Does WhatsApp still work? I care about privacy and degoogling but I'm not yet quite ready to abandon my social network over it. Currently I use lineageos with the micro Google apps bundle which provides the real Play Store services and WhatsApp still works. I'd be happy to use the replacement if that was still the case.

EDIT: for clarity, by "micro Google apps bundle" I mean the opengapps [1] micro variant.

[1] https://opengapps.org/

I use LineageOS+microG and practically all apps not made by Google (WhatsApp, Spotify, PayTM) work as they should. Even for some Google apps, there are good alternatives like YouTube Vanced etc.

Good to know, thanks! I plan to reinstall LineageOS since I stupidly relocked my bootloader last time and can't upgrade without wiping the phone. I'll try out microG this time!

> relocked my bootloader last time and can't upgrade without wiping the phone

That doesn't sound right.

LineageOS isn't designed to be used with a locked bootloader. Most devices supported by LineageOS don't support relocking the bootloader with a custom key, and for the devices that do support it (mainly Google and OnePlus phones), it's not recommended to do this on LineageOS.

FAQ on using LineageOS with a locked bootloader: https://www.reddit.com/r/LineageOS/comments/n7yo7u/a_discuss...

Some Android distros, including CalyxOS, are only intended to be used with a locked bootloader, and support over-the-air upgrades without needing it to be unlocked.

Sounds right to me. Unlocking your bootloader wipes storage.

WhatsApp allows you to download an APK from their website. It works without Google Play dependencies.

Yes I believe it does (I switched to Signal years ago and didn't try WhatsApp for a long time). Many proprietary apps runs great even the ones depending on Google Services.

Youtube app can be replaced with Firefox

Vance gives you an audio-only option, which is nice.

NewPipe also has an audio-only option. Unlike YouTube Vanced (a mod of the original YouTube app), NewPipe is open source and supports video downloading. I think the main advantages of Vanced over NewPipe are the SponsorBlock integration and the ability to log in to a Google account (if that's what you're looking for).

I've been very happy with this fork of newpipe that has sponsorblock built-in (it's been kept up to date with upstream so far): https://github.com/polymorphicshade/NewPipe

It started with this rejected PR: https://github.com/TeamNewPipe/NewPipe/pull/3205

The sponsorblock faith is also available through fdroid

How do you play Youtube clips audio-only with NewPipe?

On the video view, the "Background" button with the headphones icon plays the audio only. You can also hold the button to add the clip to your queue.

I use Firefox for YouTube with the following add-ons:

1. uBlock Origin 2. Video Background Play Fix add-on

This allows me to use YouTube as a background playback music player.

I tried both, Firefox with ublock and Video Background Play Fix extensions (as someone else pointed out too) is great. But I ended up using NewPipe because I feel it's has a better user experience than the mobile version of the YouTube website (playlist management, audio only, downloading, UI) and it's Open Source.

I still use the Firefox option if newpipe has issues fetching the video (which didn't happened to me for a long time).

It's a preference thing, many options are great.

You can click share on a Youtube video on Firefox and you'll get the option to send it to New Pipe. My only gripe with New Pipe is that it breaks some times and it doesn't have Youtube's recommendations.

Newpipe is a better option.

Or Brave.

How does Organic Maps compare to OsmAnd?

Organic Maps has a better and easier-to-use interface, especially for turn-by-turn navigation while driving.

OsmAnd is much more fully featured, especially if you are using it to contribute data to OpenStreetMap. With OsmAnd Live, you can download hourly updates to OpenStreetMap data, while Organic Maps updates at less frequent intervals. The app supports plugins for additional functionality, including trip recording, Mapillary street view, and various map views (such as nautical and ski views).

There's no harm in having both installed, since they have different strengths.

In OM, we have faster renderer, more compact maps and focus on easier UX for general public. All app’s features are free. And we plan to increase the frequency of map updates, and of course add more features.

Did you guys ever solve the massive TTS problem? I would use Organic Maps if not for this. It's a bit of a safety concern when you need to look at the map all the time.

OsmAnd is a more fully featured solution for maps.

I agree that OsmAnd is a better option for public transportation and navigation, however, I found that Organic Maps is better at showing stuffs like restaurants/shops etc and more reactive (smoothness, quick to show the map).

I used OsmAnd for quite a long time and just wanted to give Organic Maps a try to see other alternatives. Both are quite promising as replacing Google maps IMO.

> YouTube can be replaced by NewPipe

I'm using SmartTubeNext. It's great. Haven't tried NewPipe, anyone have a comparison?

SmartTubeNext's interface (which enforces landscape mode) is optimized for Android TV, while NewPipe's interface feels more at home on an Android phone or tablet.