Note: I prefer Apple over Google and I’m not ready to go full privacy-hardened, I want to find a balance between convenience and privacy protection.
So I’m moving from Samsung to iPhone soon, mainly because I despise Google. Want to cut Google out as much as possible while I’m at it.
What I’m planning so far:
- Mailbox.org instead of Gmail
- DuckDuckGo for search, would prefer something even better
- Safari with all the privacy stuff turned on
Where I’m stuck:
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What about YouTube? Just use the web version?
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Google Drive alternatives that actually work well?
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Best way to store photos that aren’t big greedy corps?
Questions:
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Any must-have privacy apps once I get the iPhone?
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Settings I should change immediately out of the box?
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Services I’m forgetting that are probably feeding Google my data?
I would consider GrapheneOS instead of iOS. GrapheneOS provides full compatibility with Android without Google, and you can optionally install Google Play Services. Apple is as bad as Google in some aspects.
As for your main questions, these are my suggestions:
- Email: Proton Mail or Tuta Mail
- Search Engine: DuckDuckGo or Mullvad Leta for search engines, or SearXNG for a metasearch engine
- Browser: GrapheneOS’s Vanadium browser
- YouTube: LibreTube for mobile or FreeTube for desktop
- Cloud Storage: There are many options, but a familiar option for you would be Proton Drive
- Photos: Aves Gallery or Gallery, with network permissions disabled
Most of these are Android-only, because iOS is still privacy invasive by nature. More software can be found on my list of software.
Cheers!
I like Grayjay for YouTube and also other video platforms
My prefered is Youtubed Revanced
“What about YouTube? Just use the web version?” Web versions are almost always more secure than the mobile app version of any app. The browser provides more security enforcement than app security.
