r/degoogle

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m an old man about this (even though I’m just shy of 30) but this insistence on passkeys just seems superfluous. I have two devices, a laptop and an iPhone, and both have my Google passwords saved in the password managers. I’m just an average everyday normal mfer and I’m not worried about someone hacking my Gmail. But even when I turn the “avoid password when possible” or whatever option off, I’m still getting prompted to scan a QR code every time I try to log in. Like yes let me just get my other phone to scan a QR code from my phone screen instead of auto-filling my password, cause it’s 2026 and I have an iPhone for each pocket of my pants.

Maybe for some it’s more efficient, but this doesn’t seem like a helpful rollout for the most part. It’s just annoying extra stuff to do every time you log in. Is it to cover themselves legally in some way? What’s the actual motive?

This monopoly around video sharing is 20 years too old.

Since none of the links that I've posted here have worked yet, I'll describe the video. It is deephumor talking about yet more tomfoolery where YouTube is continuing to ban people for posting anime and other adult-oriented animated anything because the stupid AI insists that if it isn't live-action with a physical camera, then it is made for kids. And if it is hand-drawn or computer-generated, and it talks about or shows anything that anybody would be the least bit squeamish with a child seeing, then the video is trash and the person who posted the video is trying to harm children.

It's already started as an "option" then it started to lock behind 18+. I really hate face verification; like why tf do you need my ID? Now everywhere it feels like those corpos starting this bullshit. I'm even more baffled that UK gov scanning ppls phone if they didn't verify to be 18+.

Then android not being that open, I'm not going to wait 24hrs to be checked by google, who told you are some safe bs.

Also, how are all these data-sharing options enabled without my consent or not notifying even. Like, wtf when did I consent to this shit. Why do I've to manually toggle disable options?

In my country, we don't have this BS survilience laws but how long will it take? I'm pretty sure if corpos pressed my gov, they will agree in an instant. So, it's a matter of yet.

Both EU & USA mocked china for these same mass surveillance, but are doing the same thing even dirtier ways. No social benefits for us lol.

It's so infuriating that corpos have demands our biometrics & gov IDs like who tf are you guys. Soon every phone might need ID verification, who knows, today it might be an option but wb the future?

I want to go back when, internet was free of all this BS. No verification no phone no.s, nothing, just an disposable email. The internet wasn't this much restricted & sanitized on surface lvl. Now, I've dive deep into shit, and a search engine telling me if my search is moral or not. Like who tf are you, I already know it bro.

If EU kids safety act gets official, how will it take KOSA? & then rest of the world to follow?

Is there hope, that all these face verification will be scrubbed and not giving gov IDs?? 2027 is not looking good.

It's pretty much a one stop shop, almost like a privacy focused version of Google with the exception that they aren't free.

I just worry that they may increase their prices, lower the free amount of storage, or do something that is not in customers' best interests after they become more popular and start making more money.

We don’t have to stand in the middle of the information super highway and let companies run us over. With a little work, we can stand our ground and take control over what happens with our data. This month—Opt Out October—we’re walking through some of the steps to do just that.

EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense team wrote four guides to help, and we thought DeGooglers may find them useful.

• How to Opt Out of AI Tools or Training Made by Big Tech
• How to Opt Out of Social Media Controlled by Big Tech
• How to Opt Out of Software Made by Big Tech
• How to Opt Out of the Major Operating Systems

https://preview.redd.it/qjru4ysrhuth1.png?width=194&format=png&auto=webp&s=43cc61aad6ac31f8ae2de62c51a17e46d88bc184

Hello everyone, I used Gmail for quite a long time and only recently switched to Proton Mail. One issue I ran into after the switch is that we initially get only 1 GB of storage, compared to 15 GB with Gmail. I'd like to know what everyone else is using, and whether anyone else is bothered by this problem.

Chrome -> Firefox

Google search -> DuckduckGo

Gmail -> Proton & Tuta mail

Google Maps -> Osmand and Organic maps

YouTube -> Newpipe

Google password manager -> Bitwarden

Google Authenticator -> Aegis Authenticator

Google photos -> Ente photos

Google drive -> An external 4tb hard drive

Google docs -> DDocs.new

Google messages -> Fossify messages

Google keep -> Notesnook

Google translate -> DeepL

Google ToDo -> Ticktick

PlayStore -> Aurora store and F-droid

Gemini -> DuckAi and Vibe

Fitbit -> Garmin w/ gadgetbridge

Google find -> FMD

Google pay -> Cash or debit card.

Windows 11 -> Linux (Fedora)

Not google related but I haven't been able to get rid of Messenger, Snapchat or Instagram due to friends and family. There are also no custom Roms for my current phone (Nothing 4a) so waiting for the new Motorola to drop before I try GrapheneOS. And im stuck with my MetaQ3 for VR games until i can afford a Steam frame which are unfortunately quite expensive.

So i have started my degoogling journey and I’m trying to gradually move away from all the big tech companies as much as realistically possible with everything. I’m curious what alternatives are out there.

For my phone and laptop i use GOS. I put my phone in desktop mode and use that as a laptop essentially as my needs are pretty basic using emails, browsing and a bit of admin.

The next thing I’m looking at is my home. I used to use Amazon Echo/Alexa for voice commands, lights and basic smart home things. I have recently come across Home Assistant and apparently it runs everything locally so I'm looking into that.

I’m also thinking about entertainment. Instead of buying a smart TV and using netflix, disney plus and prime video ect. I'm thinking of using a normal display, getting an Nvidia Shield and using Plex/Jellyfin.

I still buy groceries from big supermarkets and occasionally use Amazon and other places for ordering items but I'm trying to avoid them as much as possible. So I'm looking for privacy friendly, local, open source or independent alternative. I’m especially interested in things that can run locally, don’t require subscriptions, and don’t constantly send data back to a company.

What do you use instead of the big companies for things like:

- Smart home / voice assistants

- TV, films and media streaming

- Music

- Email

- Cloud storage / backups

- Passwords / authentication

- Search

- Maps / navigation

- Browsers

- Messaging

- Cameras / Home security

- AI assistants

- Online shopping

- Anything else I haven’t thought about

I'm trying to find a balance of something that's convenient enough to live with, yet still privacy focused and doesn't hand my data over to companies. What does other peoples setup look like who have gone further down the degoogle/debig-tech route.

I have recently made a huge dent in my degoogle progress. I currently use Waterfox with DDG as my main search engine. I used said browser for searching today and I am still seeing ads on FB that are exactly the products I have searched for. What am I doing wrong?

https://preview.redd.it/x16q9d6cvvsh1.png?width=1254&format=png&auto=webp&s=a8bd46cadc4281d667721f23fd431de3aa67cebf

I’ve been customizing AKS-Labs’ original CircleToSearch. Full credit to them for the foundation. The original worked well; my version focuses on a cleaner interface, useful screen translation and more control over searching.

What’s changed:

• Glass interface: Material You colors, automatic light/dark styling, readable text and restored launch animations.
• Cleaner toolbar: SmartScan, Copy Text, QR, Translate and Fullscreen on one row. Removed unused controls and startup popups.
• Multilingual OCR: Broader script support, improved text selection and filtering of false detections.
• Earlier scanning: OCR starts silently when the overlay opens, preparing results before you tap Copy Text.
• On-device translation: Automatic language detection, language pickers and English translations placed over the original text.
• Better text tools: Select translated text, Copy/Translate/Search actions, Find in both modes, and copying without closing the overlay.
• Language-pack management: Automatic initial downloads, with options to delete or redownload packs.
• Search choices: Reorder and toggle Google, TinEye, Lumo, Bing and Yandex; Bing and Yandex start disabled.
• Lumo integration: Native guest chat, editable assistant prompt, photos/files and follow-up screen selections.
• Browser controls: Themed results, Back, Share, Reload and Collapse, plus a choice between the app browser and your default browser.
• Foldable support: Inner/outer screen and portrait/landscape profiles, custom names and individual toolbar widths.
• Finishing touches: QR results close independently, clearer accessibility setup, a new themed icon, and separate activation, toolbar and continuous drawing vibration controls—each with its own intensity slider.

OCR and translation work offline after model setup; web searches and Lumo require internet.

Give it a go and let me know what you think: its vibecoded for those of you who are bothered https://drive.proton.me/urls/Q0BJBCZVC4#rCrMcRBLWxe2

To install CTSPublicVersion1 on Android, follow these steps. Menu names may vary slightly between phones.

1. Download CTSPublicVersion1.apk**.**
2. Samsung users: temporarily disable Auto Blocker. Go to Settings → Security and privacy → Auto Blocker and turn it off. Otherwise, Samsung may block APK installation. Other brands can skip this step. Samsung instructions
3. Install the APK. Open the downloaded file. If prompted, open Settings and enable Allow from this source for the browser or file manager opening it. Return and tap Install. Installation permissions
4. Enable accessibility access. Open Circle to Search and tap Accessibility settings (required). Under Installed apps, Downloaded apps, or Installed services, select Circle to Search, enable the service, and confirm Allow.
5. If Android blocks accessibility with “Restricted setting”: Go to Settings → Apps → Circle to Search → ⋮ → Allow restricted settings. Confirm your identity if requested, then return to the accessibility settings and enable the service again. This option is only needed if Android restricts access. Accessibility allows the app to read screen content and interact with the interface, so grant it only to a build you trust. Android instructions
6. Return to Circle to Search and configure your activation overlay. The default activation gesture is a long press on the overlay at the bottom center of the screen. make sure to disable google circle to search activation on the navigation bar and home Butten in display settings.