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Ask HN: How to Move on from Google?

31 points by taurusnoises ↗ HN
Anyone got a resource for how to move off Google into using another browser, even if passwords etc are all saved in Google? I've been wanting to make the transition, but not even sure where to start. I've experimented with Brave, but Google has become so integrated I to everything I do (tis the plan, I know), that I'm just not sure how to pull it off. Any ideas?

39 comments

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ocdtrekkie
Almost all browsers will import everything from other browsers. Believe it or not, it's the easiest thing to leave. Gmail is the hardest, and will take a lot of time and effort, but it's well worth it: Alternatives are outright vastly superior.
taurusnoises
Can you recommend some alternatives to Gmail you have experience with?
doomrobo
I've been using Fastmail for years with a custom domain. I only have positive things to say
rastographics
This has been my exact experience too. Never looked back from fastmail
ocdtrekkie
Fastmail is incredibly good. Their name is not a joke: It's the fastest webmail client I've ever used, and their support is really good too.
robinhood
Fastmail for 12 years and counting. I keep a Gmail account for all my spam and newsletters, and I hate every single time I have to use it. Fastmail is so much better. It's fast, pure IMAP (technically they use JMAP but whatever), I set up all my custom domain names with it, unlimited aliases–and now it also supports creating aliases straight from 1Password.
vineyardmike
I've been using iCloud. It requires you to trust apple, but if you're de-googling, you may be adding iPhones to your life, so it may be worth it.

The special sauce that makes it better is iCloud custom domain emails. Now I can have mynmame@lastname.tld email. If you ever want to jump ship again to new provider - you don't have to worry about changing your email, you can just migrate the DNS records.

If it wasn't for custom domains, I wouldn't recommend another tech giant, but I feel like this is a special combination of control && integrated ease of use.

barbacoa
Getting off Gmail was not nearly as painful as I feared when it came time for me to cross that bridge. You can forward emails to a new provider so you can slowly transition.
PaulHoule
I use Firefox for almost all my browsing and software development. Just do it.
lotsofpulp
KeepassXC, Firefox, DuckDuckGo, Fastmail, and open street maps.

On macOS, strongbox is an alternative to keepassXC, and safari + apple keychain.

redman25
Keepassxc is supported on Mac I believe.
lotsofpulp
Yes, I used to use it, but switched to Strongbox due to TOTP support and the accompanying iOS app.
[deleted]
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squarefoot
Using Firefox here since nearly forever, save for a short time with Chrome many years ago, and have never been happier. As for services, YMMV, but Fastmail, DuckDuckGo, Startpage, are widely considered good alternatives for email and search. Other more specific services might be harder to swap with others, but it all depends on which services and how they're used.
propogandist
use a password manager, not your browser, to manage passwords, something like bitwarden or lastpass.

You can use a browser like ungoogled chromium.

iovrthoughtthis
have fun installing and managing widevine!

i was so surprised by how hard it was to step outside of the walled garden

propogandist
if the need arises, another browser supporting widevine can be easily used

why be limited to a single browser? we can diversify usage to reduce reliance on a single software provider

faeriechangling
Passwords specifically are easy there’s a built in import/export in every modern browser. This takes a few minutes of searching.

Probably the easiest “big bang” way to wean yourself off of Google would be to outfit yourself in Apple kit. Apple has this whole ecosystem that’s parallel to Google they even went to pains to get their own mapping software going.

If your goal is to get away from big tech in general you’ve got a long road ahead of you.

taurusnoises
Ultimately, that is the idea. Unfortunately, I am enamored with so much of what I get from Google (and Mac/Apple), which keeps me tethered. I pull a way a bit, and then find myself deeper than I was before! Now I'm in this phase (every six months it seems) of being like: yeah, but what about everything else that's out there, that people are making and using, is more considered of the human toll, etc. So, here I am, yet again, looking for options.
Nginx487
I'm writing a series of articles about my personal experience, publishing [let's call it] drafts on LinkedIn for the limited audience, to catch small mistakes. I don't know if it's available without a LinkedIn account, you can try. I'm working on a blog at the moment to publish it.

The Easy Way to Quit Google https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/easy-way-quit-google-part-1-y...

taurusnoises
I'm looking forward to reading the series. I've printed out the first one to read today.
taubek
The biggest obstacle that I see is the fact that there is no single provider/company that offers all of the services that Google has.

Would you replace Google with MS or Apple? Those two are the only ones that have the whole set of services that can be compared to Google.

It is easy to find replacement for each of them, but integration... That is a whole another story. There is a bunch of different password managers, cloud storage providers, search services. Based on the reasons why you want to ditch Google you can choose the providers that you like, e.g. for mail you could go to Proton or GMX, search Duck Duck Go,...

taurusnoises
Exactly. Finding a way to integrate seems like the big obstacle. Then again, as I'm typing this, I'm wondering if integration is a bit of a mirage. While, it's certainly a real thing, I'm not sure how I'm actually employing the integration aspects. Like, is Keep and Docs really working together in my workflow? I like how keep can sit in my Gmail sidebar, which is classic integration. But, is something like that really what keeps me around, or is it more a feeling of integration. (sorry, getting very Hamlet in here).
taubek
When I was looking for a new mobile phone I've crossed over new generations of Huawei due to a lack of Google integration. Sure, there are ways to get Google Maps and other services onto them but I don't like such type on installation process. It works, or I will not use it. The device is here to make my life easier.

I totally understand what you mean when you talk about feeling of integration. I like Google and their tools, I like the fact that I can use "Login with Google" on many different services, I like the fact that I have single account for large number of services, that I can backup my mobile phone even without knowing where the data is (this is not necessary a good thing ;) ). So for me the biggest plus of integration is single account for multiple services.

pcdoodle
search.brave.com seems to be going pretty well results wise. For cloud storage, synology is a plug and play NAS for self hosted cloud that doesn't require port forwarding. Highly Recommended.
YXNjaGVyZWdlbgo
I am really happy with zoho the mail hosting is good and exchange compatible, cheap. They have a good online office suite, note taking application and gdrive alternative.
taurusnoises
I'd be curious to hear what others think of Zoho. I'm not familiar with it at all, but from a quick glance it looks fairly robust with a slew of integrated platforms. Is it frying pan into frying pan, or is Zoho a true alternative with alternative values, privacy ethics, etc?
egberts
These folks got a precise alternatives of many non-big tech choices plus their recommendations.

https://degooglisons-internet.org/en/alternatives

100011_100001
This site has a weird bias which is unfortunate.

Simple example, anonfiles is not there, as a file sharing service, but their solution is. That automatically makes them not a good trusted source to me. Perhaps I am being close-minded.

taurusnoises
I feel the same. I love the site and the stance, but it's far from a clearing house of alternatives. Seems highly curated. Which, for some people, might be a plus. I'd be looking for something a little more robust. Or, honestly, a message board for suggestions like we're doing here. I prefer this approach.
taurusnoises
I really appreciate all the comments and suggestions. I'm writing up a little recap to catalogue what I'm seeing here, so that's why I'm a little silent in the comments. But, keep sending in your ideas, and I'll do my best to draw up a little overview and put it in the comments. Also, trying to keep up so I can upvote you all.
rdtwo
You can’t. Half the web uses Google for capcha. You need to have a Google account or you will get c as capcha to death