Database Develop

YouMail Visual Voicemail Android App Beta

Don't know if anyone else has seen this yet (or cares), but since I love YouMail, I thought I'd post this up.
They have a link in this forum topic to download the .apk file, but since it says it's a closed beta, I'm not sure if you need to have YouMail allow your YouMail account to use the software.
LMK
http://api.youmail.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=15

Downloaded. It works pretty well. No option to save MP3 messages to SD. Uses polling, which can be a total pain in the ass, and kinda pointless for a voicemail system.
I actually started writing this app about a month ago, but the project manager(i assume) didn't really understand what I was talking about. I tried explaining to him that polling from the device is kinda a kludgy approach, and they should try and implement a different system. I even went so far as to writing a small server side program that would ping the device when there was new messages.
Here's the weird thing though, I sent him a long email one day asking him a bunch of questions about the hardware and software they're using for this system(so I can better design this software), and he never got back to me. THEN, a few weeks later(a month maybe) calls me asking how things are going.
Mind you, I hadn't signed any agreement with them, no deal was in place, and I do have other responsibilities. After a week or so I just assumed they were going with another developer. I assumed from the beginning that there were multiple people working on multiple apps, and they would just release the best one first. Oh well, that's my run-in with them.
Other than all of the above, the service itself is VERY useful. As far as the app is concerned, I think it's a great first-go, but it needs a little refinement. It's a bit slow, and scheduled server checks just isn't going to cut it. Why manually check my messages when I can have them deliver it in MP3 for to my email directly on my phone?
In anycase, good job whoever wrote the app!

I installed it and it shows my messages however it doesn't play anything. I click open and it just sits there. Im running cm 3.4 with hero 1.2, maybe thats why

How is this compared to PF Voicemail?

Probably not as cool as a dedicated app, but I:
1. Simply turn on email notifications on the youmail website with the option to attach an MP3 of the voicemail and send the emails to my gmail account
2. then I setup a filter in gmail to label all youmail messages with attachments to "YouMail"
3. I put a shortcut on my homescreen by "add shortcut" "Gmail label" "YouMail"
4. for good measure I tell the Android message settings to sync emails in the youmail folder for 4 days worth of voicemail in case I run into a problem with my network connection.
Instant Visual Voicemail with push.

wagz said:
Probably not as cool as a dedicated app, but I:
1. Simply turn on email notifications on the youmail website with the option to attach an MP3 of the voicemail and send the emails to my gmail account
2. then I setup a filter in gmail to label all youmail messages with attachments to "YouMail"
3. I put a shortcut on my homescreen by "add shortcut" "Gmail label" "YouMail"
4. for good measure I tell the Android message settings to sync emails in the youmail folder for 4 days worth of voicemail in case I run into a problem with my network connection.
Instant Visual Voicemail with push.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, that's pretty much what I do too...I wish you could set it up to automatically download attachments though, especially since the beta app kinda sucks right now.

The app is in Open Beta now - feel free to download and try it out.
The only thing we (I) ask is that if you find any problems, or have any suggestions - either send us an email ([email protected]) or join in the discussion on the forums.
And yes, currently you need a free YouMail account in order to use the app. At some point you'll be able to sign up as part of the installation process, but that's in a later version.

YouMail for G1
Hi,
Could I please ask that you send *me* a private email with details about who at YouMail you were talking to? I'm the one responsible for the Android app and this is the first I have heard of someone contacting us regarding this app.
Regarding your comments about polling. We would absolutely ***love*** to push your voicemail to the phone similar to the way our Blackberry cousins get their email. Problem here is that in order to do that YouMail would need an interconnect agreement with T-Mobile (and other carriers) letting us use their push technology (yes, the G1 software does support push). The chances of T-Mobile (and other carriers) allowing that to happen are pretty much nil. (We all know that competition is bad... don't we?)
So, out of the box, what the Android app does is:
* Poll every hour to catch up on changes you may have made via the dial-in interface, or the web site (you can adjust it to be as often as every 15 mins, or as infrequent as 'never')
* Poll a couple of minutes after you miss a call - to see if the caller left you a message
* Poll when one of YouMail's special TXT messages arrives (the kind that start with "New VM:....")
* Manually initiated
That's the best approximation to push that we've been able to come up with considering the limitations. The drain on battery is actually remarkably low.
Of course, if you choose to receive your voicemails via email go for it!
I'll put a post up on the YouMail forums explaining battery usage.
Thanks
Doug
InGeNeTiCs said:
Downloaded. It works pretty well. No option to save MP3 messages to SD. Uses polling, which can be a total pain in the ass, and kinda pointless for a voicemail system.
I actually started writing this app about a month ago, but the project manager(i assume) didn't really understand what I was talking about. I tried explaining to him that polling from the device is kinda a kludgy approach, and they should try and implement a different system. I even went so far as to writing a small server side program that would ping the device when there was new messages.
Here's the weird thing though, I sent him a long email one day asking him a bunch of questions about the hardware and software they're using for this system(so I can better design this software), and he never got back to me. THEN, a few weeks later(a month maybe) calls me asking how things are going.
Mind you, I hadn't signed any agreement with them, no deal was in place, and I do have other responsibilities. After a week or so I just assumed they were going with another developer. I assumed from the beginning that there were multiple people working on multiple apps, and they would just release the best one first. Oh well, that's my run-in with them.
Other than all of the above, the service itself is VERY useful. As far as the app is concerned, I think it's a great first-go, but it needs a little refinement. It's a bit slow, and scheduled server checks just isn't going to cut it. Why manually check my messages when I can have them deliver it in MP3 for to my email directly on my phone?
In anycase, good job whoever wrote the app!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

mustang_52 said:
I installed it and it shows my messages however it doesn't play anything. I click open and it just sits there. Im running cm 3.4 with hero 1.2, maybe thats why
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you could send me some details I might be able to help.
The app downloads all message data via http.

Sistum Id said:
How is this compared to PF Voicemail?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is what I'm waiting to hear about before taking the plunge...

Left myself a message and I got the alert. I ran the app and then it says I have a message. I click on the number that was the caller and well nothing seems to happen. I see what appears to be a download button and across a phone/speaker.
Nothing seems to make any noise.
Also this app was in my recently ran apps tray so does this app start on phone turn on or do you have to manually start for the alerts. Also the polling is that to check for messages or to pull down the audio?
The reason I ask this stuff is there really isn't any discriptions of what does what and most apps appear to be straight forward.
Looks like I just got a text now saying I have a message. Thats what brings me to the polling. Does it poll every hour on top of the text message?

kizer said:
Also the polling is that to check for messages or to pull down the audio?
The reason I ask this stuff is there really isn't any discriptions of what does what and most apps appear to be straight forward.
Looks like I just got a text now saying I have a message. Thats what brings me to the polling. Does it poll every hour on top of the text message?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if this is or isn't the info you're looking for, but this info was in the original post for somebody who seems to be working on the app...
ymDoug said:
So, out of the box, what the Android app does is:
* Poll every hour to catch up on changes you may have made via the dial-in interface, or the web site (you can adjust it to be as often as every 15 mins, or as infrequent as 'never')
* Poll a couple of minutes after you miss a call - to see if the caller left you a message
* Poll when one of YouMail's special TXT messages arrives (the kind that start with "New VM:....")
* Manually initiated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Heh...finally an app is developing for YM I had posted here and even emailed a couple of devs and got nowhere. Even emailed YouMail and got the standard "not at this moment, there are no plans on supporting Android".

omario117 said:
I don't know if this is or isn't the info you're looking for, but this info was in the original post for somebody who seems to be working on the app...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I"m blind and dumb. Thanks
Now if it only pulled down the audio it would be awesome. I guess thats why things are work in progress.

kizer said:
So I"m blind and dumb. Thanks
Now if it only pulled down the audio it would be awesome. I guess thats why things are work in progress.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only if you're calling yourself that, I'm not calling you anything
If you did think I was, I apologize, I was simply trying to make the posting of my info seem credible, as opposed to "here's information but I'm not going to mention where I got it" or "look at the first post by such and such"...

I'd like to thank mustang_52 for getting back to me and helping figure out what was wrong. I believe the app is working correct for him now.
Just in case anyone is interested, there was a problem on one of the back-end servers where it wasn't creating the MP3 file that the app needs, so you were seeing "downloading" forever... we fixed it around noon today and everything seems to be AOK now.
There is a forum set up on the YouMail site that explains how the app checks for messages and the trade-offs we had to make since 'push' technology is effectively unavailable to us at present. (Unless of course we have some senior management from T-Mobile watching, and they want to contact me about making it available.........)
The forum is at: http://forums.youmail.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=8
Doug

Everything is working great since you fixed it. Thanks for such a great app.

Love this YouMail app... THANKS!!!

[Q] Captivate phone for IT

I'm in IT and plan on most likely getting a Captivate from work for my job. I will be using VPN to connect to my work network (ipsec) and then using a remote desktop app to support people remotly when I am not in front of a computer. (No WiFi at work)
I currently have an iPhone 4 as a personal phone, and I know that I can use the logmein app to connect to computers and use the phone at the same time. I'm assuming I can do this on the captivate also. I was hoping to get the fascinate for the flash, and the fact that Verizon works much better at one of my remote offices, but the fascinate will not be able to do voice + data at the same time right? Also from what I read it has less RAM available.
Does anyone else work in IT and use this phone? What are your experiences with it as far as helping you on the job?

1) ass-u-me : but, in this case, you're correct https://secure.logmein.com/welcome/...oid&campaign=us&destination=/welcome/android/
2) It is likely that the VZW will not be able to do both transmissions at once, based on network type, but since I don't have VZ, or access to a fascinate.. ICSFS
3) Does Verizon really work that much better (actual experience) or is it just what the bars on the phone say... don't trust the bar display as an accurate detail.

fastblack said:
I'm in IT and plan on most likely getting a Captivate from work for my job. I will be using VPN to connect to my work network (ipsec) and then using a remote desktop app to support people remotly when I am not in front of a computer. (No WiFi at work)
I currently have an iPhone 4 as a personal phone, and I know that I can use the logmein app to connect to computers and use the phone at the same time. I'm assuming I can do this on the captivate also. I was hoping to get the fascinate for the flash, and the fact that Verizon works much better at one of my remote offices, but the fascinate will not be able to do voice + data at the same time right? Also from what I read it has less RAM available.
Does anyone else work in IT and use this phone? What are your experiences with it as far as helping you on the job?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can give you some incite in the IT category. I maintain multiple networks with the company I work for, and there are a handful of apps on the market place that act as an RDP connection for logging on to servers and whatnot with a FQDN (Which I'm sure would work with the IP, but haven't personally tried it). Of course, if you use listen/forward on certain ports, you can get into those as well. My company uses a program that utilizes an instance of VNC to manage the workstations. I haven't had the time to sit down and try to crack that one yet, but I'm sure it could be done somehow. Our company just made the switch over to Google Apps hosted email so I've never used Exchange with it, but I've heard it works just fine.
I'm thinking here........
Ah yes, we all use Outlook. Calendar invitations import right into Google calendar perfectly. Contacts/email can be synced using Samsung Kies, but only with the default TouchWiz launcher, which I do not prefer. Dropbox works perfectly, yay!
Off the top of my head that's all I can think of. If you have any questions regarding certain areas, please let me know, and I'll give you as much info as I have.
* Oh, and I can confirm, Verizon does not support Voice+Data at the same time. My buddy has a DROID X and he can't even get an email while on a call, much less have an RDP session going.

Here's my IT experience. I personally think the stock email has issues. Everything works fine except for 2 things:
1. Emails are not instant. I thought I had a bad phone, swapped it, and no improvement. With any other phone I had previously owned (iPhone 3g, HTC Fuze, Blackjack II), emails would always arrive at the same time or even before Outlook would get them. Now I get anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minute delay.
2. No NTLM support. Even with an iPhone I can connect to local wireless using Safari and use my domain authentication to access our intranet. I have yet to find a way to negotiate windows authentication on this android. I hear that mozilla is putting out a mobile browser (Fennec I believe) that may support it. Or hopefully 2.2 will add this functionality.
There are clients for RDP and even a couple for VNC. I installed one for VNC but never used it. I used WYSE RDP and love it.
Other than those 2 issues,i love it. I haven't tried setting up the VPN yet (pointless to me without NTLM), but that's all I'm missing.
I wish I had a tab or phone that I could install something like an admin tool pack on that would give me Active Directory tools on the go (besides the obvious RDP to a server). Maybe I'll have to wait for a windows phone 7 tablet........unless someone knows something I don't, I'd loved to hear some good news.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

I am in IT as well and find this to be leaps and bounds better when coming from blackberry 9700
I use remote rdp and logmein ignition. I have direct push with exchange 2007 and the Gal is supported.
One complaint i have is with the email client. If you have rules setup to automatically sort mail without it being read, gl finding it on the phone. I had to turn all rules off and have everything delivered to the inbox.
Other then that i can pretty much do everything i think except dell drac console. But i hardly ever need to use those and if i did, i got bigger problems and should whip out the laptop.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

I'll second what was said here, as a server admin, my phone is indispensable. I use VNC and RDP all the time, leave my home computer signed into VPN(it's a work provided laptop that has port 3389 forwarded) and just RDP into that, and then use it on my work domain. Or use the mobile AP functionality with a netbook running 7 Enterprise w/ VPN. No worrying about hotspot locations.
Exchange works great for me on it, no issues with active sync on E2k7. I do kind of wish we had an OCS 2007 R2 compliant messaging app for it. That's about all I could really use that isn't already available.

swedishcancerboi said:
1. Emails are not instant. I thought I had a bad phone, swapped it, and no improvement. With any other phone I had previously owned (iPhone 3g, HTC Fuze, Blackjack II), emails would always arrive at the same time or even before Outlook would get them. Now I get anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minute delay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, ActiveSync to the Captivate is as fast as my BlackBerry 9700 using BES which is pretty darn fast! Now if only the email client worked with all my sub-folders and allowed me to move emails, etc., I'd be happy.

Search for issues with IMAP and Exchange accounts on the ANDROID platform. I've personally had my IMAP and Exchange email accounts disappear from my phone completely, 3 times in the last month.
This is a know issue across all the Android phones and a problem that is still present in Froyo, kinda disappointing that Google can't get their act together and fix this MAJOR issue.....

There are great email replacement apps out there that solve the problem. The best replacement in my opinion at least is K9. I wouldn't use the version in the Market as it's a few versions old but the latest releases can be found on the googlecode page.

Replacement Apps???
I never needed a replacement app on my BlackBerry or Iphone so I could receive email? That to me is just plain absurd and unacceptable.

Josh K. said:
Replacement Apps???
I never needed a replacement app on my BlackBerry or Iphone so I could receive email? That to me is just plain absurd and unacceptable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android is in its infancy. How many version of windows mobile where there before you got activesync direct push access? Did you have exchange support on the original iphone?
Clearly anyone with a brain can see that the android platform is the most open platform today and compared to all others is more like an actual computer then just a phone.
I came from a blackberry and I hate to admit that I was a fanboy for the last 5 years or so... But after going android, the blackberry is the biggest pos and I give RIM 2 years before they become PALM.
The fact that you can run a 3rd party app that can handle your email, your phone or your sms functionality is amazing. However hard developers try to make a one size fits all... it may work for majority, but not all.
I have had zero issue with android and exchange activesync. My accounts don't disappear. Maybe you should take a look at your environment and see what is going on behind the scenes on your mail server or probably at your crappy anti-spam filter. I got emails instantly on my captivate before i get them on my computer, just like my blackberry did.

Yeah, must be my filters causing the account settings to be wiped from my phone on multiple accounts instantaneously....
Come on dude?
http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=4866
Kinda hard to make progress on a platform when your preventing the corporate world from adopting due to serious issues with non Gmail accounts?

I'm a Sr. Sys admin and my experience using the captivate on the job has been great. By connecting to our wpa2 enterprise I've SSH'd into routers and switches using Better Terminal (BTEP SSH Client). It's great not having to drag a laptop and a rollover cable into a server room while working with a switch. I've used the WYSE's beta client which supports RDP, VNC and VM View. I'm also a big fan of Astro file manager which has an add-on for connecting to SMB shares. We've also setup a Rove Mobile Admin server. it's an SSL encrypted publicly accessible server which utilizes an android app from which i can manage everything from BES, to SQL, to Exchange, to AD. Its an expensive license but very very well worth it. and while i do think the stock active sync client is usable i've found that TouchDown offers a much more advanced product complete with meeting invites and GAL support. Again, this is a great phone for for IT work!

Hmmm, I just wonder what is different about the heartbeat to Exchange with Android than it is with every other phone. I agree it could be some mysterious setting that needs adjusted on Exchange, but I'll probably worry about it after we upgrade from 03 to 07.
Doesn't matter......phone rocks.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

i am a sytems and network admin, droid x with and touchdown and logmein has never failed me. wifi teathering with a laptop is great too.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[APP] Moxier Mail

I don't think there is an existing thread on the subject, and I just came across a fantastic tablet-optimized replacement for the native email client. Moxier Mail is far prettier than the native client, has support for Exchange TASK synchronization, allows you to flag items complete (not just "star" or "unstar" them), access your mail folders via their actual tree structure, and turn on synchronization for any number of folders (not just your inbox).
Unfortunately, its widgets are neither re-sizable nor terribly attractive (IMO), but I think that is a small price to pay for the other functionality it adds.

Definitely a good looking app. I am going to give it a try. One big feature I am looking for is the ability to actually turn off the account temporarily. For example, if I setup my work/corp email on there, and I go on vacation, I don't want my xoom beeping all day lol.
But definitely nice find. Thanks!

dean_fx said:
Definitely a good looking app. I am going to give it a try. One big feature I am looking for is the ability to actually turn off the account temporarily. For example, if I setup my work/corp email on there, and I go on vacation, I don't want my xoom beeping all day lol.
But definitely nice find. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's actually a toggle switch in the app (looks like a light switch) that flips auto-synchronization on and off. It's in the bottom-right corner of the main dashboard screen.

SolusCado said:
There's actually a toggle switch in the app (looks like a light switch) that flips auto-synchronization on and off. It's in the bottom-right corner of the main dashboard screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Double thumbs up ;D
Just installed it, going to give it a go. I also just noticed that it works for Phones as well. I am going to give it a shot on my EVO. (Not a fan of Touchdown). So this could be a nice alternative.

dean_fx said:
Double thumbs up ;D
Just installed it, going to give it a go. I also just noticed that it works for Phones as well. I am going to give it a shot on my EVO. (Not a fan of Touchdown). So this could be a nice alternative.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually use Enhanced Email on my phone. It is a slightly tweaked version of the native client that gives me most of the above features in a clean and simple interface. (Touchdown is just SO ugly.) Let me know how Moxier looks... I might switch if it transitions well from the tablet to the phone.

Thanks. I will try this out.

SolusCado said:
I actually use Enhanced Email on my phone. It is a slightly tweaked version of the native client that gives me most of the above features in a clean and simple interface. (Touchdown is just SO ugly.) Let me know how Moxier looks... I might switch if it transitions well from the tablet to the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use EE too. Mostly because the server security protocols / device admin rights can be tweaked by user. The remote wipe security option is optional on EE. Trying Moxier today and the interface is pretty cool and it seems to avoid defaulting Exchange admin rights to wipe device. Anyone with knowledge or skills about this able to confirm this?
Fyi: Decent widgets.
...zoom posted...

It's a bloody beautiful app, no two ways about it. Highly recommended. Tried everything, ended up buying this one. For tasks support mostly. Veruy polished and stable. Can turn emails to tasks and calendar. Nice widgets.

I almost purchased Moxier Mail Tablet version until I discovered that there's an issue with attachments download in the current version. Link to the support thread for this issue below :
http://support.moxier.com/entries/20186321

I noticed there is no RSA security support. Is there any word if support is coming? My wife's work is predominantly email based, and she would love this for work, but they're RSA secured.

I've got another one for you guys- Kaiten Mail - It's like K9 reall but slightly adapted and works brilliantly with gmail-type interface

Moxier (tablet) downloads attachments without any problem for me, from Hotmail to 1 device and Exchange to another. Does it nicely also, since the interface is pretty intuitive.

Confirmed...no issues downloading, opening/reading, and sending attachments with Exchange.
...zoom posted...

Can someone tell me how it works with folders for exchange account.
I have loads of folders for server side automatic rules and moving. My problem is I have a few sub sub folders with the same name. The every all so far has issues with this. The I want to see how many unread emails per folder rather than just unread.
Also there seems to be a couple of versions which one is the best?
Sent from my MZ601 using XDA Premium App

The Experiment: Android without Google

Hey folks,
after reading the Article on xda about using Android without google, i instantly fell in Love with the idea. I decided yesterday, that i'll take the plunge and give it a try.
First off, why?
For me, there are a couple of reasons. First of, i generally think, the less a company like google knows about me, the better. So keeping the Data on my phone away from google might help with that. If this experiment goes well i might stop using Google for Calendar and Contacts.
Second reason for me is Battery. The Google Framework and Play Services are always on the Top of my list of Battery consumption. I'd like to see how leaving these away might improve Battery life.
And third, i'm curious if it's possible. The reason i'm on xda is because i'm a tinkerer. So pushing the boundaries and trying new things is what i really like about Android. You have the choice to do whatever you want with your phone.
So, how do i go about it? Well, a bit of pre work needs to be done. First of, you might need a google Account to set things up. WhatsApp or Outlook are simply only available from the official Playstore. Since i start with my daily driver, all was set up already.
I use the 5.0.1 Variant of Nameless Rom. Debloated, Nova Launcher, rooted and stock apart from that. I might go CM later on, but i always find CM draining the Battery more then Stock Roms. We'll see.
What am i going to use instead of all the nice google things?
Play Store: F-Droid
I'll give F-Droid a try. it's obtainable as an apk, so if you only need apps that are available there, you won't need google at all. The Interface and search is not as nice as the Play Store, but the selection is really good, Installation of apps is hassle free (no manually downloading apks and installing them by hand) and it does check for updates daily.
Gmail:
I already moved away from gmail to outlook.com a few months ago. Not because MS is better in keeping your data private (actually they might be as they make money through selling software, not your data) but because i wanted to spread my info. Mail on outlook, contacts on google, Calendar on Strato... The Outlook app was already installed and set up, so no work to be done here.
Contacts:
Here it's getting a bit tricky. Google doesn't want you to move your contacts away form them. So there is no way to directly sync your google Contacts to your phone. As soon as you deactivate the play services, all you contacts will be gone.
For me, i used the Web Version of Google Contacts, exported them all to vcf and imported them to my phones storage. I'm not going to set up a personal sync for now. I'm fine with my contacts on my Phone only for now. I might end up going the OwnCloud route later on, but don't find it necessary currently.
Calendar:
my Calendar is already done through outlook and start (my webhoster). I installed Etar from F-Droid (a open source variant of googles calendar app). All my Calendars were already in on first launch (imported from the phones Accounts). No hassle, everything looks as always.
Chrome:
I've never been happy with chrome anyways. Loading pages is slow, scrolling is nowhere near smooth. I currently compare Firefox and Fenec. Both from F-Droid. Firefox will be discontinued on F-Droid soon as they implemented none OS proprietary add ons. Fenec is a OS alternative to Firefox compiled from Source without Proprietary add ons. Both work well but Fenec is a bit unstable as a daily driver for most people.
Camera is Focal now. Apart from being OS it's also much more capable than samsung camera. Plus easier to use. Whats not to like here?
After setting everything up, i went into the settings and disabled most google stuff (Play Store, Play Services, Calendar, Mail, Chrome). I'm still trying to find out what other Google Services i may disable without braking android. I'll keep this updated here.
I'm not completely done yet. I still use apps that are only available through the Playstore. Maybe you know alternatives, that i should check out:
WhatsApp. I don't see an alternative here. Moving to another service is not really an option. I tried Telegram and liked it, but a nice app is nothing when nobody uses it...
Ebay and Amazon. Both have a good mobile website which should work. But a standalone App is much easier and convenient to use.
Nova Launcher. It's simply the best. I haven't found a OS alternative that has anywhere near the features.
Tapatalk. Again, one App all Forums on hand. Simply the best app for that. Any XDA compatible OS alternatives to it?
Outlook. A OS mail client which supports Outlook, Material Design and is easy to use? I've yet to come up with one...
Over all, the switch went really smooth. After getting F-Droid as a Playstore alternative i was able to do all this in 1 hour. I'll have to see how Batterylife works out. I feel it's better, but the numbers will tell after some days of use. I feel really good to have found a way around google so far. It's nice to rethink things you've been using for years. Even if you're not opting out of google completely, there might be a alternative to something you use, that you'd otherwise never consider.
Let me know what you think. You're alternatives to some proprietary apps. How do you feel about google being in all the parts of your mobile life? Is Android without google something you'd consider?
For further reading, here are the XDA Articles, that inspired me to start this journey:
Setting up Marshmallow without Google
The "Say Sayonara to Google" Series
Have a nice start into the week.

I'll keep my replacement Apps in this Post for Tracking what i've used and what my Pros and Cons are over time.
PlayStore: F-Droid
F-Droid is THE FOSS Android community. A good selection of Apps, easy install and Updates plus a community thats interested in whats happening behind the scenes of apps. Firefox for example will soon not be supported anymore because they now are using proprietary none FOSS compatible sources. For most, this attempt might not be the easy one (they never claim to want to go the easy route), but it sure is the most straight ahead if you want Open Source Apps that are tracked for what they do on your phone.
Outlook: K-9
I replaced Outlook with K-9 for now. It's not as polished or easy to use, but it works, is OS and Outlook was constantly connected without me being able to change that. I only need sync every 30 minutes and outlook doesn't have a setting for that. Lets see how K-9 works out, stability and battery wise...
Google Maps: OsmAnd
OsmAnd seems to be the alternative here. As a plus it allows offline sync of Maps. The Interface is nowhere near as intuitive as GMaps, i've found no traffic information until now and entering a address is a hassle. The Search feature and easy Adress Input has always been a strong point for GMaps. We'll see how the turn-by-turn Navigation Turns out. Also OsmAnd works with plugins, so maybe i'm missing some features here and there.
Facebook: Tinfoil
Tinfoil for Facebook seems to be the App of Choice. In the end it's the Mobile website displayed in an "App". On the Plus site, you don't need that horrifically annoying Messenger. Facebook chat just works from the App, which is great. Sadly, since its a webpage, Notifications are none existant. Since i'm debating leaving Facebook completely anyways it's not a problem for me. Less distraction during the day, which is always welcome nowadays...
Deezer: Tomahawk
When I thought about replacing my Deezer app I did not have high hopes since most streaming services use proprietary api's. I was impressed to find not only a Deezer alternative that's open source, but tomahawk does much more. It combines most streaming services plus some other online music services plus your local music.
One downside for me: you are not able to save Deezer music offline. Tomahawk itself is completely open source. If the Deezer plug in is OS as well I couldn't find out for sure...
Titanium Backup: Oandbackup
Oandbackup works much the same way Titanium does, but with some less options. If you want just a good Backup App, i prefer Oandbackup since it's much less cluttered and options are easier to find. It served me well when i last switched from TW to CM.

I didn't read your what i can only call a thesis on Ungooglying Android write-up, it's an effort that I implore and admire your courage. I too worry about the data that google has monopolised on, it's time we broke this and find alternative ways. I salute you sir in your endeavours.
I will drop by time to time to see how you're prodding along.
Regards
F
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I backp all my contacts using outlook. I still use playstore. I have also disabled as much of Samsung as I can, and im sure there is more I could disable of both. I want my phone set up the way I want it set up, not with what google and samsung say I should. Also use Nova
Sent from my SM-P900 using XDA Free mobile app

I added Tomahawk as a Deezer/Spotify OS alternative In Post #2
Gesendet von meinem SM-N910F mit Tapatalk

I've yet to find a good alternative to the play store personally.
I don't use google services on my Note 4. I use Here Maps and disabled Google Maps, I use Nine for Email, I've disabled contacts and calendar sync, I've disabled every google program like books, games, gmail (I have a google account linked to a generic outlook addy for G services), music, hangouts, G+, etc. I keep my contacts backed up on my own personal .com server via exchange along with the calendar. I also like the Samsung browser, so Chrome is disabled as well. Don't use Now, have all the google account settings set to not target me for advertising, not keep track of location, etc... All the regular privacy concerns taken care of there.
My battery life is about a !% loss every two hours in standby. I wish I could get it better. My old GSIII would lose 1% over an 8 hour time frame at night while I was asleep. The Note 4 loses about 4%.
Oddly, no matter how much I restrict my access to google services, the people section of the play store still links me to a ton of people I know. Some that I have not had contact with since High School. Very strange. The only thing I can think is people I do know have me in their contacts so it assumes I know these people correctly. The phone is obviously reading my phone number without me entering it into my google account. :shrug:
I look forward to reading how it goes for you. (I broke down and signed up for Google Music the other day out of curiosity, but I'll get some of my anonymity back when I cancel my google account and create a new one.)

Alright,
some Updates:
I switched to the official CM12 build yesterday. It seems to run fairly well. My Radio was not able to register in the Network once, but activating and deactivating flight mode fixed that. Reception seems to be better than on TW rom. Concerning Battery i see no major difference for now.
CM is Open Source. I'm not 100% sure that every preinstalled app is 100% open source. During the Weekend i'll review the code and do a build on my own, just to be sure. Also, theres a pure AOSP build coming, which i'll be testing.
This time i didn't even Install Gapps. I did not log in to cm accounts or anything. I installed F-Droid from my SD Card and went from there. One thing i'll have to keep in mind, is, that factory reset means loosing my contacts, so i'll have to do a backup the next time.
Also i switched from Titanium to Oandbackup. I works much the same way and served me well during the switch from TW to CM. For me the relevant options are much easier to find (Safe Backups to external SD...).
Since Battery endurance is one of my concerns, i do some changes to improve that:
- Since the N4 has an AMOLED Display, using Black Background and Dark Apps helps quite a bit. I'm using Dark Material Beta through CM Theme Engine. Its Black (i like solid Black, not Gray or something like that) and white and does theme quite a lot of Apps (WhatsApp as an important one).
- I deactivated AudioFX, All Live Backgrounds, Stock Browser, CM-Backgrounds, Calendar and NFC Tags
- for cLock (Lockscreen Clock) i deleted all permissions to access location and Data. It's been trying to update weather all the time, which you can't seem to disable
I'd really like a simple white Icon theme, but getting most themes for CM depends on the Play Store. There are not many good themes that are available outside of the Playstore... Any help here is appreciated :good:

bbeelzebub said:
...My battery life is about a !% loss every two hours in standby. I wish I could get it better. My old GSIII would lose 1% over an 8 hour time frame at night while I was asleep. The Note 4 loses about 4%...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Over the last night i lost 2% over 7.5 hours. With 4G, WiFi, BT, Mail Sync (once per hour). Quite good, but i think theres a bit in it. K-9 (Mail) and Whatsapp keep the Mobile Network active. K-9 does so relatively long although i should only Sync once per hour. I'll configure some kind of "Whatsapp do not disturde" over night, this should bring down Standby draw a bit...

domsch1988 said:
Over the last night i lost 2% over 7.5 hours. With 4G, WiFi, BT, Mail Sync (once per hour). Quite good, but i think theres a bit in it. K-9 (Mail) and Whatsapp keep the Mobile Network active. K-9 does so relatively long although i should only Sync once per hour. I'll configure some kind of "Whatsapp do not disturde" over night, this should bring down Standby draw a bit...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I leave 4G, WiFi, BT and Mail on all the time as well. It doesn't make any difference when I turn them off that I've noticed. I use ActiveSync for my email / calendars / contacts and it really is no difference from when I used to use google for the calendar / contacts and a pop 3 account. As long as I don't use the stock email app which kills the battery on exchange or Activesync.
There are a few Samsung apps that I can't disable that I would like to. (I'm on a non rootable US model), I think I'll take the time tomorrow and see if I can use debloater to shut them down. Now that I think about it, there were less Samsung things running all the time on my old phone and I'm sure that makes a slight difference.

You can download Whats App from their site without going through Google since its attached to your phone number.
https://www.whatsapp.com/android/

...There is no way Focal is more capable than the Samsung Camera app. How do you figure this?

jetbruceli said:
You can download Whats App from their site without going through Google since its attached to your phone number.
https://www.whatsapp.com/android/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't use whatsapp at all considering they are owned by facebook and every message you send is being tracked. Telegram is the better option.

Toss3 said:
Wouldn't use whatsapp at all considering they are owned by facebook and every message you send is being tracked. Telegram is the better option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is the dumbest reason to not use Whats App. It was bought to protect FB from losing ground. Telegram has all your messages on a server to where as Whats app is peer to peer. There is no reason to worry about big Facebook looking at your every message. Also, i would rather have FB, Google or MS looking at my stuff than some unknown company.
---------- Post added at 10:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 AM ----------
freeza said:
...There is no way Focal is more capable than the Samsung Camera app. How do you figure this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont get that either, also stock camera doenst need google play services to be used.

jetbruceli said:
That is the dumbest reason to not use Whats App. It was bought to protect FB from losing ground. Telegram has all your messages on a server to where as Whats app is peer to peer. There is no reason to worry about big Facebook looking at your every message. Also, i would rather have FB, Google or MS looking at my stuff than some unknown company.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Telegram does not save your messages on a server when you use private chats. They are also encrypted.
Oh and: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/whatsapp-ranked-worst-for-users-data-privacy-in-internet-snooping-report-10328539.html http://time.com/3928503/whatsapp-privacy-watchdog/
This shows how "secure" WhatsApp really is: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33152898

Toss3 said:
Telegram does not save your messages on a server when you use private chats. They are also encrypted.
Oh and: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/whatsapp-ranked-worst-for-users-data-privacy-in-internet-snooping-report-10328539.html http://time.com/3928503/whatsapp-privacy-watchdog/
This shows how "secure" WhatsApp really is: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33152898
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sure there are security holes in everything we use but it doesnt change the fact that Whats App is better for most people. This isnt a whats app vs telegram thread and also, I am not sure if you can install telegram on its own without google or other app stores like you can with whats app

Question Work phone

Looking for a new phone really like the Mi 11 ultra question I have is any phone I get off also used as my work phone need to run multiple Microsoft apps for work still wondering if this works be the right phone or of I should keep

I'm using the Microsoft Authenticator and Outlook for the office without any issues. What other Microsofst apps are you talking about? In SIM1 my private and SIM2 my company card.

Using it for my work related apps that are part of the Microsoft ecosystem and i have zero issues.
I was glad when I saw i could sync my corporate email ( based on office 365 exchange ) that requires additional safety checks .
Teams and Skype for business works perfectly.
I have a couple of authenticators that i use without issues ( VIP Symantec, google authenticators etc. ).
All the apps sync without issues, never missed anything as of now. Heck, even Gmail pushes the email on the now .
If you have any specific apps that you need let me know and I will see if I can test it out.
Cheers !

Same here I am using outlook for corporate email(365 exchange) and MS authenticator with no issues. Bonus the AOD screen also shows outlook notifications icon on it as well.

Thanks for the information really helpful mostly using Outlook and Excel from Microsoft I guess the only ones more I'm not completely sure of world be click mobile it's a routing app and service now but I think they should be okay

those work on mine, just push notifications are spotty on my tmo service in upstate ny. still haven't gotten one work slack blip and only get emails if i have the app open, but screen off. i dunno, i'll give this phone another week and if i can't figure it out it's going back to giztop and i'll just grab the 1+9pro from the tmo website

Thanks let me know how it works out that was the other phone I was looking at as well

oh, no opsgenie either....which i kinda need when i'm on call. my huawei mate 20 pro gets all those still luckily.
i'm going to try to flash to the global/eu rom today and see if that helps at all

speedstream said:
those work on mine, just push notifications are spotty on my tmo service in upstate ny. still haven't gotten one work slack blip and only get emails if i have the app open, but screen off. i dunno, i'll give this phone another week and if i can't figure it out it's going back to giztop and i'll just grab the 1+9pro from the tmo website
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure to have the AutoStart enabled and also disable battery optimizations.
Also i noticed something the first time i setup my phone.
It tends to "learn" the app behavior somehow.
I'm saying this because after installing all my apps sometimes notifications didn't came trough right away.
It took one or two days until everything worked flawlessly without me doing anything special other than adjusting the config/permissions for each app.
I saw this behavior by watching the battery app and looking what process was using it the most.
And of course i saw android system process that was running. This one stopped after two days or so and everything was smooth since then. So i'm guessing the MIUI optimization process and some other functions are running in the background at start setting things up.
Also note that i didn't disabled/removed via ADB any preinstalled Chinese applications ( only those that were possible to remove from within the xiaomi getapps application - uninstall section )
I just muted the ones i didn't care about and i'm happy with my battery life ( i'm monitoring it via the battery app built in and also accubattery pro where i can see exactly how much each app is consuming between charges )
So my advice is to set the applications properly and have a bit of patience
Cheers !