Last time updated: 6/18/21 at 6:44 PM (10 minute read)
The problem:
We expose ourselves daily to a multitude of dangers when we use our smartphones. A constant connection to cell-towers, GPS satellites and the internet puts our privacy and security at a constant risk of being breached. Our mobile devices are our weakest link since we carry them around with us all the time to almost any place we go. Unless completely turned off or without any power they are sending various data points to across the globe such as our location, the phone’s status and many more – by default.
Obviously our phones send more than just that depending on the users settings and apps which they’ve got installed. A problem lies within the individuals attitude towards data collection and their lack of knowledge and care for that topic but also with one more thing: The phone itself and the operating system it’s running.
The first only real choices most people make when deciding to buy a smartphone is whether it’s an Android or an iPhone. Whilst both operating systems are increasing their emphasize on implementing more privacy into their operating systems via i.e more and better privacy settings both by default still collect way too much data about you than is necessary. This is a problem.
Whilst people on iOS may experience a better out of the box privacy experience than people using your average Samsung or other mainstream android phone manufacturers devices there’s a much bigger offering when having an Android.
Apple doesn’t allow you to install the official Tor Browser nor Orbot which are essential tools for a lot of people seeking anonymity when browsing. You’re also unable to download APKs which for those unaware what they are are apps that you can download from other sources other than the official AppStore. This isn’t even everything yet I’m not making an Apple vs Android review here.
When you care for privacy you’re getting an Android phone and ideally you’re getting a Google Pixel phone. Why you might ask? Because Android in an open-source project which therefore can be modified and forked. This changes everything if you’re really serious about your privacy and security because of the ability to install custom roms which can increase your privacy and security by quite a lot.
A couple of examples for such custom roms are GrapheneOS, LineageOS, CalyxOS and many more whereas I’m going to be focusing on the latter one which is CalyxOS, which I’m currently using on my daily driver smarthphone being the Google Pixel 4a.
CalyxOS Introduction:
So this is my first official review of the Pixel 4a running the latest version of CalyxOS which as of the time of writing is CalyxOS version 2.6.1 codenamed “sunfish” for the Pixel 4a. I have been using CalyxOS since the day I got my new phone which was in November last year making me having used the phone and the OS for more than half a year now. Prior to this I had been using a OnePlus 6 as my daily driver for more than two and a half years (which btw I still use and enjoy) though I felt the need to upgrade to a more privacy friendly and secure phone so I informed myself:
After reading and watching multiple reviews I came to the conclusion to settle with CalyxOS on a still very recent released Pixel 4a. The reason I choose Calyx over Graphene althoug it has greater hardening is convenience. Right out of the box Calyx felt like you’re average Android experience but with an emphasize on directly giving you the right tools for you’re privacy without any of that unwanted BS.
It felt and feels pleasant to use. Not having the worry of having daddy Google track your every movement is uplifting for someone who went all crazy trying to delete Google out of their life but then realising they’ll still somewhat stuck with them through the connection of Google Play Services which they couldn’t deinstall.
Sure enough the installation process wasn’t the most intuitive but you’ll get it done with a bit of time on your hand. All that follows like I said is just very familiar. F-Droid is installed by default which opens up a big library of awesome open source apps to download to your phone. If for whatever reason you still need an app that’s only on the Google Play store than you can have it too, with or even without using your Google account through the Aurora store which with the help of microG gives you a great gateway towards those apps.
CalyxOS runs smooth and you’ll find everything where it should be. The enhanced privacy settings as well as the latest Android updates and security patches puts you in control. Combine that with a VPN or VPN-like service such as Netguard or Orbot and you can really control what’s coming in and what’s going out.
My setup:
Having a solid operating system is only a part of the solution to more control and ownership of your data. That’s why I primarily run well-known and good FOSS alternatives to the services and apps I’ve been using on my previous phone.
To name a few:
- Bitwarden (Online Password-Vault)
- FreeOTP+ (One-Time Passwords)
- K-9 Mail (Main E-Mail Client)
- Netguard (Network traffic monitoring)
- Bromite (Main Browser)
- Posidon Launcher (Favorite UI Launcher)
- Signal, Session, Element (Private Messengers)
- NewPipe (YouTube Client)
- Barista and Slide (FOSS Instagram and Reddit Clients)
…and some other FOSS Apps for daily usage.
These apps among the built-in settings and software provided by CalyxOS help me on a daily basis secure my data and to spill less of it. Of course my approach to handling my private data is still very much not perfect nor complete and so I strive to try out promising projects and support them.
