De-Googling is a scale, not a switch. Level 1 (10 minutes): turn off Web & App Activity, location history and ad personalisation, and delete your advertising ID. Level 2 (an afternoon): replace Chrome, Search, Maps, Gboard and Photos with private alternatives. Level 3: install GrapheneOS on a Google Pixel. In India, the catch is UPI and banking apps: levels 1 and 2 never break them; on level 3, some work and some don't, so test first.
Your Android phone shares a great deal with Google by default: searches, location, app usage, voice, photos and the ads you're shown. You don't have to throw the phone away to change that. Pick the level that fits how you use your phone.
Level 1: change these settings today
Nothing breaks, nothing to install. These apply to your Google account, so they also cover your laptop and other devices.
Turn off Web & App Activity
Open myactivity.google.com → Web & App Activity → turn it off, or set auto-delete to 3 months. While you're there, delete past activity.
Turn off location history (Timeline)
Phone Settings → Location → Location services → Timeline (on some phones: Google Location History) → off, and delete existing history. Check which apps have Allow all the time location access and downgrade them.
Turn off personalised ads
Open myadcenter.google.com → turn off Personalised ads. This covers Search, YouTube and Google's partner sites.
Delete your advertising ID
Settings → Privacy → Ads → Delete advertising ID (Android 12 and later; on Samsung it sits under Security and privacy). Apps can no longer link your activity to one ID.
Prune YouTube and voice history
In myactivity.google.com, turn off or auto-delete YouTube History, and check that audio recordings are not being saved.
Level 2: replace the Google apps
Your bank and UPI apps keep working, because Google Play services stay on the phone. You simply stop handing your daily activity to Google's own apps.
| Google app | Private alternative | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome | Firefox, Brave | Both block trackers; Firefox supports add-ons on Android |
| Google Search | DuckDuckGo, Startpage | Set as default in the browser's settings |
| Google Maps | Organic Maps | Offline maps built on OpenStreetMap; traffic and reviews are weaker in Indian cities |
| Gboard | FUTO Keyboard, HeliBoard | Typing stays on the phone; check Hindi and Indian-language support before switching |
| Google Photos | Ente, or local storage | Ente encrypts photos before they leave your phone |
| Gmail | Proton Mail, Tuta | Keep Gmail for accounts that use it; move slowly |
| Play Store | F-Droid (open-source apps) | Keep the Play Store for bank and UPI apps |
Keep Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM, your bank, DigiLocker and mAadhaar exactly as they are at this level.
Level 3: GrapheneOS on a Google Pixel
GrapheneOS is a free, open-source, privacy- and security-focused version of Android. It replaces the phone's operating system, so Google services are absent unless you choose to add them.
You need a Pixel
GrapheneOS runs only on Google Pixel phones, from the Pixel 6 to the Pixel 10 series; it recommends the Pixel 8a or newer for the longest support. Pixel 6 support ends in October 2026. Buy one sold in India with an unlockable bootloader, and check the current list at grapheneos.org/faq.
Install from the official web installer
Use only grapheneos.org/install/web from a laptop with Chrome or Edge. Installing wipes the phone, so back up first. The installer guides you through unlocking and re-locking the bootloader.
Add sandboxed Google Play only if you need it
GrapheneOS can run the official Google Play apps as ordinary apps, with no special access to the system. Most Indian banking and UPI apps need it. A tidy approach: put Google Play and your money apps in a separate user profile, and keep everything else in a profile without Google.
UPI and banking apps on GrapheneOS: the honest answer
Many Indian banking and UPI apps check whether the phone's operating system is certified by Google (Google's Play Integrity check). GrapheneOS passes the basic check but is not Google-certified, and it does not try to fake it. So:
- Some apps work with sandboxed Google Play installed.
- Some refuse to open, or block the device as "insecure".
- An app that works today can stop after an update.
Before you move your main phone, install GrapheneOS, add sandboxed Google Play, then install the bank, UPI, DigiLocker and mAadhaar apps you rely on and test each one. Many people keep a second, ordinary phone for money apps. Results reported in forums are anecdotal; your own test is what counts.
| Level | Effort | Cuts Google's data | UPI & banking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Settings | 10 minutes | A lot of tracking | Unaffected |
| 2 · Replace apps | An afternoon | Most daily activity | Unaffected |
| 3 · GrapheneOS | A weekend + a Pixel | Nearly all | Test each app |
What de-Googling doesn't fix
It stops new collection by Google. It does nothing about the copies of your number and email that loan apps, job portals, brokers and leaked databases already hold, which is why the spam calls continue. For that:
- Download a copy of your Google data with Google Takeout (takeout.google.com), then delete activity or the account itself.
- Find out where your email and number have leaked, and ask those companies to delete it under the DPDP Act. See where your data is being sold and how to stop spam calls.
Start with what's already out there
Saaph shows where your email and number have leaked and helps you ask the companies holding them to delete it.
Run a free scan →FAQ
Can I de-Google my phone and still use UPI?
Yes at levels 1 and 2. On GrapheneOS, some UPI and banking apps work with sandboxed Google Play and some don't, so test before switching your main phone.
Which phones can run GrapheneOS?
Only Google Pixel phones, Pixel 6 to the Pixel 10 series; the Pixel 8a or newer is recommended. Check grapheneos.org/faq for the current list.
Does de-Googling delete the data Google already has?
No. Download it with Google Takeout, then delete your activity at myactivity.google.com or delete the account.
General information as of October 2026. Menu names vary by phone maker and Android version. Installing a different operating system can void a warranty and wipes the phone; you do it at your own risk. Saaph.in is not affiliated with Google or GrapheneOS.