Google has decided you cannot turn off Gemini in their newer versions of Android. You cannot install other roms that do either, Google is killing those too. But yea, Apple is the bad guy. Ignore the Google rug pull.
Apple never opened that door. Google did, but they never intended to keep it open. it was there to catch up with apple. they never intended to do any good here. it was there to speed up development and win people over, then after they are already there, google can close the door and screw them all. That’s what’s happening now. It was a bait and switch.
I mean it’s not just that. Probably not even mostly that. Security is really not great on Android far beyond the AI. I’ve been running Android for years and probably won’t change until Linux with LUKS is a reasonable alternative, But from a hardware level on through to the software, there are so many holes in the OS and ways to access privileged information. Even the top end of the Samsung line is largely rootable at this point, not without concessions, mind you, but as far as an enemy getting a phone and gaining access, or the company itself getting your data even without AI, I’d probably be concerned enough for ANY military org not to allow them to be used.
Apple has a hell of a lot of issues, might even be overly friendly with Israel, but from a security standpoint, it’s probably safer for secrets than android at the moment.
I really just want an encrypted portable linux device with a cellular modem. I don’t even care if it can SMS or VOLTE, I just need it to run a secure chat client, support Bluetooth headphones and last all day on a charge.
You aren’t going to get such a device enabled on the american cellular networks. The duoploy wont allow it. You would have a better chance creating a new network that doesnt need cellular technology. something that behaves more like a cordless phone that uses whatever wifi, packet radio, reticulum node, etc as the base. You wouldn’t be able to get a straight phone number without a VoIP subscription but thats also not a terribly big problem as phone numbers are a terrible idea in 2025 anyway. We should have revocable keys exchanged at will that are unique to each contact. Either side can block communications effectively that way at any time and you couldnt just call them from a different number or sell the key to a different scammer or something.
Really, a 5G capable phone running linux isnt a big enough goal. Mobile communications needs a profound shift away from the legacy model.
What part? The fact that they no longer will be providing Pixel-specific source code?
Who else has been providing the literal OS source code for their devices?
I’m talking about the conspiracy where Google is monitoring your every move, reading all your encrypted messages, and providing backdoors to government entities.
I really just want an encrypted portable linux device with a cellular modem. I don’t even care if it can SMS or VOLTE, I just need it to run a secure chat client, support Bluetooth headphones and last all day on a charge.
Then you’re in luck, because that’s something you can already have by now! Just get yourself one of the more recent-ish phones that are well supported by PostmarketOS. The things Linux phones struggle the most with these days, are the more traditional phone-things, such as text messages or calling, which may not be ready for production, as they say (although, both texts and calls have actually worked well for me as of late). But if all you want is a pocket Linux computer/PDA, and intend to carry another phone for calls and texting, that’s something you can have, for the grand price of an old, second-hand phone. I’ve been loving my (LUKS-encrypted) OnePlus 6T, and I do actually use it for calls and texts as well!
As much as I don’t disagree, I think the “Apple is closest to Nazism” comment touches on something different. Other massive American companies have awful practices but they don’t care particularly how their way of making money looks. Apple wields a specific aesthetic power that generally dictates a hegemonic uniformity, that strays the line of being to their detriment at times. I don’t think any other big tech company would care in the same way if not for their desire to copy Apple.
Funnily enough, my new ulefone allowed me to at least completely disable that crap. First one where that is possible. Even the shitty swipe right and you get Google’s forced news app, which you could “disable” so that it would show a shitty screen with “please enable Google News!”, can be completely disabled. First time in like 10 years on a non custom ROM that I could do this.
Wha Google is enforcing for a lot of these things, including Gemini, is that you are only allowed to disable direct interaction from the user with the service. So in the case of Gemini, it’s still running in the background and sending out your data to Google and its advertising partners. You just turned off your ability to interact with it yourself.
You actually turned off geminis ability to serve YOU. You never turned off Gemini itself. Google won’t allow that. It’s still running in the background send your data to Google and its advertising partners. Google has publicly stated this is the intended design and they will not allow turning that off.
No. They provided me a nice little button that allows me to disable Gemini, and they have allowed me to opt out of any usage. So again. Show me that it is still active after I have disabled it.
Typical redditor response, you’re in the wrong community friend. Using deflection instead of constructive discussion. Your kind are no better than MAGA people.
Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me either way. There IS a lot of telemetry and other BS that is definitely still on my phone, included in OS updates, and not uninstallable (I can “uninstall updates”, but that would also give me back any security issues). But, I don’t think that it is Gemini, or at least predates that naming convention.
To get free of Google telemetry, I’d have to install a non-Google ROM, and I haven’t ever tried that.
Telemetry certainly can be abused, and Google should be legally (by regulation) required to provide a simple opt-out. BUT, telemetry really is a fairly normal thing to include in “web-scale” deployments and is primarily used to discover issues that have escaped into production without affecting a testing environment–or, at least, that what the telemetry systems I’ve interacted with as an software developer were for. So, I’m not too worried about non-personalized data collection.
I said it before and I’ll say it again, among all tech companies, Apple is the closest to the nazi mindset.
Google has decided you cannot turn off Gemini in their newer versions of Android. You cannot install other roms that do either, Google is killing those too. But yea, Apple is the bad guy. Ignore the Google rug pull.
Both are the bad guys, not either.
What roms does Apple let you install on iPhones?
Apple never opened that door. Google did, but they never intended to keep it open. it was there to catch up with apple. they never intended to do any good here. it was there to speed up development and win people over, then after they are already there, google can close the door and screw them all. That’s what’s happening now. It was a bait and switch.
LINUX PHONE
I mean it’s not just that. Probably not even mostly that. Security is really not great on Android far beyond the AI. I’ve been running Android for years and probably won’t change until Linux with LUKS is a reasonable alternative, But from a hardware level on through to the software, there are so many holes in the OS and ways to access privileged information. Even the top end of the Samsung line is largely rootable at this point, not without concessions, mind you, but as far as an enemy getting a phone and gaining access, or the company itself getting your data even without AI, I’d probably be concerned enough for ANY military org not to allow them to be used.
Apple has a hell of a lot of issues, might even be overly friendly with Israel, but from a security standpoint, it’s probably safer for secrets than android at the moment.
I really just want an encrypted portable linux device with a cellular modem. I don’t even care if it can SMS or VOLTE, I just need it to run a secure chat client, support Bluetooth headphones and last all day on a charge.
You aren’t going to get such a device enabled on the american cellular networks. The duoploy wont allow it. You would have a better chance creating a new network that doesnt need cellular technology. something that behaves more like a cordless phone that uses whatever wifi, packet radio, reticulum node, etc as the base. You wouldn’t be able to get a straight phone number without a VoIP subscription but thats also not a terribly big problem as phone numbers are a terrible idea in 2025 anyway. We should have revocable keys exchanged at will that are unique to each contact. Either side can block communications effectively that way at any time and you couldnt just call them from a different number or sell the key to a different scammer or something.
Really, a 5G capable phone running linux isnt a big enough goal. Mobile communications needs a profound shift away from the legacy model.
What exactly is insecure about running GrapheneOS?
Or even stock OS on a Pixel? Has any of the conspiracies about Google Play Services ever been proven?
I mean, Google came out and said what they are going to do. its hardly a conspiracy theory.
What part? The fact that they no longer will be providing Pixel-specific source code?
Who else has been providing the literal OS source code for their devices?
I’m talking about the conspiracy where Google is monitoring your every move, reading all your encrypted messages, and providing backdoors to government entities.
Then you’re in luck, because that’s something you can already have by now! Just get yourself one of the more recent-ish phones that are well supported by PostmarketOS. The things Linux phones struggle the most with these days, are the more traditional phone-things, such as text messages or calling, which may not be ready for production, as they say (although, both texts and calls have actually worked well for me as of late). But if all you want is a pocket Linux computer/PDA, and intend to carry another phone for calls and texting, that’s something you can have, for the grand price of an old, second-hand phone. I’ve been loving my (LUKS-encrypted) OnePlus 6T, and I do actually use it for calls and texts as well!
If all I needed was five hours worth of battery would be a great fit.
Both post-market and nix are great options if you want to run a really old phone, but neither one can last even half a day.
Apple never even tried to allow it, so yeah, Apple IS the bad guy. Google is becomeing it, Apple is the mayor of bad guy town.
lol that last line. XD
It’s like no one remembers the 90’s and Microsoft.
Also, IBM literally made computers for the Nazis.
To summarize: The bad guys is US
As much as I don’t disagree, I think the “Apple is closest to Nazism” comment touches on something different. Other massive American companies have awful practices but they don’t care particularly how their way of making money looks. Apple wields a specific aesthetic power that generally dictates a hegemonic uniformity, that strays the line of being to their detriment at times. I don’t think any other big tech company would care in the same way if not for their desire to copy Apple.
Funnily enough, my new ulefone allowed me to at least completely disable that crap. First one where that is possible. Even the shitty swipe right and you get Google’s forced news app, which you could “disable” so that it would show a shitty screen with “please enable Google News!”, can be completely disabled. First time in like 10 years on a non custom ROM that I could do this.
Wha Google is enforcing for a lot of these things, including Gemini, is that you are only allowed to disable direct interaction from the user with the service. So in the case of Gemini, it’s still running in the background and sending out your data to Google and its advertising partners. You just turned off your ability to interact with it yourself.
Bullshit. I have it turned off on my pixel 9pro and Samsung s24 plus
You actually turned off geminis ability to serve YOU. You never turned off Gemini itself. Google won’t allow that. It’s still running in the background send your data to Google and its advertising partners. Google has publicly stated this is the intended design and they will not allow turning that off.
Show me.
I don’t have to show you. Google, the people who made the fucking OS, told you that’s how this works!
No. They provided me a nice little button that allows me to disable Gemini, and they have allowed me to opt out of any usage. So again. Show me that it is still active after I have disabled it.
Typical redditor response, you’re in the wrong community friend. Using deflection instead of constructive discussion. Your kind are no better than MAGA people.
I’ve lost features that used to work without Gemini, but I believe it is disabled on both my Pixel 7 Pro and the Pixel 8 I have access to.
Nope, it’s still running in the background. You just turned off its ability to interact with you but can and does still interact with others.
Do you have some sort of evidence for this claim?
https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/how-to-disable-gemini-on-android/53771/ and https://proton.me/blog/turn-off-gemini-on-android were easy enough to find. If I remember correctly the grapheneOS guys spoke on this too.
Trust him bro…
Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me either way. There IS a lot of telemetry and other BS that is definitely still on my phone, included in OS updates, and not uninstallable (I can “uninstall updates”, but that would also give me back any security issues). But, I don’t think that it is Gemini, or at least predates that naming convention.
To get free of Google telemetry, I’d have to install a non-Google ROM, and I haven’t ever tried that.
Telemetry certainly can be abused, and Google should be legally (by regulation) required to provide a simple opt-out. BUT, telemetry really is a fairly normal thing to include in “web-scale” deployments and is primarily used to discover issues that have escaped into production without affecting a testing environment–or, at least, that what the telemetry systems I’ve interacted with as an software developer were for. So, I’m not too worried about non-personalized data collection.
This is a completely different thought.
It is not.
Doesn’t seem like anyone has ignored Google. They doing it is old news.
oracle
SCO Group.