I have been an Android user for 13 years now. After using almost every Google service possible I am going down the privacy rabbit hole lately. Gmail -> Proton Mail, Chrome -> Firefox, Keep -> Notesnook, Google Search -> Kagi, …
I am currently using a Galaxy S23 with as few Google apps as possible (and focussing mainly on open-source apps). I am familiar with rooting (I was a CyanogenMod user back in the days), but today I want to use the phone without tinkering and problem solving. I also like to use a smartwatch and banking apps, so GrapheneOS is a no-go unfortunately.
So it is “Stock” Android (or Samsung’s Android ) vs. iOS for me. Is it better (in terms of privacy) to use an iPhone or stick with an Android phone with an system wide ad-/tracking Blocker (I use Adguard)? It seems there are more privacy-friendly/open-source apps on Android.
iPhone has the better reputation for privacy/security, however it is proprietary software and so no one can really tell for sure what kind of data that Apple might collect on you.
The best fasle advertising on privacy/security rather?
Their goal is blocking any other advertising method so only they can collect and use the data of their users for advertising.
Security? They can (or could) be hacked, with a backdoor, just with an invisible message…
So most of their reputation is just marketing (which goes pretty near to false advertising ex : the your data stays on your device… Which is just false).
Tho they may have a reputation of refusing to give data to public organizations (or at least depending on the data).
The same is true for stock Android devices. Unless you are using a custom ROM without Google Play Services, there is more proprietary software than open source running on Android devices.
Ironically the Pixels are the easiest to de-Google.
Apple wants your data as well
Is that true? I thought apple’s business model was to not sell your data but charge more upfront. Do you have a source discussing this that you can point me to?
Edit: I’ve searched online and can’t find even a single article talking about Apple selling your data. I’m an iPhone user so I want to know. The most recent Apple privacy article I can find reports on how they’re closing fingerprinting loopholes in third party apps.
I definitely don’t want to be naive or credulous, but given how aggressively they’ve prevented third parties from gathering data, I’m cautiously optimistic. I don’t think this is a “both sides” situation, unless someone can point me to some information to the contrary.
I thought apple’s business model was to not sell your data but charge more upfront.
Charging more? Absolutely. Not sell your data? No, they will sell.
Charging more is only because people are willing to pay it. So why not? Most people don’t even care about their data being sold, and will not stop buying apple products for it.
I buy iPhones because I’m cheap and they’re a better value. My last phone lasted me 5 years, and my current 11 pro is 3 years old and still going strong. If you don’t replace your phone frequently, then iPhones are much cheaper than Android phones.
I have had my onePlus 8T since 2020, and got it “for free” from T-Mobile without any issue. I used to work at AT&T, and I’ve had so many customers with iPhones who would come when the bed iPhone came out, saying their previous gen iPhone is suddenly incredibly slow after the latest iOS update. Some of them, especially if they were 2 or more gens behind, the iPhone would just be black screen with no sign of life.
From my observation, android isn’t only cheaper, but it has greater longevity too. If the company stops supporting the device, custom ROMs continue.
Graphene OS > iOS > Stock Android
yes, but graphene os only support pixel device for now…
Where is lineage OS in that?
LineageOS doesn’t claim to be Degoogled, and it isn’t so I think it would be an improvement, but a small one. It would remove the trackers your OEM has built into stock but that’s about it. It’s still phoning home to Google.
All I know is LineageOS claims to support devices beyond the date manufacturers do. Graphene stops getting updates the same date the manufacturer sets.
Stock IOS is probably more privacy friendly than android. Googles entire business is to make money off your data. Stock android uses google play services that have access to pretty much everything on your phone. Apple will bend to politicians on scanning your files and shit, but at least they (probably) aren’t selling your data. As much as google at the very least.
But like many comments here, if you actually care about privacy, stock anything isn’t the way to go. I use calyxos and find it to be a good balance between privacy and usability. No android auto, but banking apps work and from what I’ve read you can use garmin smartwatches or other similar watches that use their own app and smart watches that have been added to gadgetbridge https://f-droid.org/packages/nodomain.freeyourgadget.gadgetbridge/
Some people don’t like microg, but I believe you can use calyxos without it. (Not sure if that will break banking apps though).
Personally for me, I don’t want to store my personal files in anybody else’s cloud besides mine. I don’t want Google to have them, I don’t want Apple to have them. I use Syncthing to sync files between my devices. My understanding is it is a much better implementation on Android than Apple (basically non existent due to rules for apps on iOS is my understanding)
another +1 for syncthing
i ditched dropbox for it 6+ years ago and i have never had a single issue with it. super fast and never gets in your way
I use and strongly recommend iodé OS
It is a degoogled android version with a built in ad blocker and microG. All my apps including banking and such work like a charm.
Since tha latest update it’s been great.
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Do banking apps work on it? If yes, is it with or without microg?
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I tend to lean toward Android simply because it gives me more control/options instead of completely relying on Apple’s promise that they care
E.g. I like that I can use NeoStore for FOSS apps instead of the google Play store
Was in the same Situation. Tried calyxos and lineage os with microg but there were always issues. I wanted a phone that works, so I bought an iPhone. I know that is not at all the best way to have privacy, but it works. I try to use as much open source and selfhosting as possible to minimize the data Apple gets. https://github.com/dkhamsing/open-source-ios-apps
There are two ways to approach this. You either get an iPhone and try to stick to using as many of the Apple applications as possible and no other third party proprietary apps, that way only Apple has all of your data.
Or, you get a Pixel, and you can use some proprietary third party apps and you use something like NetGuard to block their access to the internet so they can’t collect data. This way only Google has all of your data, albeit they are a more invasive company than Apple.
When using any other Android device such as a Samsung, both Google AND Samsung will have your data. So in that sense it would be much worse than an iPhone. The only regular Androids that can compete with iPhones for privacy are Pixels.
Generally Apple apps e2e encrypt your data and can not be read/mined by them. There are caveats such as Siri (anonymized voice clips uploaded for example) or (iirc) Apple News. Things like notes, fitness/health, or iMessage are your data.
Every single thing that Apple creates is proprietary so you can’t really trust that they are not reading your data or have some sort of back door in the encryption. It’s best to assume that they have all of your data.
It is a business risk for Apple to mine data on data they have explicitly confirmed in this ToS to be e2e encrypted and private.
If we’re going that far, none of the Broadcom/Qualcomm/Exynos/Snapdragon chips have open source firmware. Additionally google services are all closed source and proprietary.
Backdoors exist but all phones have backdoors in them and should be assumed they are exploited by state actors.
From a privacy standpoint, on stock mobile OS, Apple is the lead. I certainly won’t disagree that there are custom roms without google services that are superior though.
I agree. I work in tech and having a secret back door opens you up for potentially billions of dollars of lawsuits and all it takes for everything to blow up is one whistleblower.
If you like a Smartwatch-like experience, just try out the PineTime. Been using it now for 5Months and it’s been great so far.
I chose Apple on that matter. Not that it’s the perfect choice, but it’s for now a “good” compromise. At least they “seem” to be concerned about their customers’ data (encrypted messages, data not sold to advertisers…)
Exactly “seem” they make vision of it only and good marketing.https://sneak.berlin/20201112/your-computer-isnt-yours I would always prefer android for reasons that i can delete a lot stuff using android debug bridge while on ios i can’t do anything,more over not talking about root rights to completely delete spyware or block them using firewall.
Stick with Android, you have much more control over the phone even when running stock compared to iOS Besides using Adguard you can also disable the apps you don’t want (some of which are used purely for tracking) using universal Android debloater and also turn of all kinds of tracking in the system
For purely just privacy I would say custom rom android > iphone > stock android > samsung android.
I think any Android version is better in terms of privacy than iphone. iOS is property and a lot closer and less customizable than android. If you are really concerned about privacy, my suggestion is not to use iphone.
If it’s Stock vs iOS, do you really care about privacy? Google is a data mining ad company, that’s why their stuff is free. “If you’re no paying for the product, you are the product”. So Apple right? LOL no. Paying is no protection against being sold too. It’s closed, you’re never know, so they might as well make more money from you.
The only way is having any confidence in things is open source.
So I don’t think iOS vs Stock matters. Android is more open, but all those root level closed Google services completely compromise the phone. They owned the phone.
