---
title: "Android"
description: Our advice for replacing privacy-invasive default Android features with private and secure alternatives.
icon: 'simple/android'
cover: android.webp
schema:
  - "@context": http://schema.org
    "@type": WebPage
    name: Android Recommendations
    url: "./"
  - "@context": http://schema.org
    "@type": CreativeWork
    name: Android
    image: /assets/img/android/android.svg
    url: https://source.android.com/
    sameAs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)
---

![Android logo](../assets/img/android/android.svg){ align=right }

The **Android Open Source Project** (AOSP) is an open-source mobile operating system led by Google which powers the majority of the world's mobile devices. Most phones sold with Android are modified to include invasive integrations and apps such as Google Play Services, so you can significantly improve your privacy on your mobile device by replacing your phone's default installation with a version of Android without these invasive features.

[General Android Overview :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:](../os/android-overview.md){ .md-button .md-button--primary }

## Our Advice

### Replace Google Services

There are many methods of obtaining apps on Android while avoiding Google Play. Whenever possible, try using one of these methods before getting your apps from non-private sources:

[Obtaining Applications :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:](obtaining-apps.md){ .md-button }

There are also many private alternatives to the apps that come pre-installed on your phone, such as the camera app. Besides the Android apps we recommend throughout this site in general, we've created a list of system utilities specific to Android which you might find useful.

[General App Recommendations :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:](general-apps.md){ .md-button }

### Install a Custom Distribution

When you buy an Android phone, the default operating system comes bundled with apps and functionality that are not part of the Android Open Source Project. Many of these apps—even apps like the dialer which provide basic system functionality—require invasive integrations with Google Play Services, which in turn asks for privileges to access your files, contacts storage, call logs, SMS messages, location, camera, microphone, and numerous other things on your device in order for those basic system apps and many other apps to function in the first place. Frameworks like Google Play Services increase the attack surface of your device and are the source of various privacy concerns with Android.

This problem could be solved by using an alternative Android distribution, commonly known as a _custom ROM_, that does not come with such invasive integration. 不巧，很多安卓 ROM 不支持 AVB、回滚保护、系统更新、等这些关键的安全功能，破坏了安卓的安全模型。 Some distributions also ship [`userdebug`](https://source.android.com/setup/build/building#choose-a-target) builds which expose root via [ADB](https://developer.android.com/studio/command-line/adb) and require [more permissive](https://github.com/LineageOS/android_system_sepolicy/search?q=userdebug&type=code) SELinux policies to accommodate debugging features, resulting in a further increased attack surface and weakened security model.

在挑选安卓 ROM 时，理想的情况，是能找到坚持安卓安全模型的 ROM。 At the very least, the distribution should have production builds, support for AVB, rollback protection, timely firmware and operating system updates, and SELinux in [enforcing mode](https://source.android.com/security/selinux/concepts#enforcement_levels). All of our recommended Android distributions satisfy these criteria:

[Recommended Distributions :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:](distributions.md){ .md-button }

### Avoid Root

[Rooting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooting_\(Android\)) Android phones can decrease security significantly as it weakens the complete [Android security model](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_\(operating_system\)#Security_and_privacy). 如果有一个被降低的安全性所帮助的漏洞，这可能会减少隐私。 常见的root方法涉及直接篡改启动分区，使得它不可能成功地进行验证性启动。 Apps that require root will also modify the system partition, meaning that Verified Boot would have to remain disabled. Having root exposed directly in the user interface also increases the attack surface of your device and may assist in [privilege escalation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privilege_escalation) vulnerabilities and SELinux policy bypasses.

Content blockers which modify the [hosts file](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_\(file\)) (like AdAway) and firewalls which require root access persistently (like AFWall+) are dangerous and should not be used. 它们也不是解决其预期目的的正确方法。 For content blocking, we suggest encrypted [DNS](../dns.md) or content blocking functionality provided by a VPN instead. TrackerControl and AdAway in non-root mode will take up the VPN slot (by using a local loopback VPN), preventing you from using privacy-enhancing services such as [Orbot](../alternative-networks.md#orbot) or a [real VPN provider](../vpn.md).

AFWall+ works based on the [packet filtering](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewall_\(computing\)#Packet_filter) approach and may be bypassable in some situations.

我们认为，通过root手机所做的安全牺牲不值得那些应用程序的可疑隐私利益。

### Install Updates Regularly

It's important to not use an [end-of-life](https://endoflife.date/android) version of Android. Newer versions of Android receive not only security updates for the operating system but also important privacy enhancing updates too.

For example, [prior to Android 10](https://developer.android.com/about/versions/10/privacy/changes) any apps with the [`READ_PHONE_STATE`](https://developer.android.com/reference/android/Manifest.permission#READ_PHONE_STATE) permission could access sensitive and unique serial numbers of your phone such as [IMEI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mobile_Equipment_Identity), [MEID](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_equipment_identifier), or your SIM card's [IMSI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_mobile_subscriber_identity); whereas now they must be system apps to do so. 系统应用只由OEM或安卓发行提供。

### Use Built-in Sharing Features

You can avoid giving many apps permission to access your media with Android's built-in sharing features. Many applications allow you to "share" a file with them for media upload.

For example, if you want to post a picture to Discord you can open your file manager or gallery and share that picture with the Discord app, instead of granting Discord full access to your media and photos.
