[mrsteveman1]

As I understand it:

The Google related things that are excluded from AOSP are things that Google doesn't want them to be there, for whatever reason.

The Google related things that are excluded from this project are things that users don't want them to be there at all, i.e. everything Google related.

[ReadTheLicense]

My point is, there's practically nothing Google related in my phone already. I am going through the settings and apps and can't find anything. Is LineageOS special in this regard? I thought this is the common AOSP experience, I had it the same with other ROMs.

[bornfreddy]

Are you sure about that? Running NetGuard reveals a lot of connections to G where one would not expect them (looking at you, Firefox, too). Also make sure you don't use 8.8.8.8 as DNS.

That said, /e/ is practically LineageOS, except you can buy it preinstalled on new phones.

[jqpabc123]

AOSP by itself still contacts Google --- without any additional apps or services installed. /e/OS has described were/how this occurs.

[commoner]

In case anyone missed it in TFA, here is /e/'s whitepaper on how they substitute and proxy Google services:

https://e.foundation/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/e-state-of-d... (PDF)

There's also an updated description of /e/ here: https://doc.e.foundation/what-s-e