this post was submitted on 15 Nov 2023
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Hello, could someone recommended a keyboard for android that is a bit smart in predictive typing? I used to like swiftkeybefore it was bought by microsoft. Not that swiftkey itself was much better but I was not so privy conscious at that time.

I recall swiftkey would require access to your texts and emails to train itself to your predictions.

Is there some similar foss keyboard where all the data then remains local?

I know swiftkey has an incognito mode, but then it stops learning from your typing.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I agree and also avoid using their Sandboxed Play Services. Their values are security and "making sense". Its great to have the play services and store just working but as user apps. You can isolate them in a work profile without a problem.

There is no alternative, their point is that microG is not FOSS but a hacked together version of the proprietary play services parts, it may be verrry insecure as it needs to run as system app and often doesnt get updates. And it still talks to Google and actually sends lots of data.

Their approach is very economic. They ship regular play services, framework and store, but with a compatibility layer. This saves efford a lot and avoids breakages or blocking services (Aurora) over time.

Literally everyone can run GrapheneOS, thats the point. You dont need to use the sandboxed Play, but if you need it, it works.

It annoys me too that their preinstalled apps all suck.

  • AOSP filemanager is needed for portals ans USB, but it sucks
  • that gallery??
  • clock is old and damn blue
  • sms app uses very old runtime, showing a warning
  • aosp contacts

They promote Vanadium and literally installing binaries from some random Github release.

F-Droid basic uses the new libraries and should be preinstalled as user app. They have reproducible builds now.

And I wont use Vanadium, as it doesnt support Firefox Addons. It may be hardened in some way but without Noscript and Ublock in my eyes no browser is really hardened if it can run every Javascript or block all, breaking 90% of websites.

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I like that they don't foce apps on me , I'd rather install what I need myself. F-droid is not the best app as I see it. I use neo store so do not want extra bloat.

Regarding Firefox , you are either running chrome/vanadium or chrome/vanadium plus Firefox. Since webview. So what you have with Firefox is at best the in use browser features. Open a link in an app and you still use the webview. Firefox on android has it issues as well (sandboxing) . So 1+1 = 2 issues. Using a VPN / DNS with adblock makes ublock unnecessary.