r/degoogleindia

TL;DR: I've spent years chasing privacy through multiple OS changes and privacy tools, but I'm exhausted. The effort feels futile when Google dominates everything, open-source options are dwindling, and my device literally works for someone else instead of me.

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MY PRIVACY JOURNEY SO FAR

I've been a privacy advocate and open-source enthusiast for years, constantly trying to secure my devices and data. Here's what that actually looks like:

Phones:

- Started with Samsung Android → Switched to Realme → Now on hardened Google Pixel with GrapheneOS

Laptops:

- Windows 10 → Windows 11 → Linux Mint (briefly) → Back to Windows 11 (work forced me back)

I genuinely believed I was doing everything right. Two-factor authentication, password managers, separate logins, compartmentalization. But I'm realizing it's not enough.

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THE HARSH REALITY

THE GRAPHENEOS TRAP

GrapheneOS was supposed to be my privacy solution, but it's become increasingly impractical:

- Banking apps won't run on it

- UPI payment apps (critical in India) are blocked

- Investment apps don't work

- Result: I now carry a second device just for financial transactions

So my "ultra-private" phone is essentially useless for daily life.

GOOGLE'S OMNIPRESENCE

Even when I try to minimize Google's reach, it's impossible:

- Gmail accounts logged into multiple services across all my devices

- Cross-device tracking — ads reference data from my other devices on the same Wi-Fi

- Gmail is required for Android, regardless of OS hardening

- Google keeps collecting vast amounts of data no matter what I do

THE OPEN SOURCE COLLAPSE

The apps that were alternatives are disappearing:

- Open-source apps have become sparse and unreliable

- They constantly throw errors and have poor functionality

- Google is now requiring open-source apps to register on their platform — this essentially kills what made them free and open

- Developers can't maintain them without resources

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WHAT ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE?

Here's what really keeps me up at night: my parents and most people I know.

They use everything: Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, banking apps, all with Google accounts logged in. They have zero privacy awareness and are being harvested daily.

I use WhatsApp too (despite knowing it collects data), and I'm complicit in my own data extraction.

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THE IRONY AND THE EXHAUSTION

I don't have anything illegal to hide. I'm not a criminal or a dissident. I just want my data to be mine alone. But the device I bought with my own money is working for someone else to steal from me. That's the insanity of it.

The worst part? It all feels completely pointless now. Every effort is temporary. Eventually, everything will be owned by Google. Open source will be dead. Privacy advocates like me are just delaying the inevitable.

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WHAT I'M ACTUALLY ASKING

- Am I being unrealistic? Should I just give up and accept this surveillance dystopia?

- Are there any realistic privacy solutions I haven't considered?

- How do others in India specifically handle this (the banking/UPI problem is real)?

- Is anyone else experiencing this same sense of defeat?

I'm not looking for "just use Signal and use a VPN" — I've tried all the basics. I'm looking for honest takes on whether privacy is even possible anymore.

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Context: Based in India. I understand the technical side of privacy well, so spare the basics. But I'd genuinely appreciate hearing from others fighting this fight.

Any suggestion?

Regional languages transliteration?

>TL;DR - Looking for a true offline encrypted notes app similar to KeePass. Don't want to use KeePass for notes.

I'm a multi-device user, so I mostly depend on cloud-based services to access my data from every device. But I always have the fear of losing my data. Though I maintain multiple backup copies of my data, my fear still has not gone away.

So, I'm planning to store a copy of my data in local apps for easier access in an emergency. I'm already using KeePass for storing my login credentials locally, and now I'm looking for an encrypted notes app where I can store my notes in encrypted form locally.

I'm currently using Notesnook, and both Notesnook and Standard Notes offer offline functionality, which means I can store my notes locally without using an account. But I'm not satisfied with it. I'm looking for something similar to KeePass but for storing notes. I know KeePass can be used for storing my notes, but I need a dedicated notes app.

I've tried a few locally stored notes apps — Notally, Quillpad, Logseq, Crystalpad, Orgo — but none of them either fits my needs or looks promising.

Hey anyone interested to share their degoogling jounry with me ? NOTE: sources and how you got there too , difficulties , mistakes and advice for me (I am like 98% degoogled but I still have a gmail for some work and clg stuff which I never use and only open with needed in brave )(I had started since Jan of this year and I am fully satisified with it)

So, I've been using degoogled samsung(unrooted obv) from an year or two.everytime i removed google play services and framework and vendor from my samsung, and installed Kotak811 app, it worked flawlessly, also did sent all the otp(s).

From last week of august, I installed the update and tried to login, it was failing to verify my phone number, so i thought it might be because of QUIK SMS(it happened wit me before this or maybe i'm just being delusional) so i quickly installed fossify messages and tried again, and i successfully verified my number and got a verifying text was sent from my phone and i entered the MPIN and was able to use the app like before.

Today i.e. 10th August, I tried to enter my Kotak811 app, it showed some Refrence and text "Device Unknown Sources Detected By....(couldnt read the next part of it)".

So, I m just guessing it was the end of it. What banks would yall suggest to use? (their apps should work without play services or atleast i should be able to use all services using their site)

UPI is not an issue for me as I dont use it that much.

What do yall think about this, do lmk.

Edit: forgot to add signal's otp verification, that it doesnt sends otp without play services

Thankyou.

Edit 2: I somehow managed to make it work without reinstalling googleplay services.

I installed some permission controller which isnt important as per Canta and android debloat list, Google Framework(gsf). (re-deleted them) Will keep updating this post if anything same or else happens.