De-google

July 14, 2025

Delete Google and reclaim privacy.

Email and calendar

Migrate email and calendar to Proton mail. Iʼm currenly looking for a simpler solution, since I donʼt like Protonʼs mail bridge and feel I am overpaying for features I donʼt use (like storage). My subscription ends in May 2026, and Iʼm considering mailbox.org.

Instead of shared Google calendars, send calendar invites back and forth.

Shared docs and sheets

For personal docs and sheets, use LibreOffice. For shared docs and sheets, use Cryptpad.

Google Drive

I donʼt need the cloud storage since I have NAS at home. For offsite backups, use Backblaze. To share large files, begrudgingly use Dropbox. Encrypt files and backups locally before uploading if desired.

Search

Use DuckDuckGo by default. Or Google it when you need to actually find something.

Browser

Use Firefox.

Maps

Reluctantly use Apple Maps. Sadly use Google Maps or Waze (signed out) when you actually want to get there.

TV and Phone

Use an AppleTV (sigh) and iPhone (groan). Fairphone offers a Google-free Android for Android fans. Never connect a smart TV to the internet.

YouTube

Try Invidious.

Waymo

This one hurt — you can only use Waymo with a Google account. Uber, bike, or walk instead.

Ad blockers

Block Google Analytics, Doubleclick, and AdSense with uBlock origin. Install Pi-hole to block trackers at the network-level.

Delete account

Delete your Google account from your settings. Californian and European residents can also send CCPA or GDPR deletion requests, respectively, for good measure.

Conclusion

Unless you live on Walden Pond, Google will still touch your life. They probably already have me dialed in. But one can reclaim bits of privacy, agency, and freedom by relying on them less.