LineageOS deserves support for the massive number of devices they support. I get used Moto G7 powers for $50-60 that work as new with LineageOS19. Also, stimulating the "boring" work (not the flashy features) is a GREAT move. Not many volunteer their time to fix an intermittent bug deep down in a driver that nobody will see immediately. Well done.
FYI I guess all that hype about Google unsubscribing people without telling them is true. Just pulled this video up and it said I wasn't subscribed to the channel. Pretty darn sure I was subscribed and didn't intentionally unsubscribe. Google is great at a lot of things, which makes them highly convenient. But damn, having all that power, control and personal data in big tech companies isn't great.
I had the opposite sometimes happening to me, Google refused let me unsubscribe from channels, i had to unsubscribe twice until UA-cam accepted it. Had few channels disappearing from my subscription box too time to time.
I mentioned this topic recently on a discord server. It's pretty gross how intrusive Android and IOS are. Even when you disable things, sometimes I found out a while after that it was turned back on somehow. We need a mainstream OS that doesn't compromise on privacy. But I'd choose Android over Apple regardless because of the vast flexibility.
I'm extremely glad you bring attention to this, as for me personally the big tech companies tracking it's users every move has always been an as big concern as the anti right to repair that (mostly the same) companies do. And in the end there are a lot of similarities between these two issues (companies wanting to have all the control, closing down there systems more and more etc). I've been using de-googled android phone (LineageOS) for years now. I use all kinds of alternative apps. I get on by and miss nothing, and it feels extremely liberating knowing what there is no Google spying on me 24/7!! It's a decision I never regretted once and I'll surely never use regular Android or any Google apps/services ever again for my personal phone. Now the thing is to make certain apps work which require certain google services like Google play store, there are alternatives needed like for example MicroG which is en open-source implementation that "acts" like legit google-play services for the apps that require it. I also use Magisk and a spoofed signature so certain apps cannot detect that the OS is custom and the phone is rooted (otherwise these apps won't work). So in the end while it works it's kinda like a cat and mouse game. And I feel if more people who care about their privacy gonna start doing this, it'll hurt a company like Google directly in their pockets so they might go ahead and take some steps against this (for example they'll make it a lot harder for MicroG or Magisk to work). So while this is a perfect privacy respecting method to use a modern phone for now, in the end I think it'll be very important further development of a open-source Linux based alternative OS (Like Plasma Mobile for example).
04:00 I imagine PlugShare is listed as a calendar provider because either it gives "open hours" of the charging station or it allows setting reminders for when the car is charged? As for DAVx⁵ it is a CalDav/CardDav/WebDav connector, allowing you to use any compatible source, like a NextCloud account. That's what Murena uses for /e/OS IIRC, they offer a basic NextCloud account but you can connect to whichever one you want instead. Agreed, this list is not really self-explaining and would need some descriptions.
The problem is probably one of usability. For normal users it is not the best idea / not at all intuitive to call the option "DAVx⁵" when trying to add a calendar "within" the calendar App even though it is the name of the connector for DAV protocol based accounts. Better example: When adding a calendar in Thunderbird the first question it will ask you if it's a local ("On my Computer") or a networked ("On the Network") calendar which is a lot more intuitive/sane/easy to understand UI. Also some information like "You already need to have an account on a calendar server supporting the (Cal)DAV protocol to synchronize your calendars across different devices" would probably be a good idea. It's like K-9 Mail: You do already need an IMAP/SMTP (used protocols) account on a server to use it. K-9 Mail by itself is not able to register an account but that is not the expectation of most users so it's not an issue. The option of a local - non networked - calendar would be a nice (and easy to setup/use) feature. (And if you do not need synchronisation between different devices you do not have to worry about your calendar being synchronized with some server at all...) Most people probably do not know (and probably do not care ... yes I know ... it's sad that not everyone is a nerd😢) that CalDAV is the actual protocol that is usually used to connect to a sane calendar server and DAVx⁵ provides an easy way to connect to . CalDAV: datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc4791 Also most people will not be willing to run their own CalDAV server (like Nextcloud, Radicale, ...) so forcing you to use a server to host your calendar means that most people will just connect the gmail (or other commercial calendar services with privacy problems) calendar within the calendar app. And if you use DAVx⁵ to connect to your Google Calendar you still have a problem with privacy. Though it's probably limited to just your calendar. 🙂
I've been using calyx for about 6 months and never before have I felt so free to use my phone. On my old Samsung, my notes app utilized my network more than any other app 🤔
Your notes app used the network often because you likely used the phone's pen often which triggers the pen interface every. single. time. Everytime you use your pen, your phone has to bring up the samsung notes interface and connect to your samsung account to sync with your notes.
AOSP distros are pretty cool. My complain with most FOSS apps are the UI. In this video, you are on Android 12, and yet most FOSS apps look like they belong in Android 4. People prefer beauty. FOSS will struggle with public adoption if the software is unintuitive and ugly, however functional it might be.
@@generic6099 And that's the biggest issue IMO. I've found a lot of FOSS over time, and I very much use a lot of it, but most projects boast functionality, but usually lack form. No layman will be able to do anything with your "functionality" if it isn't intuitive to them. People will prefer options that are simpler and easier for them to use, and meet their needs. Products need to be human-centric.
Personally i dont give a shit about the UX looking like it is from Android 4 or whatever. Dont even like Material design. Im more functionality approach. Id suppose most techies/programmers who make apps are too. Whilst UX is basically art kids and nontechies. ...more like Apple types. (I just remembered the 'errmagawwd rounded corners' craze back in the.day lol .). Also UI/UX bloat yuck
Louis, you should make a video on your primary channel about crApple adding more data-harvesting Ads in their built-in apps. This contradicts their _"We care about your data unlike Facebook and others"_ PR BS.
Calyx OS is a pretty nice custom rom for privacy but have you had a look at Graphene OS? Graphene OS has some additional security hardenings on top of AOSP along with an optional compatibility layer called Sandboxed Play Services which gives you full control on what Google Play Services has access to and can redirect some of the Play Services APIs to non Google Services such as your location for example. This achieves a better level of compatibility than Calyx OS with Micro-G along with better security and privacy.
I had heard of GrapheneOS and have been meaning to try it, but I didn't know about the features you described. Thanks for that. I hadn't heard of Calyx until today. Not sure which to try first now.
@@KJ4EZJ go for Graphene OS Calyx OS doesn't really have any advantages over Graphene OS. Calyx OS used to have better app compatibility but now with sandboxed play services it now has better app compatibility than Calyx OS. Graphene OS is just superior in every single metric, it's even easier to install with the web based installer compared to Calyx OS.
Been using GrapheneOS since 2019. Sandboxed Play Services and Notification Forwarding has been a game changer in usability. No need to consider Calyx + microg anymore.
The opensource community is coming up with some good stuff. Some of it is still a work in progress, but we're getting there. Critiques such as what you just made are helpful to the devs. Daily driving Linux on my laptop since March of 2020. I'm looking forward getting away from Android on my mobile devices.
I wish they would let me delete a single instance in a series instead of making me edit the entire series. Otherwise, Proton apps have been pretty good so far.
Great info, thanks Louis! I think the idea of having bounties is excellent. I'm a senior software architect & engineer and building a local calendar system for an Android phone is within my skill set. A bounty (with a reasonable amount of money) would be motivational. I'm too busy (moving, starting new business, etc) to consider building one currently unfortunately. But bounties should help attract good, experienced developers to help fix issues. And focusing on things like that calendar that will trip up average people would be a huge improvement. Linux never took off as a broadly used desktop because it requires too much knowledge & skill to use. Privacy is important, having alternatives that every day people can use out of the box easily would be a HUGE win!
Linux never "took off" in the desktop space because Windows is in schools and offices, so that is what people were exposed to their first time using a computer. I would say another big factor is Microsoft Office. People aren't interested in or able to try different Office apps and frankly, until very recently, they sucked. The fact is, for a "normie" who doesn't play triple A videogames on their computer and who doesn't run a business that relies on Adobe products, which is most people, there are distros that "just work" out of the box without any CLI experience at all. Linux Mint is my favorite, but there are others. I moved my family to Mint after W7 support ended and they're not tech people but they actually love it.
@@KJ4EZJ Yes, NOW there are distros that are a lot easier. But I've been using Linux since the 90s and have paid attention to this. People haven't been using Microsoft & Apple because they were exposed to them, they use them because they are easy, convenient and (mostly) just work. Also the average home user doesn't need Office. I'm not talking about businesses switching to Linux for their users, I'm talking about the average person with a PC at home. Back in the 90s Apple wasn't a reasonable alternative to Windows, there was no reasonable alternative. There was just Windows as far as most people were concerned. Apple computers became successful via a combination of building a new OS on top of Unix but making it user friendly and social branding. Basically OS X is what a user friendly Linux should have looked like. Unfortunately it was done by a terrible company who wants total control over its users.
I am a veteran programmer but I just want a phone that works so Graphene and Lineage both seemed like a lot of work. I was happy when I discovered CalyxOS 6 months ago and did the same thing Louis did here on a Pixel 4a 5G and no complaints. IMO it comes pre-loaded better than the others (for example just come with signal and a firewall out of the box). Pretty slick that it was able to auto update from Android 11 to 12 based versions of itself so I have had no reason to switch. I am not sure if it is the phone or the OS but I have had to reboot like twice when I wasn't getting data for some reason. Also ATT has great deals on pay-as-you go plans especially if you buy a year in advance. I figured why get Cricket since ATT bought them? Voice quality was night and day compared to my old Sprint Samsung J7 not sure if it is the network or the phone though. Pixels in general are good you don't need to support every phone under the sun, this is how Apple makes their money.
People are torn between Apple because the other options have complications. Gonna be honest, Pixel phones are really awful in every aspect. Low performance hardware, poor quality control (people reporting loose screens and dust underneath wtf?). The best Android phones are from (grudgingly) Samsung and Sony because they balance performance, intuitiveness, and aesthetics. Sony devices come with top of the line mobile hardware, incredible screens, DSLR camera connectivity, and yes headphone slot with microsd slot. Unfortunately, LineageOS has not supported any Samsung devices since the S20 and Sony is not supported at all. Sony is a very archaic company has clearly has no interest in pursing competition with Apple and Samsung so Android users are dead in the water when it comes to devices.
I was able to give my old Samsung Tablet a second life by replacing the original Android 4 with LineageOS. I used the slimmed down version without GApps and such but was still able to do the things I used to do with the tablet like watching UA-cam videos. The device feels like new and no (Google) account or login needed to make it work. Not only give these types of projects users the ability to walk away from privacy-invasive OSes, it also gives users the opportunity to give devices running older OS versions which have no support from the factory anymore a new life instead of the device becoming e-waste.
Great video. I use graphene os on my pixel 3a XL its really good. A great alternative to UA-cam is Newpipe been using it for years another would be Revanced both work similar but its a matter of opinion and both have no Google.
When I first got my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, I loved the phone and tried out a lot of Samsung's apps. They had advertisement in them, so I stopped using them. It was creepy because the advertisements were relative to things i've searched online. I eventually found out that the reason why they were relevant to my online activities was because Samsung logs all of my key inputs via the Samsung Keyboard, the default keyboard on all Samsung mobile devices. I switched to a FOSS keyboard called OpenKeyboard and use ADB to remove every last bit of Samsung software off the phone, at least from my "user". Interestingly, this also increased my phone's battery life.
I used ADB to remove some apps from my s22 ultra the I saw the battery life dropped instead of improve so I had to factory reset my phone again now the battery its great again . did I make something wrong?
Very cool. It's good to see this sort of thing being developed and I'm wishing the CalyxOS team success in their endeavors. I hope that someday they'll have support for Samsung devices as I have a Galaxy A13 5G and this would be a potential upgrade after support for its stock Android ROM reaches EOL.
4:11 Oh! I see... A better explanation of what DAVx⁵ is. Maybe a (?) next to it? Anyway, DAVx⁵ is a synchronization protocol which includes calendars. Very useful... However, I do understand it would require a quick search... Seems like that calendar app wants you to keep your calendar synchronized with a centralized server... I wonder which calendar app is... If I knew, I could call them to this video to show the situation
It's whatever comes with CalyxOS after stock install. Davx⁵ wasn't something I wanted to look up because I'm not creating an account anywhere for my phone to have a working local calendar. It should not be a requirement or a prerequisite that I sign up for some cloud syncing thing for the calendar to work. it's like when people say that I can spoof my location and use a fake email address when setting up my smart garage door opener that came in the house I am renting. That is accepting the premise that it is a reasonable expectation to give up my email address and geolocation data to some random company to open my garage door when I am sitting 5 ft in front of it. Even if the device were not privacy focused, I expect the ability to use a local calendar without signing up for or registering for an account somewhere else. Considering the devices focus our privacy centered users, it should be open to the fact that I do not want to sync to something This is a really small thing. The thing that needs fixing are the keyboards. They're all so bad. Android open source project keyboard is bad. Open board is bad. Even the Google board is bad if you block its access to the internet. I wonder if the autocorrect thing is even close to being a fixable problem. I have a feeling with how bad the Google board is the moment that I turn off its internet access, if Google has not solved it as a trillion dollar company, we are not going to either.
I can relate to the keyboard issues and it makes me miss my BB KeyONE. If you're planning on doing this more often (demonstrating a phone OS, recording the screen), there's an option available on Android phones to make your touches visible on screen. (I like that option so much I have this enabled as standard for my every day usage) In most cases, you would have to unlock the developer options to gain access to that option, but why wouldn't you unlock those options anyway...
yeah but considering what you're getting with these ROMs that may not be a huge deal breaker. ROMs like Calyx OS and especially Graphene OS give you a very private device that is very usable, this can't really be said for desktop computers.
A few days ago, I switched from my half-year old Moto G30 back to my very first smartphone, a Moto G4 Play. I installed LineageOS on it and got the bare minimum apps that I need on my phone. I'm loving it. Why did I do this? Because I foolishly updated my Moto G30 to Android 12 and that made mobile data and cellular completely unreliable. I couldn't use my phone as a phone without wifi. There was no option to roll back and I couldn't install a custom ROM either because there were none made by the community yet. And the funny thing is, the new update page in the settings say that I should leave auto-updates on for "the latest features and bug fixes from Motorola". Yeah right.
Louis - this was very informative! I don't have an Android, but now I can say that after hearing about the privacy concerns you brought up, I'm now officially paranoid. ahahahah
I have been using Lineage OS with F-Droid for a few years now and am loving it. However, my app needs are pretty minimal. For the rare times I need to use a proprietary app I have a burner phone that I keep in a faraday pouch.
Good job louis. Please do call out manufacturers for not making it easier to install a custom rom. For instance samsung. Right now, only xiaomi, google and one plus offer the best custom rom support. With xiaomi being the only one providing cheap and good phones in several developing countries. So, my $230 poco x3 pro with a sd860 and a 120hz IPS panel with arrow OS now flies like a pixel phone and I don't have to pay 2x the amount for a pixel. Also lineage OS is a de-googled OS. As well as the non gapps versions of common custom roms like Arrow OS or Derp OS. Oh also use hacker keyboard. It doesn't access internet and it allows you all the computer shortcuts like, copy paste, cut paste, select all, arrow keys for easy movement, ctrl + arrow key to skip over words, etc. The only downside is it doesn't have autocorrect (a pro in my opinion) but once you're used to it, man, is it a godsend. I use lineage OS on my mi mix 1 (a 6 year old phone) with hacker keyboard, and I have no google apps installed. Its my backup phone so I don't have many apps on it. Oh and do use youtube vanced app. You have to use it. Its really good. Its a heavily modded version of youtube and you can install the vanced manager to help with the install.
DavX5 is a service that runs in the background for syncing CalDAV services. I use it to sync my contacts and calendars to my personal Nextcloud server. It does the syncing and then the calendars it syncs will show up in any regular calendar apps you have installed.
I've been om Calyx for a year and will never look back, a happy medium of privacy and everything I need working, I might try graphene in the future since I think you can use play services now
The bounty idea sounds great. Even if you go for something else, the idea to incentivise devs to streamline the user experience for the average user is great. I'm not a programmer but I like to take steps to protect my privacy. But whenever I try to switch to a FOSS alternative there's usually some inconveniences that push me away. I don't expect FOSS alternatives to work exactly like their ad-friendly counterparts, obviously. But when something requires me to DIY-hack my way into a more streamlined experience, I often just don't bother.
In 2010 I had a Nokia flipphone I bought at Walgreens with cash and was using a $20 prepaid card each month for. That wasn't weird back then. Now people would think you're a drug dealer or a senior citizen if you do that stuff.
SwiftKey was not Microsoft originally. They were an independent developer who was purchased by Microsoft. SwiftKey was very popular amongst Android forums from 2009-2015.
e Foundation's /e/ is another alternative of Google free ROM that have required services for end-users preinstalled. Of streaming, how about Prism Live Studio?
Holy smokes. I forgot about Zenonia. I think that was the only phone game I ever actually enjoyed on my phone cause it just felt like an old Nintendo game.
That calendar thingy is because they are using the default aosp calendar. The reason it shows you plugshare is because android( not Google, not on cloud) have this feature where you can go to and see all your accounts in settings. A consequence of that is when you are asked to add an account and you don't have Google in the background handling that stuff, it just lists you whatever accounts you have which use an email login, since calendar takes email input. Nothing to do with plugshare.
Thoughts on the Simple Mobile Tools apps? You can find em on Aurora and F-Droid. Wish that were pre-installed here, especially for the calendar in your (and my, as I like local stuff, Keepass ftw) case. I myself have been using OpenBoard for a year or two now, and I'm very comfortable with it. I do see it installed on your system, what did you think of it? I presume it's a case of "it'd be great after it sees the errors in my ways for eons to catch things," and that just goes for a lot of things unfortunately. :D
OK, interesting thoughts on the subject : I find it problematic as we go forward in time more and more software relies on the internet, and nobody thing what if the internet goes away, no cad software , no voice to text readers , no movies (most of the pepole [N] dont download movies on harddrive for loong time), no AC control from your phone and the problem whit this is bigger. so wirte down what program or service dies if the internet goes awy
Your be dead f that happens, so who cares. That is why I like physical stuff, but are screwed. Cival War is coming, a international famon caused by Joe Bidden, WW3 with Russia or China....oh and signs of the rapture. I think paying for food is more important than your data. Louis is more than a day late and a dollar short on this. The FBI just launched A dam coupé ta and no ne bats an eye. I would care more about getting a passport ready then wasting it on a phone.
Probably just paranoia on my part, but I find it odd that I'm supposed to trust my privacy to a de-googled phone that's made by Google. And it seems they don't support any other phones than Google Pixel phones.
@@bro.weaver1282 They don't support the Pixels for good hardware design, they support them because Pixel phones are consistent in their structure. Android phone manufacturers all use different builds of Android with their own custom configurations, so focusing on Pixels is ideal for a small group of programmers who don't want to deal with too many variables.
Also I heard in another YT review, it’s Google’s 5-7 year support timeframe that makes Pixel the preferred target. Phones with short support are more challenging for third party ROM devs.
I've been using custom ROMs for a few years now. Main annoyance with them is that some bank apps won't work and some banks require their app has a token even when trying online banking in a computer.
FYI SwiftKey (or the "Microsoft keyboard" as you called it) was an independent product for a looong time, during which it was regarded as by far the best keyboard for Android. Microsoft acquired it a couple of years ago. If you ask me, that's the only reason why it's decent. Microsoft wouldn't be able to pull it off from scratch.
Yea they werr doing dome cloud telemetrics shit too if i Remember correctly. The real reason is that real world corpus i suppose to help with predictive autocorrect. Whats the last old version without Microsoft added telemetry tho?
Microsoft can make keyboards just fine, both physical and digital. Windows 10 and 11 have always had the on-screen keyboards function which is basically the same as Android keyboards. If you are using a Windows 2-in-1 laptop, this digital on-screen keyboard shows up when you activate a textbox.
Nokia or Samsung should make their devices to either dual boot or be sold with this operating system. With a big name behind it this could become the third operating system.
It really depends on "whose name" is behind this. We're going away from Google because we don't *trust* them. I don't think Samsung's as bad as google, but for ultra-privacy... I trust this more because some huge company isn't a part of it.
Samsung s for average people who do not care. They like locked bootloader's as it allows them to use there phone at work....John Deere and Sears for example...and my employer.
Hi Louis, with regard to the calendar app I noticed on you screen that you use Proton Mail, are you aware that they also do a calendar? (Proton Calendar)
SwiftKey is fantastic. Discovered it since it's the default keyboard on the Surface Duo 2. Use that instead of the Samsung keyboard on my S22 Ultra. Just wish there was a LineageOS build for those two that I own. Don't want to buy a Pixel. I have enough phones as is.
Isn't discord an app that saves all of your messages on a folder + doesn't respect the right to be forgotten by not deleting all of your account messages?
I also use a pixel 4a phone. The 2 quick access tiles where you can enable and disable the mic and camera is part of stock android 12, including the version that comes on the pixel 4a, so it's not unique to CalyxOS. If you only wanted those features, just make sure your android phone runs android 12 and you can add that to it without downloading anything from the google play store.
Hey Louis, check out a suite called "Simple Mobile Tools" Mental Outlaw did a video on it a while back. It should cover the calendar BS you talked about.
Its been one of thr biggest blockers. I been waiting for a while now for a decent 'rootable' phone to put different on some of my standard phones. Which have been LG ehich is noe out of business. Tho finding phones that are rootable has been harder...and the main privacy OS GrapheneOS id been watching only supports Pixel currently. Also just a decent phone had been hard. As in good specs for CPU and RAM but...esp needing 5G, 3.5mm, and Expandable memory.
Davx is a protocol to synchronise calendar / contact / notes information with services (independent from G). There are also calendar apps where you simply add a local calendar. Probably you are too much used to A products? ;)
I see you have some banking apps, do they work properly? I had a pixel 4a sitting around so I installed CalyxOS on it and am playing around a bit. So far so good 👍
My biggest pet peeve with projects like Calyx is the non-profit status. Like yeah, it makes them look very reputable. But very few of them survive on donations. Calyx would be in a way better position financially if they could sell their OS (even for $20 or something).
2:56 Hey! zenonia was pretty great! I just wish it'd run on modern phones, 3 and 4 (aka the best ones) dont work even on my redmi note4X running android 7!
Basically, Davx is just a client to the Caldav/carddav protocol which can be used with Nextcloud or etesync or any server services that provided those. Both are open protocols described by the IETF. Too bad nobody really “marketed” or explained this so nobody knows what it is If you have a Nextcloud account you can just enter the server url to login with your username and password
A bit ironic though that you have to buy a Google phone in order to install a privacy OS and get away from Google... I mean, I kinda get it, a lot of manufacturers put up a bunch of roadblocks to unlock the phone but still... Makes it a lot less useful IMO since I want to use the OS on my phone or preferred phone and not one that devs prefer.
I think it's reasonable position to take that software "kill switches" are basically security theater. Great, you flipped a switch that deny software access to the camera and mic APIs in the phone. But let's be real, the operating system (COUGH google) still have access. So great that your apps might not be able to do anything, but google is most assuredly still monitoring you.
I live in a country where neither Pixel nor OnePlus branded phones are available in the market. I cannot get rid of Google services or de-bloat my phone completely, as long as I don't have a device from one of the aforementioned brands. Even if I did, I still couldn't securely lock the bootloader to ensure the integrity of the OS. The next best thing I can do is to root the phone, flash a customised Android, lift the root access, debloat the phone and never connect to any of Google's services. And think about it. Isn't it highly counterproductive and unintuitive to buy a phone from Google only to degoogle it? For those outside of mainland Europe (mostly the Western and Northern Europe where OnePlus phones have better availability) North America, and for some reason India, escaping from the clutches of Google is next to impossible. With all that said, I made attempts to purchase Pixels, too. But then I realised how stupid and frantic it is to buy & degoogle one, only for my carrier to mark me as one of the handful of users with that phone, and track me easier. They would be able to constantly pinpoint my location, as soon as I insert a SIM card and boot it. I would have to use it not as a phone, but as a pocket multiplayer device of some sort, and connect to networks I know are secure. Is this supposed to be a phone or an iPod? It's complete and utter bullshit. So I said fuck it, and decided to never bother with it. All I'm trying to say is, unless you plan on using it SIMless and offline, don't go out of your way to purchase a Pixel or OnePlus for said purposes, if they're not officially sold in your country.
LineageOS deserves support for the massive number of devices they support. I get used Moto G7 powers for $50-60 that work as new with LineageOS19. Also, stimulating the "boring" work (not the flashy features) is a GREAT move. Not many volunteer their time to fix an intermittent bug deep down in a driver that nobody will see immediately. Well done.
Elaborate on your last sentence
LineageOS Stinks, especially for the 4a 5G model
FYI I guess all that hype about Google unsubscribing people without telling them is true. Just pulled this video up and it said I wasn't subscribed to the channel. Pretty darn sure I was subscribed and didn't intentionally unsubscribe. Google is great at a lot of things, which makes them highly convenient. But damn, having all that power, control and personal data in big tech companies isn't great.
You probably unsubscribed yourself
I had the opposite sometimes happening to me, Google refused let me unsubscribe from channels, i had to unsubscribe twice until UA-cam accepted it. Had few channels disappearing from my subscription box too time to time.
@@TaureanSmoke Oh you're right. Guess I'm not an "actual person".
@@TaureanSmoke lay off the drugs buddy
I mentioned this topic recently on a discord server. It's pretty gross how intrusive Android and IOS are. Even when you disable things, sometimes I found out a while after that it was turned back on somehow. We need a mainstream OS that doesn't compromise on privacy. But I'd choose Android over Apple regardless because of the vast flexibility.
Most people do not care...like Eli the computer guy.
@@TempoLOOKING And that is okay...but there is still a price to pay.
Most people don't care...but they also don't know what they are signing up for.
@@austinwinkler5329 let it rot
@@TempoLOOKING
I agree with what user Mets said.
@@austinwinkler5329
We are not most people.
I'm currently trying Lineage OS, supports a wide range of phones that are older and for longer. Very useful and informative video.
I'm extremely glad you bring attention to this, as for me personally the big tech companies tracking it's users every move has always been an as big concern as the anti right to repair that (mostly the same) companies do. And in the end there are a lot of similarities between these two issues (companies wanting to have all the control, closing down there systems more and more etc).
I've been using de-googled android phone (LineageOS) for years now. I use all kinds of alternative apps. I get on by and miss nothing, and it feels extremely liberating knowing what there is no Google spying on me 24/7!! It's a decision I never regretted once and I'll surely never use regular Android or any Google apps/services ever again for my personal phone.
Now the thing is to make certain apps work which require certain google services like Google play store, there are alternatives needed like for example MicroG which is en open-source implementation that "acts" like legit google-play services for the apps that require it. I also use Magisk and a spoofed signature so certain apps cannot detect that the OS is custom and the phone is rooted (otherwise these apps won't work).
So in the end while it works it's kinda like a cat and mouse game. And I feel if more people who care about their privacy gonna start doing this, it'll hurt a company like Google directly in their pockets so they might go ahead and take some steps against this (for example they'll make it a lot harder for MicroG or Magisk to work). So while this is a perfect privacy respecting method to use a modern phone for now, in the end I think it'll be very important further development of a open-source Linux based alternative OS (Like Plasma Mobile for example).
04:00 I imagine PlugShare is listed as a calendar provider because either it gives "open hours" of the charging station or it allows setting reminders for when the car is charged?
As for DAVx⁵ it is a CalDav/CardDav/WebDav connector, allowing you to use any compatible source, like a NextCloud account. That's what Murena uses for /e/OS IIRC, they offer a basic NextCloud account but you can connect to whichever one you want instead.
Agreed, this list is not really self-explaining and would need some descriptions.
And there's no "new user" button in DAVx⁵ because it's just a connector for other services so it doesn't know how to create users there.
The problem is probably one of usability. For normal users it is not the best idea / not at all intuitive to call the option "DAVx⁵" when trying to add a calendar "within" the calendar App even though it is the name of the connector for DAV protocol based accounts. Better example: When adding a calendar in Thunderbird the first question it will ask you if it's a local ("On my Computer") or a networked ("On the Network") calendar which is a lot more intuitive/sane/easy to understand UI. Also some information like "You already need to have an account on a calendar server supporting the (Cal)DAV protocol to synchronize your calendars across different devices" would probably be a good idea.
It's like K-9 Mail: You do already need an IMAP/SMTP (used protocols) account on a server to use it. K-9 Mail by itself is not able to register an account but that is not the expectation of most users so it's not an issue.
The option of a local - non networked - calendar would be a nice (and easy to setup/use) feature. (And if you do not need synchronisation between different devices you do not have to worry about your calendar being synchronized with some server at all...)
Most people probably do not know (and probably do not care ... yes I know ... it's sad that not everyone is a nerd😢) that CalDAV is the actual protocol that is usually used to connect to a sane calendar server and DAVx⁵ provides an easy way to connect to .
CalDAV: datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc4791
Also most people will not be willing to run their own CalDAV server (like Nextcloud, Radicale, ...) so forcing you to use a server to host your calendar means that most people will just connect the gmail (or other commercial calendar services with privacy problems) calendar within the calendar app.
And if you use DAVx⁵ to connect to your Google Calendar you still have a problem with privacy. Though it's probably limited to just your calendar. 🙂
I've been using calyx for about 6 months and never before have I felt so free to use my phone. On my old Samsung, my notes app utilized my network more than any other app 🤔
Your notes app used the network often because you likely used the phone's pen often which triggers the pen interface every. single. time.
Everytime you use your pen, your phone has to bring up the samsung notes interface and connect to your samsung account to sync with your notes.
AOSP distros are pretty cool.
My complain with most FOSS apps are the UI. In this video, you are on Android 12, and yet most FOSS apps look like they belong in Android 4. People prefer beauty. FOSS will struggle with public adoption if the software is unintuitive and ugly, however functional it might be.
foss as a whole desperstely lack UX designers tbh
@@generic6099 And that's the biggest issue IMO. I've found a lot of FOSS over time, and I very much use a lot of it, but most projects boast functionality, but usually lack form. No layman will be able to do anything with your "functionality" if it isn't intuitive to them.
People will prefer options that are simpler and easier for them to use, and meet their needs. Products need to be human-centric.
Tbh Google's own UI just gets more and more terrible with every update
@@pvshka Material You isn't nearly as bad.
Personally i dont give a shit about the UX looking like it is from Android 4 or whatever. Dont even like Material design. Im more functionality approach. Id suppose most techies/programmers who make apps are too. Whilst UX is basically art kids and nontechies. ...more like Apple types. (I just remembered the 'errmagawwd rounded corners' craze back in the.day lol .). Also UI/UX bloat yuck
Louis, you should make a video on your primary channel about crApple adding more data-harvesting Ads in their built-in apps. This contradicts their _"We care about your data unlike Facebook and others"_ PR BS.
Apple collects more of the user data _gasps_
Yeah, not surprising
Calyx OS is a pretty nice custom rom for privacy but have you had a look at Graphene OS?
Graphene OS has some additional security hardenings on top of AOSP along with an optional compatibility layer called Sandboxed Play Services which gives you full control on what Google Play Services has access to and can redirect some of the Play Services APIs to non Google Services such as your location for example.
This achieves a better level of compatibility than Calyx OS with Micro-G along with better security and privacy.
I had heard of GrapheneOS and have been meaning to try it, but I didn't know about the features you described. Thanks for that.
I hadn't heard of Calyx until today. Not sure which to try first now.
@@KJ4EZJ go for Graphene OS
Calyx OS doesn't really have any advantages over Graphene OS.
Calyx OS used to have better app compatibility but now with sandboxed play services it now has better app compatibility than Calyx OS.
Graphene OS is just superior in every single metric, it's even easier to install with the web based installer compared to Calyx OS.
He said in a different comment FUTO gave them 40,000 Usd no strings attached
Been using GrapheneOS since 2019. Sandboxed Play Services and Notification Forwarding has been a game changer in usability. No need to consider Calyx + microg anymore.
The opensource community is coming up with some good stuff. Some of it is still a work in progress, but we're getting there. Critiques such as what you just made are helpful to the devs. Daily driving Linux on my laptop since March of 2020. I'm looking forward getting away from Android on my mobile devices.
Just FYI, Proton also has a calendar app you can use. Only downside is the free tier is limited in functionality.
I wish they would let me delete a single instance in a series instead of making me edit the entire series. Otherwise, Proton apps have been pretty good so far.
Great info, thanks Louis! I think the idea of having bounties is excellent. I'm a senior software architect & engineer and building a local calendar system for an Android phone is within my skill set. A bounty (with a reasonable amount of money) would be motivational. I'm too busy (moving, starting new business, etc) to consider building one currently unfortunately. But bounties should help attract good, experienced developers to help fix issues. And focusing on things like that calendar that will trip up average people would be a huge improvement. Linux never took off as a broadly used desktop because it requires too much knowledge & skill to use. Privacy is important, having alternatives that every day people can use out of the box easily would be a HUGE win!
Linux never "took off" in the desktop space because Windows is in schools and offices, so that is what people were exposed to their first time using a computer. I would say another big factor is Microsoft Office. People aren't interested in or able to try different Office apps and frankly, until very recently, they sucked.
The fact is, for a "normie" who doesn't play triple A videogames on their computer and who doesn't run a business that relies on Adobe products, which is most people, there are distros that "just work" out of the box without any CLI experience at all. Linux Mint is my favorite, but there are others. I moved my family to Mint after W7 support ended and they're not tech people but they actually love it.
@@KJ4EZJ Yes, NOW there are distros that are a lot easier. But I've been using Linux since the 90s and have paid attention to this. People haven't been using Microsoft & Apple because they were exposed to them, they use them because they are easy, convenient and (mostly) just work. Also the average home user doesn't need Office. I'm not talking about businesses switching to Linux for their users, I'm talking about the average person with a PC at home.
Back in the 90s Apple wasn't a reasonable alternative to Windows, there was no reasonable alternative. There was just Windows as far as most people were concerned. Apple computers became successful via a combination of building a new OS on top of Unix but making it user friendly and social branding. Basically OS X is what a user friendly Linux should have looked like. Unfortunately it was done by a terrible company who wants total control over its users.
I am a veteran programmer but I just want a phone that works so Graphene and Lineage both seemed like a lot of work. I was happy when I discovered CalyxOS 6 months ago and did the same thing Louis did here on a Pixel 4a 5G and no complaints. IMO it comes pre-loaded better than the others (for example just come with signal and a firewall out of the box). Pretty slick that it was able to auto update from Android 11 to 12 based versions of itself so I have had no reason to switch. I am not sure if it is the phone or the OS but I have had to reboot like twice when I wasn't getting data for some reason.
Also ATT has great deals on pay-as-you go plans especially if you buy a year in advance. I figured why get Cricket since ATT bought them? Voice quality was night and day compared to my old Sprint Samsung J7 not sure if it is the network or the phone though. Pixels in general are good you don't need to support every phone under the sun, this is how Apple makes their money.
People are torn between Apple because the other options have complications.
Gonna be honest, Pixel phones are really awful in every aspect. Low performance hardware, poor quality control (people reporting loose screens and dust underneath wtf?). The best Android phones are from (grudgingly) Samsung and Sony because they balance performance, intuitiveness, and aesthetics. Sony devices come with top of the line mobile hardware, incredible screens, DSLR camera connectivity, and yes headphone slot with microsd slot. Unfortunately, LineageOS has not supported any Samsung devices since the S20 and Sony is not supported at all. Sony is a very archaic company has clearly has no interest in pursing competition with Apple and Samsung so Android users are dead in the water when it comes to devices.
Ha! finally someone is making a mobile OS with privacy in mind. Thanks for sharing Louis!
This should be on your main channel !?
Main channel is for subway grates
The Grate is still making a lot of money so he will continue uploading here until that stops
The main channel is for cats
I wish projects like this would also have support for Android tablets.
LineageOS supports Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
I was able to give my old Samsung Tablet a second life by replacing the original Android 4 with LineageOS. I used the slimmed down version without GApps and such but was still able to do the things I used to do with the tablet like watching UA-cam videos. The device feels like new and no (Google) account or login needed to make it work.
Not only give these types of projects users the ability to walk away from privacy-invasive OSes, it also gives users the opportunity to give devices running older OS versions which have no support from the factory anymore a new life instead of the device becoming e-waste.
Great video. I use graphene os on my pixel 3a XL its really good. A great alternative to UA-cam is Newpipe been using it for years another would be Revanced both work similar but its a matter of opinion and both have no Google.
When I first got my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, I loved the phone and tried out a lot of Samsung's apps. They had advertisement in them, so I stopped using them. It was creepy because the advertisements were relative to things i've searched online. I eventually found out that the reason why they were relevant to my online activities was because Samsung logs all of my key inputs via the Samsung Keyboard, the default keyboard on all Samsung mobile devices. I switched to a FOSS keyboard called OpenKeyboard and use ADB to remove every last bit of Samsung software off the phone, at least from my "user". Interestingly, this also increased my phone's battery life.
I used ADB to remove some apps from my s22 ultra the I saw the battery life dropped instead of improve so I had to factory reset my phone again now the battery its great again . did I make something wrong?
Very cool. It's good to see this sort of thing being developed and I'm wishing the CalyxOS team success in their endeavors. I hope that someday they'll have support for Samsung devices as I have a Galaxy A13 5G and this would be a potential upgrade after support for its stock Android ROM reaches EOL.
UA-cam Vanced is the way to go. Also get Adguard to block ads. Haven't seen any ads (on web or in-app) in decades since I had Adguard.
Dns66 is what I use
4:11 Oh! I see... A better explanation of what DAVx⁵ is. Maybe a (?) next to it?
Anyway, DAVx⁵ is a synchronization protocol which includes calendars. Very useful... However, I do understand it would require a quick search...
Seems like that calendar app wants you to keep your calendar synchronized with a centralized server... I wonder which calendar app is... If I knew, I could call them to this video to show the situation
It's whatever comes with CalyxOS after stock install.
Davx⁵ wasn't something I wanted to look up because I'm not creating an account anywhere for my phone to have a working local calendar. It should not be a requirement or a prerequisite that I sign up for some cloud syncing thing for the calendar to work.
it's like when people say that I can spoof my location and use a fake email address when setting up my smart garage door opener that came in the house I am renting. That is accepting the premise that it is a reasonable expectation to give up my email address and geolocation data to some random company to open my garage door when I am sitting 5 ft in front of it.
Even if the device were not privacy focused, I expect the ability to use a local calendar without signing up for or registering for an account somewhere else. Considering the devices focus our privacy centered users, it should be open to the fact that I do not want to sync to something
This is a really small thing. The thing that needs fixing are the keyboards. They're all so bad. Android open source project keyboard is bad. Open board is bad. Even the Google board is bad if you block its access to the internet. I wonder if the autocorrect thing is even close to being a fixable problem. I have a feeling with how bad the Google board is the moment that I turn off its internet access, if Google has not solved it as a trillion dollar company, we are not going to either.
@@rossmanngroup f*** google keeps deleting my comment!!!
I'll have to find a way to censor so youtube approves of my message...
@@rossmanngroup pastebin id: i4qgHaWC
Let's see if this comment lasts enough
I can relate to the keyboard issues and it makes me miss my BB KeyONE.
If you're planning on doing this more often (demonstrating a phone OS, recording the screen), there's an option available on Android phones to make your touches visible on screen. (I like that option so much I have this enabled as standard for my every day usage)
In most cases, you would have to unlock the developer options to gain access to that option, but why wouldn't you unlock those options anyway...
yeah but considering what you're getting with these ROMs that may not be a huge deal breaker.
ROMs like Calyx OS and especially Graphene OS give you a very private device that is very usable, this can't really be said for desktop computers.
I like SwiftKey and all but for text-related stuff, I still enjoy using my Key2.
A few days ago, I switched from my half-year old Moto G30 back to my very first smartphone, a Moto G4 Play. I installed LineageOS on it and got the bare minimum apps that I need on my phone. I'm loving it.
Why did I do this? Because I foolishly updated my Moto G30 to Android 12 and that made mobile data and cellular completely unreliable. I couldn't use my phone as a phone without wifi. There was no option to roll back and I couldn't install a custom ROM either because there were none made by the community yet.
And the funny thing is, the new update page in the settings say that I should leave auto-updates on for "the latest features and bug fixes from Motorola". Yeah right.
The mention on Gentoo caught me off guard lol
Installation now uses stage 3, by the way
3:20 FYI, you can create local calendars with that app. On the sandwich menu on the left, Settings, there is an option to create a local calendar.
Louis - this was very informative! I don't have an Android, but now I can say that after hearing about the privacy concerns you brought up, I'm now officially paranoid. ahahahah
You can switch keyboards by pressing and holding on the spacebar instead of digging in the settings.
The add account thing in the calendar tripped me up too but you can add offline calendars in the settings menu.
I recommend getting open source apps to replace basics like calendar
Thank you very much for sharing you trying to get away from big brother google. Also thank you for donating to the cause!
Sorry if I missed it but where/how can I check what google and microsoft have on me?
I have been using Lineage OS with F-Droid for a few years now and am loving it. However, my app needs are pretty minimal. For the rare times I need to use a proprietary app I have a burner phone that I keep in a faraday pouch.
Good job louis. Please do call out manufacturers for not making it easier to install a custom rom. For instance samsung.
Right now, only xiaomi, google and one plus offer the best custom rom support. With xiaomi being the only one providing cheap and good phones in several developing countries. So, my $230 poco x3 pro with a sd860 and a 120hz IPS panel with arrow OS now flies like a pixel phone and I don't have to pay 2x the amount for a pixel.
Also lineage OS is a de-googled OS. As well as the non gapps versions of common custom roms like Arrow OS or Derp OS.
Oh also use hacker keyboard. It doesn't access internet and it allows you all the computer shortcuts like, copy paste, cut paste, select all, arrow keys for easy movement, ctrl + arrow key to skip over words, etc. The only downside is it doesn't have autocorrect (a pro in my opinion) but once you're used to it, man, is it a godsend.
I use lineage OS on my mi mix 1 (a 6 year old phone) with hacker keyboard, and I have no google apps installed. Its my backup phone so I don't have many apps on it.
Oh and do use youtube vanced app. You have to use it. Its really good. Its a heavily modded version of youtube and you can install the vanced manager to help with the install.
> Calendar
How about Calendar (and other apps) from Simple Mobile Tools? They don't connect to the Internet at all
The LastPass>>Bitwarden step also recommended, unless there are other reasons... (Bigger to the same direction is kepass, but that is not as easy)
DavX5 is a service that runs in the background for syncing CalDAV services. I use it to sync my contacts and calendars to my personal Nextcloud server. It does the syncing and then the calendars it syncs will show up in any regular calendar apps you have installed.
NewPipe is good at least for watching/listening in the background, without ads. I don't think it supports logging in and uploading, though.
Damnnn Louis used to play Zenonia back in the day. Very based!
Reminded me of my first android phone i used back in junior high to play that game
I've been om Calyx for a year and will never look back, a happy medium of privacy and everything I need working, I might try graphene in the future since I think you can use play services now
Thank you for helping us with tech privacy rights. They are probably targeting you
The bounty idea sounds great. Even if you go for something else, the idea to incentivise devs to streamline the user experience for the average user is great.
I'm not a programmer but I like to take steps to protect my privacy. But whenever I try to switch to a FOSS alternative there's usually some inconveniences that push me away. I don't expect FOSS alternatives to work exactly like their ad-friendly counterparts, obviously. But when something requires me to DIY-hack my way into a more streamlined experience, I often just don't bother.
Good work lous .. we need the new phone os. .. hard work to figure this out though..
In 2010 I had a Nokia flipphone I bought at Walgreens with cash and was using a $20 prepaid card each month for. That wasn't weird back then. Now people would think you're a drug dealer or a senior citizen if you do that stuff.
SwiftKey was not Microsoft originally. They were an independent developer who was purchased by Microsoft. SwiftKey was very popular amongst Android forums from 2009-2015.
I don't need any autocorrect, so openboard is easily the best keyboard for me, simple and minimal.
OpenBoard does have autocorrect, though. It's really good.
e Foundation's /e/ is another alternative of Google free ROM that have required services for end-users preinstalled.
Of streaming, how about Prism Live Studio?
Holy smokes. I forgot about Zenonia. I think that was the only phone game I ever actually enjoyed on my phone cause it just felt like an old Nintendo game.
Louis, have you considered the degoogled Brax Phone by Rob Braxxman? He has a youtube channel with 350k+ subs.
Rob rocks. Have heard him talk about Louis too. Think he subscribes to his channel.
Hell yes this is awesome! Hope to see more content like this!
That calendar thingy is because they are using the default aosp calendar. The reason it shows you plugshare is because android( not Google, not on cloud) have this feature where you can go to and see all your accounts in settings. A consequence of that is when you are asked to add an account and you don't have Google in the background handling that stuff, it just lists you whatever accounts you have which use an email login, since calendar takes email input. Nothing to do with plugshare.
Yo!! That's wild! I remember playing Zenonia a long long time ago as well on a galaxy S4I think lol
Thoughts on the Simple Mobile Tools apps? You can find em on Aurora and F-Droid. Wish that were pre-installed here, especially for the calendar in your (and my, as I like local stuff, Keepass ftw) case. I myself have been using OpenBoard for a year or two now, and I'm very comfortable with it. I do see it installed on your system, what did you think of it? I presume it's a case of "it'd be great after it sees the errors in my ways for eons to catch things," and that just goes for a lot of things unfortunately. :D
OK, interesting thoughts on the subject : I find it problematic as we go forward in time more and more software relies on the internet, and nobody thing what if the internet goes away, no cad software , no voice to text readers , no movies (most of the pepole [N] dont download movies on harddrive for loong time), no AC control from your phone and the problem whit this is bigger. so wirte down what program or service dies if the internet goes awy
Your be dead f that happens, so who cares. That is why I like physical stuff, but are screwed. Cival War is coming, a international famon caused by Joe Bidden, WW3 with Russia or China....oh and signs of the rapture. I think paying for food is more important than your data. Louis is more than a day late and a dollar short on this. The FBI just launched A dam coupé ta and no ne bats an eye. I would care more about getting a passport ready then wasting it on a phone.
Probably just paranoia on my part, but I find it odd that I'm supposed to trust my privacy to a de-googled phone that's made by Google. And it seems they don't support any other phones than Google Pixel phones.
@@bro.weaver1282 They don't support the Pixels for good hardware design, they support them because Pixel phones are consistent in their structure. Android phone manufacturers all use different builds of Android with their own custom configurations, so focusing on Pixels is ideal for a small group of programmers who don't want to deal with too many variables.
Also I heard in another YT review, it’s Google’s 5-7 year support timeframe that makes Pixel the preferred target. Phones with short support are more challenging for third party ROM devs.
I've been using custom ROMs for a few years now. Main annoyance with them is that some bank apps won't work and some banks require their app has a token even when trying online banking in a computer.
Has FUTO given any grants to Calyx Institute?
Yes. Finalizing the first one, it should go out in a week or two.
It's not stylish, but I personally use a keyboard called AnySoftKeyboard on Android.
Why would you download Google apps when you have an OS that's degoogled?
Fr💀
SwiftKey was only purchased by Microsoft recently, its wasn't developed by Microsoft originally
Hey Louis, where is your P P P PinePhone? Mine is somewhere in the drawers and still I'm thinking about getting the pro version.
Chipper shredder
I downloaded Simple Calendar from F-Droid, which is a local calendar
Use FOSS apps only. Don't use apps that also track like google. You just defeated the reason why you went degoogle
I said I was weening off one piece at a time.
@@rossmannkoigroup excellent! Fdroid has a fair amount of Foss but not all.
based zenonia enjoyer
7:04 what I've learned here is that people really can't type for shit without autocorrect and that we really need physical keyboards back
FYI SwiftKey (or the "Microsoft keyboard" as you called it) was an independent product for a looong time, during which it was regarded as by far the best keyboard for Android. Microsoft acquired it a couple of years ago.
If you ask me, that's the only reason why it's decent. Microsoft wouldn't be able to pull it off from scratch.
I used openboard from fdroid
Yea they werr doing dome cloud telemetrics shit too if i Remember correctly. The real reason is that real world corpus i suppose to help with predictive autocorrect.
Whats the last old version without Microsoft added telemetry tho?
Microsoft can make keyboards just fine, both physical and digital. Windows 10 and 11 have always had the on-screen keyboards function which is basically the same as Android keyboards. If you are using a Windows 2-in-1 laptop, this digital on-screen keyboard shows up when you activate a textbox.
Nokia or Samsung should make their devices to either dual boot or be sold with this operating system. With a big name behind it this could become the third operating system.
It really depends on "whose name" is behind this. We're going away from Google because we don't *trust* them. I don't think Samsung's as bad as google, but for ultra-privacy... I trust this more because some huge company isn't a part of it.
Samsung s for average people who do not care. They like locked bootloader's as it allows them to use there phone at work....John Deere and Sears for example...and my employer.
@@MetalMario137 Joli OS noob. Popular in India and based on Firefox OS.
Hi Louis, with regard to the calendar app I noticed on you screen that you use Proton Mail, are you aware that they also do a calendar? (Proton Calendar)
SwiftKey is fantastic. Discovered it since it's the default keyboard on the Surface Duo 2. Use that instead of the Samsung keyboard on my S22 Ultra.
Just wish there was a LineageOS build for those two that I own. Don't want to buy a Pixel. I have enough phones as is.
Isn't discord an app that saves all of your messages on a folder + doesn't respect the right to be forgotten by not deleting all of your account messages?
I also use a pixel 4a phone. The 2 quick access tiles where you can enable and disable the mic and camera is part of stock android 12, including the version that comes on the pixel 4a, so it's not unique to CalyxOS. If you only wanted those features, just make sure your android phone runs android 12 and you can add that to it without downloading anything from the google play store.
Very intriguing I'm looking at all the alternatives idk what to try/commit to
Hey Louis, check out a suite called "Simple Mobile Tools" Mental Outlaw did a video on it a while back. It should cover the calendar BS you talked about.
Just wondering, what's the name of the plan you are on w/ Verizon?
The irony of this only being available on Pixels is just too much. I'd rather fork TempleOS. I'm only half joking.
Its been one of thr biggest blockers. I been waiting for a while now for a decent 'rootable' phone to put different on some of my standard phones. Which have been LG ehich is noe out of business. Tho finding phones that are rootable has been harder...and the main privacy OS GrapheneOS id been watching only supports Pixel currently.
Also just a decent phone had been hard. As in good specs for CPU and RAM but...esp needing 5G, 3.5mm, and Expandable memory.
Davx is a protocol to synchronise calendar / contact / notes information with services (independent from G). There are also calendar apps where you simply add a local calendar. Probably you are too much used to A products? ;)
I see you have some banking apps, do they work properly? I had a pixel 4a sitting around so I installed CalyxOS on it and am playing around a bit. So far so good 👍
ungoogled-chromium browser, startpage search, go to YT and sign in to my Google account so I can access my subscriptions... * sigh *
Hm. With nextcloud installed - why isn't that offered for the calendar, I wonder?
My biggest pet peeve with projects like Calyx is the non-profit status. Like yeah, it makes them look very reputable. But very few of them survive on donations. Calyx would be in a way better position financially if they could sell their OS (even for $20 or something).
Calyx sells phones with their operating system pre-installed for extra income as well as have a subscription service.
How is the camera app on CalyxOS compared to the stock camera app ?
2:56 Hey! zenonia was pretty great! I just wish it'd run on modern phones, 3 and 4 (aka the best ones) dont work even on my redmi note4X running android 7!
Try GrapheneOS. No better option privacy wise
Will the likes of GrapheneOS & Calyxos develop for other Android smart phones; Oneplus, Oppo, Samsung etc...?
"old dying samsung s10e" while I'm still rocking the s8
Louis Rossmann has a boss?
Thanks. good video
Basically, Davx is just a client to the Caldav/carddav protocol which can be used with Nextcloud or etesync or any server services that provided those. Both are open protocols described by the IETF.
Too bad nobody really “marketed” or explained this so nobody knows what it is
If you have a Nextcloud account you can just enter the server url to login with your username and password
I have an Armor11 and would like to use an OS that isn't heavily reliant on using Google.
Very cool!
I still have an s10e I hope it keeps going for awhile!
A bit ironic though that you have to buy a Google phone in order to install a privacy OS and get away from Google...
I mean, I kinda get it, a lot of manufacturers put up a bunch of roadblocks to unlock the phone but still... Makes it a lot less useful IMO since I want to use the OS on my phone or preferred phone and not one that devs prefer.
Use a Rassberry pie noob.
@@TempoLOOKING rbp is overrated.
Great project.
you think feds wont jack this if they want to?
I think it's reasonable position to take that software "kill switches" are basically security theater. Great, you flipped a switch that deny software access to the camera and mic APIs in the phone. But let's be real, the operating system (COUGH google) still have access. So great that your apps might not be able to do anything, but google is most assuredly still monitoring you.
OBS needs to make a mobile version
Take a look at the GNOME project and their mobile endeavors. They recently published a blog post about it.
I live in a country where neither Pixel nor OnePlus branded phones are available in the market. I cannot get rid of Google services or de-bloat my phone completely, as long as I don't have a device from one of the aforementioned brands. Even if I did, I still couldn't securely lock the bootloader to ensure the integrity of the OS. The next best thing I can do is to root the phone, flash a customised Android, lift the root access, debloat the phone and never connect to any of Google's services.
And think about it. Isn't it highly counterproductive and unintuitive to buy a phone from Google only to degoogle it? For those outside of mainland Europe (mostly the Western and Northern Europe where OnePlus phones have better availability) North America, and for some reason India, escaping from the clutches of Google is next to impossible. With all that said, I made attempts to purchase Pixels, too. But then I realised how stupid and frantic it is to buy & degoogle one, only for my carrier to mark me as one of the handful of users with that phone, and track me easier. They would be able to constantly pinpoint my location, as soon as I insert a SIM card and boot it. I would have to use it not as a phone, but as a pocket multiplayer device of some sort, and connect to networks I know are secure. Is this supposed to be a phone or an iPod? It's complete and utter bullshit. So I said fuck it, and decided to never bother with it.
All I'm trying to say is, unless you plan on using it SIMless and offline, don't go out of your way to purchase a Pixel or OnePlus for said purposes, if they're not officially sold in your country.
Thanks for this!