Just a snek on the internet | Call me Doppler (or just Snek) | He/they | Forever in love with my Cuddlefish 🖤🩶🤍💜

  • 0 Posts
  • 21 Comments
Joined 4 months ago
Cake day: July 19th, 2025
  • YoSoySnekBoi@kbin.earthtoPrivacy@lemmy.ml•Nice little collection of privacy tools
    4·
    2 months ago

    Firefox on Android requires a LOT of RAM because afaik it is the only modern mobile browser that truly implements its own web engine, rather than piggybacking on Android System WebView.

    It ran like crap on my low end Galaxy but I’ve had no issue with it since switching to a Pixel 8. If you’re looking for speed over features while still being decently private, Firefox Focus is a nice simple choice, though it lacks most features of a modern browser.

    If you’re looking exclusively for privacy-hardening though, nothing can really beat IronFox except maybe Vanadium (but that’s GrapheneOS exclusive), and IronFox is the only one with extensive support for browser extensions.

  • YoSoySnekBoi@kbin.earthtoPrivacy@programming.dev•ICE buys tool to monitor millions of smartphones. Experts say it’s dangerous
    2·
    2 months ago

    I’m a bit confused by your question…GPS definitely requires communication between your phone and a satellite (i.e. can’t track you if your GPS unit is off - maybe you’re thinking of satellite imaging?). EDIT: This is actually incorrect, see comments below

    With wifi calling, yes, data is being sent to the carrier, but not via a signal that can be triangulated, so the most accurate location data they can gather is your IP address, which a VPN can easily hide.

    Or do you mean in terms of generalized location tracking? In which case yes, highly accurate location data is shared by your phone with your carrier by default, just by way of how cellular networks function; no GPS required.

  • YoSoySnekBoi@kbin.earthtoPrivacy@programming.dev•ICE buys tool to monitor millions of smartphones. Experts say it’s dangerous
    9·
    2 months ago

    I’m well aware of this, the reason I bring up GOS is because it fully disables your phone’s radios when you turn them off, meaning cell tower triangulation and GPS do not work at all unless explicitly enabled.

    This as opposed to a typical phone, which leaves GPS on even when location is off and pings towers periodically even when service is inactive.

    I personally leave my phone in airplane mode with location/camera/microphone disabled at all times unless I explicitly need them. I use wifi calling so I can still use it as a typical phone and per-connection MAC address randomization (+ a VPN on public wifi) so my device isn’t easy to track via IP.

    GOS is great for this because I can be reasonably assured that apps are not bypassing my permission settings without my knowledge and consent. (That and I can de-google which in and of itself goes a long way in decreasing trackability)