cross-posted from: https://thelemmy.club/post/11226460
This post is going to be a bit personal (and maybe a little bit out of context, it’s not just Google software I want to remove) but I’m tired of not knowing what to do about it. I want and have wanted to get rid of a bunch of proprietary software in my life, including but not limited to Google’s software, for quite a while now, and I even got a Pixel 7A with hopes of installing GrapheneOS. But there are a few problems. First, my parents are understandably concerned and need me to use Google Maps’ location sharing whenever I go to school. All my classmates use Instagram and we have that as our only messaging platform. I currently use DFInstagram, but I feel that it is not free from spyware. Finally, I also own a DJI Mini 3 Pro, and the associated DJI Fly app just refuses to work under GrapheneOS (I tested). Is there anything I can do to replace or limit the access of these aforementioned proprietary apps?
For whatever it’s worth, your parents requirement that you let them track you at all times just to go to school, is not actually particularly reasonable. Less than 10 years ago that would have been seen as insane helicopter parent behavior. But that’s probably outside your control, so if they won’t budge on it you could at least ask them to use an app that isn’t google maps. This would work if you were willing to self host it or something, or OsmAnd seems to have that feature integrated with telegram
The drone you can probably replace DJI Fly with sideloaded Dronelink: https://support.dronelink.com/hc/en-us/articles/15304402363411-Mini-3-Mini-3-Pro-Support-Overview but no guarantees it will work better on graphene than DJI Fly
As far as instagram goes, you’re pretty much stuck with trying to push people off of it for messaging afaik, or just locking down the app as much as you can. A VPN could prevent them from seeing your IP, and locking down the app’s permissions as much as possible would be a good idea too, but honestly the main thing is to just push for a different messenger. I got my friend group to switch a few times over the years. But it took a long time, and a decent chunk of them are tech-y people
Self-hosting seems like my best choice for now, primarily because my parents don’t really want to use new messengers like telegram, because they already have to use Viber, Meta’s Messenger, WhatsApp, and who knows how much more, add to that that I already have a makeshift home-server out of an old laptop. Also, it’s not “all times”, it’s just when I’m at school.
Instagram I guess I’ll just have DFInstagram isolated on a separate user account on GrapheneOS.
As for the drone, I’ll try DroneLink but I have heard that it may be possible to get DJI Fly working, albeit you have to give it a lot of permissions, thus requiring that you isolate it on a separate user account.
Honestly that’s weirder lol
Just so you don’t skip school? eh whatever. If you don’t mind it then who cares
Anyhow good luck