DeGoogle - expel Google from your life

Handwriting keyboard

2026-09-12T18:07:04+00:00

With gboard I can choose handwriting, so I can naturally write on android. Anyone has a suggestion of an degoogled app or option of that feature?

submitted by /u/woh3k
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Ecosia or startpage?

2026-09-12T17:16:05+00:00

I want the best search results, mainly images. I’ve been using Ecosia with AI overviews turned off, and am intrigued by the whole planting trees thing. Is it legit or fake? Is startpage better?

Also load times are important too. Thanks

submitted by /u/Wise_Competition5906
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Free mail service alternative with IMAP ?

2026-09-12T16:36:45+00:00

Hello, as of today, it marks 3 months since I've started my degoogling journey, and it has gone pretty well, except for well of course, mail

Proton and Tuta have been really great alternatives, but Tuta offers no IMAP, and Proton charges for it

Now I am no freeloader, I understand that things cost money to operate and that I should support the services I enjoy, but as a student I simply do not have the funds right now, even if it's dirt cheap.

The reason I need IMAP is that I prefer to have my phone as decluttered as possible to prevent it from ever running slow, meaning the fewer apps the merrier, with IMAP I can manage my student mail and personal accounts with simply one app like Thunderbird or similar

submitted by /u/micewire
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We just want to stick it to Google

2026-09-12T16:23:05+00:00

submitted by /u/classyraven
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How do you use YouTube or YouTube Music?

2026-09-12T15:45:27+00:00

I've heard some of you use alternatives. I am currently trying to use both on WebLibre but man, it is definitely not the same as having the native apps. Whenever I go out of YouTube the timeline just resets and on YT Music the songs can only be heard if I keep the tab on. I wonder is I can have both apps in a style of Container. I'm currently using a Samsung s21 (yeah I know is not the best phone but It's what I have).

submitted by /u/aKIRALE0
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Browser Suggestion

2026-09-12T11:06:01+00:00

Right now i'm using brave browser.But I need a lightweight privacy focused browser as a second browser.

#I tried Soul Browser.It's great but not open source.

Note#

*App size max 50-70mb

*Fast & privacy focused

*Built in Add block

*Block google tracking

submitted by /u/viza_biral
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Fixing a repost from earlier

2026-09-12T11:03:38+00:00

submitted by /u/Mobile_Vanilla_554
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youtube subscription alternative to finally deleting google account

2026-09-12T11:02:40+00:00

For 2 months now using GrapheneOS

Aurora Store, anyway not buying anything, same for inapp purchases, so dont need normal google play store

Only thing that keeps me on google is youtube, subscriptions

I subed a lot music channels and some youtubers, is there any alternative where i can keep track of new videos from them?

submitted by /u/Late_Baker_2092
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I made the switch

2026-09-12T10:50:22+00:00

What now? I created 3 separate profiles, give me some recommendations whether it is apps, settings, etc. I wanna make this a seamless transition from my iPhone

submitted by /u/Far-Youth1374
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I need a voice translation app

2026-09-12T10:48:32+00:00

I need an app that translate my conversations in real time when speaking while wearing my earbuds while still respecting my privacy (nothing too complex just few phrases while Talking to coworkers)

Is that feasible or a pipe dream?

submitted by /u/BreakfastDifferent29
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Building a phone that’s actually private and open source and doesn’t suck

2026-09-12T09:20:13+00:00

Finish: matte, one color per model, no gradients, no loud branding

Size: compact, fits in your hand, modern not retro

Chip: mid range Snapdragon, 6 or 7 series

Why that chip: easy to source, runs every normal app fine, stays cool, good battery, no unnecessary power

OS: fully de-Googled, open source, Android based, no tracking by default

Compatibility: optional sandboxed layer for apps that need Google checks, like banking or rideshare

Community: partner with GrapheneOS, Purism, Pine64 instead of leaving them to fight alone

What we give them: real distribution and support, not just reverse engineered access

Goal: private, open, and still smooth enough for daily use, not a hobbyist only device

If enough response, will post exact design and specs.
Thank you

submitted by /u/rishh19
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DEV Astra Browser — Firefox/Zen-based, built solo over the last 4 months

2026-09-12T07:57:09+00:00

[DEV] Astra Browser — Firefox/Zen-based, built solo over the last 4 months

I got tired of every "privacy" browser...What's actually different:

- 5 built-in no-tracking search engines (no Google as default, ever)

- Full ad/tracker protection out of the box, no extension needed

- AI Sidebar that's opt-in and provider-agnostic (you pick which one, or none)

- Local-only auto-backup — your data never touches a server that isn't yours

- Compact Mode, Split View, Tab Folders, Vertical Tabs for people who live in their browser

- Full Light/Dark theme, WCAG AA compliant

Built on Firefox 153 / Zen 1.21, actively rebasing security patches (69 CVEs already backported for the next release).

Still early — 129 downloads so far, solo dev, no funding, no company behind it. Windows builds available now, would genuinely love feedback/bug reports from this community since you're exactly who I built it for.

Website: https://astra-browser-website.vercel.app/

submitted by /u/Great_Drawing7670
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My Progress, looking for suggestions on a couple of areas.

2026-09-12T07:31:39+00:00

Below is my current list i've been maintaining for ages, i've ticked loads off in the last 6 months. Please feel free to look, critique or ask questions.

I'm still reliant on Waze, which is still Google. I use comaps 75% of the time, but sometimes I just need good traffic data!
Android Auto, I don't use it too much, I try just use bluetooth to the car.
Whatsapp... I just can't get anyone to move.
I moved to DeepL, is there any self hostable or private translation options?

List:

[ ] Android Auto — pending replacement
[ ] Maps / Navigation (replaces Maps & Waze) — CoMaps, Vela Maps, or Waze (occasionally)
[ ] WhatsApp — Signal (approximately 95% of contacts still on WhatsApp)
[x] Ad Blocking — Control D, Brave Shields, or uBlock Origin
[x] AI Assistant (replaces Gemini) — Open WebUI (self-hosted LLM frontend) + Proton Lumo
[x] Calculator — GrapheneOS stock calculator
[x] Browser (replaces Chrome) — Fennec F-Droid or LibreWolf + uBlock Origin; Brave on Android
[x] Clock — F-Droid clock app
[x] Contacts — Fossify Contacts w/ local backup
[x] Documents — Proton Docs or Standard Notes
[x] Doorbell — Reolink, local-only, no cloud subscription
[x] Cloud Storage — Proton Drive
[x] Find My Device — FindMyDevice (FMD) via F-Droid
[x] Find My Friends — browser only, no dedicated app
[x] Email (replaces Outlook) — Proton Mail and SimpleLogin aliases
[x] Cloud Services (Replaces Google Drive) — Proton Drive backup or Scaleway with encryption
[x] Fitness Tracking (replaces Google Fit) — Garmin watch
[x] Activity History (replaces Google history) — deleted and no longer logged
[x] News (replaces Google News) — FreshRSS, self-hosted RSS reader
[x] Translation (replaces Google Translate) — DeepL (Not happy here, but it's infrequent)
[x] Home Automation — Home Assistant
[x] Notes (replaces Google Keep) — Standard Notes
[x] Keyboard — FUTO Keyboard
[x] Location History — disabled and deleted
[x] Photo Storage — Ente Photos
[x] Phone Dialer — GrapheneOS stock dialer
[x] Launcher — stock GrapheneOS launcher
[x] Operating System — GrapheneOS (w/ Play services for notifications, no permissions) & Linux Mint.
[x] Smartwatch (replaces Pixel Watch) — Garmin
[x] Voice Recorder — Fossify Recorder
[x] Web Search — Brave Search
[x] Spreadsheets — Proton Docs
[x] Messaging (replaces SMS/RCS) — Fossify Messages
[x] Tasks / To-Do — Super Productivity
[x] Wallet / Payments — Garmin Pay, Catima (loyalty cards), and physical cards
[x] Weather — Weawow
[x] Video (replaces YouTube) — PipePipe, Flow, and Piped frontends

submitted by /u/GazelleInitial2050
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What features that CalyxOS has that apps don't already do?

2026-09-12T07:23:02+00:00

CalyxOS's "special features" are the firewall, storage encryption, the panic button, the hotspot, MicroG, and seedvault. While many are standalone (like MicroG), can be replicated by using apps (the firewall), and some are feature I'll probably never use (the panic button), some seem to be hard to replicate, like seedvault backup. Is the local method literally the exact same or very similar to regular USB backups? Or is it different? Also, is using a custom ROM the only way for using a verified boot with MicroG, or can it be used standalone with stock verified boot? What I'm basically asking is "Can you recreate the CalyxOS core experience on stock Android?" Cuz CalyxOS often is very stagnant in terms of updates, and I don't really wanna compromise that much on security patches on features you can already replicate using existing software. Is it worth it?

submitted by /u/Cady_On_Reddit
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Did anyone of you notice performance improvement after degoogled your phone?

2026-09-12T06:29:29+00:00

Performance is my priority, and save phone's live (even +1℅) is something that I care about, battery, ram and cpu usage, gaming experience, so now I use LineageOS with GApps, but what if I moved to Vanilla version? Will I see any improvement?

submitted by /u/DaikonBackground9840
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Degoogle Showcase - Week of 12 Sep 2026

2026-09-12T06:01:38+00:00

Welcome to the Degoogle Showcase!

This weekly thread is the official place for developers and creators to share their degoogled or privacy-focused projects with the community.

To keep the subreddit feed focused on discussion and support, all project promotions must be posted here.

How this thread works:

A new thread will be posted every Saturday.
You can post here ANY day of the week.
Standalone project promotion posts will be removed and redirected to the current week's Showcase.

To find past threads, use the "Degoogle Showcase" flair or search.

Rules for posting:

Projects must be open source with a public repository.
Projects should use decentralized infrastructure where possible.
Projects must not depend on Google services in any way (e.g., no Google sign-in, no Gmail-only signup, etc.)
If you are affiliated with the project (developer, employee, or otherwise representing the company), please prefix your comment with [DEV]. Your comment will be held for mod review before going live.
Independent users sharing projects they've found are welcome to post without prior approval.
Projects that fail to meet these requirements will be removed.
All subreddit rules still apply, please review them before posting.

Posting a Project

Please use the following template in your top-level comment:

Project Name: (e.g., My Awesome Project)
Google Service Replaced: (e.g., Gmail, Google Maps, Google Drive, Google Photos, etc.)
Repo/Website Link: (GitHub, GitLab, Codeberg, etc.)
Description: (What does it do? What problem does it solve? How does it help users move away from Google?)
Availability: (How can users get it? Mobile app, browser extension, web service, self-hosted, or a combination? Link to downloads/install instructions.)
AI Involvement: (Please be transparent about AI-generated code or content.)

Please keep our rules on self-promotion in mind.

Cheers,

r/degoogle Mod Team

submitted by /u/AutoModerator
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Proton restored, now what?

2026-09-12T05:52:25+00:00

Working with Proton Support, I was able to restore my account after I had lost the password, the recovery text, etc. So, I'm back in business. Right now, I'm forwarding my gmail accounts to Proton, which I know isn't ideal but to me it's a start. The question is, where do I go from here? I have a paid account, which gives me Mail, Calendar, Pass, Drive, VPN, Lumo, etc. I'm not looking for a hardcore degoogle, I just want to reduce the amount of information they get about me.

submitted by /u/Proud_Illustrator266
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Any good google photos alternative for android (Just the UI and search features, syncing isnt needed)

2026-09-12T05:38:05+00:00

Title

submitted by /u/MSR8
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About maps

2026-09-12T05:05:26+00:00

1st slide is CoMaps, 2nd slide is Here Wo Go and last slide is G map. I personally find CoMaps is better and has lot more accessible and yet it has lack some details (i.e. Data is being used old or outdated. I'm the guy who always lost in somewhere in my home place which i find harder to search or located speific places i.e. Cafe, Banks). I'd be happy if CoMaps did really upgrade or update for latest informations of my location. I know that they are pushing to globally and making much better but looking at my country Nepal navigations feels so outdated while G map keeps updating which makes i don't get lost in places

submitted by /u/sangamjb
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Migrated to Fastmail from Gmail. Email Sync'd. Calendar Events Sync is Not Complete

2026-09-12T04:28:32+00:00

I have my gmail email, calendar, contacts migrated with Fastmail's built in tools. Events sync'd on the server. Events sync with my email/calendar/contacts client Thunderbird on my PC. However even with using DAVx5 my calendar events that migrated from Google do not all sync on my Android phone calendar well.

submitted by /u/PercussionGuy33
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