Self host at this point. The cloud, whether it’s hosted by Google or Proton, is always someone else’s computer.

“I use the egregious Heliboard from F-droid, and my bank app refused to start because I use an “untrusted keyboard””

…I’m sorry, but what the hell?! What banking app has enough access to a user’s system that they’re not only able to detect the keyboard being used, but label in as “untrustworthy”?! Genuinely terrifying shit! Imagine if banks had the power to determine your access to your funds based on OTHER APPS you have on your phone? They already do that with purchases, and that’s disturbing enough.

https://old.reddit.com/r/AndroidTV/comments/12rya0t/change_launcher_debloat_the_new_onn_4k_streaming/

The price of the Onn 4k box has gone up from $20 to $25, but if that’s not a deterrent, I’d recommend it.

https://swappa.com/

Never had an issue with getting unlocked Pixel phones from them.

I’ve been using US Mobile for the past year, and I seem to get good coverage on their Warp Speed network, which uses Verizon’s cell towers.

As for the calling app, F- Droid and IzzyOnDroid seem to have comparable alternatives.

https://swappa.com/listings/google-pixel-7a?carrier=unlocked

https://swappa.com/listings/google-pixel-8a?carrier=unlocked

Pixel 7a and 8a with unlocked carriers seems to still be affordable from resellers in Good or Mint condition. I’d suggest buying one and loading GrapheneOS onto it.

What’s stopping you from using NewPipe, PipePipe, Tubular, SkyTube, FreeTube or SmartTube?

Seconded. On my third (and hopefully final) Pixel running GrapheneOS. Was using a Samsung Galaxy A7 in my teen years, then I got smart and got a Pixel 4 XL to load up GrapheneOS. Things were going well until the Pixel 4 XL spicy pillow (battery) incident.

My next Pixel was a Pixel 6 Pro, and that one was…fine, but yeesh, that thing made me hate Google’s Tensor modem, AKA the modem that is neck and neck with Exynos for being THE WOOOOOOOOOOOORST!

Currently rocking the Pixel 8 Pro, and it has a much better Tensor chip.

Hoping my next GrapheneOS phone will be a Motorola if their recent partnership bears fruit (and a phone with better, preferrably Qualcomm, modem).

GrapheneOS is about to see a huge uptick in users.

Praying that Linux phones become more daily driver options.

It is? I had no idea tbqh.

Seconded! F-Droid and IzzyOnDroid have a ton of fun games to play!

Funny thing, I have the exact set up you’re looking to build. I’ve got a Samsung Galaxy S5E Wi-Fi Tablet with LineageOS installed, and it works like a charm!

I’ve had the tablet for a couple of years, and it is starting to show its age a bit with the hardware. And I think there’s a lack of codecs in the more recent OS updates that have prevented me from playing higher than 2K quality for videos on YouTube or Stremio, but it gets the job done!

There’s the PinePhone and Pinephone Pro.

Other than that, there’s LineageOS supported phones

Cromite is a much more secure Chromium browser. IronFox is a much more secure Gecko browser.

Atthe very least, use a Faraday cage, and if that’s too hard, turn on Airplane Mode when going out and about.

I bought a $20 Onn 4k TV box from Walmart, degoogled it, replaced the stock launcher with FLauncher and eventually LTVLauncher. So I guess DeGoogled Google TV (AndroidTV OS).

Hard agree that bookmark import/export would make transitioning to IronFox much more incentivizing, but aside from that, I love how hardened it is.

Went back and forth between the following:

Vanadium - secure Chromium browser installed by default on GrapheneOS, Bromite/Cromite - alternative secure/private Chromium browser, Quetta Browser - private Chromium browser that comes with an AI-based ad blocker and extension support, IronFox - private Gecko browser that is as hardened as LibreWolf or Mull Browser.

Right now, I’m daily driving Cromite and IronFox, the former now having extension support via Developer Options, which allowed me to enable and install extensions like uBlock Origin Lite and “I Still Don’t Care About Cookies”.

And nothing worth protecting, apparently.