De-Googling Your Life: Alternatives to Google's Services

Google's pervasive tracking can be mitigated by using alternative password managers, cloud storage, and navigation apps.

### De-Googling Your Life: Alternatives to Google Services
* 👁️  Google is under scrutiny for privacy violations, including a lawsuit for tracking users in incognito mode, but they continue **profiting from targeted ads** despite potential fines.
* 🔒  In the first part of this series, options to **reduce reliance on Google** were discussed, and this installment focuses on alternatives for **password management, cloud storage, maps, ad management, and YouTube**.
* 🔑  Google's built-in password manager poses risks; if your Google account is compromised, **all stored passwords could be exposed**.
* 🛡️  Alternatives like Bitwarden and KeePass offer secure password management, with Bitwarden allowing for **syncing across devices** and **enhanced privacy features**.
* 🌐  For cloud storage, services like Dropbox, OneDrive, and Proton Drive provide **encrypted options**, while self-hosted solutions like Nextcloud and OwnCloud offer **greater control**.
* 🗺️  Alternatives to Google Maps include **OpenStreetMap** and **Magic Earth**, which provide navigation without the **data tracking** associated with Google.
* 🎥  For YouTube, apps like FreeTube and NewPipe allow users to access content without ads or trackers, and **importing subscriptions from Google Takeout** is a straightforward process.
* 💼  The video concludes by inviting viewers to **share their preferred alternatives** and discussing the sponsor Flexispot, which offers **ergonomic workspace solutions**.

Google is watching you. In fact, they even got sued for doing it while you were in incognito mode. But little things like lawsuits aren't going to stop them from doing it again. They make more than enough money by serving you early relevant ads to make up for any fines. So, if nothing's going to stop them, well, you should just give up and throw in the towel, right? Of course not. In part one of this series on de-Googling your life, we showed you some options to loosen Google's iron grip, some of which you could argue are even superior to Google services. And we're back again with de-Google options for password management, cloud storage, maps, ad management, and YouTube. That's right, five whole ways that you can give Google the finger, or six fingers if you count our sponsor Flexispot. Their E7 Plus standing desk and C7 Ergo chair are here to elevate your workspace. Save big by bundling them together, then use code Linus50 for $50 off your order of $500 or more. Check it

out using our link in the video description. One of the most convenient services Google offers that you might not even think about that you're using is also one of the most dangerous: the password manager that is built into Chrome and Android. I mean, it's great on the surface. You just log into your Google account, and the passwords for other sites fill in automatically everywhere you go. Super convenient. But what happens if somebody gets into your Google account? Not only will all of your Google services be accessible because they all use that one login, but all of the accounts stored inside it will be exposed too. It's kind of like a 200 for the price of one special for account hijackers. Now, I get if you still want to have a Google account, that's totally fine, but you can lower your risk by using a non-Google password manager. Of course, it feels these days like everybody has a password manager, so which one do you trust? Well, the ultimate in privacy is going to be hosting your own on a computer that you control using

keypass or Bitwarden. Both of them have been around for a while, are open source, and work on pretty much anything. Keypass is single device only, but Bitwarden can even sync across multiple devices, and if you want, it can sync to the cloud as well. If you're doing that, you might also want to consider the competition. For a mainstream choice, we like OnePassword. Not only does it tick all of the boxes with support for every big operating system, Passkey support, two-factor codes for secure login, and more, it also has its own twist that even if OnePassword were to suffer a major leak like what happened to LastPass in 2022, there wouldn't be any danger. When you sign up, you're given a random secret code, and that code with your password is needed to unlock your vault anytime you log in on a new device. What that means is even if somebody got your login credentials, and even if they had the file with your vault in it, they can't easily decrypt your data, at least with today's

computers. Their app is pretty good too. Moving on, Proton, the Google butt for privacy company that we brought up in part one, also offers a password manager that's gotten really good and really quickly. It has support for making burner emails or aliases, two-factor support, passkey support, and it very recently gained the ability to lock your vault with a different password from your account password, meaning even if you're logged into your Proton account, your passwords are still safe if, say, a nosy family member decides to look through your computer. Now, the fine details vary, so you're going to want to try a couple of them before you settle, but the way that they work is pretty similar across the board. You download the app or browser extension, create an account, and start storing your passwords with the appropriate permissions configured on your device. Just like Google's password manager, they should automatically detect when you log into a new website or app and offer to store your credentials. Most of them also offer to create random passwords for you, so you don't even have

to think about what to use once you've decided on one you like. You're going to need to export your passwords from your old basic manager, and I'm going to assume it's Google passwords here. Open it up, click the settings gear, then click export. You'll get a CSV file that you can then import to the password manager of your choice. For one password, you would go to your account settings, then click your name in the top right, then import, click either CSV file or a different password manager, choose the Vault that you want to put your passwords into, then drop the CSV into the upload box and click continue. You can pick and choose what to carry over if you want, and when you're done, you can apply your labels. The process is pretty much the same for the other password managers out there, and most of them are going to have a page like one passwords with the steps that you need to follow. No matter what you go with to manage passwords, though, a two-factor app that gives you login codes is a must. It is

much more secure than getting these codes via email or especially via SMS. Now, most password managers these days have two-factor port built-in, which is convenient, but that convenience of having everything in one place comes with the risk of having everything in one place. We would strongly recommend a separate app, but again though, which one? Our main pick is Ente Off. Yeah, the same Ente as in part one. It works everywhere and can either be used in the cloud with end-to-end encryption or on a single device without the need for an account. Ente's UI is well thought out and easy to use, plus it even shows you the next code if the current one is about to expire, so you don't have to wait for it to roll over before you start typing. You can even pin, tag, and search your sites, which makes it a lot easier to manage a big list compared to Google Authenticator. They call it a labor of love on their GitHub page, and it really looks like one. Aie is another okay choice with a pleasing look and

feel but compared to ente, it offers only basic search, which is fine for a lot of people. But there are a couple of things to watch out for. Their desktop app is no longer supported as of March, and your account login is tied to your phone number by default. So if you change your number, you will need to make sure that you update it, or you can end up locked out of your account. The good news is that recovering your account only takes a few days if that happens, and there's not a major security implication to this because if someone gets access to your phone number, they would also need your backup password in order to get your codes. Now, if you want to use something other than those two options, that's probably fine. Just make sure that it's encrypted and secure if it synchronizes across devices, or that it never leaves your phone. Whatever you use, the way to add codes is pretty much the same. Go to the site or app you want to secure, enable two-factor authentication, then on your app, tap add and scan the QR code.

enter the code the app gives you into the site, and you should be good to go. Just please make sure you put your recovery codes somewhere safe and not in your password manager if you can avoid it. If you can't, scan the QR Code. By the way, for some reason, most sites and apps will let you manually type a secret key instead. Now migrating from Google Authenticator is a little tricky but not too bad. You can export your codes as QR codes by tapping the hamburger menu, then transfer accounts, then export. Select the accounts you want to transfer, and you'll get a series of QR codes. At this point, though, you will need another device with a camera that is logged in with the authenticator that you want to use. Use the import function in Antio. You get there by tapping the hamburger menu, then data, then import codes. Choose Google Authenticator, then scan the codes one by one. Yeah, it's a bit of a pain because Google expects you to only ever do this if you're upgrading to a new device, but once it's done, it's

done, and you're free, free to go anywhere you like, as long as you don't mind big Google following you around. That's right. Google Maps is so do that when Apple Maps came out in 2012. Many people considered it literally unusable in spite of Apple's efforts because of how poorly it compared to Google's worldwide fleet of vehicles that maps out the roads and takes photos as they go. Now, one popular alternative used to be Waze, but that has also been owned by Google since 2013. Apple Maps, speaking of, finally launched a web app. It went into beta actually the day that we wrote this, and or even MapQuest can stand in for Google Maps in a pinch. But in the spirit of deg Googling, we kind of wanted to find something a little more open like OpenStreetMap, which makes maps from user submissions and has support for front ends that include some pretty advanced features. Magic Earth, for example, is available on iOS and Android, and on top of offering turn-by-turn navigation and crowdsourced traffic data, it can also act as a smart dash cam with

driver assistance to warn of things like forward collision, stop-and-go traffic, lane departure, traffic signs, and more. Now, you probably don't want to rely on those features for safety, and we did encounter some odd behavior even just in the basic search functionality, but it's free for personal use, so I'd say it's at least worth giving it a try. And the same goes for O, and it has many of the features that Magic Earth does, but also offers plugins to enhance its functions beyond even Google Maps. The only problem is that what I would call 1864 3 52 Avenue becomes 52 Avenue 18643 Euro style, and I'm not allowed to just type in a, it has to be Avenue. Look, you can learn to live with it, but I can also see why most North Americans don't bother. One last option is to use a search engine like DuckDuckGo or Kogi, who we talked about in part one. Both use Apple Maps, though Kogi offers other sources too, and while neither has the features

or tight integration. Google does kogi offers the option to start navigating via Google maps, Apple Maps, or Waze so that you can, I don't know, use Ki to search and then just use Google to, okay, maybe it's mostly only useful for trip planning rather than day-to-day navigation. Now for a big one, Google Drive is so common for cloud storage that for a long time, we even used Google's LAX storage limits to back up our entire petabyte server. It's convenient, especially to quickly share files, and their privacy policy claims that they encrypt your data and don't use it for advertising. So a secondary Google account just for Drive could be an option if you don't mind some Google in your life, you know, like a cheat day. We are de-Googling, and that means exploring other options. There's the big ones like Dropbox, iCloud Drive, and OneDrive who all also offer encrypted storage and even extras like protected vaults that require a password to access. But if your email is also with the company you're using for storage, you need to be careful.

what you store there in case of a data breach. One way that you can make sure that you're secure is to encrypt your files locally on your computer using something like Cryptomator. Then you can sync those files to any cloud storage you like, though you won't be able to easily share anything uploaded this way unless you also share your encryption key. If you want something a little different, then there are other options like Proton Drive. We mentioned these guys earlier and in part one with their email service, and while keeping all of our eggs in one basket is one of the reasons that we're skipping out on Google, Proton offers the ability to use a secondary password to unlock your data after logging in again to prevent someone with access to your computer from digging through your stuff. Proton's biggest problem, though, is that you can't purchase more storage than they offer in their plans, and if you're not on a family plan, that limits you to just 500 gigs, even at the ultimate tier. Now, they do sometimes allow you to upgrade to

their older Visionary plan that gives you multiple terabytes of storage, but you're forced to subscribe on an annual basis for a pretty hefty sum. Still, if you're not backing up massive amounts of data, Proton Drive is very Google-like, but not run by Google, of course. It's not run by you either, is it? And if you've got the hardware to run it, whether it's a spare or dedicated, that's where Oncloud and Nextcloud come in. Both of these will need you to forward ports on your router or install a remote network access app like Tailscale in order to access or share your files away from home. But for your trouble, you get way more control than you do with a cloud storage company. Both of them are free to download open-source software with paid extras. Oncloud is tuned more for a professional setting with teams, while Nextcloud has a host of features that might appeal more to home users, including a Traz plugin that makes it easier to set up on a network storage PC that you might already be running.

last big Drive alternative we'll talk about is the Swiss post Services treaser. It's favored by governments and NGOs for its strong privacy and security, making it a great choice for the paranoid. And on top of that, it's actually a pretty good service in its own right. It even provides a plugin if you want to stick to using Gmail, and has apps for every major OS, even a Linux terminal app for your NAS. The files you upload and share are end-to-end encrypted, and if you're extra paranoid, you can also require the person on the other end to verify their email address before they're allowed to download it. All of this comes at a cost though, with the free version only providing 3 GB of total storage, and the biggest package coming in at 4 TB and costing significantly more than Google's options. Though I guess you get what you pay for. Now speaking of paying for things, I've made my position clear that the ads on ad-supported content are the price, and that blocking them is pretty much piracy.

but I've also made it many times that I'm not going to tell you what you should do, and the reality of it is a lot of you are going to Pirate. So, as your friendly neighborhood Tech tips man, it's my responsibility to show you the right way to do it, starting with DNS. We talked about DNS in part one, and several services offer the ability to add content filters to their responses. These are great for apps that normally wouldn't be able to use ad block, and they can even block ads in mobile apps. Again, you can learn more about that in part one, which we'll link down below. The problem with these Services is that they limit the number of lookups that you get per month, and after that, you've got to pay. That's where py hole comes in. Py hole lets you run your own DNS filter at home using whichever servers you like, not just those filtering ones, and it's pretty straightforward to set up. We did a whole video on it a few years ago, and I'm just going to link that down below.

since it really hasn't changed much. So once you've got it set up, just make sure you don't forget the step to adjust your router settings, both so that your pie hole has a reserved IP address that doesn't change, and to make sure that that address is the DNS server that your router points all the devices on your network to. As for ad blocking on the web, if you're running Brave, one of the browsers that we featured last time, the built-in Shields feature is pretty decent, and I would probably just stick with that, since anything else is going to make you stand out like a sore thumb among Brave users, making you much easier to identify and track, even if you're using a VPN. For everyone else, Block Origin seems to be by far the best option these days. It offers a default filter that will block most ads on the internet, and that allows you to manually allow content from ad delivery networks or domains that you trust or want to support. You can use custom filters to fine-tune your experience, just be aware

that adding too many filters can actually slow down your browser rather than speed it up, so try not to overdo it. Another cool function of uBlock Origin is that it can handle JavaScript blocking, which can reduce your computer's chance of getting infected with malware. uBlock Origin is available for desktop browsers based on Chromium or Firefox that can accept extensions, and it can be installed manually if you're not able to use their extension stores for some reason or another. It should be noted, though, that by this time in 2025, Manifest V3's requirements are going to break it for browsers based on Chromium if nothing changes. In that case, then there's uBlock Light, which has the core feature of blocking ads with filter lists but doesn't offer the ability to choose, for example, whether and when to enable JavaScript on a given site. Desktop Safari users, meanwhile, basically just have access to the extensions that are available in the App Store, just like on mobile. So for them, I'd say AdGuard is a pretty good choice for both. It can do a lot of the basic things that uBlock

light does, but with some extra customizations available. Just remember to enable it in the extension section under Safari settings menu and allow it to access all sites. Now, since some schools and workplaces have rules against installing ad blockers, you may not be able to do so. The good news is you can get most of the way there by disabling JavaScript on your browser here. Then, as you find sites that need it, you can allow them one by one like this. It is an extra step, but doing this can even get you past some paywalls and speed up your browser while also removing one of the common ways that malware can get into your system and one of the common ways that Google tracks you online. Now for the big one, the site that you are almost certainly using right now, YouTube. One way out is to hope that your favorite creators are using some alternative video hosting site, sup flow planers, woo, but let's be realistic, most creators aren't, and even if they were, most of their viewers aren't going to follow them there. So, what do you do? Well, one

option is to download videos using one of these tools and watch them offline. You'd still have to browse YouTube to discuss and discover content though, which would give Google lots of juicy information about your preferences. So how about an app like FreeTube, Li tube, or yati? These apps hook into YouTube for real Z's, get around the almighty algorithm, do not display Google's ads or trackers, and if you import your subscriptions by using Google takeout, you might even get notified when there are new videos on your feed. Now importing from Google takeout sounds hard, but it's actually pretty easy. Just log into your Google Account dashboard, go to data and privacy, then scroll down to download your data, and choose what you'd like to export. In this case, you would deselect all, then check YouTube and YouTube music, click the all YouTube data included link, and select only what you want to download for these apps. All we need are the history and subscriptions, and history is actually optional. If you do want it, just make sure you go to multiple formats and

choose JSON for history. Once you're satisfied, click next. Optionally, choose to have this data exported periodically or just once, then click create export. Depending on the amount of data, it could take some time, but eventually, you'll get an email with a download link. You can then unzip it and import everything into your front end in FreeTube. You'll find it under data settings. For Android users, there's Gray J and NewPipe. They hook into popular streaming services, including YouTube, with plug-in support that promises to add even more services in the future. Everything shows up on your feed, and they store your playback history, subscriptions, and your playlists locally on your phone or tablet. There's no iOS or desktop app for either, though, and according to the FAQ, there isn't going to be one anytime soon. If that's a problem for you, you can also just run your own YouTube using Invidious, which lets you fully customize the way that pages look. If you know how, you can even use those other apps with it now, like the Cir search engine from part one.

public Nvidia servers do exist, but using them means that you are trusting that the people running them aren't just going to track you like Google do or even insert malware. For that reason, it's best to use Tor or a virtual private network like our frequent sponsor PIA, who we're going to have linked down below, to hide your IP address whenever you're connecting to servers that you don't own. Since the ones listed on the Nvidia site must have no analytics, that makes one fewer way that you can be tracked online. However, these servers are not guaranteed to be as reliable as YouTube's. I mean, say whatever you want about YouTube, it rarely goes down. But what if there were another way? Okay, this is funny. As it turns out, you don't need anything extra or any weird workarounds to watch YouTube without ads, and I'm not kidding when I say this is actually a weird trick. Try this right now: open up a private window or a browser that you don't use very much, and then go to Bing. Copy the address of this video right now.

and paste it into Bing. Then click on the thumbnail somewhere around here. And what what where's the ad you're not signed into Bing or YouTube. And assuming you used a random browser that you don't usually use. You've got no ad block active. So yeah you need to put up with Bing's crummy interface. But either Microsoft is paying Google to be able to show YouTube videos on Bing without any ads. Or maybe neither of them ever noticed because no one uses Bing. Either way I don't know free YouTube premium. Let's go Bing. Alright that's not really a reasonable alternative to YouTube. And like those alternative front ends and those apps. It's just YouTube with extra steps still. And if Google decides to get rid of them they will all disappear. But for now we've at least given you some options to enjoy your favorite creators without giving Google quite as much information. Of course we aren't done yet. And for part three we'd like to hear from you guys. What services do you recommend? What Google services do you want to stop?

using let us know down below while I let you know about our sponsor Flexi Spot. If you're looking to elevate your work setup from that desk and chair that you picked up at your neighbor's garage sale, Flexi Spot is here to help. Their E7 Plus standing desk has a four-leg foundation, making it more stable than two-leg offerings. Plus, it has a weight capacity of up to 440 lb while in motion, meaning you can absolutely load up your desk with the chunkiest of monitors, peripherals, and more. And if you're worried that your tush isn't going to be fully supported, have no fear. Their C7 Ergo chair is designed to relieve pressure and mitigate fatigue during long hours of work or play. If all of that sounds good, you're in luck because Flexi Spot is holding their anniversary sale in August, and you can bundle up both the E7 Plus and the C7 to get a nice chunk of change off your purchase. Even better, you can save an additional $50 on your order of $500 or more with

code Linus 50. We're going to have all the details and exactly where to go to claim the deal linked in the video description. If you guys enjoyed this video, go check out part one of this series for more on how you too can rid yourself of the alphabet company. Anything sounds ominous when you say it like that.

De-Google Your Life - Part 2: Ad-Free YouTube!

Linus Tech Tips is a passionate team of "professionally curious" experts in consumer technology and video production who aim to educate and entertain.


Linus Tech Tips

De-Googling Your Life: Alternatives for Password Management and More

Google's data tracking, even in incognito mode, has led to lawsuits, but the company continues to profit from serving relevant ads.

The series offers alternatives to Google's services, including password management, cloud storage, maps, ad management, and YouTube.

For password management, hosting your own with Keypass or Bitwarden is recommended, while OnePassword offers a unique security twist with a random secret code for vault access.

Improving Online Privacy with Password Managers

Proton offers a robust password manager with features like burner emails, two-factor support, and the ability to lock the vault with a different password.

The process of transitioning from an old password manager involves exporting passwords and importing them into the new one.

Using a separate two-factor authentication app, like Ente Off, is recommended for added security.

Transitioning from Google Services: A Guide

The app offers basic search and has a phone number-based account login, which can lead to lockouts if the number changes.

Adding codes for two-factor authentication is similar across apps, and account recovery takes a few days if locked out.

Migrating from Google Authenticator involves exporting codes as QR codes and using another device to import them, while alternative mapping services like OpenStreetMap and Magic Earth offer user-driven maps and additional features.

Exploring Alternatives to Google Services

Driver assistance features are available for free, offering warnings for various driving situations, but may have odd behaviors.

O provides similar features to Magic Earth, with additional plugins for enhanced functionality, but has a unique address formatting that may be inconvenient for users.

For cloud storage, Google Drive is common and convenient, but there are other options like Dropbox, iCloud Drive, OneDrive, and Proton Drive, each offering encrypted storage and unique features for data security.

Alternatives to Traditional Cloud Storage

Proton Drive offers multiple terabytes of storage with an annual subscription, providing a Google-like experience.

Oncloud and Nextcloud provide more control over file sharing and storage, with Oncloud focused on professional settings and Nextcloud catering to home users.

The Swiss Post Services' Treaser offers strong privacy and security, with end-to-end encryption and email verification for file downloads, but comes at a higher cost.

Setting up a reserved IP address for your Pi-hole and using it as the DNS server for your network is crucial for effective ad blocking.

For web browsing, Brave's built-in Shields feature is recommended, while uBlock Origin offers the best ad-blocking option with customizable filters and JavaScript blocking.

Safari users can use AdGuard for ad blocking, and disabling JavaScript in the browser can be a workaround for those unable to install ad blockers.

Alternatives to Watching YouTube with Ads

There are apps like FreeTube, Li tube, and yati that bypass YouTube's algorithm, avoiding ads and trackers while offering subscription notifications.

Importing YouTube data through Google Takeout is easy and provides the necessary history and subscriptions for these apps.

For Android users, Gray J and NewPipe offer similar services, while Invidious provides a customizable YouTube experience.

Alternatives to YouTube and the Impact of Bing

Bing's interface may be crummy, but it offers free access to YouTube videos without ads.

The alternative front ends and apps for YouTube provide extra steps to enjoy content, but their existence is uncertain.

Flexi Spot is offering a sale on their E7 Plus standing desk and C7 Ergo chair, providing a stable and supportive work setup.