Mobile Devices: Replacement Apps
Many of the common or stock apps your device comes with are privacy invasive, collecting data about you and sharing it with your device manufacturer (like Apple, Google, and others). We recommend you replace your default apps and service providers with some of the suggestions listed here to improve your privacy and/or security.
See my criteria for this page here.
| Tool | Alternatives | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Nextcloud; Proton Calendar; Tuta Calendar | Your calendar contains all your plans and locations: upcoming dates, shifts at work, events you plan to attend, and more. Using an encrypted calendar can help protect that information from Google, Apple or other third parties. | |
| Encrypted email provider of your choice | Please see the Encrypted email page for more information on this subject. | |
| Adguard; Blokada *(No free version for iOS)*; NextDNS; RethinkDNS (Android Only); Lockdown (iOS Only) | Phone firewalls stop apps from contacting unnecessary servers, such as ads and analytics.; Note: You cannot use a VPN and Firewall/Content Blocker at the same time. I recommend using a VPN as your first choice if it fits your threat model. | |
| Encrypted messaging provider of your choice | Please see the "Encrypted Messaging" page for more information on this subject. | |
| CoMaps; Organic Maps; OsmAnd | Google Maps, Apple Maps, and others record everywhere you go and add that location history to your profile. Using an alternate navigator won't stop your carrier from tracking your location, but it can help reduce the specific location data that is stored on you and who can collect it. | |
| Cryptee; Filen; Joplin; Nextcloud; Notesnook; Standard Notes | Google and Apple have access to the files within the stock note-taking app by default. These services protect your notes in such a way that only you can see them while still providing cloud-syncing functionality. | |
| Password Manager of your choice | Apple Keychain and Google Password Manager - while likely secure - lock you into their ecocystem and make it harder to switch devices in the future should you ever want or need to. Furthermore, they are not source-available and therefore it can be difficult to know exactly what's going on behind the scenes. These password managers won't lock you into a single device. | |
| Cryptee; Ente; Filen; Nextcloud; Proton Drive | Google, Apple, and other non-encrypted photo storage options can see all your photos. These services provide a way to securely store, manage, and back up your photos between multiple devices safe from the provider's prying eyes. | |
| Android: Brave or Firefox with uBlock Origin; iOS: Brave, Firefox Focus, or hardened Safari | While apps have mostly replaced the browser on mobile, some things are still done through the browser. While less revealing compared to other phone apps, your browser usage still reveals a lot of data about you and should be minimized. | |
| Android & iOS: iVerify Basic (malware detection, settings suggestions) | These are apps that can help improve your privacy and security in various ways. As always, be sure to evaluate your threat model and consider if you need them or not. |
I encourage you to remove any unused or infrequenly-used apps from your phone. Mobile apps are both invasive for privacy and a potential entry point for malware and attackers so the fewer you have, the better. Additionally, if your phone is lost or stolen, having sensitive apps like work email and banking can allow further abuse.
I also encourage you to try to trade using apps for using the website, even on mobile. Many apps you rely on can function just fine in the website, or as a Progressive Web App (PWA). You can learn more about those here.
You can use Exodus Privacy to vet any apps you're considering for known trackers. It only works on Android, but it may give you a rough idea of how private they are on iOS as well. Keep in mind that it may not catch everything, but it should be a helpful tool in your arsenal.