this post was submitted on 25 Jun 2025
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Google’s Gemini team is apparently sending out emails about an upcoming change to how Gemini interacts with apps on Android devices. The email informs users that, come July 7, 2025, Gemini will be able to “help you use Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, and Utilities on your phone, whether your Gemini Apps Activity is on or off.” Naturally, this has raised some privacy concerns among those who’ve received the email and those using the AI assistant on their Android devices.

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[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 38 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Dammit don't make me switch to apple phones, I hate apple. I hate Google too but FFS all you need to do is stay out of my way and the one thing you continuously do is stand in my way...

GTFO of my way! Piss off with that AI crap that nobody asked for

[–] stardust@lemmy.ca 8 points 22 hours ago

Apple is pushing AI even for their Mac lineup. Apple is a US company and had to be forced to allow Sideloading in select regions. Jumping to another US company seems like a lateral move.

Moving to dumb phones or custom ROMs is the best alternative available.

[–] Griffus@lemmy.zip 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)

An ungoogled android variant has to be a lot lesser of an evil, no?

[–] EarlGrey@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Problem is that if you have a critical application (like banking) that relies on Google services you're SOL.

It's Apple or Google at that point.

[–] flightyhobler@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Just use the websites instead of the apps.

[–] SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world -1 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

But then you can’t tap to pay with your phone.

[–] flightyhobler@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago

Well then I guess you will have to sell your soul to the devil for those extra seconds of convenience

[–] Vanilla_PuddinFudge@infosec.pub 10 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

"Do you guys not have laptops?"

[–] oppy1984@lemm.ee 6 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

GrapheneOS can sandbox apps to use the Google services only with permitted apps.

Note I don't actually have a GrapheneOS capable phone at the moment, but I've been getting familiar with it in hopes of switching soon, so I'm just relaying what I've read.

[–] percent@infosec.pub 2 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

You guys are really making me consider GrapheneOS.

[–] bilb@lemmy.ml 1 points 4 hours ago

Its what made me buy a pixel phone.

[–] Evotech@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

The apple who recently put AI as the core element of their os?

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today -1 points 1 day ago

You dont have to switch phones entirely, and you're better off if you dont. iCrap is still far worse than anything Google is coming out with.

Just switch to a different dialer/phone app to replace "Phone" and a different SMS/MMS app to replace 'Messages". I've used "Should I Answer" in the past for my default phone app, and I currently use QKSMS for texting.