Unlocking Samsung bootloader worth it? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 week ago by velvetbutterfly@lemmy.ml to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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Is it worth unlocking the bootloader on my phone? It's a Samsung with One UI 7.0 (I've been avoiding upgrading to 8.0 since they don't let you unlock it after that). I just want to avoid having Google Services and AI installed. I use my phone to take photos of my art / send it to friends on signal and hate the idea of it being scanned by AI. I use a camera and gallery from fdroid but somehow the default photos app still has access (I know because it makes GIFs of pictures I took even though I marked permissions as "not allowed"). I also would love to get rid of the default apps I don't use. While I can unlock the bootloader (for now), I can't install a custom ROM because there are none compatible with my phone, so will I just be forced into using 8.0 at some point anyway? :( ATP I'm pretty much ready to give up smartphones and get a digital camera for anything I don't feel comfortable feeding to tech companies.

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[-] Luffy879@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

EOS is in no way better than Google or others. It is a Google replacement. Not a google services alternative.

They, with their services, still collect just as much info about you, in non-encrypted ways. The moment e decides to sell your info, or lock you out or share it with authorities (just like how google did it), you can do nothing against it.

The permanent solution to not having your data raped through any means is not giving anyone your data in the first place (for example, encrypting it with a key only you have access to, like proton enables you to), in which category Murena is just as bad as google or any other shady data hoster.

[-] ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 week ago

This is ridiculous. You can still use VPN. It fakes geolocation, spoofs IP, and you can still implement other security measures. I just want Google to have competition so they don't have all the power to themselves. MicroG can be removed and it's not hard.

this post was submitted on 28 Dec 2025

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