[bm3719]

Keep as much local as possible. Do anything involving money or your personal info inside a dedicated VM running a secure OS, or use QubesOS. Use a dumb phone instead of a smart phone. Keep your passwords in a local encrypted text file. If you need a password or other data on the road, SSH into your home machine from your laptop (which has an encrypted disk). Go back to using fake nick names instead of your real name whenever you post online. If some service requires a phone number, other personal info, or an app install, don't use it unless you have absolutely no choice. Use FLOSS and don't pay for software with your money or by viewing ads.

Reject the notion that you NEED these BigTech services and don't let them hold your life, well-being, or friends hostage.

[ffgh]

I'm in the process of trying to de-Google my life. Apart from being forced to use Google at my workplace I want nothing to do with them other than google searches. I have 4 Gmails though, a few personal and a few for etc sites. I was thinking about setting up a forwarder for all to 1 email account. Any recommendations for a dumb phone? I know Google and Android phones go hand in hand.

[theshrike79]

It's a long process, but I did it about 5 years ago (moved to Fastmail).

Buy your own domain, attach it to Fastmail (or use your direct @fastmail address if you don't want to own the domain). Then have Fastmail IMAP fetch the mails from your gmail addresses.

Create a filter that shows you which mails come from gmail-sourced accounts and go through it every once a while, visit those sites and change the addresses. It's a slow process but that way you won't lose any important emails.

I think my Gmail address is used by one store that refuses to give users the option of changing the email :D And they have loyalty bonuses that carry over between years so I can't be bothered to create a new account.

[bm3719]

Currently using a Kyocera DuraXE. It's great and still has a very inconvenient to use subset of the functionality you might miss from a smart phone. I bought it because I needed hotspot tethering for work. However, I've recently read that the Light Phone II has that feature and is even dumber of a phone, so might switch over to that.

Previously I was getting by fine with a pre-paid LG flip phone and buying around $100/yr of minutes/service from TracFone.

[paraph1n]

GrapheneOS for phone