A Plan To Opt Out And De-Google Your Phone To Use Bitcoin Privately

Using Bitcoin doesn’t person to mean handing implicit each of your idiosyncratic information to the companies you interact with.

This is an sentiment editorial by Anthony Feliciano, a Bitcoin lawsuit organizer and consultant.

Now to portion 2 of my bid connected however our smartphones spy connected us. You tin find portion one here.

In this portion I’ll speech about:

• De-Googling your mobile OS.
• Getting astir SIM, eSIM and IMEI portion inactive utilizing your phone
• Bitcoin and Lightning Network apps that tin beryllium utilized connected a de-Googled phone.
• Steps to physique your opt-out plan.

CalyxOS And GrapheneOS

GrapheneOS offers a sandbox Google Play: 

"GrapheneOS has a compatibility furniture providing the enactment to instal and usage the authoritative releases of Google Play successful the modular app sandbox. Google Play receives perfectly nary peculiar entree oregon privileges connected GrapheneOS arsenic opposed to bypassing the app sandbox and receiving a monolithic magnitude of highly privileged access. Instead, the compatibility furniture teaches it however to enactment wrong the afloat app sandbox. It besides isn't utilized arsenic a backend for the OS services arsenic it would beryllium elsewhere since GrapheneOS doesn't usage Google Play adjacent erstwhile it's installed.”

CalyxOS offers an enactment successful signifier arsenic good with their Aurora Store. The premise down Aurora Store is that the Google Play work is replaced with microg:

“[It] replaces immoderate functions of Google Play Services portion maintaining overmuch much anonymity and privacy.”

This allows you to download the apps you cognize and already usage everyday.

I americium a existent idiosyncratic of GrapheneOS and person been for a fewer years present — this is my opt-out program erstwhile I’ve had capable of Big Tech and draconian authorities overreach. I person tested retired galore features of GrapheneOS and tools I tin and can’t use. In my pursuing nonfiction I volition stock what you tin bash arsenic well.

SIM, eSIM And IMEI

Every clip you acquisition a caller telephone from a provider, you are complying with KYC (know your customer) protocols, handing your accusation implicit to the compartment work provider. In speech you get a caller smartphone with a SIM card (or connected immoderate newer phones an eSIM), and assigned an IMEI number that allows entree to the provider's compartment telephone network. That accusation tin beryllium a portion of a subpoena to a supplier for the records, on with each your data, text, web past etc., arsenic well. So what tin you do? You inactive privation to pass with friends, family, person net entree and beryllium connected to the remainder of the world.

You tin inactive locomotion into Best Buy contiguous and bargain unlocked phones successful cash. Purchase the compartment telephone outright, and it won’t beryllium tied to a supplier specified arsenic Verizon, ATT oregon T-Mobile. There is nary idiosyncratic accusation fixed out, and you tin instrumentality your telephone to whichever supplier you request entree to by purchasing a SIM oregon eSIM card.

*Bitcoiner pro tip: you tin acquisition eSIM and wage via BTC oregon Lightning.

Bonus Bitcoiner pro tip: earlier purchasing, marque definite erstwhile visiting immoderate website, you are utilizing a VPN and/or Tor to further trim your online footprint. If you are going to acquisition via BTC, delight marque definite you usage post-CoinJoin BTC via JoinMarket. For Lightning, marque definite the funds you usage to unfastened channels from your basal furniture BTC are from a station CoinJoin to marque Lightning payments. One illustration of a website offering eSIMs for BTC is Silent.Link.

This is the utmost measurement of my opt-out plan. When purchasing a SIM card, the prime is yours. When you acquisition a SIM successful cash, the telephone IMEI fig volition beryllium fixed arsenic portion of activation to marque definite it is not blacklisted (stolen). My opt-out telephone has ne'er been activated via SIM, and my telephone is an older exemplary truthful determination is nary eSIM option. I usage Wi-Fi hotspots to entree the net on with a VPN and Tor. There is an precocious method called IMEI spoofing — I person not tried this method out, but the extremity is to get astir IMEI that person been blacklisted from accessing web providers. Changing the SIM volition not assistance either, due to the fact that the IMEI is inactive blacklisted.

*Note - When utilizing Wi-Fi, precise small accusation astir the instrumentality is recorded, namely the MAC address, instrumentality model, browser utilized and OS — your SIM and IMEI fig are not recorded. However, if your telephone pings a compartment tower, past accusation is recorded and records tin beryllium easy obtained by simply tracking down the IMEI number.

Bitcoin And De-Google Smartphone

Now to the Bitcoiners retired determination who are yet fed up with each the spying and tracking, let's adhd immoderate Bitcoin and Lightning Networks apps to truly marque your telephone optimal for your opt-out plan.

What follows is simply a database of Bitcoin and Lightning Network apps enactment retired by developers and companies who merchandise them arsenic Android Package Kits (APKs). APKs are of captious value erstwhile utilizing de-Googled phones due to the fact that the developers down them let them to beryllium installed connected your telephone without the request of Google Play work and each the tracking down it. As Samourai recovered out, having your app successful the Google Play Store means you person to comply with their petition to region information features. Samourai did the adjacent champion happening — nonstop download via APK.

Below are the Bitcoin and Lightning Network apps I usage and wherever to get their APKs, but determination are astir apt more.

• Zeus: Right connected their main leafage is the APK download. A cleanable app to usage to link to your node.
• Breez: From their Github page: “Breez is simply a Lightning Network mobile lawsuit and a hub. It provides a level for simple, instantaneous bitcoin payments.”
• Electrum: Download the APK for Android. **Note: link Electrum to your node network’s .onion address, bash not usage automatic servers erstwhile connecting**
• Tor: Download the APK. This is the Tor Browser utilized for connecting to the internet.
• Samourai Wallet: Download the APK. Connect to your Samourai Dojo oregon usage it for Whirlpool.
• BlueWallet: BlueWallet is an casual to usage custodial wallet for some Bitcoin and Lightning.
• SBW: A elemental and casual Bitcoin and Lightning app
• ProtonVPN: This is the VPN work I usage — they person a escaped lawsuit with constricted state transportation options, but besides connection wage tiers. Find a bully prime VPN work that offers their app via apk.

• Telegram: You tin bargain a SIM/eSIM with bitcoin to get a telephone fig to usage arsenic one-time verification via SMS. (You volition astir apt privation to marque a caller Telegram account, since you whitethorn person utilized your ain idiosyncratic fig to verify your account)
• Element: A chat app utilized by many. Some heard of Matrix, constituent is the app you tin download connected your phone.

Anyone utilizing APKs should lone utilize those recovered connected a project’s main website oregon Github page. It is highly recommended to debar websites that connection APKs for an app you can't find — I bash not spot them, they are rebuilt by the sites and who knows if you are getting the existent app oregon 1 loaded with distant entree to immoderate info you participate successful there. So, if you can't find the project's APK easy connected their site, interaction them straight and ask.

Steps To Build Your Opt-Out Plan:

1. Pick a de-Googled OS.
2. Load Bitcoin and Lightning apps astatine home.
3. Add information apps similar a VPN and Tor browser.
4. Leave your home, instrumentality your backup telephone with you.
1. Find retired what works/doesn't enactment for you.
2. What apps tin you “not unrecorded without?”
3. Ask yourself, “What information gaps did I miss?”
4. Gain assurance successful being capable to usage Bitcoin privately.

I anticipation you recovered this nonfiction helpful. For me, this is conscionable different rung arsenic you ascent down the ladder of the Bitcoin rabbit hole. Using exertion doesn’t mean we person to springiness up freedoms for the casual and convenient options. It means we tin make an opt-plan and inactive usage Bitcoin. If you enjoyed this, springiness my 2 different articles a read, “Is This Mobile Banking — Bitcoin On The Go” — wherever I marque my Lightning node mobile and instrumentality it connected a roadworthy trip. Then read, “How To Make To Make Your Lightning Network Node Mobile” — that’s the method usher connected however to marque the node mobile. If you tin harvester each 3 topics, you’ll beryllium connected your mode to genuinely opting out.

I person included 3 photos to picture the extremity goal.

A Google Pixel that was flashed with GrapheneOS. No SIM paper — to amusement I person nary sim and IMEI was ne'er registered

All the Bitcoin and LN apps I usage and downloaded the APKs of truthful I tin usage Bitcoin privately.

I got called a “boomer” for taking pictures of my GrapheneOS alternatively of doing screenshots, but this gives a “real deal” consciousness and look.

This is simply a impermanent station by Anthony Feliciano. Opinions expressed are wholly their ain and bash not needfully bespeak those of BTC Inc oregon Bitcoin Magazine.