Thank you for purchasing a phone from Private Phone Shop. Your new phone comes with a minimal set of apps to get started.

 

Apps that we install:

• F-Droid: an open-source app repository where you can find many apps not available on Google Play. If you install an app from F-Droid, you will be prompted when updates are available. Many great apps are available here.
• Aurora Store: a clone of the Google Play store. Aurora anonymously requests apps from Play, and installs them on your phone. No personally identifiable information is sent to Google.

Note: as of June 1, 2023 the Aurora Store is functioning properly once again.

If you are still having issues, make sure you are running the latest version (4.2.3 or newer).  You can upgrade via F-droid.

If problems persist, clear the storage/cache for Aurora.  Long-press on the app icon, then choose “App info.”  Select “Storage & Cache,” and then clear both.

You will need to set up Aurora again.  Select all of the default choices, and give it the permissions requested.  Then choose “Anonymous” for the account login.  It should work properly.

• GCam: an app based on the software for the cameras on the Pixel line of phones. GCam provides superior image processing, and is widely acknowledged as the best camera app.  When taking photos in portrait mode, the Gallery app may not be able to open the photo directly from GCam since the gallery doesn’t quite know how to deal with the processing GCam does. There are two ways around this. You can either open the photo later in the gallery, after it has been processed, or you can install the GalleryGo app from google. Note that you don’t need to actually use GalleryGo, and you can disable internet access for it, but it installs libraries that will let you view GCam photos immediately.

 

Apps you should probably install:

Please see the Resources section for apps that we recommend. At a minimum, you should install:

• A better messaging app. SMS (ordinary text messages) are very insecure. We recommend Signal.
• A PDF / text file viewer such as Librera Pro (available for free via F-Droid)
• A VPN. Most of the good ones (Mullvad, iVPN, Proton) have their own app.
• The Tor browser, just in case you need it.
• A better keyboard. MultiLing lets you customize absolutely everything. There is also OpenBoard. If you prefer a more mainstream keyboard like GBoard (made by google) or Swiftkey (Microsoft), you can always block internet access if you are worried it might phone home.

How do I transfer my contacts and photos from my old phone?

There are two ways you can do this, either manually or using an app.

• Manual has the most privacy.  Connect your old phone to your computer or a USB drive using an adapter, and transfer your photos there.  Then plug in your new phone and transfer the photos over.   For contacts, in Android open the Contacts app and go to Settings -> Export.  Save your contacts as a .vcf file.  Transfer this file to your new phone, and then go to Contacts -> Settings -> Import.
• Apps have less privacy, but are much eaiser.  None of the existing apps are truly private, but if you are migrating from a phone with google services installed, they already know your contact list anyway.  Search for “contact transfer” in the Play/Aurora store and pick one that works best for you.

How do I use my new phone with my existing phone service?

You should be able to pop in your current SIM card and have your phone work immediately.

If that doesn’t work, you may need to contact your provider and have them provision your phone. This means giving them the IMEI of your new phone, which your provider will explain how to find. However in 95% of cases, you shouldn’t need to do anything extra.

Best practices for using your new phone:

By having a de-Googled phone, you are already ahead of 99% of the population in terms of phone privacy. However, there are several crucial ideas you should keep in mind as you use your new phone

• Watch the permissions! When you install a new app, pay close attention to what permissions it requests. Ask yourself if something really needs access to your contacts, or your files. If in doubt, say no. If the app still doesn’t work, you can always reconsider, or just find a different app.
• Keep Bluetooth off unless you are actively using it. Any app can see which devices are trying to connect via BT. This means stores and other locations can place BT “beacons” which broadcast a signal ID. When an app sees them, your location is pinpointed.  There is an app called Greentooth which will automatically turn off bluetooth after a set period of time if not in use.
• Consider installing the Exodus app, available via F-Droid. Exodus will create reports on each app you have installed, letting you know which have trackers, and which apps are requesting what permissions.
• Use websites, not apps. There’s a reason why so many sites prompt you to install their app. It’s so they can push notifications to your phone, and also so they can collect (and sell) your data. By using a website instead of an app, you preserve more of your privacy. For example, virtually all weather apps are chock-full of spyware. Instead, find a good weather site and create a bookmark on your home screen.

If your phone came with iVPN installed:

If you’re a newsletter subscriber, you should find iVPN pre-installed on your phone with a free 1-month subscription. This subscription was purchased anonymously using Monero, without giving your name or any other information about you (or us) to iVPN.

We cannot view any of your internet traffic if you use iVPN, even though we purchased the account.

To secure your internet connection, open the app and toggle the status to “connected.” Note that you can change the location or enable anti-tracking to block data trackers (although you should be using a web browser that does this anyway).

If you want to keep using iVPN after 1 month, click on the silhouette in the upper-left corner of the app. This will display your account ID. Tap on “Add more time” which will take you to iVPN’s website. You can upgrade your account here (which will allow you to connect up to 7 devices simultaneously) or add more funds. If you click “Add More Time” on their site, you can choose to log in with your Account ID. Copy and paste this from your iVPN app, and you can add funds using a credit card, cryptocurrency, or even cash.

If you have a problem with your new phone:

We strive for all of our customers to be 100% satisfied with their purchase.  If you experience a problem or are unsatisfied for any reason, please send us an email at [email protected] and we will try to help.

If you need to return your phone, we hope that you will contact us first to work out any issues.  However if you need to send it back, please visit privatephoneshop.com/returns