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Android Authority
3 days ago
- Business
- Android Authority
I switched to indie apps for privacy, and now my workflow is a mess
Joe Maring / Android Authority I just wanted to send a file from my Android phone to my Windows 11 PC. It should have been easy, but I had de-Googled my life, and suddenly, I was stuck. Quick Share was gone. Google Drive wasn't an option. Docs and Keep were also out of the picture. My new setup relied on a handful of indie tools, and they weren't cooperating. Microsoft's Phone Link wasn't working (again), and my Canadian cloud service was as slow as molasses. It was at that moment I realized escaping Big Tech only sounds good in theory. The practice turned out to be much more difficult than it should have been. Here's what I learned trying to live a Big Tech-free life, and why I'm still picking up the pieces. Have you tried de-Googling your digital life? 0 votes Yes, I use mostly indie apps NaN % I've tried, but went back to Big Tech NaN % Not yet, but I've thought about it NaN % No, Big Tech just works for me NaN % My third-party app setup to replace Google Andy Walker / Android Authority I've grown tired of handing over my data to enormous monopolies that treat me like a product. Google reads my emails, Facebook tracks me across the internet, and Amazon is always spying on me. I didn't want that anymore. I wanted to support independent developers building thoughtful, purposeful software. I didn't want to be part of an algorithm or a data-scraping scheme for AI. So I set some ground rules for my new digital life. I was looking for apps that were not US or Chinese-owned. If there was an app in the US that I absolutely needed, then it should be a nonprofit, like Firefox. If it was Canadian, my home turf, it jumped to the top of the list, but Australian and European apps were fine. Big Tech was an instant no. Here's what I ended up using: Sync instead of Google Drive Obsidian instead of Keep ToDoist instead of Tasks Elemental instead of chats Kobo instead of Kindle VLC instead of YouTube Music Firefox instead of Chrome Ecosia instead of Google Search Fastmail instead of Gmail I didn't expect perfection, but I hoped I could build a modern, and private, workflow that did 90% of what I used to do. What I ended up with was a fragmented, friction-filled experience that cost me a lot of money and valuable time. How my replacement apps fared Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority I went with Fastmail to replace Gmail. This is a fast and clean email service from Australia. It's private, it handles email as well as Gmail, and it comes with a suite of tools included in the annual $50 fee. I ended up falling in love with Fastmail, and it has completely replaced all other emails in my life. I wish I could say the same for Sync. This is a Canadian cloud storage service with strong encryption and no tracking. It felt good ethically, but practically, I found it slow and clunky. File uploads from my Android took forever to appear on my PC, and the mobile app looks dated. I swapped out YouTube Music for my own MP3 and FLAC files, stored locally on my phone. It felt good to return to the old iPod days, and VLC has a solid music player that can handle pretty much any music file. I own thousands of tracks from the old days, and it felt liberating to stop renting my music from Big Tech. My switch to Kobo was similar, although now I was buying my ebooks from Indigo, Canada's biggest bookstore, instead of Amazon. It felt liberating to stop renting my music from Big Tech. Nathan Drescher Obsidian became my replacement for Keep and Docs, and it was not fun. Obsidian is powerful on desktop, but slow on mobile. I never liked how it looked or felt. While it got the job done, there was always something missing. I tried the plugins, read the forums, and watched the videos, but in the end, I ended up never using it. ToDoist, on the other hand, has always been a pleasure to use, and I will continue using it until the day they take my Android from my hands. Bogdan Petrovan / Android Authority I ended up falling in love with Firefox. Then, its owners decided to change the terms and declared ownership over everything I did in the app. I shopped around for a replacement and settled on Vivaldi, albeit reluctantly. Chromium still has Google's hands all over it, after all. The biggest failure was messaging. I experimented with Element, a decentralized, encrypted platform built with the Matrix protocol. It sounded like a great idea, but setting it up is a pain. Ultimately, getting anyone else to use it is impossible. Good luck explaining decentralized protocols to my mom. She's fine with Messenger. Going indie ended up costing more than sticking with one platform Andy Walker / Android Authority Everything felt disjointed without a unified ecosystem. Notifications were delayed, or didn't arrive at all. I'd create a task in ToDoist but it wouldn't show up in my Fastmail calendar. Saving a file from Fastmail to Sync meant first manually downloading the file, then re-uploading it. No drag-and-drop, no auto-sync. Even copying a link from Obsidian into an email felt like more work than it should be. The financial cost alone proved to be confusing. I subbed to ToDoist, Fastmail, Obsidian sync, and None were outrageous on their own, but each one added up. I was still paying a lot, and for a messier experience. That said, I did gain some privacy and was able to support companies I believed in. But that smooth, invisible infrastructure that makes tools feel like extensions of my brain was missing, and it wasn't any cheaper. What big tech actually gets right Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Big tech gets one thing undeniably right: integration. For all its flaws, everything just works. You don't often notice how smoothly files sync across devices, emails link directly to calendars, and messages flow to their recipient. Tasks appear on calendars while attachments can save directly to Google Drive or OneNote. This convenience is invisible until it's gone. There's also a kind of cognitive relief that comes from using an ecosystem designed to hold your entire digital life. You don't have to juggle tools or rewire your brain every time you switch tasks. Google, Apple, and Microsoft have spent years building systems that anticipate what you'll need next. It's an experience most indie apps just can't match. What I'm keeping, and what I've learned Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority I'm not walking away from everything. Fastmail is staying, as is ToDoist. These are two solid apps worth every penny. I'm sticking with Vivaldi for now, using Ecosia as my search engine. I'm also sticking with local music files, and even set up a Plex server to stream videos and music from my PC to my Apple TV 4K. It just works. I'll keep Kobo, for now. I ditched everything else and went crawling back to Google. Keep is wonderful, and Google Drive has no equal. What I've learned is there is no such thing as a clean break when going indie. I know Proton is building its own ecosystem, with a simple single fee. I may try it next. In the meantime, it's hard to beat how good the big tech ecosystems makes everything feel.
The Sun
15-05-2025
- The Sun
The five signs your partner is SPYING on you through your phone – it's not just heating up because of the sunshine
A DIGITAL expert has revealed the warning signs that could mean your partner is spying on you through your phone. Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator, says suspicious activity on your device points to monitoring software that tracks messages calls and even your location. 1 And he warns that modern spyware stays hidden from users while collecting personal data and sending it to third parties. Here's the five signs to look out for that could mean spyware has been installed on your phone without consent. Battery draining fast If you notice the battery no longer lasts a full day without a recharge, and you've been using it as normal, it might be a sign that a spy app is installed on your phone. Marc says: "Spyware will drain your battery because it's continuously running in the background. "These monitoring apps never enter sleep mode and they need to constantly maintain active connections to send data to the remote server." According to the expert, this stealth activity uses significant power and ultimately causes batteries to drain much faster than normal. Unexpected phone heating "Phones become hot when spy applications consume processing resources," Marc said. Instead of cooling down when idle devices with monitoring software installed often remain warm to the touch even when not in use. This overheating happens as the spyware makes the processor work harder than necessary during normal operation. "The temperature increase is in most cases a direct result of unauthorised background processes running on your phone," Marc continued. I married my partner after 90 days & he cheated on me straight away - I didn't realise he had so many red flags Increased data usage Marc pointed out that unusual data consumption can also reveal hidden monitoring. "Check your data usage statistics in your phone settings," he advised. Monitoring apps need to send collected information to their controllers which requires internet connectivity and uses data allowances. "These applications will show up as consuming data in the background sometimes using substantial amounts if they're sending images or recording audio," he said. Many victims first discover spyware when they receive unexpected data limit warnings from their mobile providers. Strange texts or notifications "Watch for text messages containing random characters or codes," Marc also warned. Some basic monitoring apps use SMS commands to control the spyware installed on a device. These might appear briefly before disappearing as the software tries to hide from the user. "If you notice messages that arrive and then vanish or see notifications from apps you don't recognise these warrant immediate investigation," he said. Unusual activity when idle The final warning sign involves strange behavior when the phone should be inactive. "Your screen might light up when you're not using it or you might hear unexpected sounds during calls," Marc said. This happens because some advanced spyware allows remote activation of device functions including microphones and cameras. "These features allow someone to listen to your conversations or view your surroundings without your knowledge – a serious invasion of privacy," he added. Marc recommends performing regular security checks on all devices. "Remove applications you don't recognise run security scans using trusted software and check for apps with suspicious permissions," he said. The digital security expert also noted that it's important to have strong passwords and keeping devices physically secure when you are around people. "Never leave your phone unlocked around someone you don't fully trust, and always have a screen lock", he cautioned. UK law considers unauthorised surveillance of another person's device a criminal offence under the Computer Misuse Act with penalties including imprisonment in serious cases. Marc added that factory resets offer a last resort solution. "If you suspect your device has been compromised and can't resolve the issue yourself, a complete reset will remove most types of spyware," he said.
The Sun
15-05-2025
- The Sun
Five terrifying warning signs you're being spied on through your PHONE – how to check if a partner is snooping
Roisin Chapman, Lifestyle Reporter Published: Invalid Date, IF you suspect your partner has been snooping through your phone, these tell-tale signs may help confirm your suspicions. Tech experts have revealed the indicators to look out for to ensure your smart device is secure. 2 Digital pros have revealed the warning signs that might indicate someone has installed spyware on your phone. Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator, explained that suspicious activity on your device may point to monitoring software that tracks your messages, calls, and even your location. The expert warned that modern spyware can stay hidden from users while collecting personal data and sending it to third parties. He outlined the top five signs to look out for if you suspect your phone has spyware installed. BATTERY DRAINING FAST If you notice your phone battery no longer lasts a full day without a recharge despite no significant changes in your usage patterns,this could indicate a spy app has been installed on your phone. "Spyware will drain your battery because it's continuously running in the background," Porcar explained. "These monitoring apps never enter sleep mode and they need to constantly maintain active connections to send data to the remote server." According to the expert, this stealth activity uses significant power, ultimately causing your battery to drain much faster than normal. UNEXPECTED PHONE HEATING "Phones become hot when spy applications consume processing resources," Porcor explained. Rather than cooling down when idle, devices with monitoring software installed often remain warm to the touch. WhatsApp is closing down on three mobile devices in hours with users blocked from sending and receiving messages Overheating happens as the spyware makes the processor work harder than necessary during normal operation. "The temperature increase is in most cases a direct result of unauthorised background processes running on your phone," the expert said. INCREASED DATA USAGE Porcar also revealed that unusual data consumption can also reveal hidden monitoring. "Check your data usage statistics in your phone settings," the tech pro advised. Similar to battery consumption, monitoring apps also drain your date as they send collected information to their controllers. This process requires internet connectivity, using your data allowance. "These applications will show up as consuming data in the background, sometimes using substantial amounts if they're sending images or recording audio," Porcar explained. Many people first discover spyware when they receive unexpected data limit warnings from their mobile providers. STRANGE TEXTS OR NOTIFICATIONS "Watch for text messages containing random characters or codes," the tech expert warned. Some basic monitoring apps use SMS commands to control the spyware installed on a device. These might appear briefly before disappearing as the software attempts to go unnoticed by the user. "If you notice messages that arrive and then vanish or see notifications from apps you don't recognise these warrant immediate investigation," he explained. UNUSUAL ACTIVITY WHEN IDLE Another sign that your phone may contain spyware is your device behaving strangely when it should be inactive. "Your screen might light up when you're not using it or you might hear unexpected sounds during calls," Porcar said. According to the pro, this happens because some advanced spyware allows remote activation of device functions including microphones and cameras. "These features allow someone to listen to your conversations or view your surroundings without your knowledge," he added. The expert went on to describe this as "a serious invasion of privacy". To combat this, Porcar recommends performing regular security checks on all devices. "Remove applications you don't recognise, run security scans using trusted software, and check for apps with suspicious permissions," he advised. The digital security expert also noted that it's important to have strong passwords and keep devices physically secure when you are around people. "Never leave your phone unlocked around someone you don't fully trust, and always have a screen lock" he warned. UK law considers unauthorised surveillance of another person's device a criminal offence under the Computer Misuse Act, with penalties including imprisonment in serious cases. Porcar added that factory resets offer a last resort solution. "If you suspect your device has been compromised and can't resolve the issue yourself, a complete reset will remove most types of spyware," he said. 2
