How To Remove Google Services From Android

Update (February 2019): The methods below will assistance on older Android versions, but we've recently revisited this topic. And so if yous accept a newer Android phone and you lot desire to get rid of Google, head here.

It seems like every week there is a new exposé revealing all of the backroom deals companies brand to sell their customer's information to the highest applicant. While we generally take this as a necessary evil to keep our phones cheap and apps complimentary, that doesn't necessarily have to be the only solution.

Google has tried to soften the accident by making it known that their data is collected anonymously, simply even anonymity doesn't make the pill easier to eat. I for one wasn't too fond of having my data collected, so I decided to attempt to remove as much of Google's presence on my Android as possible, while still maintaining a fully functioning device.

By following this guide, y'all'll exist able to replace just most every app that requires you to sign in with your Google business relationship, making information technology so at least one less tech giant has an "anonymous" motion-picture show of you lot.

Step 1: Delete Google from Your Phone or Tablet

I used a rooted OnePlus One for this guide since it allowed me to flash CyanogenMod, a custom ROM that doesn't come with whatever Google apps preloaded.

Yet, if you don't desire to root your device, you tin can achieve similar results in one of two ways. First, you can simply delete your Google account from Settings -> Accounts, and so become to your Google account and select the pick to remove it from the top-right menu.

How to Completely Banish Google from Your Android Experience

The second method is to manufactory reset your device and not sign in to your Google account during the initial setup. This won't remove Google'due south apps, but it will make it easier to prevent them from always signing in to your account and syncing data to Google's servers.

Manufacturers unremarkably have customized versions of Android on their devices, simply virtually should have the option to perform a Factory Information Reset in Settings -> Fill-in & reset. This will erase all data from your internal storage as well, so be sure to support all your photos and music before proceeding.

Lastly, since the post-obit apps will not exist installed from the Google Play Store, be sure that you lot've enabled installation from "Unknown sources" on your device.

Step 2: Install a Google Play Store Replacement

With your Google account banished, you lot've probably started to wonder how you lot'll go apps on your device. To fill the void left past the Play Store, I decided to go with F-Droid, a free app store with a catalogue of apps that are always gratis and open source.

Download F-Droid (.apk)

If y'all find that you need a specific app that is not hosted on F-Droid, yous can always use APKMirror to download virtually apps straight from your Android's browser.

F-Droid comes with its own update system for the apps it maintains, but for all your other apps, you'll need to use something like APKTracker to keep them upwardly to appointment.

Lastly, you can use the Amazon Appstore, which not only has many of the apps from the Google Play Store, but has a complimentary paid "App of the Day" download as well equally "coins" you tin can earn for paid apps. There's as well app update notifications.

Download the Amazon Appstore (.apk)

Step three: Replace Core Google Apps

Nigh manufacturers ship their phones with their ain gear up of apps that tin already replace about of Google'south apps, but if you are using a "naked" ROM like CyanogenMod, you lot volition demand to start from scratch. Below I have listed some the apps that stood out to me on my search to discover my platonic, free alternatives.

Google Calendar

Sunrise Agenda is a complete calendar replacement with the ability to link up to just about any calendar y'all take online, and looks and works much the same fashion as Google Calendar does. The app is then complete and polished that Microsoft actually caused the company in early on 2015.

Download Sunrise Agenda (.apk)

Today Calendar has only as good of an interface as Sunrise, simply without all the actress features that cause more than ataxia on the UI.

Download Today Agenda (.apk)

Google Drive

Google Drive is probably one of the easiest apps to supervene upon since there are plenty of cloud services freely available. Notwithstanding, if your main concern is backing up pictures and videos, then I'd suggest either Dropbox, Mega, Facebook, or Flickr, every bit each of these has an auto-backup option likewise equally enough of costless storage space.

Download Dropbox (.apk)
Download Facebook (.apk)
Download Mega (.apk)
Download Flickr (.apk)

Dropbox and Facebook offer the same amount of storage (2 GB), but if that isn't going to be plenty for yous, Mega offers 50 GB for free, and Flickr tops them with one TB.

Notation that while Facebook will only sync photos, Dropbox, Mega, and Flickr will sync photos and videos.

Google At present Launcher

Launchers are a dime a dozen nowadays, and so finding i to meet all of your specific needs shouldn't be besides hard. Personally, I use Apex Launcher considering of all the customization options it offers in its costless version.

Download Apex Launcher (.apk) {mirror}

Nova Launcher is too a solid option since information technology offers most of the aforementioned features as Noon. In the end, information technology's up to your personal preference.

Download Nova Launcher (.apk) {mirror}

Others you can play around with include HTC's BlinkFeed, LG's G3 Home Launcher, Nokia's Z Launcher, Flow Habitation, and Sony's Xperia Launcher.

Google Maps

Waze may have been purchased past Google a few years ago, but they accept washed a proficient job of keeping their new owner's presence absent from the app. Nevertheless, if yous are even so worried about your data passing through Google's servers, you may want to avoid creating a Waze account.

Download Waze (.apk)

Nokia's HERE Maps comes with even so traffic, GPS, and vocalisation navigation features as Waze, along with an "Offline" mode for when y'all don't have service.

Download Hither Maps (.apk)

Google Search

To replace the Google Search bar at the top of your launcher, you may want to consider DuckDuckGo's app and search widget. The app itself offers the same news and instant search features as the regular Google Search app, but with none of that data tracking Google is known for.

Download DuckDuckGo (.apk) {mirror}

Chrome Browser

Finding a replacement browser depends on what features you lot are looking for. If yous're still clinging to Flash and can't live without the option of additional add-ons, then yous should stick with Dolphin Browser.

Download Dolphin Browser (.apk)

But if you want all of the add-ons and the ability to sync all your data to a desktop browser, and then I'd say go for FireFox.

Download Firefox Browser (.apk)

On the other hand, if you value speed over plugins, so install Opera and activate the Turbo feature.

Download Opera (.apk)

Google At present Voice Assistant

Replacing "OK, Google" was probably the hardest office of this conversion, since it is a universal hot word that tin can be activated from any screen. While Evi cannot be activated on any screen, it can be activated through a habitation screen widget the same way the Google search bar works on the Google Now launcher, and it even replaces the usual robotic female voice with a sexy British accent.

Download Evi from the Amazon Appstore {mirror}

But if y'all are the type of person who likes to effort the newest apps out there, you may want to check out our guide on activating Hound on your Android without an invite. Unfortunately, Hound does not come with a home screen widget, so y'all will demand to open the app in lodge to perform any searches.

Download Hound (.apk)

Microsoft also plans to release its own voice assistant app, Cortana, as a beta in July, and so be sure to keep an eye out for that.

Gmail

Y'all could alway check your email through a spider web browser, but if you'd rather use a standalone app on your Google-gratuitous Android, you may desire to consider K-nine Post. This open-source app is just like the Gmail app that ships with Android, but with its community-driven team behind it, at that place are few bugs that slip through the cracks.

Downoad Chiliad-nine Mail from the Amazon Appstore {mirror 1, mirror 2}

You can also go with the original AOSP Email app, but know that information technology is still maintained past Google.

Download AOSP Email (.apk)

Dropbox too has an alternative mail app, Mailbox, which works in similar mode to Google Inbox if you've grown used to that type of experience.

Download Mailbox (.apk)

Google Keep

Notes tin be taken in any text app, only if y'all'd like to keep them synced like Google Keep, you'll need to use a service like Evernote or Centrallo.

Download Evernote (.apk)
Download Centrallo (.apk)

Both services offer iOS and Android apps, then yous'll exist able to view your notes anywhere, just simply Centrallo allows you to view your all of your notes while you are offline. Evernote requires a premium membership in lodge to save notes that were not recently created or viewed offline.

Step 4: Supersede Photograph/Photographic camera Apps

Google may not keep track of how often you employ your camera, but if you'd rather not have whatsoever trace of them on your Android, yous can use these apps to replace your usual mobile camera experience.

Google Photos

Picking a gallery app depends on which type of experience yous want. If you'd similar to take a gallery that tin human action as a hub to all of your online photograph storage sites, and then I'd say go with QuickPic.

Download QuickPic (.apk) {mirror}

For those of you who just need a lightweight app that allows you to sort and tag your local photos, and don't plan on managing any online collections, then Focus is for you lot.

Download Focus (.apk)

Google Photographic camera

I have covered both CameraNext and the ColorOS Camera in previous guides, so for a breakup of all their specific features, be sure to check those out.

More info on CameraNext
More info on ColorOS Camera

Personally, I use the ColorOS Camera on all my Android devices considering of the vast plugin choices, simply if you'd rather have a simple indicate-and-shoot experience that gives similar results, go with the modded CameraNext APK.

With some of these apps, y'all'll be switching from one large company to some other, so your data may still exist tracked, but at least now you will not accept to worry about Google's all-encompassing prying eyes.

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