Strange, you are missing the Google Play spyware!

Lineage OS

For more than a year I have been using LineageOS on my phone, which is an open source variant of the Android operating system developed by enthusiasts.

Below are a couple of problems that LineageOS and other similar custom Android ROMs successfully solve:

Bloatware: This is a system app and cannot be uninstalled.

Unnecessary software that cannot be uninstalled. No thanks, I don’t need your “Smart Assistant” and other such useless applications, and it is a crime against the customer that such applications cannot be uninstalled. I like my phone to have only what I need, and therefore it works quickly and smoothly, even though it is not the latest model on the market.

Security and privacy

I have full control over the permissions of all applications, full control over the various sensors such as the camera and microphone, and I can disable them at any time. My phone has no Google Play services and, most importantly, no Mobile Advertising ID (MAID).

How secure is this operating system?

More secure than any stock mobile operating system, be it iOS or Android, but the user plays a big role in this. In most cases, mobile phones running various variants of custom Android will have the boot loader unlocked, which means that if an attacker gains physical access to the device, he does not have to make much effort to boot some kind of malware on the device, which could then theoretically live alongside the user’s installed operating system without the user being aware of it.

At the same time:

Any equipment that has been in the hands of a third party, even for a short time, is considered compromised. Similarly, I would not recommend storing information that is “for your eyes only” on any equipment that uses the GSM network for a prolonged period, due to such and other similar zero click* capable malware.

*The user does not need to take any action for the malware to infect his equipment.