ebook-technology-alternatives/content10-mobile.md

Mobile

Android is the only mobile environment covered here. iOS is complicit in data harvesting and cannot be liberated. Some may argue that it's secure, and that may be true, but it is most definitely not private.

There are also Linux phones out there, such as the Pinephone and Librem 5, but they will not be covered in this document. Below are their respective websites if they are of interest to you.

pine64.org/devices/pinephone/

puri.sm/products/librem-5/

Operating Systems

To have a private and secure mobile experience it will require a degoogled ROM.

Degoogling a phone has two steps and cannot be done without wiping the device, so be sure to make a backup.

1. Install a custom ROM (operating system).

• At this point you may choose to root the device or not by flashing Magisk.

2. Do not install GApps (Google Apps).

• microG can be installed instead and is covered later in this document.

Alternatively, a degoogled phone can be purchased online or from a friend.

LineageOS

My favorite ROM, and time tested as the successor to CyanogenMod which I was using back in the early 2010's. The design is simple and sticks mostly to stock Android with optional extra features. After trying other ROMs I always end up coming back to this one, mostly for the network indicator and seconds which can be displayed in the status bar.

wiki.lineageos.org/devices/

GrapheneOS

A good ROM, especially if you already have a Pixel device. Their web-based installation process is super quick and easy once you get your computer and web browser to recognize your device. An admirable feature of this ROM is asking at install time whether an app should be allowed network access. This can also be an annoyance. ;)

grapheneos.org/install/web

CalyxOS

One of the best ROM installation experiences I have ever had. It suggests a list of apps as alternatives to get you [TBD: on the ground running?] much faster. The supported device list is larger than Graphene's and smaller than Lineage's.

calyxos.org/install/

microG

An alternative to Google Play Services which mimics the proprietary services Google provides without actually hitting their endpoints [TBD/TODO SOURCE?].

This is flashed after a custom ROM is installed and can be added later if desired without wiping your device. [TBD/TODO Once it is installed, it cannot be removed?.]

Useful if you need to use proprietary apps which depend on non-free networks.

[TBD/TODO app location]

App Stores

There are many ways to install an application (app) on Android, including downloading the APK (TBD/TODO) manually and running it. This section covers the most common and practical methods.

F-Droid

Open-source app store hosting open-sourse apps! Easy to use and helps to manage any

Table: F-Droid \label{stores-fdroid}

App Source	URL
Obtainium URL	[TBD/TODO]
F-Droid	[TBD/TODO]
Aurora	[TBD/TODO]

Obtainium

Not an app store in itself, but an app manager. Add the location of the APKs you commonly use and it will manage installing and updating them as needed. The configuration can be copied between devices, and makes wiing and restoring a phone much quicker. It does not handle backing up local app data though, only installing the applications.

If any apps listed in this document can be used with Obtaiumiun, a URL to its APKs (installation files) will be provided so that it may be added to the app manager.

Table: Obtainium \label{stores-obtainium}

App Source	URL
Obtainium URL	[TBD/TODO]
F-Droid	[TBD/TODO]
Aurora	[TBD/TODO]

For a video explanation of using Obtainium, please see this:

TBD/TODO Cahlen's URL

Aurora Store

An open source and anonymous front end for the Google Play Store. This allows installing normal apps like any other Android device can. Please be aware that if you did not opt for microG that some apps installed from here may fail to work, such as Planet Fitness or Whatsapp.

If you use this store, be sure to blacklist any apps which have been installed via F-Droid or Obtainium. Otherwise if the app is updated from this store it may prevent the other app stores from keeping it up to date properly.

Table: Aurora Store \label{stores-aurora}

App Source	URL
Obtainium URL	[TBD/TODO]
F-Droid	[TBD/TODO]
Aurora	[TBD/TODO ???]

Navigation

For a list of definitions used in this section, please see see table \ref{} below.

Table: Common Abbreviations \label{nav-abbr}

Abbreviation	Meaning	Definition
OSM	Open Street Maps	Online database of open source map elements.
POI	Point of Interest	A spot on the map, such as a park or business.

Magic Earth

While not open source, this is the recommendation for those who simply want a new map app without much of a learning curve. It uses OSM as well as a few other sources [TBD/TODO which ones?]. The user interfac is very simple and clean.

This is the best option of you are navigationg to addresses, such as 123 Oak Street, as OSM alone does not have a complete list of building numbers.

Table: Magic Earth Sources \label{nav-magic-earth}

App Source	URL
Obtainium URL	N/A
F-Droid	N/A
Aurora	[TBD/TODO]

Organic Maps

Simple app with a few moderate and advanced features.

This is the best option if you want a simple experience while purely using OSM data.

Table: Organic Maps \label{nav-organic}

App Source	URL
Obtainium URL	[TBD/TODO]
F-Droid	[TBD/TODO]
Aurora	[TBD/TODO]

OSMAnd[TBD/TODO: +]

Quite an advanced application. This app is even worse at navigating to building numbers, as it seems to have a preference for finding intersections. Searching for POIs.

Table: Open Street Maps Android \label{nav-osmand}

App Source	URL
Obtainium URL	[TBD/TODO]
F-Droid	[TBD/TODO]
Aurora	Not Free Here

Map Editors

There are mobile apps availabl for adding to and editing Open Streep Maps, which is what all of the navigation apps above are based on.

StreetComplete

Probably the most fun on the list, this app creates "quests" for completing information in your immediate areas.

Obtainium URL : github.com/streetcomplete/StreetComplete/releases

F-Droid : f-droid.org/packages/de.westnordost.streetcomplete

Aurora : play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.westnordost.streetcomplete

Table: StreetComplete \label{edit-street-complete}

App Source	URL
Obtainium URL	github.com/streetcomplete/StreetComplete/releases
F-Droid	f-droid.org/packages/de.westnordost.streetcomplete
Aurora	play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.westnordost.streetcomplete

Organic Maps

This navigation app also allows adding and editing businesses! It is a very easy to use interface with minimal fields. Advanced level editing is not possible, such as adding the Suite# to an address or tagging a house number to a building.

Table: Organic Maps (again!) \label{edit-organic}

App Source	URL
Obtainium URL	[TBD/TODO]
F-Droid	[TBD/TODO]
Aurora	[TBD/TODO]

Every Door

A more advanced editor, only handles points though, no drawing of ways or regions.

Table: Every Door \label{edit-every-door}

App Source	URL
Obtainium URL	[TBD/TODO]
F-Droid	[TBD/TODO]
Aurora	[TBD/TODO]

Vespucci

Fully functional map editor, allowing roads to be mapped and regions to be added. Can move locations around as well, which is not as easy or even possible in most other mobile editors.

Table: Vespucci \label{edit-vespucci}

App Source	URL
Obtainium URL	[TBD/TODO]
F-Droid	[TBD/TODO]
Aurora	[TBD/TODO]

Messengers

Apps are rated on three concepts:

1. End-to-end Encryption (E2EE)
2. Private Conversation List
3. No "Know Your Customer" (KYC)

Simplex

• End-to-end Encryption
• Private Conversation List
• No "Know Your Customer" (KYC)

Has E2EE, does not require a phone number, and who you are contacting is private.

May be considered difficult to use by some users, but as of 2025 it has made large strides towards become more user-friendly compared to back in 2023.

Somewhat small user base, not very well known.

Table: Simplex \label{msg-simplex}

App Source	URL
Obtainium URL	[TBD/TODO]
F-Droid	[TBD/TODO]
Aurora	[TBD/TODO]

Signal

• End-to-end Encryption
• Private Conversation List
• No "Know Your Customer" (KYC)

Requires a phone number. Service provider may snoop at who is contacting who, and may provide this information to inquirers, which would be enough to build webs of influence that could get someone convicted. Otherwise, message content is private and secure.

Pretty well known. You likely already know people using this!

Table: Signal \label{msg-signal}

App Source	URL
Obtainium URL	[TBD/TODO]
F-Droid	[TBD/TODO]
Aurora	[TBD/TODO]

There's also an alternative frontend to the Signal protocol which is said to be more secure.

Table: Molly \label{msg-molly}

App Source	URL
Obtainium URL	[TBD/TODO]
F-Droid	[TBD/TODO]
Aurora	[TBD/TODO]

Telegram

[TBD/TODO is there an option other than blank box or x'd box for E2EE here?]

• End-to-end Encryption
• Private Conversation List
• No "Know Your Customer" (KYC)

This app does not use E2EE by default, you must initiate a Secret Chat for that, and unfortunately that is only only allows 1-on-1 conversations. Normal chats and group chats are server-side encrypted, meaning the service provider could decrypt message content, so they should not be considered private.

Very well known, large user base.

Table: Forkgram \label{msg-forkgram}

App Source	URL
Obtainium URL	[TBD/TODO]
F-Droid	[TBD/TODO]
Aurora	[TBD/TODO]

Table: Telegram Official \label{msg-telegram}

App Source	URL
Obtainium URL	N/A
F-Droid	N/A
Aurora	[TBD/TODO]

Document Editors

Collabora

Text Editors

Markor

Squircle CE