I am a graphenOS user and am considering getting a secondary iPhone, but I need more perspectives on how to set it up
as a grapheneOS user, I obviously care about my privacy, hence why the iPhone will not be my main driver, the grapheneOS device will continue to be.
but I might be getting a free iPhone soon and I have an idea of what I would use it for (Podcasts as Apple Podcast is the best cross-platform podcast app I have come across) but am not sure what else I would be comfortable using it for as I don't know what actions are safe without having Apple gather that much data or telemetry on me.
I know that I won't be using iCloud on it. I have no need for Apple's data storage. Nor do I see myself ever using the App Store, except for installing a VPN app. I might install Signal on it but not anytime soon (not least of which cause Signal does not yet support multiple smartphone usages for the same device). I definitely won't use iMessage as I don't believe in using a messaging service that is limited to a specific ecosystem.
I will note that I wont install a SIM on it. It will be using Wi-Fi for the foreseeable future.
Given these things, i am not sure if there is anything i should be on the look-out for in terms of privacy concerns with the usages I have outlined above
Edit:
Based on the answers to my post, I am getting the sense I didn't explain my current situation, which fair enough.
I have audio and video podcasts I consume, for my audio podcasts that I tend to listen to while commuting and exercising, AntennaPod proved a God send for this, to the extent that I wanted to support the app financially until I saw that they said their costs are already covered and it made me appreciate them even more for their honesty.
However, I have a free iPad I got by accident (not worth going into here) and I prefer to consume my video podcasts on a bigger screen than my google pixel. I don't trust Google with tablet development after a bad experience with another tablet I had from them so that was out. so I decided to just use the free iPad and was delighted to find their Podcasts app also supports videos.
However, I wanted 1 service that I can use on a phone and tablet. AntennaPod does not have any iPad apps. I saw this page and the 2 alternatives seemed to be Pocket Casts and Podverse. I tried Podverse but the iPad app would not even launch for me, it crashed every time so I said goodbye to that.
reading into pocket casts, it seems they do collect some data and they do have the option opt-out of that but that could very well change, which means I'd be in a situation where I could be paying for a product while also having my data collected and I disagree with that business model.
So, Apple Podcasts is probably collecting some data on me but I figured all it knows is what podcasts I listen to, which isn't terribly useful (I hope) considering I have subscribed to podcasts from a feed I generate myself.
And I happened to already have an old iPhone lying around at home so I decided to switch to using that for my audio Podcasts and use my iPad for video podcasts and its sometimes glitchy since I would call the Apple Podcasts synchronization experience (between devices) half-baked at most but I can make it work for my use case. So I am already using a separate iPhone just for podcasts and I might be in the position where I get a new iPhone which would replace the current iPhone but not sure what new threats to be aware of privacy-wise. I would be upgrading from an iPhone SE first gen to whatever new version I am getting.
I'm not sure I understand what you need the iPhone for. You'll carry a secondary phone just as a podcast player? I have used Apple Podcast and I don't find it to be that much better than AntennaPod or Pocket Casts - in fact, probably the opposite.
That being said, this seems like what you're looking for:
https://www.privacyguides.org/en/os/ios-overview
my God mate that is a fantastic resource. Is it recommended by anyone with knowledge and expertise to weigh in on whether that is a trustworthy guide? Like Stalman or EFF or Snowden?
I don't know if any famous people/groups endorse it, but I used to be pretty active in the online privacy community, and PrivacyGuides is basically considered to be as good as it gets when it comes to comprehensive privacy advice. It's also one of the few resources on the topic which is actually pragmatic instead of just parroting "proprietary software is evil" or some outdated advice (of which there is plenty).
The site's co-founder is also a Tildes user @freddy
Thanks once again for the kind words!
post updated with more context.
I dipped my toe in the iPhone water after using GrapheneOS for a long time.
Now I have 2 iPhones, Macbook, Mac Mini, and ... yeah.
I really wanted to have a phone I could live modern digital life with, like have my travel tickets stored in a wallet, be able to use my phone for contactless payments etc. and this was around the time when Graphene seemed like they were melting due to the continuous Pixel battery disasters (my last 2 Grapehene OS phones suffered from Google bad battery QA - not Graphene's fault clearly, but when you're forced to use that hardware...), then Google pulled their device drivers, project dramas etc. I didn't feel comfortable with its future.
That said, the motorola announcement is interesting. Will be watching that one.
To your requirement I'd say ... why? There doesn't seem any point in carrying a whole other device for a podcast app and you clearly don't trust or need Apple services.
You can't use the device much without an Apple ID. You say you don't want the app store, but unless you live in a territory where that's optional (I don't), then you might have difficulty installing that app. I don't /think/ Apple Podcasts came preinstalled on my iPhone, but I've had it a while and might have removed it.
Given your determination not to engage with the platform at all, I wouldn't bother. Find a suitable podcast app for GrapheneOS, I'd say, and sell the free iPhone.
Post updated with new info.
hmm. I assumed the Podcast app is pre-installed but good point.
I need a suitable podcast for my iPad that can sync with a mobile device :sweat_smile:
I wouldn't bother using it unless you're going to bake yourself into the APPLEVERSE... otherwise its just more shit in your pocket.
I dont disagree. its just a consequence of trying to have a seamless experience between a mobile device and an iPad :P
basically, avoid all apple apps etc that use iCloud (notes, etc) -- use PocketCasts for podcasts... and... otherwise use the iPhone to hold down a stack of papers near an open window :)
I'm in the opposite position as you where I have an Android tablet and Apple for my main comp and phone. I rarely use the tablet for anything more than Kodi since it doesnt sync with anything.
I wish Apple would have the whole iCloud thing available for Android, but I get why they don't
I think you might be better off downloading a cross-platform Podcasts app on your GrapheneOS phone instead of trying to use the iPhone like a modern day iPod. Apple does let you turn off some telemetry though I do think there's always a base level of telemetry collected. While Apple does let you setup an iPhone without an Apple Account and cellular plan, the lack of the former makes it difficult to really do anything on the device since you can't "sideload" apps like you can on Graphene/Android. You could try following the guide u/fxgn linked above to try and minimize what Apple collect about you but the phone won't be super useful, even if your goal is to use it like an iPod.
You could try creating a dummy Apple account, download your apps, and then sign out of everything if you really wanted but I think that's more effort than is really worth. You wouldn't even be able to keep your apps up-to-date either. Apple's products really shine when you're deeply stuck in the walled garden. The iPhone works really well with a MacBook, Watch, and AirPods and when all are connected to the same Apple Account.
Post updated with more context.
I wish that was possible for me :-( maybe I am wrong.
Gotcha, yea that's a shame haha. Looking at your usecase, you'd definitely need to sign into an Apple Account I believe for the Podcasts app to reliably sync across devices. I unfortunately only have an iPhone at the moment so I can't test that. But yeah, it could be worth creating a dummy account just for these two devices and let Apple collect random data. I'm not the most privacy conscious though so I'd take my advice with a grain of salt.
You can turn off most telemetry via Settings > Privacy and Security or Settings > Siri. You can’t turn off telemetry completely though, I think it’ll always connect for push notifications and iCloud? You might be able to block that at the network level if you don’t need push notifications.
You could put the phone in Lockdown Mode and still use headphones but I haven’t tested that. Doesn’t reduce telemetry but does increase security if you’re paranoid.
Yep, notifications on iOS rely on Apple's Push Notification (APN) service since Apple restricts background processes to an extent. So if you don't need them, you can try blocking that at the network level though I don't know if that will have any other repercussions. I don't think iOS always connects to iCloud, especially if you're not logged into an account. It does remove features like the iCloud Keychain for saved passwords, Find My, and a few others I'm forgetting.
damn but not surprising.
Option A: Pocketcasts is a free open source solution that is currently being managed by Automattic, which is also managing Tumblr and Wordpress. It has free applications that you could pull from the App Store, and even sideload if you want to open that can of worms, and even a free web player if you don’t want Apple ID on your phone that you could access from Safari at https://pocketcasts.com/discover. I think it’s great for cross device podcasting and while I am in the lifetime program for buying the app early, the free version will probably fit your needs unless the possibility of it collapsing out from under you is putting you off.
Option B: While Antennapod doesn’t have an iOS client, it syncs across devices with the gPodder service. YourPods will sync with gPodder as well, and you should be able to share status and history across devices. I’m not as familiar, but it might be worth a shot? https://asecretcompany.com/yourpods/