Pixel 9a – EscapeGoogle.me

Breaking Free from Big Tech

One Week with GrapheneOS: The Good, The Compromises, and The Surprises

By bilemaPosted on March 14, 2026Posted in Android alternative, EscapeGoogleTagged Android, de-googling, digital privacy, Finland, GrapheneOS, mobile privacy, MobilePay, Pixel 9a, privacy, Signal, tech independence, user profilesNo Comments

After years on standard Android with Google services running the show, I took the plunge: GrapheneOS on a Pixel 9a as my daily driver. Here’s what I learned in the first week. The Setup: Jolla Devices Delivered I ordered my Pixel 9a with GrapheneOS pre-installed from Jolla Devices. I can’t recommend them enough. Fast service, […]

The Phone Decision: (A “Google” Phone :)) Pixel 9a with GrapheneOS

By bilemaPosted on February 25, 2026Posted in EscapeGoogle, Switching to LinuxTagged Android alternatives, de-googling, degoogled phone, GrapheneOS, LineageOS, mobile privacy, Pixel 9a, privacy, Sailfish OSNo Comments

The phone has always been the elephant in the room. I can migrate email, switch to Linux, replace every Google service on my desktop—but all of that feels hollow when I’m carrying a Google device in my pocket 16 hours a day, feeding the surveillance engine with every tap, swipe, and location ping. So the […]

I'm documenting my journey to leave Google and the broader big tech ecosystem—not as a dramatic exit, but as a practical, functional transition. After a decade as a Google enthusiast, privacy concerns forced a reckoning: How much quality and functionality must I sacrifice to own my data and control my tools?

Follow along as I find alternatives to big tech solutions from Google, Meta, and Microsoft—while maintaining the quality in my workflow and keeping life functional. Real solutions, honest compromises and everything I learn along the way.