[theshadowphoton]

For a long time I've avoided smartphones. I was considering that "stupid people use smartphones", simply because, I think, they can cause more problems than they can solve.
But since then, I've gone the "stupid route". I've bought a smartphone and now I'm trying to figure out how to stay "protected" and keep my privacy at the same time.

If I was to delete the apps, for which I think jeopardize my privacy/security, I would be left with bare minimal functionality, and that would kinda defeat the purpose of having a smart phone. But if I start installing apps, I would have to consider giving them all sorts of permissions that they don't really need.

If I use antivirus, firewall and some cleaner tool, simply to protect myself, I would essentially need to trust app authors with whole bunch of permissions and maybe even root access... And I'm not sure I want to do that. I mean, who to trust?

How to secure myself without losing privacy and potentially creating a bunch of backdoors for the "people lurking in the shadows"?

Also, like a little bonus, what do you use your smartphones for and what apps do you use?

[Lucybrown]

Leo privacy guard can one click to scan phone privacy status.

[Bish0pQ]

There was an app (where you need root acces for) that could block unwanted privacy settings, I will take a look when I'm back home.

I use "Signal" for calling and texting. It takes your privacy serious and encrypts messages. It can delete messages after a certain amount of time and is recommended by several security specialists.

DU Booster notifies me when an app is using network without my permission.

Smartphones these days have also an option to use a VPN and so encrypt network traffic. I don't know which phone ypu have but it should be somewhere in the settings menu.

In Tools for developers I have also enabled "allow fake locations"

For the rest I don't use facebook, instagram or other apps that 'drain' your privacy.

[theshadowphoton]

@Bish0pQ
Thanks for the suggestions. Nice idea with "allow mock locations".
Signal seems realy nteresting, and I will definetly try it out... Now, the only thing I have to do is persuade my friends to use it too

When you say DU Booster, do you mean DU Speed Booster & Antivirus or DU Security or is it something else?
And again, this was kinda my point, how do you know you can trust them? Putting "world's most trusted apps developer" on their site doesn't make them trustworthy. I mean, how do you know it doesn't do something "above and beyond" from what it's supposed to do, like "phone home" with some malitent or something like that?

@Lucybrown
As for the Leo privacy guard, they are asking for a bunch of privileges, and they don't provide any functionalities of app to cover ... so I don't think I'll trust them. But thanks for the suggestion.

[Bish0pQ]

@Bish0pQ
Thanks for the suggestions. Nice idea with "allow mock locations".
Signal seems realy nteresting, and I will definetly try it out... Now, the only thing I have to do is persuade my friends to use it too

When you say DU Booster, do you mean DU Speed Booster & Antivirus or DU Security or is it something else?
And again, this was kinda my point, how do you know you can trust them? Putting "world's most trusted apps developer" on their site doesn't make them trustworthy. I mean, how do you know it doesn't do something "above and beyond" from what it's supposed to do, like "phone home" with some malitent or something like that?

That is the only thing that it isn't that good if you're friends won't use it but if they do, your messages are secure.

I was talking about the first one, and I know, you can't know how much privacy they take from you but my idea is, I can install one app that (might be) using my data and it prevents other apps from using Network and other things, I will go to that. The time that you will gain 100% privacy on a phone is over but you can try to give them as little data about you as possible.

[theshadowphoton]

my idea is, I can install one app that (might be) using my data and it prevents other apps from using Network and other things, I will go to that. The time that you will gain 100% privacy on a phone is over but you can try to give them as little data about you as possible.

Well, I guess, sometimes we have to make some compromises. Thanks.

[Bish0pQ]

Well, I guess, sometimes we have to make some compromises. Thanks.

No problem, I'm not saying you must use this applications but these are the one I'm using.

[pvnk]

http://repo.xposed.info/module/biz.bokhorst.xprivacy

[zorrophreak]

Sorry that I have to make this a simple recommendation. But don't allow unknown sources, and don't root it. Done.

[pvnk]

Sorry that I have to make this a simple recommendation. But don't allow unknown sources, and don't root it. Done.

What a stupid recommendation.