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0 pointslucb1e7y ago0 comments

> but it is very easy to switch out whatever you want for an alternative

Do tell how one could switch out the map from Google Maps to anything else (Bing, OpenStreetMap, whatever).

Or how I could get rid of Google+ without needing to wipe my device or use a zero-day.

Or perhaps how I could get apk files from their repository without agreeing to the Google TOS and privacy policy, and without using some hacky system like Yalp store that breaks every couple of weeks for a little while.

This is definitely not easy to swap out. I bet that even from the top 10% of tech-savvy people on hacker news, there's 9%. that cannot figure out how to remove google completely within a normal working day of 8 hours.

0 comments

makomk7y ago

You switch out the map app like this, same way you change the default app for anything else: https://360.here.com/2015/01/29/swap-google-maps-here-androi... (The instructions for switching to, say, Google's own Waze app are pretty much the same too.) This is as I understand it not possible on Apple's iOS; even if you install a third-party mapping application, everything else on the system which opens up a map will still use Apple's map.

lucb1eOP7y ago

That's a location picker. I'm talking about the map view on which applications show you things, such as live views of all trains in the country or something.

And this is just one example, there are a hundred more things that are in the proprietary google suite, without which you'll be able to install only a few of the apps available for the platform.

ehsankia7y ago

Hmm, those are the specific apps using Google Maps API. That's like saying why does HackerNews use jQuery, I want it to use lodash. (I don't know if they do, just an example).

1 more reply

ewoodrich7y ago

The OP was talking about built-in Android support for changing defaults using intents. It's a pop-up menu, and is pretty easy to understand even for non-HN users.

ehsankia7y ago

> how one could switch out the map from Google Maps

Just install another maps app and set it as default? And just because Bing and Apple haven't created Android apps doesn't mean it's Google's fault.

> Or how I could get rid of Google+ without needing to wipe my device or use a zero-day.

Most phone these days don't even come with Google+, and if they do, no one is forcing you to login. You can disable it entirely.

> how I could get apk files from their repository without agreeing to the Google TOS and privacy policy

Doesn't that apply to almost any software with a license?

lucb1eOP7y ago

> Doesn't that apply to almost any software with a license?

But Android claims be FOSS. I understand that "using google servers" != "the AOSP project", but there's a large number of apps whose only publication channel is this ubiquitous play store, because the devs know that practically everyone who has Android will opt into the google kingdom as well. If it was closed source like iOS and if you can't even sideload apks (or ipas or whatever they are) then I'd not be surprised that I have to agree to some near-monopoly's TOS and privpolicy in order to get access to 99% of the published apps.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointslucb1e7y ago0 comments

> but it is very easy to switch out whatever you want for an alternative

Do tell how one could switch out the map from Google Maps to anything else (Bing, OpenStreetMap, whatever).

Or how I could get rid of Google+ without needing to wipe my device or use a zero-day.

0 comments

makomk7y ago

lucb1eOP7y ago

That's a location picker. I'm talking about the map view on which applications show you things, such as live views of all trains in the country or something.

And this is just one example, there are a hundred more things that are in the proprietary google suite, without which you'll be able to install only a few of the apps available for the platform.

ehsankia7y ago

Hmm, those are the specific apps using Google Maps API. That's like saying why does HackerNews use jQuery, I want it to use lodash. (I don't know if they do, just an example).

1 more reply

ewoodrich7y ago

The OP was talking about built-in Android support for changing defaults using intents. It's a pop-up menu, and is pretty easy to understand even for non-HN users.

ehsankia7y ago

> how one could switch out the map from Google Maps

Just install another maps app and set it as default? And just because Bing and Apple haven't created Android apps doesn't mean it's Google's fault.

> Or how I could get rid of Google+ without needing to wipe my device or use a zero-day.

Most phone these days don't even come with Google+, and if they do, no one is forcing you to login. You can disable it entirely.

> how I could get apk files from their repository without agreeing to the Google TOS and privacy policy

Doesn't that apply to almost any software with a license?

lucb1eOP7y ago

> Doesn't that apply to almost any software with a license?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse