Re: What can't you do on Android WITHOUT a Google Account set up in the OS?

"R.Wieser" <address@is.invalid> wrote:

Andrew,
 

What can't you do on Android WITHOUT a Google Account set up in the OS?
>
For example, YouTube app functionality can be replaced by the open-source
NewPipe app, which does NOT need a Google Account set up on the phone.

...
 
That fully depends on when you call a non-Google app a replacement for the
Google one.
 
Example: On Windows there are several open-source replacements for Word and
Excel.   Some people reject them because they are not one-on-one
replacements.

I tried LibreOffice for over a year.  Too many functions missing, or
having to hunt for where they were buried, or goofy and often incomplete
workarounds.  LibreOffice didn't even have a handle at the corner of a
table to expand it to add a new row with the same attributes while also
changing the data ranges in a linked chart.  Had to go back to MS Office
for both Word and Excel. 

I had not built any custom apps using VBA with any Office component, but
those who do can't migrate to other office suites.  I've seen entire
corporate applications built on Office and scripts that don't look
anything like the Office apps.  Conversion away from MS Office would
take a lot of time and money.  Similarly, if someone built a custom
program upon LibreOffice's scripting then a whole new project would be
needed to migrate to MS Office scripting.

I know some users want to eradicate all of Edge from Windows, except
WebView2 is also used by other software.

However, I suspect the OP's viewpoint is sufficient non-Google
alternatives need not be one-on-one substitutes, just good enough for
his consideration.

Also, do realize that as long as you are using Googles Android you are still
part of their ecosystem (search for "google android advertising framework").
Perhaps start with replacing the OS with one which gives you the tools to
tame badly-behaving apps ?
 
As for your question for us to deliver replacement apps for everything thats
already on you phone and/or available in Googles "walled garden" : why don't
you just take the name of the Google app you're interrested in, pre/append
"open source" or perhaps "replacement" to it, drop it in your favorite
search-engine (Google ? :-) ) and see what you get ?
 
Perhaps make a list of apps in order of importance to you first ?
 
Personally I would start with a sand-boxed non-google webbrowser with an
adblocker (and plugin capabilities) and use that to access YouTube e.a.

As for the OP's inquiry, I use Google Maps.  I've tried Here [WeGo] and
OSM as alternatives, but they weren't as useful.  Here was good,
especially for offline maps.  It's also used in car navigation systems.
OSM is crowd-sourced, so areas with few or no OSM users are poorly
mapped.  OSM also uses public record information, like city plats, which
show planned roads that don't yet exist, and may never exist.  I have
not heard of any car maker touching OSM for nav data.  Is there a
non-Google replacement for Google Maps that is as robust, and updated a
lot, and not by happenstance with erratic voluntary input? 

While there are non-Google alternatives, they don't seem equal.  Being
good enough does not mandate an alternative is a sufficient replacement.
Few users need that warm comfy feeling of disconnecting from Google.

I'm sure Andrew really is not interested in discovering what Google-ized
apps have no "sufficient" non-Google alternatives.  Seems more like he
wants to start another flame thread.