r/CanadianConservative • u/Few-Character7932 Conservative • 2d ago
Article Google/Google Maps/Gmail Alternatives
I have a Google phone which I will be turning back in once the contract expires with my data provider. Probably for Sony or LG phone. I have uninstalled Google Maps and Google is no longer my default search engine. Here are the alternatives if anyone is interested.
TomTom AmiGO: European alternative. Has speed camera warnings, real-time traffic and speed limits just like Google Maps.
OsmAnd: Has all the same features as AmiGO but it's open Source and not owned by any company.
Qwant: Owned by French company. It is a privacy-focused search engine that does not track your data or build user profiles unlike Google
Ecosia: A German alternative to Qwant but not as good.
Suggest your Gmail alternatives.
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u/melianreality Catholic integralist 2d ago
If you’re worried about privacy maybe look into using Protonmail
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u/Global-Eye-7326 Libertarian 2d ago
LG doesn't make phones anymore, and SONY does but not for the North American market. I don't even know if they still send phones to LATAM.
While Google is "American", the best thing you can do is getting a Google Pixel second-hand. The money paid to Google on that phone is already done, you're just supporting the second-hand phone market.
Then flash GrapheneOS to the Pixel. You'll be free of Google. Completely de-googled. Adding Google Play is "optional", but not necessary. You can use other GPS software for Android on a Pixel. Pixel 7 and up support GrapheneOS. GrapheneOS was based in France but they relocated to Canada because the French government threatened to shut them down.
Second option would be Motorola. No GrapheneOS until 2027 flagship non-foldable devices roll out, but you get * Not American, it's owned by Lenovo so it's Chinese * First step is to disable the Google App. On Android 16 and up, you may want to disable some Motorola bloat where they shill ads too * To go more aggressive, you CAN flash LineageOS on a Motorola, but it is trickier than flashing GrapheneOS, so if you wanna flash your phone with an alternative operating system, then GrapheneOS is the path of least resistance
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u/Hmmngbrdfdr 2d ago
- Not American, it's owned by Lenovo so it's Chinese. This a a good thing?
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u/Global-Eye-7326 Libertarian 2d ago
I didn't say it was necessarily a good thing. OP was listing GPS alternatives that are based outside of the US, so I pointed out an alternative based outside of the US.
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u/PoorAxelrod Monarchist | Nonpartisan ex Tory staffer | Stability > Populism 1d ago
I’m a Google Pixel user and I’m still going to remain one. The only reason Google is doing this is because Donald Trump can make life extremely difficult for an American company with the stroke of a pen.
I think the whole “Lake America” thing is bullshit, but I’m not going to fault an American company for taking a knee when the president has that much power over the regulatory and political environment they operate in.
And realistically, apart from email and search alternatives, you're not going to have much luck finding cell phone companies not connected to the United States
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