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- 1GrapheneOS adds RCS and encryption to its messaging app●GrapheneOS is overhauling its default apps, adding RCS support and end-to-end encryption to its messaging app. 🔐 It also
GrapheneOS is overhauling its default apps, adding RCS support and end-to-end encryption to its messaging app. The privacy-focused Android project also plans a secure clipboard feature that prevents apps from reading clipboard contents without user permission. Privacy-conscious users welcomed the move as a step toward more secure, private defaults on de-Googled phones.
- 2Android phones still send data to Google, privacy advocates warn●🤖 Le maillon faible (Android) Même avec les meilleures applis, votre téléphone tourne sous Android avec une surcouche co
Privacy discussions are highlighting that even with privacy-friendly apps, Android phones from manufacturers like Samsung and Xiaomi still run a manufacturer skin and keep communicating with Google. The suggested long-term fix is switching to alternative systems such as /e/OS or GrapheneOS, which strip out Google services for users seeking to limit data sharing.
- 3Android users urged to root devices as first step away from Google●RE: https:// mastodon.xyz/@nextcloud/117359 711364631730 if you cannot root an # android device, your most basic form of
A widely shared reply to Nextcloud on Mastodon argues that rooting an Android device is the basic starting point for de-Googling a phone. The steps suggested: download a browser from the Google Play store, allow software installation in settings, then get apps from F-Droid, the independent open-source app repository, instead of relying on Google services.
- 4
A tech guide is circulating explaining how users can search for anything on their smartphones, covering Apple's iPhone, Samsung's Galaxy line and Google's Pixel devices. The piece walks through built-in search tools that let people find files, settings, messages and apps across the three major phone platforms.
- 5Google admits some Android apps underperform on Intel-based devices●Google admits not every Android app runs great on Intel Googlebooks https://www.theverge.com/tech/1004643/google-android
Google has acknowledged that not every Android app runs well on Intel-powered devices, admitting compatibility and performance gaps as Android software is used beyond traditional ARM phones. The concession, reported by The Verge, confirms that users on Intel hardware may encounter apps with poor performance or behaviour, a known pain point for anyone running Android apps on non-ARM machines.
- 6New guide explains de-Googling Android without breaking apps●📢 New on TechLoverHD: 🔥 De-Googling Android Without Breaking Daily Apps: The 2026 Sandboxed Play Services & MicroG Playb
A new guide outlines how to remove Google services from Android phones in 2026 while keeping everyday apps working, using sandboxed Google Play Services and microG. It walks through setups popular on privacy-focused ROMs like GrapheneOS. The approach is drawing attention among Android users looking to cut Google from their devices without sacrificing usability.
- 7Waterstones app confirmed working on de-Googled /e/OS in the UK▼If you live in the UK, just letting you know that the Waterstones app works perfectly in /e/OS # DeGoogled # iPhone # eO
UK users of /e/OS, the privacy-focused Android system that strips out Google services, are being told the Waterstones bookshop app runs without problems on it. The tip matters for people trying to move away from mainstream Google-connected phones, where app compatibility is often the biggest obstacle. Waterstones is one of the first mainstream British retail apps to get a clean bill of health from this community.
- 8Barcode Scanning on Android Without Google Play Services●Originally published on the Capawesome blog. Barcode scanning works on Android devices without... # ionic # android # mo
A tutorial from Capawesome explains how to implement barcode scanning in Capacitor-based Android apps without relying on Google Play Services. The approach matters for devices without Google's services, such as de-Googled phones, custom ROMs, and budget hardware, letting Ionic developers keep apps fully functional across a wider range of Android devices.
- 9Google Phone app brings back Contacts tab●Google Phone app brings back Contacts bottom bar tab Last year’s Material 3 Expressive redesign of the Phone by Google a
Google is restoring the Contacts tab to the bottom bar of its Phone app. The tab was removed during last year's Material 3 Expressive redesign, a change that frustrated many users who relied on quick access to their contact list. Its return addresses one of the most common complaints about the redesign.
- 10New Wear OS app brings Pixel Now Playing to any smartwatch●This app gives Wear OS the Pixel music feature Apple already copied A new Wear OS app puts Pixel’s Now Playing where it
A new app for Wear OS smartwatches brings Google's Pixel 'Now Playing' feature, which automatically identifies music playing nearby, to devices beyond the Pixel lineup. The feature, long exclusive to Pixel phones and watches, had already been copied by Apple for Apple Watch users. Android coverage of the app argues the feature belongs on all Wear OS wrists, not just Google hardware.
- 11Google Phone app brings back Contacts tab after backlash●Google’s Phone app begins reverting one of its most controversial changes It has taken a while, but the Contacts tab is
Google has begun rolling back one of its most controversial changes to the Phone app, restoring the Contacts tab in the beta version. The removal had frustrated many Android users who relied on quick access to their contact list. The reversal is now reaching users through the app's beta channel.
- 12Google Admits Some Android Apps Struggle on Intel-Based Googlebooks●Google Acknowledges Some Android Apps Don’t Run Well on Intel-Based Googlebooks
Google has acknowledged that certain Android apps do not run well on Intel-based Googlebooks, its laptop line that supports Android applications. The admission points to ongoing compatibility issues between apps designed for ARM-based phones and Intel chip hardware. No details were given on which apps are affected or when fixes might arrive.
- 13Sepamo home screen app now works without Google services●Last week someone here told me he'd like to try Sepamo, but his phone runs /e/OS, with no Google at all. So this weekend
A developer has released a version of Sepamo, an Android home screen app, that runs without any Google components, after a user on /e/OS — a de-Googled Android system — wanted to try it. The no-Google build works without Google sign-in or Play Services and is available via the developer's website, sepamo.com/download.
- 14CareShield app offers gentle check-ins for elderly relatives●We're fine. The app tells them. CareShield is gentle: if a phone stays quiet past the window we chose, it asks us first,
A mobile app called CareShield is being promoted that monitors whether a person's phone has gone quiet for a chosen period of time. Instead of raising an alarm, it first asks the user directly; only if there is no response does it notify family members, described as the person's children. The app, made by PulseSoul and free on Google Play, is pitched as optional and non-intrusive, aimed at relatives who want reassurance that an older parent is fine without constant calls.
- 15Android 17 tightens defenses against hidden spyware●Android 17 makes it harder for spyware to cover its tracks
Google's upcoming Android 17 release will make it harder for spyware to conceal itself on devices. The update introduces changes that limit the ways stalkerware and surveillance apps can hide their tracks, strengthening protections for users whose phones may be secretly monitored by abusive partners, employers or other malicious actors.