Exactly one week ago, I backed up my phone, did a factory reset, and installed CalyxOS, an Android mobile OS with an emphasis on privacy. Here are my thoughts on the bad, the good, and the future.

The Bad

Let’s start off with the parts of the transition that were difficult. I’m used to the mainstream approach to technology, where I value ease of use over anything else. Google, Facebook, and Amazon all made it big because they focused on this: making their products so easy to use that now even Grandma is on Facebook. Making a move away from all that is difficult, and comes with a learning curve.

Installation: I’m interested in tech, I’ve played around with Linux, and can figure out a command line (though I still find it intimidating). And Calyx has made the installation process as easy as possible. But it’s still no piece of cake. I tested out the process by installing it on an old phone a few weeks ago, and the process took me four hours! Last week I had the whole thing done in about 45 minutes, so I did get better. Definitely not for everyone, but doable if you’re motivated and ready to troubleshoot your way through it.

Apps: CalyxOS strips out Google’s tracking capabilities, and this is a problem when trying to use popular apps. Most require Google services, and won’t work at all; or need to use just one Google service, and will only work in a limited way. FOSS (free and open source software) apps are what Calyx pushes you towards. The tough part is finding alternatives to the apps you were used to, dealing with the limited functionality of the alternative apps you do find, and realizing you’ll have to give up some things up.

Support: Calyx is a non-profit institute, and most tech support is run by the community. I had an issue when I was testing CalyxOS out on my old phone a few weeks ago, dropped a question on the subreddit, and had to wait a week for a response. You might be able to find someone to help, but so far I’ve had to figure out everything myself.

The Good

I can’t explain the euphoria I felt when I was finally out from under Google’s thumb! After installation it took me a few hours to set up my apps and get everything the way I liked it, but the rest of the day I just felt so free. I don’t want it to sound like some sort of religious experience, but there was definitely a feeling of exhilaration. Feels good to stick it to the man [-:

And after a week, I can say with confidence that I’m never going back. For the most part I don’t even notice the change, except that I have battery life for days, and that I've had to switch some things I used to do on my phone to my pc.

I’m looking forward to getting to know the OS better, and hopefully be able to help newcomers install it on their devices.

The Future

This is just a step for me in my mission to rid my life of centralized tech solutions. There are more privacy focused operating systems, and better practices I can employ.

But it’s still a step in the right direction. And if any of you want to make that step as well, I’m happy to help!