Looking for some help with my Oneplus Nord CE3 Lite. I have had this phone for a couple months and looking to harden this phone make it a safe privacy friendly phone and avoid the constant monitoring and spying and being tracked and monitored. I want to limit the surveillance and monitoring best i can with this phone. Not interested in CUSTOM ROM and there isnt any available for my phone right now. So what is my options without that and how do i make this a safe phone?
Thanks
If you’re not using a custom ROM, you’re leaking info like a sieve to OnePlus. I moved to LineageOS because the default OS was sending every app you opened and when to the mothership. Even if they’ve stopped that, they’ve got every incentive to suck you dry, and you’ll spend much more time fighting your OS than if you just switch to a different one.
Source: https://www.chrisdcmoore.co.uk/post/oneplus-analytics/
Although OnePlus promise to change (https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/15/16479330/oneplus-privacy-complaints-oxygenos-cybersecurity), I dont like giving big company like OnePlus (which is owned by BBK) a second chance.
Hi. Thank u for reply. Is there any smartphone hardening/smartphone hardening guide you can recommend applicable for my current phone? Oneplus
F-droid is good like the other comment suggested. Aurora store is good for anything not available on F-droid.
One thing you can do is track what network connections apps are making with something like https://f-droid.org/packages/com.emanuelef.remote_capture/. It won’t help if the OS really wants to do malicious things, but you can monitor your apps at least
You can use Rethink firewall and dns on Fdroid to block the oneplus analytics and whatever you aren’t comfortable with.
Doesn’t Google record this info already?
Definitely avoid using Google products as much as possible. Use Aurora and F-Droid to install apps.
F-Droid at least will have basic open source apps that replace things like your SMS messenger and phone launcher as examples
The google services are preinstalled they’ll send data nonetheless
You can disable a good amount of the apps, does that prevent it from sending data?
Google Play Services is probably the only one that you’ll still have to leave on unfortunately. Full privacy isn’t going to be obtainable this route
What VPN should i use for this phone?
Doesn’t matter, as VPN proxies don’t significantly contribute to privacy protection when you’re running frigging Google Play Services and whatnot.
From my experience Mullvad is the way to go for privacy. They’re only about $5 USD a month and have a great app available from F-Droid.
I recommend you to root your phone. With a rooted device you can debloat your phone very easily with UAD (universal Android debloater) for example. Delete any Google related app and of course any diagnostic app from OnePlus. After you deleted Googles apps including gms (!) You can install microG via an magisk module named microG installer for magisk. You don’t need the Playstore, use Aurora instead. But first search on Fdroid if there is an opensource alternative for what you’re looking for.
All of this might take an evening, but after it, you have peace of mind. Note that for root, you’ll have to unlock the bootloader. This will wipe your data, so do a backup beforehand.
If you want to, I can give you a more detailed guide.
Hi thank u for this and yes can u please send me a PM so we can discuss this further?
All modern smartphones have these trackers baked within, why this even a standard anyway? This should be considered as spyware.
CCP phone, hard pass.
Just get a Pixel.
Whilst it’s true that some components of most phones come from China, OnePlus full supply chain including software does.
When geopolitic turns into war finally the last thing I’d want to be doing is holding a phone that relies on a CCP supply chain.
Yeah get a phone that’s monitored by entities in your own country and can actually use it against you instead of the ones halfway across the planet. That’s the intelligent move.
It’s shocking I know but it’s “the enemy you know”. Also im all about Calyx and cutting Google out of my life. At least when I flash the OS on my phone I’m comfortable that Google is actually gone for good.
“the enemy you know” to be in the same geography as you and be capable to use the data against you, yes.
With the other enemy, you know your data in their hands is a much less of a threat to you. They’re so far away and do not have authority on your country.
And btw, Google is never gone for good. Not even with Calyx
Bullshit.
The enemy I don’t know has a long history of human rights abuses, persecution of minorities and espionage. And your data will become a weapon in the event of a world war 3.
Calyx has absolutely no Google login required for it, no wall of text EULA or privacy policy due to there being no online conponents. I don’t even have a Google account. Whereas stock android you need a Google account to use it. Not to mention reinforcement of security via firewalls, Tor and sandboxing.
a long history of human rights abuses, persecution of minorities and espionage
Hmm, I wonder which countries this applies to… It’s crazy how you missed the irony of this
And your data will become a weapon in the event of a world war 3.
Dude… You’re living in some video game fantasy world. Your activity browsing social media and watching over-confident youtubers will not give China an edge in world war 3. I guarantee you.
On Calyx, most android apps require Google services. How do you address this? Calyx’s solution for this is providing microG, a stripped down Google services. Still, they’re Google services…
Most of my apps are FOSS without Google services.
What VPN should i use on my Oneplus Nord CE3 Lite
microG is optional. Additionally, your claim that “most Android apps require Google services” is unverified and depends heavily on the user and where their apps are sourced.
