this post was submitted on 23 Apr 2025
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DeGoogle Yourself
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I am not an expert.
Many many apps rely on google play services to function, basically for most of the data fetching, push notifications, authentications, etc. Disabling it will break those apps as a result. Since your data is fed through those services you cannot maintain privacy from google without doing so.
So yes, you should disable google play for privacy, but you will need to find replacement apps in many cases.
Graphene does a thing where it "sandboxes" google play services, preventing it from grabbing unnecessary data like your real time location telemetry. I think this lets you use those apps that need it, but they will still get some of your data where thats being used. Banking apps are notorious for needing it for authentication, but you can easily use a different map app like magic earth to avoid google services for other needs.
I'm still exploring this and learning so those are just examples I know of. Not sure how much else this will break if you aren't using graphene to manage it.
I am wary of ever recommending to completely block or avoid updates. Generally this means opening yourself up to security concerns.
With banking apps - it actually depends. I found out that in my country, most banks' apps (like, all the big ones except for one) don't require Google services, since requiring them would cut off a lot of users with Chinaphones (Huawei being the biggest example). The NFC payments in them are also their own implementation, independent from the Google one.
However, in case of at least one bank, the apk download link was hidden behind some dark patterns (ironically, less hidden than Signal's apk, lol), trying to instead direct people onto the national app store.
I lucked out and my banking app is fine too. Weirdly its the wifi garage door opener which came with my house that refuses to work. I took it offline and am back to a remote now. I may replace it someday when I finally get home assistant going.