sxa's Technical Musings

Making an AOSP phone usable without google play store or google services 1) Direct from the web sites, get the .apk and install F-Droid , ProtonMail , WhatsApp and Zoom 2) From F-Droid install telegram , duckduckgo browser , Twidere , K-9 Mail  (GMail 2FA instructions are here )  VLC , OsmAnd , NewPipe , muPDF viewer and the Aurora Store 3) From the Aurora store, install Slack , Monzo [*] , and SumUp (niche, but I've added because because I use their card reader) and mayby even BBC iPlayer but bear in mind you won't be able to do chrome cast (except via VLC). Some applications won't work even if you can source them as they simply won't operate at all without Google Play Services. Often these are a result of requiring location data. Swarm is in that category. For those in the UK you might be tempted to download All4 and ITV hub too but  they won't work without Play Services either. [*] - Monzo is also available from apkmirror which may be the main pl

TL;DR Unless you're on Three, you're probably best getting a local SIM card when travelling to Indonesia I've got an upcoming trip to Indonesia, and while all UK phone networks currently allow you to use your phone in the EU at no extra charge (and sometimes in the US) for other locations it's far less clear. This is my initial attempt to cover the main networks from best to worst (plus comparisons with the same trip to the USA) and I've included GiffGaff at the end just because I have one of their SIM cards too so was interested. When you're near buildings you might have WiFI accessible but if not you probably want to be aware of the charges particularly if you've not travelled to the area before. DISCLAIMER: I cannot be held responsible for the information in this post. I believe it is all correct at the time of writing. I have given the links to the networks' web sites so you can check the current situation yourself. Don't blame me if you get