Hey Mycenius, I quoted for your help regarding something else.
But you’re always so helpful with searches and I know you are very familiar with the forum here., so …
My 2 B3s are showing up in a few weeks and I’ve forgotten what I’ve read, and where, about setting them up regarding not using WiFi first, or was it wifi and not data plan first? I forget.
Similar routers work for others and I’ve only got a data plan for one yet but I need to get them set up for use. And don’t want to run into issues that others have. Though I can’t recall exactly what that was.
That’s a bit of a you don’t know what you don’t know, or how long is a piece of string question…
But what I’d say is firstly - while some people have had issues and there are a lot of posts here they are still the minority - the vast majority of people have got their phone set up with no significant issues - I think 5,000(?) phones have gone out, and maybe a couple of hundred people or so have had either very bad issues, or a faulty handset or something similar (excl. the wi-fi connection issue) - so maybe 3%-5% at worst. Point is don’t sweat it - it’ll almost certainly work fine.
Key Things I’d suggest are:
Just use wi-fi initially - get the phone set up then add the sim, if needed, at some point after you’ve got the basics working. I connected mine to wi-fi as soon as it arrived and used it that way for about 4 weeks installing 80% of my apps and testing stuff before I put my Sim in and 100% transitioned… Three months on I still have my last 3-4 apps to install and test/configure.
If you are ex-iPhone / Apple, make sure you deregister your number from iMessage & Facetime before you put it in your BraX3!
When you put a SIM in, if you have data issues, be sure to double check the permissions/network settings first followed by the actual APN details. Then do a restart. It’s usually one of these. Before getting into serious trouble shooting or calling your Telco.
Make sure you don’t inadvertently try and overwrite Micro-G or the Google Stubs in Aurora Store with the real things when doing updates… Blacklist them the first time they come up.
Otherwise just work through it systematically - do the most essential items first then slowly add additional apps and check they work as you go…
Otherwise it’s mostly just about what apps you choose and getting the settings or permissions right, and learning how to use the iodé app… If you haven’t seen it my thread on changing phone might help:
@plamen maybe split 404usernotfound’s post above and my reply off into a new thread please? As I think not on topic for this thread (delivery updates) and should be a separate discussion.
No Worries. Most things have been discussed here now, so if you get stuck search is your friend… If you don’t find what you want make sure to try searching a couple more times with different terms or keywords - often people use different names, or descriptions for the same thing…
And remember it’s always worth a search on the iodé community too - between here and there there’s pretty much a thread (or five) on everything… And even if it’s not specifically about a BraX3. or references a different phone type (e.g. Fairphone) 95% of the iodé community stuff is still applicable to the BraX3 because it’s all the same OS and/or it’s about an App for a privacy phone…
P.S. Just don’t sign into a Google Account on the phone or download dodgy apps like Meta’s (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), most Google ones, etc, etc…
@plamen and/or @rik , shouldn’t the blacklisting be done by default, with the user having the option to remove the blacklisting if they understand the consequences?
Make sure you don’t inadvertently try and overwrite Micro-G or the Google Stubs in Aurora Store with the real things when doing updates… Blacklist them the first time they come up.
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Yeah, about that. Just want to make sure I understood that to mean what I think it means.
So don’t update micro-g when I open the Aurora Store.
Micro-G comes through F-Droid. So Aurora shouldn’t be updating any Google Services unless its a specific app you installed (like maps used with no login) - so just blacklist. Personally I don’t install any G apps as a rule of thumb!
The only time & thing Aurora should usually update from Google is Android Auto base app - but only if you want to try and use AA in your car.
The stubs are the 3 additional AA components, you sideload them manually, to replace the actual G apps (maps, voice recognition, Google (search) app). This lets AA (and installed apps) run in your car without all the G spyware attached - so you blacklist those 3 apps in Aurora.
