.

But back to your point, I agree with you that an app manager isn't the same thing as a app drawer, even if I use my app manager also as my app drawer.

Thanks for keeping the conversation on the level that helps everyone understand.
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