Rikj000

Huh, if your parents are the blocking factor,
how about trying to educate them a bit about F-Droid and data privacy?

Software from F-Droid really is much more privacy/battery/storage friendly. Just open source software, no spyware services bloating up the apps.

Perhaps after some convincing, they’ll at least allow you to use F-Droid and Aurora Store! :)

3xodus can help with convincing them:

• https://f-droid.org/packages/com.oF2pks.classyshark3xodus/
• https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/

It shows known trackers (= spyware) in applications.

ClassyShark does it by de-compiling the apps and scanning them on the fly.
Their website shows reports by other users that scanned applications.

Nearly everything from the PlayStore contains trackers, while nearly nothing from F-Droid does.

Ufff sad to hear.

What you could do:

• Not recommened: Search on XDA for an un-official build of a custom rom for your device (stability may vary)
• Recommended: Be patient, until it’s time to buy a new phone, then first look for the OS you want, then choose a device from the list that the OS supports, that’s how I do it nowadays :)

Also interesting, but annoying that you can’t install apks from outside the PlayStore :/ No way to circumvent it?

Not really imo,
however doing good taking small steps OP! :)

Suggestions I’d make:

• Aim to use nothing/as little as possible from the Play Store (proprietary, often filled with trackers)
• Aim to use everything/as much as possible from F-Droid (open source, no or nearly no trackers)
• Switch GApps for MicroG (The open source implementation of the Google system apps to make things like notifications work, which removes spyware)
• Switch your Xiaomi OS (also spyware filled) for a more privacy friendly OS like LineageOS

I’d suggest LineageOS4MicroG:
https://lineage.microg.org/

It’s vanilla LineageOS,
with MicroG + F-Droid pre-included.

You’re very welcome! ^^

Afaik no alternatives yet,
but I can offer some de-googling friendly additions which I developed/contributed to :)

https://github.com/Rikj000/Android-Auto-XLauncher-Unlocked
^ Allows to use 3th party apps on Android Auto

https://github.com/sn-00-x/aa4mg
^ Allows to use Android Auto with MicroG (open source implementation of the GApps)

I hate that nowadays everything comes with pre-installed spyware and that they charge you for it makes it even worse…

• Want a TV? Suck on our Android TV with Google spyware embedded
• Want a phone? Get our Android with Google spyware, or go for an Apple with Apple spyware
• Want a computer? We’ll shove Windows spyware down your throat

Ffs I just want devices that I own to not spy on me, and I can’t even buy them anymore…

Each of them require flashing a custom privacy respecting OS onto it,
and that’s a real problem…