Comment by sic_semper_tyrannis@feddit.ch on Just got a Samsung phone after years and years on a moto/droid. What apps should I get to up the qol?

New motos are just too big for my baby hands so I got myself an s23 for a steal, but I’m finding that I miss some of the functionality that I used to have, and that some features are just annoying on this phone.

What kind of qol apps do you galaxy-havers use? Specifically are there any that let me use more than just double tap and long press on the power button for quick actions?

Note: I don’t know if I can jailbreak it and keep my carrier. I use Google fi so it seems like breaking it would break everything? But I have no idea :3

See if DivestOS or Lineage support your phone and get rid of the crap Samsung software and spying.

That’s highly unlikely. Samsung phones aren’t very custom-ROM friendly, especially if you’re going for a recent device like OP did. Also, Samsung devices use a hardware eFuse which is blown up the moment you unlock the bootloader, which permanently voids the warranty, and permanently disables some Samsung features, which also reduces the resale value of the phone.

So, I wouldn’t advise rooting/ROMming a Samsung. Best to get something like a Pixel instead.

Wow, I had no idea about this efuse things. That’s absolutely terrible. Is it’s only function to alert you of the bootloader being unlocked?

No, Samsung’s KNOX security system checks the eFuse state for various functions, and if the eFuse is blown, it’ll disable several Samsung features, such as Secure Folder, Private Browsing in the Samsung browser, Samsung Pay, Samsung Pass etc. You cannot restore these features even if you flash the stock firmware and relock the bootloader.

Presumably, Google Pay, Firefox, etc. all continue to work, so do I really care if Samsung’s web browser and mobile payment system is broken? (sincere question)

The answer depends entirely on whether you use/prefer them to alternatives.

Oh, so it’s just Samsung applications that stop functioning properly. I think most people installing an alternative OS are trying to get away from that stuff anyways. I can also see why somebody wouldn’t want to do that though.

The issue is it also voids your warranty. So suppose your brand new, expensive Samsung phone develops a hardware fault, they could deny repair because your warranty is now technically void.

And it also affects the resale value. The person you’re selling to in the future, might not want to use a custom ROM, and they might actually want to use those Samsung features.

It’s a genuinely good security feature, but wrecks custom roms as a side effect (which I’m sure samsung doesn’t mind)

Samsung phones aren’t very custom-ROM friendly

Boy how the times change. Back in my day, Samsung devices had their own dedicated community. RIP SDX-developers

Except if you need banking apps etc which will refuse working when they detect a customized OS.

Many work fine, see if yours is listed here

Thanks for this link. All my US banks are on there. Although it’s not really a bank, but PayPal is not listed. Does anyone have experience with this or with banks in the Philippines?

The PayPal app definitely works with microG. I can’t confirm whether it works with a completely deGoogled version of Android, but it has been reported as working by multiple users through Techlore’s Plexus project.

EDIT: Just checked PayPal on a completely deGoogled device and it works.

Thanks for the heads up🙏🙏

I’m really interested in android, but all the google services are kind of a turn off. I only really use YouTube, but not even the official way.

What kind of phone do you have? If you are interested in privacy and haven’t used one of these alternative Android-based operating systems a try yet, I definitely recommend it if you have a compatible device. You lose very little in terms of app support and functionality while making significant gains in privacy, speed and battery life.

Not always accurate. Depends on the institution (my credit union’s app has worked flawlessly for years).

My banking app complains that I’m using a keyboard it doesnt recognize.

All the bank apps I’ve used have their own keyboard built-in

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Just got a Samsung phone after years and years on a moto/droid. What apps should I get to up the qol?

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