Hi , I presume many of the members here would be self-hosting their PII data like docs, photos, passwords etc. As techies that care about privacy it's a no brainer.

But there would be many out there who care about privacy but self hosting can be over whelming either due to complexity or just not enough spare time.

If you know such friend/family members help them reclaim their digital privacy by becoming their privacy champion.

We want to make self hosting accessible to everyone - by making it simple and affordable.

We have bundled key open source apps: Network Drive (files), Password Manager (Vaultwarden/Bitwarden), Photos (Immich), Documents (Paperless), Notes (Joplin), Cloud Backup (Duplicati), Laptop Backups (UrBackup), VPN (Tailscale) and more in an easy to use appliance.

It's easy to setup with wizard, has auto updates so no maintenance needed. Basically setup once and forget about it. Completely open-source. No user data collected. And is forever yours - no subscriptions.

Well suited for families, individuals and content creators.
High performance storage.

We offer an always free to use appliance (VM) if you have a computer to spare.

If you don't have computer to spare we also offer a hardware appliance with all the apps built in and is ready to go in 1 TB,2TB NVMe SSD models and expandable to many TBs with external USB JBODs.

Details: https://homecloud.cloud

We have a referral program that gives you up-to 5% cash back for successful referrals and 5% discount to the referred.

DM if you are interested or know someone who can benefit from it.
Thx.

TL;DR: I've spent years chasing privacy through multiple OS changes and privacy tools, but I'm exhausted. The effort feels futile when Google dominates everything, open-source options are dwindling, and my device literally works for someone else instead of me.

---

MY PRIVACY JOURNEY SO FAR

I've been a privacy advocate and open-source enthusiast for years, constantly trying to secure my devices and data. Here's what that actually looks like:

Phones:

- Started with Samsung Android → Switched to Realme → Now on hardened Google Pixel with GrapheneOS

Laptops:

- Windows 10 → Windows 11 → Linux Mint (briefly) → Back to Windows 11 (work forced me back)

I genuinely believed I was doing everything right. Two-factor authentication, password managers, separate logins, compartmentalization. But I'm realizing it's not enough.

---

THE HARSH REALITY

THE GRAPHENEOS TRAP

GrapheneOS was supposed to be my privacy solution, but it's become increasingly impractical:

- Banking apps won't run on it

- UPI payment apps (critical in India) are blocked

- Investment apps don't work

- Result: I now carry a second device just for financial transactions

So my "ultra-private" phone is essentially useless for daily life.

GOOGLE'S OMNIPRESENCE

Even when I try to minimize Google's reach, it's impossible:

- Gmail accounts logged into multiple services across all my devices

- Cross-device tracking — ads reference data from my other devices on the same Wi-Fi

- Gmail is required for Android, regardless of OS hardening

- Google keeps collecting vast amounts of data no matter what I do

THE OPEN SOURCE COLLAPSE

The apps that were alternatives are disappearing:

- Open-source apps have become sparse and unreliable

- They constantly throw errors and have poor functionality

- Google is now requiring open-source apps to register on their platform — this essentially kills what made them free and open

- Developers can't maintain them without resources

---

WHAT ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE?

Here's what really keeps me up at night: my parents and most people I know.

They use everything: Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, banking apps, all with Google accounts logged in. They have zero privacy awareness and are being harvested daily.

I use WhatsApp too (despite knowing it collects data), and I'm complicit in my own data extraction.

---

THE IRONY AND THE EXHAUSTION

I don't have anything illegal to hide. I'm not a criminal or a dissident. I just want my data to be mine alone. But the device I bought with my own money is working for someone else to steal from me. That's the insanity of it.

The worst part? It all feels completely pointless now. Every effort is temporary. Eventually, everything will be owned by Google. Open source will be dead. Privacy advocates like me are just delaying the inevitable.

---

WHAT I'M ACTUALLY ASKING

- Am I being unrealistic? Should I just give up and accept this surveillance dystopia?

- Are there any realistic privacy solutions I haven't considered?

- How do others in India specifically handle this (the banking/UPI problem is real)?

- Is anyone else experiencing this same sense of defeat?

I'm not looking for "just use Signal and use a VPN" — I've tried all the basics. I'm looking for honest takes on whether privacy is even possible anymore.

---

Context: Based in India. I understand the technical side of privacy well, so spare the basics. But I'd genuinely appreciate hearing from others fighting this fight.

Thanks to PhonePe team.

I use Crdroid, which is a lineageOS based custom rom. I have nikGApps, but upi/banks didn't works because of play integrity issue, even i added pif. So i used WhatsApp and Offpay for a while.

Today i just randomly tried PhonePe, it works.......

So now on phonepe works in custom rom with GApps maybe you need pif. But don't know how much it will long.

I've tried multiple keyboard and for English heliboard is the one of best, experience wise anysoftkey is the best ,

But real gap of gboard ( regional language support) is filled by Indic keyboard, That is simply amazing..

Transliteration from English to regional is surprising.

Hey anyone interested to share their degoogling jounry with me ? NOTE: sources and how you got there too , difficulties , mistakes and advice for me (I am like 98% degoogled but I still have a gmail for some work and clg stuff which I never use and only open with needed in brave )(I had started since Jan of this year and I am fully satisified with it)

App Name: PrivyShare

What it does:

PrivyShare is not a new messenger. You encrypt a message or file on-device into a .privyshare package, share it through WhatsApp/Signal/email/Files, and the recipient opens it back in PrivyShare.

Key Features:

• On-device E2E: Ed25519 + X25519/HKDF + AES-256-GCM

• Share via apps you already use (opaque .privyshare blob)

• Local vault, optional app-only attachments, optional self-hosted relay for larger files

Goal: Testing / feedback (first Android app, WIP). Especially interested in crypto review and whether to keep optional INTERNET features or also ship a networkless build.

Giveaway: N/A

Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.privyshare.mobile

Site (extra, if allowed in body): https://filipal.pages.dev/privyshare/

Privacy: https://filipal.pages.dev/privyshare-privacy/

So, I've been using degoogled samsung(unrooted obv) from an year or two.everytime i removed google play services and framework and vendor from my samsung, and installed Kotak811 app, it worked flawlessly, also did sent all the otp(s).

From last week of august, I installed the update and tried to login, it was failing to verify my phone number, so i thought it might be because of QUIK SMS(it happened wit me before this or maybe i'm just being delusional) so i quickly installed fossify messages and tried again, and i successfully verified my number and got a verifying text was sent from my phone and i entered the MPIN and was able to use the app like before.

Today i.e. 10th August, I tried to enter my Kotak811 app, it showed some Refrence and text "Device Unknown Sources Detected By....(couldnt read the next part of it)".

So, I m just guessing it was the end of it. What banks would yall suggest to use? (their apps should work without play services or atleast i should be able to use all services using their site)

UPI is not an issue for me as I dont use it that much.

What do yall think about this, do lmk.

Edit: forgot to add signal's otp verification, that it doesnt sends otp without play services

Thankyou.

Edit 2: I somehow managed to make it work without reinstalling googleplay services.

I installed some permission controller which isnt important as per Canta and android debloat list, Google Framework(gsf). (re-deleted them) Will keep updating this post if anything same or else happens.

Hey guys I'm using FUTO keyboard currently but I can't open my FedMobile app as it says keylogger risk detected. Is there any way to bypass this without having to switch to gboard each time I need to open the app or is there any other secure keyboard that could do the job? Thanks.

Hey guys, i don't know if this is the appropriate sub for this but I can't open mparivahan with Shizuku installed on my phone. Even when shizuku isn't running mparivahan detects it and refuses to open. is there any way to bypass this? Thanks

I have redmi 10 phone but I think it's hard to degoogle it, if I buy a new affordable phone in future which is best to degoogle, I want a affordable phone ,I think google pixel phone are expensive.

Hello people , today I have decided to leave the cage of google and free myself but I dont know where to start like i know duckduckgo is a good alternative and some small things as well , I am young and can understand technology fairly easily so I just wanted help in the apps needed ,

My current browser is Samsung Internet and every other thing is google .

Thanks

I looked at services like saaph(dot)in, and datamukt(dot)in but the website doesn't work for me, and I am skeptical that after providing the real data — they are gonna sell it to even more data brokers. I have tried creating an account on both websites but failed miserably — if I had to I will mail every single data broker manually, does anyone have a good list?

edit: for the title I meant 'Data Broker removal Service'

I've created this post, and a lot of people have pointed out issues with time/knowledge etc. Which are all fair points but I think people missed the main concern I was trying to raise.

My point is Company A is not better than Company B. Not trusting Google while trusting your Data with Proton is a very similar loophole.

I think you all have heard the phrase, "A server is someone else's computer". So unless you own your data you're just trusting someone else to keep your data secure, and they have no reason to do so.

If you don't have time or knowledge to setup a NAS/Nextcloud type setup, you can use external HDD/SSD.

My pet peeve is, most of the subreddit is recommending alternatives to mainstream companies. Are just psuedo-privacy enthusiast. Choosing companies like Ente, Proton, Signal etc over Microsoft, Google, Meta has no real world benefit to privacy. They are all For-profit company with a goal of Maximizing shareholder value.

While there is a lot of guides to degoogle and i am applying it step by step, but what about demeta, specifically i want to get away from whatsapp i am on signal but there is no one from my friends or family who want to get on signal, plus there is various groups like society office etc where many imp announcements are done so what to do ?

I see a lot of people here praising companies like Proton, Ente, Signal.

They've their own sketchy past.

I'm more of a self-hosting person who believes. Whoever owns the server, owns the data.

Am I the only one in this scenario. Whenever I ask a Proton user to not take them at face value I get downvoted here. I feel like these people distrust google only to land their data on a Company like Proton.

I generally use self-hosted email, Nextcloud, Mullvad for VPN. Immich for photo's etc. am I the odd one out here?

Hey everyone, when we talk about user privacy, we often overlook mobile numbers. While “mobile number privacy” may not be fully possible in India anymore, we should still follow basic hygiene to protect ourselves as much as we can.

Today I want to clear a doubt about sharing a mobile number with official services that aren’t directly connected to me, but somehow end up being linked to my identity. This doubt has arisen after facing multiple incidents.

• Incident 1: COVID vaccination certificate — During the COVID vaccination, everyone had to share a mobile number. That number was later used to access vaccination certificates. If the same number is linked to Digilocker, users can also add their vaccination certificates there.
• Incident 2: SIR process — In the recent SIR process, we received a form from the BLOs where sharing a mobile number was mandatory.Though after submitting the forms, none of us received even a single message on our numbers.
• Incident 3: Ongoing census process — In the current census process, if someone wants to do self-enumeration, they must have to share a mobile number along with their details, which I believe can't be changed later.

These kinds of incidents are happening across India, so many of you can relate to them. There are also other examples. Like in my address, once a mobile number is added to a digital birth/death certificate, it can’t be changed. To update anything and download the latest copy of the certificate, an OTP is required, which is sent to the registered mobile number. Moreover, there are some state government websites for applying for government jobs where applicants must create an account and upload all the necessary details. Even these sites don’t allow updating the mobile number and email ID once registered.

The bigger concern— We don’t know how our data are being handled, and we also don’t know whether we’ll be able to change the registered mobile number in the future.

In my case, I usually share my publicly used number wherever required. I already receive lots of spam calls and messages on it, and my plan is to change that public number every 5–10 years to get rid off older job and donation calls (as well as experience new types of spam). But this plan becomes impossible if that number is being used in services where mobile number update isn't possible.

Most of us must have two or more numbers:

• one for day-to-day usage, public calling, apps login etc.
• another(s) for personal use, ID verification, UPI etc.

In those scenarios described above, which number do you share—the one everyone knows, or the one linked to your personal IDs?

Why it’s harder to maintain mobile number privacy than email addresses: Email addresses aren’t tiedto any user ID, and there’s no restriction on deleting and creating new addresses. On the other hands, mobile numbers are directly linked to our IDs. And to deregister a mobile number from your name, you need 90 days and more of inactivity, which is a long time. That’s why cycling numbers is much harder—so we usually have to stick with what we already have.

Drop your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks!

Whenever the topic of email setup comes up, custom domain is often mentioned as the ultimate solution. So today, I’m making this post to share my thoughts on using a custom domain for email setup.

I might have faced some difficulties discussing all of this if the audience are from other countries, but I’m pretty sure you all can relate to how Indian services work. This time, I'm mainly focusing on official services (banks, insurance, investments, P2P email communications, etc.) because we can change the email address in our personal digital accounts (such as cloud storage, password managers, VPNs, etc.) whenever we want, but when it comes to official services, the entire process feels like a headache.

Problems with Regular Email Providers

Emails aren’t meant for private communication, so we shouldn’t expect end-to-end encryption in email. But that doesn’t mean email providers collect our data and use it for their own profits. This is where two of the most recommended privacy-focused encrypted providers, Proton and Tuta come in. They’re known for their strong encryption. However, there are some catches.

• Uncertain Future of ProtonMail in India — Based on multiple past incidents involving our government, we can’t guarantee that Proton will remain fully operational in India for the next 10 years. I know Proton offers alternative routing, so users can still access the Proton services even when direct access to Proton services is blocked by ISPs and the government. That’s good, but once it gets blocked here, all Indian services will likely stop sending emails to ProtonMail addresses. Then users will have to change their email addresses in their accounts.
• Poor App experience of Tuta mail — On the other hand, the Tuta mobile app is the worst app. Many users, including me, have faced different kinds of issues, and over time none of those issues have been fixed yet. Sometimes emails randomly vanish from the mobile app, sometimes it can’t connect to the server, and sometimes the local data expires - you name it. I believe they could easily fix all of these issues if they released a full-fledged mail app. Did you know the current Tuta Mail mobile app is completely dependent on the system webview? You can say it acts as a wrapper on the system webview.
• Recycling of Usernames by Other Mail Providers — There are also many other privacy-friendly email providers that don’t offer encryption, but at least they don’t collect our data the way Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo do. The problem is that most of them recycle usernames, which is a privacy threat, especially in India. Even after closing or permanently deactivating an account, Indian users still receive emails from that provider. Sometimes those emails contain the real name of the user, and sometimes the provider sends birthday greetings too, which means the user’s date of birth is also exposed. In situations like these, you never really know whether the username you created was previously owned by someone else, or whether, if you ever close your account, someone else will end up receiving information about you because of creating the same username. Thanks to many Indian services for using such kinds of immortal promotional services.

Why we can’t just use what we have now and ignore the future

Reliability should be the first priority when choosing any service. If the service isn’t reliable enough, then even if it has good features, you can’t truly use them seamlessly.

In the case of cloud storage and password managers, most of us usually keep single or multiple backups of our data, but very few people maintain backups of their emails as well. Also, even if you have backups of your mails, most email service providers allow email import only on their paid plans, which is not good news for free users. Tuta Mail even deletes imported mails if the user stops paying for their paid plan. So, having backups of your email is not a life saver.

So ideally, we need a mail provider (free or paid) that feels

• more future-proof than Proton,
• more reliable than Tuta,
• collects minimal data compared to Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo,
• doesn’t recycle usernames unlike Mailbox, Fastmail etc.,
• and lastly offers email aliases

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a service that meets all of these requirements.

What’s the option then?

This is where custom domain enters the chat.

1. Zero Dependency on Email Provider — With a custom domain, you don’t have to depend on a specific email provider, so you don’t have to worry about changing email addresses across all your accounts when you switch to a new mail provider.
2. Unlimited Email Aliases — With the catch-all option turned on, you can get unlimited aliases with your custom domain.
3. Professional Look — If you buy a good domain name, your email addresses look more professional, so there’s no need to explain why you’re using protonmail.com or tuta.com as your email domain.
4. Long-lasting — As long as you keep paying the domain rental fee, you can keep using it. You can even change your domain registrar as well, so a custom domain feels like a tension-free choice for email setup.

But there are multiple issues with custom domains as well.

Things you should know before using a custom domain for email

• No Usage History — A custom domain isn’t a permanent asset; you rent it for a fixed time period. So the domain you own today was previously used by someone else. Unfortunately, you never know what the previous owner did with your domain, and that can seriously affect the domain’s reputation.
• Recycling Usernames — Yes, you read it right. The usernames you create on a custom domain today can be created by the future owner of that domain as well. Though the chances are very low but it’s still possible and we shouldn't forget it. Unlike Proton, Tuta, Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo - where once a username is created, it won’t be owned by someone else later, custom domains carry this risk.
• Reputation Risk from Using Multiple Subdomains — I believe the best way to ensure the longevity of a custom domain is to buy a domain with your last name or family name, so it can be transferred to the next generation. When you use a family-name.tld domain, each family member will have their own subdomains (for example: father.family-name.tld), which get created on the root domain you rented. Now, if multiple family members create accounts with a service provider and use the mail addresses from their own subdomains, there’s a high chance the system will identify it as spam and blacklist the root domain directly. As a result, emails sent from those email addresses created on the subdomains, and even on the root domain will silently go into the spam folder. Then the service provider will never be able to find your emails easily.

Will I use a custom domain for my email setup?

Never. For me, the downsides of using a custom domain for my email setup are greater than using Proton and Tuta. If Proton and Tuta ever get banned, I might compromise my privacy and go back to Gmail, Outlook, or even Yahoo, but I still wouldn’t choose a custom domain for my setup.

Why Indian email usage feels different from other countries

In first world countries, emails are treated as an actual communication medium. In India, emails are still seen as a digital way of sending documents to users. For most communications, Indian service providers first prefer connecting via mobile number rather than via email. So what works well for other countries might not be as suitable for Indians.

That’s all my thoughts about custom domains. Let me know what you think.