---
title: "Android"
description: Our advice for replacing privacy-invasive default Android features with private and secure alternatives.
icon: 'απλό/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 }

## Οι Συμβουλές Μας

### 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

Όταν αγοράζεις ένα κινητό Android, το προεπιλεγμένο λειτουργικό σύστημα συνοδεύεται από εφαρμογές και λειτουργίες που δεν αποτελούν μέρος του έργου ανοιχτού κώδικα Android. Πολλές από αυτές τις εφαρμογές—ακόμα και εφαρμογές όπως ο τηλεφωνητής που παρέχουν βασικές λειτουργίες συστήματος—απαιτούν παρεμβατικές ενσωματώσεις με τις Υπηρεσίες Google Play, οι οποίες με τη σειρά τους ζητούν προνόμια πρόσβασης στα αρχεία σου, επαφές, απογραφές κλήσεων, μηνύματα SMS, τοποθεσία, κάμερα, μικρόφωνο, όπως και σε πολλά άλλα πράγματα στη συσκευή σου, προκειμένου αυτές, όπως και πολλές άλλες μη-συστημικές εφαρμογές, να καταφέρουν να λειτουργίσουν. Πλαίσια όπως οι Υπηρεσίες Google Play αυξάνουν την επιφάνεια επίθεσης της συσκευής σου και αποτελούν πηγή ποικίλων ανησυχιών περί απορρήτου στο 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. Δυστυχώς, πολλές προσαρμοσμένες διανομές Android συχνά παραβιάζουν το μοντέλο ασφάλειας του, καθώς δεν υποστηρίζουν κρίσιμες δικλίδες, όπως το AVB, την προστασία πισωγυρίσματος (rollback protection), ενημερώσεις υλικολογισμικού (firmware updates), και ούτω καθεξής. 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.

Ideally, when choosing a custom Android distribution, you should make sure that it upholds the Android security model. 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). This can decrease privacy should there be an exploit that is assisted by the decreased security. Common rooting methods involve directly tampering with the boot partition, making it impossible to perform successful Verified Boot. 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. They are also not the correct way to solve their intended purposes. 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.

We do not believe that the security sacrifices made by rooting a phone are worth the questionable privacy benefits of those apps.

### 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. System apps are only provided by the OEM or Android distribution.

### 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.
