I recently dropped my Sony Z5 Compact and the glass on its back splintered. So I bought a new phone. Sony A Z5 Compact for the horrendous amount of 70€.
When I bought my last phone everything had to go quick, Cyanogen mod was just announced dead and LineageOS was not ready yet. So I just installed the stock rom and lived with it.
This time I wanted to go with a custom Rom and without any Google Apps on it.
Before I started I analyzed my threat model and the result was: there is no threat, I just want sovereignty over my data. This is not a guide for paranoid people, it is for people who want a good balance between privacy and effort.
1. Obviously the first thing to do: get rid of the stock rom, install TWRP recovery and LineageOS and whatever root package you like. I used SuperSu in the past and switched to Magisk for my new phone.
1. Open the browser and download the [F-Droid](https://f-droid.org/de) store. F-Droid is a store for FOSS-Apps.
1. Install AFWall+ from F-Droid to disable Internet access for all Apps that don't need it. [kuketz-blog](https://www.kuketz-blog.de/afwall-wie-ich-persoenlich-die-android-firewall-nutze)
1. Install nextcloud apps to replace google cloud services: DAVDroid, Nextcloud, OpenTasks and Nextcloud Notes from F-Droid. DAVDroid(+OpenTasks) allow you to sync Contacts, Calendars and Tasks with your Nextcloud. Nextcloud syncs Files and Nextcloud Notes obviously syncs notes.
1. Install NewPipe, a lightweight YouTube alternative.
1. Install OsmAnd~, a Open Street Map based offline map and navigation system.
1. Install other useful apps: Fennec F-Droid (web browser, based on latest Firefox), CuprumPDF (lightweight PDF viewer), Amaze (simple, lightweight [root] file browser) Riot.im (Conversation App with end-to-end encryption), K-9 Mail (Powerful Mail Client) and AnySoftKeyboard
Until now, everything you installed was open source software. But some useful apps are only available on google play store. To get those Apps I installed the Yalp Store. This app allows you to login to your google account and download all free apps and all apps you already bought from the play store. Apps I installed are:
1. Signal Messenger (which finally support backups, so you can take all your messages and your key pair to your new phone *\o/*. Signal works without google services, but only if it cant find them on your phone)
1. Whatsapp (because other people still use it)
1. Titanium backup
1. Tasker
I might add other non FOSS apps from the playstore in the future (DHL, Spotify, DB Navigator, eBay) just to name a few. But I guess you will find your own.