I am just trying to minimize how much of my information can be used by anyone who wants it. What apps or tactics do you use to keep your phone safe from government and third-party spying programs? Curious if anyone feels the same. So, I looked into ways to protect my data and privacy. I researched and came up with tips to maintain privacy on Android phones. However, it’s pretty tricky to balance usability and privacy.
Some Tips to Maintain Privacy on Android:
I’m trying to find a balance between ease of use and security. When apps ask for permission to access certain parts on my phone, I assume it’s so that the app can do its job. I’m not completely stupid. I understand there are overreaches and extra, unnecessary permissions, but does limiting access cause issues within apps?
I would like to encrypt my phone, but then I wouldn’t be able to use my fingerprint to unlock it. If you really want to lock it down, install a custom ROM without gapps and use F-Droid to replace Google services with open-source apps.
It would be best to use the following apps instead of conventional apps to minimize the chances of your data getting into someone else’s hands.
- ExpressVPNÂ ensures a secure and high-speed connection.
- Use Afwall+ to limit internet access to only apps that need it.
- About:config: beacon. Enabled is set to false, and safe browsing entries are set to false, but this is optional.
- Signal Private Messenger for encrypted texting and Phone calls. (RedPhone and TextSecure made end-to-end encryption accessible to privacy-conscious folks who want to download an app. The formerly kept calls private, while the latter dealt with texts)
- Placemask enables you to spoof your GPS location.
- Private Internet Access allows me to encrypt all data leaving my phone through a VPN
- Firefox with privacy extensions for secure browsing.
- K9mail is connected to my email for email privacy.
- Boxcryptor so that everything I upload to Google Drive is encrypted and safe.
- Dashlane to manage all my passwords.
- Tinfoil for Facebook.
- Root, Install Xposed, and use x privacy.
- Enable encryption in system settings.
That’s all I could think of to maintain privacy on Android phones. If you would like to recommend some other great apps for privacy-conscious people, feel free to mention them in the comments. We are open to discussion, so if you want to give your point of view, let us know in the comments. Privacy is a major concern in this era. The earlier you realize this fact, the better it will be for you.
