thanks everyone for the replies, unfortunately most of the OSes you guys have provided aren’t compatible with my current phone (redMi 11 pro), so if I ever get a google pixel, I will use graphene OS. Good night everyone.

Android is based on the linux kernel and can be stripped of proprietary software. Custom versions like graphene os exist that are great for privacy.

I’m running graphene for over a year now and its great

Android is not developed by Google. It’s open source but Google adds a lot of stuff on top. There are ways to minimise what apps can spy on you: gboard, keep notes, calendar, calculator, gmail - all can be swapped for better and more privacy respecting apps from F-droid. You can also disable Google and other system (vendor) apps through adb. Some OSs if you don’t want to do that are Lineage OS and Calyx OS.

i have been using grapheneos for a while now, and honestly its been great. the only problem is limited hardware support (only pixel ≥5 unless officially supported - due to unlockable bootloader). i have gone cold turkey from google apps like maps, although it is possible to set it up to work. banking apps and stuff dont work obviously, but those apps should be avoided anyways. ive also heard (some) good things about lineage, calyx, and /e/. i wish linux phones were daily drivable, but sadly it is not yet practicle for most. i would personally recommend at least looking into graphene on a pixel.