Even though technically "open source", Android as of 2024 out of the box is practically forcing users into Google services. To the point that Google has more raw access to the data than the user (who is not root by default while Google practically is).
While it is possible to start using Android 14 on Motorola devices without a Google account, an absolutely insane, never ending stream of nag notifications appear, urging the user to activate Google Play Services.
Especially "Android-Einrichtung", "Google Persönliche Sicherheit" and "Digital Wellbeing" are nagging all the time.
The following instructions work entirely on the phone without the need for a desktop computer.
- Install F-Droid
- From there install aShell
- From there install Aurora Store
- From there install Shizuku and set it up until it is running. Since it works over "adb over WLAN", you need to be connected to a WLAN, stupid
- Alternatively install Canta from F-Droid, then you don't have to type the below manually and can deactivate apps using a list
Open aShell, now we can issue adb commands on the device locally
settings put secure user_setup_complete 1
settings put global device_provisioned 1
[Google Play Dienste]
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.vending
NOTE: This command uninstalls the play store for the User 0 that is the default user only. Without root it can't be uninstalled completely from the phone.
NOTE 2: THIS SEEMS NOT TO WORK?
[Android-Einrichtung]
pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.setupwizard
[Google Persönliche Sicherheit]
pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.apps.safetyhub
[Digital Wellbeing]
pm uninstall -k –user 0 com.google.android.apps.wellbeing
[Google Mail]
pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.gm
[Google Meet]
pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.apps.tachyon
[Google TV]
pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.videos
[Google Calendar]
pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.calendar
Applications love to write data to /storage/emulated/0/Android/data.
But the user is denied access there through the file manager.
Luckily, FV File Explorer can access it, and can also easily share it over HTTPS or SFTP.
Google literally has easier access to my own files than I, the user. What a shame!
How can I do the most "simple" thing, make a backup of everything on the phone and restore it on the same or another model (apps, settings, accounts, data,...)?
Seems like it is next to impossible without rooting the device, which apparently requires to unlock the bootloader.
This is how far the enshittification of our own devices has come in 2024. There should be a law mandating that users always need to have unfettered access to the filesystem.