Cool, cool. Do mini PCs come with an OS preinstalled? And what are some good wireless keyboard brands?

Oh sweet! So, let’s say I install MAX on the mini PC; will it show up as a clickable app on the TV or will I always have to use the PC to click on things/start shows/etc?

They don’t seem to accept books in .pdf form, any solution?

I also had another question. I’ve tried to get my parents to use NextDNS, but they think it’s blocking too many sites (like "sponsored websites) so they don’t use it. I wonder if I should use a DNS on my router at all because I don’t want my visitors to get blocked from any sites, or is there a way to configurate NextDNS so it doesn’t block those sponsored sites?

Furthermore, what are the consequences of using a VPN and DNS on a router AND your phone (different locations, etc)?

I was gonna make this exact same post, only in a couple of months lol. Can vouch for MullvadVPN being good. My favourite music players are Gramophone and Metro. I haven’t managed to figure out how to use KeePassDX, though, and how to import passwords from ProtonPass.

Is it necessary to use PiHole if I already use NextDNS? Do I need PiHole to configurate NextDNS if I want all the ads gone on each device connected to the Wi-Fi?

Solid advice. I already know what brand is good in my area (Bahnhof), and I’ve enjoyed using Mullvad and NextDNS, so I already know what VPN and DNS I’m comfortable with.

I’ve always been a bit confused about the exact purpose of PiHole, what it is and such, but I’ll have to read up on it and see if it fits my needs.

? I’m a European Pixel user.

Is ProtonPass okay?

I’m glad there are other GOS users out there with only one profile and Play services. I tried out multiple profiles, and even though there might be benefits to it, it was just too inconvenient and inefficient for me. Hopefully Google doesn’t steal all my device contents though lolz

Yup. Bought a secondhand 7a for ~$250. Maybe I should have looked for an 8, but honestly I don’t think the 7a is too bad all considered.

Thanks for the answer. My sensor permission is on for all apps, naturally, but I wasn’t sure if this was safe or privacy-invasive, so your comment definitely helped clear things up! Do you think it’s a good idea to leave the permission on for all apps?

Maybe a stupid question, but what is the difference between sensors and location permission?

Excuse my ignorance, but why not use your own G account?

Thank you for sharing this. Honestly, right now, I simply don’t feel a need to use profiles for my apps. I understand some people claim I probably should considering I use both FOSS and Google apps, but I’m just getting started with this whole privacy thing and I don’t feel like rushing. Using only one profile probably isn’t the absolute worst thing you could do, eh?

the privacy benefits of Graphene OS are ESPECIALLY impactful if you’re using invasive apps. The whole point of setting up all of the extra sandboxing, storage limits, network restrictions, yadda yadda yadda, is specifically for people who might need or want to still leverage some apps from bigger, less trusted providers.

Honestly, this resonated with me very well. This excerpt alone motivates me to keep using and committing to GOS because it just makes sense. Now, I don’t know the technical aspects of these kinds of things, but I imagine using Facebook Messenger on GOS is preferable to using it on a regular iPhone. Perhaps. Meh, whatever, I like the feel of GOS and its community, so I suppose it doesn’t matter that much.

I have heard Aurora is more insecure and you can risk getting your Google account blacklisted or banned using it. Do you have any experience with this or know how common it is?

Do you know if it’s safe to download banking apps from third party stores (in this case Aurora)?

I’m more curious about the privacy aspect of using Aurora over Play, especially considering since I will be logged into my G account.

What is the main difference between using Play Store and Aurora store (logged in with your Google account)?

It’s actually nothing but beginner paranoia. Will it work properly even on a custom ROM, is the main question spinning in my head.

Interesting. I’ll check this out later.

Yes. The reason I don’t use Aurora is because I’ve heard it’s instable sometimes and uses many anonymous Google accounts in order to install apps. I feel safer using my own burner account for that.

Thanks for the heads-up!

I just feel weird about these things I don’t recognise because I fear they hoard my data or expose my phone to dangers. Should I grant Google Framework Services all location preferences then…?

Thank you, I’ll do that!

Sorry, I ended up finding it using a different cable. I’m in the middle of installing Grapheneos but my screen is stuck on fastbootd and “Restarting device.” I installed the Android driver from Windows updates a few minutes ago so should I just wait until the bootloader interface appears again or should I press “reboot to bootloader”?

I like them. You get 40GB for free, so that’s appreciative. Opening documents can take some time, especially on mobile, but I don’t have any major complaints generally.

Do you know how Filen compares to Nextcloud or Syncthing? It’s definitely confusing to try to navigate in this huge technical world and know what service is the best haha

Hi, thank you for the comment! I’m very interested in those links about getting started with NextCloud. :)

Hi! Thank you so much for the all the links, I really appreciate it. And thank you for introducing me to both Filen and Cryptee. Regarding Filen, I have a question. It says the price for lifetime starter is €30, but are there any other lifetime options (such as for the pro plans) that offer more storage?

I will read more into this, but it sounds reasonable. If I were to get a Pixel, is there any particular model I should get or does it not matter? Does Graphene support all models?

In that case, would you not recommend Motorola? I’m not very well versed on their terms of privacy, and I really like the way they look and how seemingly good the battery is, but if it’s considered unsafe or full of malware then I might need to look other ways.

It’s really too bad Graphene doesn’t seem to support Samsung phones, or any phone that isn’t Google.

I remember I tried out Spotube on my computer but the code wouldn’t work. Also a minus it’s not available on iOS. How does Graphene differ from Lineage, in any way that it is preferable?

I’m not educated enough to comment on most of your points, so here is my set-up:

• Web: Safari on iPhone with Google browser, Firefox + uBlock origin on desktop with Google browser. I had DDG for a while but I missed the short summary answers you get when you type in a question to Google. I am not in a place to pay for a browser (i.e. Kagi).

• Mobile: iPhone with free tier NextDNS. I am looking into buying a Samsung S9/S10 to install LineageOS on. It’s been a while I used Android so I’m not sure how easy that will be. I store all my passwords in Apple’s “Passwords” in settings, and all of them are 20+ characters long and complex (I use a generator whenever I make a new password). Any suggestions on (free/FOSS) password storers?

• Messenger: I use Facebook messenger to communicate with my family as only my sister and I have iOS. Furthermore, FB is the only social media I have besides Lemmy.

• Email: I use ProtonMail but am considering switching to Tutanota. I don’t have the opportunity to pay for a mail provider right now.

• Music/streaming: I use Spotify for music. I use FreeTube for YT on desktop only. My parents pay for Netflix & HBO and so I watch them sometimes, although I have made it a habit to pirate movies online. Also books. Part of me wants to download my music from Spotify and store it somewhere, but iPhone Drive isn’t the greatest when it comes to that. Maybe somebody has (free/FOSS) suggestions?

• Misc: I never pay with cash since most stores don’t take it. I use Bluetooth earphones. I don’t game.

Keep in mind I am relatively new to the piracy / privacy community and there’s a lot of terms I don’t know. I hope to improve my privacy and receive advice from more experienced people. Cheers!

Thanks!

This is exactly what my father says whenever I tell him I don’t feel comfortable having a bunch of corporate-owned platforms that eat my data away.