What Happens if You Don't Sign In to a Google Account on Android?
What Happens if You Don't Sign In to a Google Account on Android?
Do you need a Google account to use an Android phone? Here's what you'll lose—and gain—if you choose not to sign in.
Do you need a Google account to use an Android phone? Here's what you'll lose—and gain—if you choose not to sign in.
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Besides fact you will be running privileged services 24/7 with Internet and location access, it is quite usable.
Don't forget to turn off WiFi scanning. This feature is for Google to create WiFi hotspot maps by using your devices, but it also constantly leak your location to them.
I recommend anyone having to use phone with Google system-baked services to connect to Internet only via some portable OpenWRT router with strict firewall rules and allowlist only.
What if you have Lieage OS with wifi scanning on?
LineageOS does not have WiFi scanning unless you flash Google Play Services on top of it.
Oh ok (I did), so wifi scanning on my phone is still phoning home to google then? It might be a conspiracy theory but turning on wifi scanning was the only way i could get google maps to work, which was not the case with stock android on the same phone. Can google detect the phone OS and throttle access to google services if they want to?
WiFi scanning is not nessesary for location to work and as a proof we can use any other app other than Google Maps on deGoogled phone just fine.
This option is officially used to build convinient location history on Google Maps and Google Photos and for building WiFi map for Google's database. Both with creepy consequence - leaking 24/7 location of every Android phone by default.
I just tested- Google Maps doesn't work unless you turn on wifi scanning. Creeps.