Mobile device setup

Model: Pixel 4a
OS: GrapheneOS

• No Google Apps
  
• No Play Services
  

Apps

• Aegis
  TOTP/2FA app.
• AntennaPod
  Podcast app. Though, I don't listen to many podcasts anymore.
• BinaryEye
  For the off-chance I need to scan a barcode.
• Bromite
  Anti-fingerprinting, secure, web-browser.
• Etar
  Basic calendar for event making.
• Feeder
  RSS feed reader. It works, has some great features, but I think it's UI could use a refresh.
• Foxy Droid
  Alternative F-droid client. Small, fast, simple non-bloated.
• Fritter
  For Twitter browsing.
• Simple Tools
  Miles better than the stock gallery app.
• Glider
  HN client.
• Music
  Music app based on Phonograph. Currently I'm testing out a different music app, Metro, but it looks like it's development has completely ceased, or at least become stale at this point.
• neutriNote
  I use this app for note taking. It features Markdown formatting plus LaTeX functionality.
• NewPipe
  For watching YouTube ad-free.
• Productivity Formerly “Goodtime”. A minimalist, easy to use Pomodoro timer app.
  
• Shelter
  Work profile app isolation (more on this later).
• Signal
  I use Signal as my main messenger.
• SMS Messenger
  From “Simple Mobile Tools”. For when I need to send an SMS (Why not use Signal as my SMS app? I like the compartmentalisation of using the different apps to comminicate different ways. I hate the idea of conflating two different platforms).
• Termux
  Terminal emulator I use for compiling, testing and scripting on the go.
• Geometric Weather
  Weather app. I mainly have it installed it just for the nice widget.

Work profile

I use Shelter to “isolate” my other apps somewhat. Shelter creates a “Work Profile”. Work profiles are a built-in Android feature that allow you to have a separate profile for work-related apps. This is usually managed by your work organisation but Shelter makes one and “manages” it for you. The work profile can be turned off - disabling all the work profile apps with it.
The benefit of a work profile is that it is more accessible than traditional Android user accounts. However, to my knowledge it coexists on the Owner profile - so the encryption keys for the data are the same. This is where a separate user account would come in handy - the seperate user account's data is encrypted with a different key.

Work profile apps:

• Aurora Store
  For downloading apps from the Play Store without Play Services.
• Bromite
  Browser (used mostly for Uni-related work).
• MS Teams
  For Uni classes that have a MS Teams rooom
• $GENERIC_ROSTER_APP
  For checking my $WORK roster.
• $EMAIL_APP
  For emails emails.

COVID-19

With the rise of the Coronavirus it's become essential to “check-in” to places. I have put this off for so long, but with an increase in cases of the Delta variant in my neighbourhood I think it's wise for me to be checking into places if I do ever leave the house.
In my opinion, check-in apps should not be a requirement to check in somewhere. Please, just let me check-in online, via a webpage (remember those?). I don't want to install some crappy software written by a technologically-inept and privacy ignorant government on my phone.

So, I install my check-in app in a dedicated user profile. No other apps are installed to this profile. When I need to check-in somewhere:

1. Switch to the “COVID19” user account from the phone lockscreen
2. Open the check-in app
3. Grant temporary camera access to the app
4. Scan the barcode
5. Switch back to Owner profile

When the profile is closed all the apps within it are stopped. This ensures the app isn't running in the background.