Back when Netflix was in the business of sending DVD’s in the post, I bought my first Android phone.

I’d had phones before; the ones with proprietary apps and bloatware, but not an Android one.

When I eventually upgraded, my first Android phone became my first custom ROM phone, (running CyanogenMod ).

I’ve been ‘Team Android’ ever since.

Usage

First, I had to categorise my applications usage.

Not that taxi app that I last used in 2022 or the parking app that I had to download that time I was on holiday in Bournemouth.

Determine which apps I actually use.

Essential

These are that apps that I use throughout the day.

  • Phone (duh)

  • Signal

  • RSS Reader

  • Music Player

  • To-Do List

  • Email

Desirable

  • Banking

  • SSH

  • Maps

  • Weather

  • NFC Payments

Installation Options

It seems I have three options:

Vanilla Android

A bare metal install of the ROM.

No GApps.

Apps from F-Droid and the Aurora Store .

Vanilla Android + GApps - Play Store

A bare metal install of the ROM.

GApps so that location etc. function properly.

Apps from F-Droid and the Aurora Store .

Vanilla Android + GApps + Play Store

A bare metal install of the ROM.

GApps so that location etc. function properly.

A working, signed into Play Store so that GMail etc. work and previous purchases are available.

Installation Choices

OnePlus have abandoned updating this handset, and I wanted Android 15.

Besides I like tinkering.

For my hardware, a ‘OnePlus 7T Pro’ only two Custom ROM’s seemed available:

And:

Both have a working version of GApps with LineageOS using MindTheGapps and crDroid running NikGapps .

Installation Steps

Note: to install a custom ROM a few things need to be in place:

  • The bootloader needs to be unlocked

  • adb and fastboot need to be installed on the connected computer

I’m not going to cover any of the prerequisites here.

They are covered in great detail elsewhere on the Internet.

Both ROM installation steps are similar.

  • Enable USB Debugging on the phone

  • Boot to Bootloader

adb -d reboot bootloader

  • Check phone is connected

fastboot devices

  • Install the Recovery image

fastboot flash recovery recovery_filename.img

  • Reboot to Recovery

Press Volume +/- to get to 'Recovery Mode'

Press Power

  • In Recovery:

Factory Reset

Format data / factory reset

Format data

  • Sideload the ROM

Apply update

Apply from ADB

adb sideload rom_filename.zip

  • Reload Recovery if adding GApps

  • Sideload GApps (or other packages) if needed

Apply update

Apply from ADB

adb sideload gapps_filename.zip

  • Reboot (crossing fingers is optional)

LineageOS v crDroid

Both install.

Both boot.

Both work fine.

Both GApps function properly.

However, my banking app from the Aurora store works under the crDroid GApps version, ( NikGapps ).

It doesn’t work under the LineageOS GApps version, ( MindTheGapps ).

This was expected and there is even a comment about it with the LineageOS installation guide.

It is expected as add-ons aren’t signed with LineageOS’s official key!

So, What Did I Choose?

I tried de-Googling my phone a while back.

At that time I contacted a couple of the developers whose app I had paid for via the Play Store.

Some of them were gracious enough to send me an unlock code so that I could run a full version of their app outside of Google.

For me, choosing a non-Play Store installation was an easy choice.

So, even though I would prefer to be using LineageOS (for nostalgia reasons really, LineageOS is the successor to CyanogenMod), I’m running crDroid + NikGapps.

NikGapps because I spent hours reading and multiple ways to get GPS working to no avail.

microG looked promising, maybe LineageOS for microG will eventually support my handset.

Everything Changes

A different (non-Googles) way of doing things.

ConnectBot instead of JuiceSSH.

I should probably just bite the bullet and learn how to Termux .

OsmAnd~ instead of Google Maps.

With its integrated Wikipedia and traffic, it’s almost as good as Maps; I guess it’ll take a bit of getting used to.

Quillpad instead of Google Keep.

Yep, it’s a bit of a chore recreating Keep notes but it’s a one time thing.

(I will miss sharing notes with other Google accounts though.)

Thunderbird instead of GMail.

I’ve never really liked the Thunderbird (or it’s predecessors, K9) UI, however using TB does mean that I can use OpenPGP seamlessly .

Everything Stays the Same

I can still use Feeder which to be fair is my most used application.

Unobtainium

Signal only allow their messaging app to be downloaded through authorised channels (like the Play Store).

There is however an apk that can be side-loaded.

I can’t seem to find a Google Wallet replacement.

I suppose I can always slide my bank card into the phone case.

I’ve used the (paid for) PowerAmp music player for years.

Looks like I’ll be buying it again outside of the Play Store.

Next?

I’ve already written about simplifying my digital life .

I guess that the logical conclusion to this de-Googling is to remove myself from their ecosystem entirely.

At this point in time I only really use their mailboxes anyway.

I have a couple of Domains where, when you send an email to name@domain, it is forwarded to a Google e-mail address.

It would be a minor pain to archive those mailboxes and change how name@domain is collected.

Do-able though.