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From: Arno Welzel <usenet@arnowelzel.de>
Newsgroups: comp.mobile.android
Subject: Re: Best 1:1 google app replacements with privacy & functionality
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2025 13:06:27 +0200
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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