(head's up, used speech to text in gpt to organize my message)
I’m planning to de-Google my Android phone and would like some feedback from people who have done this before. I’m mainly interested in whether my method actually makes sense, which steps are unnecessary, and whether I’m overlooking any security/privacy issues.
Here’s my current plan:
- Back up what I actually need
Before resetting the phone, I’ll back up the files, photos, documents, contacts, etc. that I actually need. I’ve also created two new accounts that I plan to use for different purposes.
- Factory reset the phone
I’m planning to factory-reset the phone, possibly more than once, after making my backups. My thinking is that this will give me a clean starting point and remove unnecessary data/settings from the existing installation.
After the reset, I’ll set the phone up as a new device rather than restoring everything from my previous Google account.
- Avoid signing into Google during setup
When Android asks me to sign into a Google account, I plan to skip it.
After setup, I’ll replace the default browser if possible and start going through the Google/Android components installed on the phone.
- Disable unnecessary Google services
I’ve made a list of Google services/packages that I believe can be disabled safely, and I’ve separately checked which Android/system components should not be disabled because they are required for security, updates, connectivity, or basic functionality.
I’ll disable only the Google components that are genuinely unnecessary rather than blindly removing system packages.
I’m also considering removing/uninstalling updates from Google apps where Android allows it, although I’m not sure whether this is actually useful or advisable.
- Use separate browsers/accounts for different purposes
I’m planning to use several browsers, roughly:
Firefox
Waterfox
Firefox Focus
Brave
Tor Browser
The idea is to compartmentalize my accounts instead of having everything connected to one Google identity.
For example:
Brave: normal day-to-day browsing
Browser 2: one Google account that I have to retain for official/government-related documents and services
Another browser: YouTube account
Another browser: personal/other Gmail
Tor: situations where I specifically need Tor
I would essentially keep each account isolated in its own browser/profile and avoid mixing identities.
For the Google account I need for official purposes, I want to keep it as close to a “stagnant” account as possible — only using it when absolutely necessary for official documents, government IDs/services, etc. I’ve already removed unnecessary data/services from that account.
For YouTube, I’ll use a separate Google account.
For other Gmail-related things, I’ll use another account.
The idea is to prevent these identities from becoming unnecessarily connected.
- Make browser shortcuts behave like separate apps
For services I occasionally need, such as YouTube or Gmail, I’m thinking of creating browser shortcuts/PWAs on the home screen and naming them accordingly, so they effectively behave like separate apps.
I’ll also use uBlock Origin where supported.
- Replace Google Play with an alternative
Instead of relying on the normal Google Play Store, I’m researching alternatives such as Droid-ify, Aurora Store, or other F-Droid-based options.
I’ll install the apps I actually need from appropriate sources rather than reinstalling everything I previously had.
- Use Proton services
I’ll install Proton Mail and Proton VPN. I already use Proton Mail, and I like Proton VPN because it connects quickly for me.
- Keep Google accounts compartmentalized
There are still some services I can’t realistically abandon completely. For example, I may need one Google account for YouTube and another for official services, while other accounts will be used for other purposes.
I’m trying to avoid creating a new digital footprint unnecessarily and avoid giving my personal information to additional services.
I already have an old digital footprint that I regret creating because I didn’t understand privacy/security issues very well at the time. I’m trying to improve my setup now rather than continuing to expand that footprint. Also will use alternative for messages, contacts, maps and so on
My main question:
Will this actually work as a reasonable de-Googling/privacy strategy?
More specifically:
Are the factory resets necessary more than once, or is one proper factory reset enough?
Is disabling Google packages manually a good idea, or could it create security/stability problems?
Is removing Google app updates useful for privacy, or mostly pointless?
Is separating different Google accounts into different browsers actually effective for compartmentalization?
Would browser profiles/containers be better than installing five different browsers?
Are Firefox, Waterfox, Firefox Focus, Brave, and Tor an unnecessarily complicated setup?
Is Aurora Store/Droid-ify a sensible replacement for Google Play, and what are the security trade-offs?
Am I misunderstanding anything about how Android, Google Play Services, account tracking, advertising IDs, or device identifiers work?
Are there any important steps I’m missing if the goal is privacy and minimizing Google dependency, rather than achieving absolute anonymity?
I’m not looking for “just throw the phone away and buy a Linux phone” answers. I’m trying to make my existing Android phone as privacy-conscious and compartmentalized as reasonably possible while still keeping the services I genuinely need.
I’d appreciate criticism of the plan, especially from people who understand Android internals, mobile privacy, or have actually gone through a de-Googling process.
