I’m not hiding from governments, just wish to get to the point where no group can data mine me. I’m finding it difficult to find details to make a good choice. I’m testing simple mobile apps on but have no idea if google can still access the contacts and calendar for example. I have no idea if simple mobile is now data mining me! As best as I can discover Signal, if used by both parties is Edward Snowden approved. I use Proton VPN and their email which according to them are encrypted on my phone, so I can only assume that means google and 3rd party apps cannot data mine. It seems too difficult to locate a coherent article on this subject. Seems odd that it’s this difficult to locate info on this level of protecting. I run firefox with duck duck go. I’d be interested in rooting and installing another OS if there was a valid and fully functional one so common everyday phone functions operate but then i’d have no idea if they would data mine themselves. My phone is a Google Pixel XL and it’s probably hardwired with snoop functionality regardless what I do!?
Not an expert but I know that ReplicantOS won’t work for you because its designed for really old Samsungs. LineageOS is designed to be a bit more flexible, they permit closed-source (aka proprietary) drivers so that basic hardware still operates. You’ll need to do some research.
There are resources out there. If you add “open-source” to your searches it can speed things up.
I may be wrong with the Signal and Goo. That person says that if Goo Play Store isn’t installed it resorts to using a different storage service. Again, no expert. I think I remember a discussion on these forums outlining that the main reason Signal isn’t on F-Droid is because it can’t be built from source. I could be wrong.
Firefox is open-source. So tick. Duckduckgo is still a centralised service, they use Bing if memory serves. Likewise with Ecosia, but they plant trees!!! EDIT: It’s impossible to avoid a centralised web search though. Maybe don’t rely on one corporation for all your searches.
The Tor Privacy Browser (or i2p) are probably your best options for any attempt at online anonymity.
There’s LineageOS, Replicant and Fairphone OpenOS (designed only for the Fairphone 2 at this stage, not FP3).
LineageOS is the way to go for your needs. But even LineageOS needs to contact google. You can also try /e/ which is based on Lineage.
As others have stated, replacing Android with an independent ROM (Lineage, etc.) would be needed.
I find Privacy Tools to be a good source of information to prevent tracking.
I like to look of Privacy Tools, perhaps a good place to learn before getting right into it! Thanks!
See Netguard…
As best as I can discover Signal,
You give them your addressbook and your phone number, you’ve just exchanged the name of the company from Google to OWS, good job lol
I’d bet he doesn’t even use that…just a ruse 
You trust them to not log anything, but you can’t verify anything, meh
Yeah…but they can record your credentials and access your inbox, also if you send/receive to/from gmails accounts then both Proton and Gmail can read your emails
It’s not because Moxie doesn’t want it here, basically it’s a closed silo messaging app based on phone numbers…oh and some source-code released. It’s a pain to host your own, and if you do you can’t reach Signal users anyway. Read more here: We can include Signal in F-Droid
This is one alternative, but you would have to wait several months to get one. By the time you get one 5G may make it obsolete.
Some of those add-ons don’t work on all phones. They haven’t been ported. A firewall sounds like a good way to monitor for unauthorized abuse by application programs.
Pinephone is another alternative and it is possible to order one already (Brave Heart version - final version expected in a few months).
You might actually consider the lack of 5G support a feature, since 5G has new privacy concerns. It will have much more fine-grained location tracking 5g privacy concerns are real, says Bell Labs researcher
I have no idea if simple mobile is now data mining me! As best as I can discover Signal, if used by both parties is Edward Snowden approved. I use Proton VPN and their email which according to them are encrypted on my phone, so I can only assume that means google and 3rd party apps cannot data mine. It seems too difficult to locate a coherent article on this subject. Seems odd that it’s this difficult to locate info on this level of protecting. I run firefox with duck duck go. I’d be interested in rooting and installing another OS if there was a valid and fully functional one so common everyday phone functions operate but then i’d have no idea if they would data mine themselves. diebestetest
What? Why? How?
What does that mean?
Proton Team can still see your visited sites, yes.
Maybe, if you use encryption for that email…if not…well…ProtonTeam can still see it…also…if you send to Gmail…lol
Maybe,yes
Your real close to what I have come to see as the quick and easy fix.
On Android Phone; Use Proton Mail and don’t use gmail, then from within PM I added contact info which eliminates google contacts, then from within PM Contacts I can dial a phone call and send text messages. Then I’ve added Signal text messaging (replacing google messaging) which also use Proton Mail through Contacts. Proton Mail is working on a Calendar which can be used now on PC as Beta, which will eliminate Google Calendar. And I think PM is also working on a Documents add on also! Then I use firefox and duckduckgo which takes google search out and google browser out!
On my laptop I’m running Ubuntu with firefox/duckduckgo and as we know firefox has a revised password manger which Syncs to all my firefox’s on phone and laptop.
Even with full Open Source apps, we still somehow land up using foogle-company stuffs, so, unless foogle-inc shuts down, including rest all foogle-conglos, I am sure the mining remains.
Except Qube OS or maybe Tails ?
Getting back to you, I took your advice about LineageOS16, WOW! Put it on my OnePlus One nearly two weeks ago. The built in basic Apps are sweet, I can run ProtonMail and ProtonVPN. Now using Fdroid and Aurora for Apps, you opened up a new world for me! Soon LineageOS17 will be coming out and I’m seriously thinking about changing over my Pixel XL to it. I’m going to drop Signal since it really doesn’t help unless the other party is using so I’ll use the LineageOS messaging app since it’s open source.
I’m going to drop Signal
Beware of Signal: it includes a proprietary Google Play Services client library.
Use Silence for SMS
Try Conversations (or Quicksy) for full FOSS federated OMEMO encrypted chat 
I will be using the built in LineageOS messenger app, Signal is really of no use if all my recipients are using it, google will snatch my message data on recipients end. LineageOs messenger app is sufficient. But then the apps you mention, if they are encrypted to recipient end, I assume they’re protected enroute?
Not sure what “LineageOS messenger app” means, is that a plain unencrypted SMS app?
Silence encrypts SMS, but your contact needs to use the same app. Transport is plain SMS, but TelCo can’t decrypt it.
Conversations (aka XMPP clients) have TLS encryption to the server, yes, but with OMEMO messages are end-to-end encrypted too, so the server admin can’t read them.
I’m running LineageOS on my OnePlus One phone, it comes with basic apps. https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/lineageos/messaging-2/messaging-2-1-0-001-release/