First Android phone -- asking me about Google acct

[Luke Drillbrain]

I just got my Moto G phone and called my service to activate it today. I haven't even made a call, a text, or surfed the web on it yet. I did hook it up to our household's wifi.

It keeps asking me to put in my Google account info. I do have a Google account, but not because I even wanted one. I've had a Youtube account for ages and then one day it pestered me to make a Google account to link it to. It's not in my real name because I don't want my real name linked to my Youtube videos. Never did. Never wanted any kind of Google account at all.

I'm wondering if I should make a new Google account in my real name or not. What's it for? Why does this phone want my Google account info? Are there privacy issues I should know about?

 

[funkylogik]

It's the account the phone will associate all your Google services with like Gmail, play store, youtube, contacts backup etc.
It's not a bad thing. Use any name you want. Just make sure you remember the username and password.

You don't need a Google account unless you want to use Google's services :thumbup:

 

[El Presidente]

Without adding a Google account to the handset, you won't be able to install apps via Google Play.

You can manage without adding your details, but generally it makes things easier if you have one account associated (with a fake name or not).

 

[kate]

Are there privacy issues I should know about?

If you don't want to use your real name you can use a fake one, no problem. For more privacy - many apps request access to your contact list, GPS location, etc. Before you install an app it will list what it wants access to.

You can also disable GPS in the Android Settings menu - it's called Google Location Service and it's usually located under Location and Security.

 

[fa1988]

You have to add a valid account in order to use your phone's all capability and "Google pestering me ...." doesn't mean not to use it. It's illegal to use fake account. Be honest and human.

 

[El Presidente]

You have to add a valid account in order to use your phone's all capability and "Google pestering me ...." doesn't mean not to use it. It's illegal to use fake account. Be honest and human.

I'm not sure where you're getting that info from, but as long as you created the account, you can link any gmail account you want to your handset/tablet.

Are there laws prohibiting that sort of thing where you're from?

 

[CharlieSummers]

You have to add a valid account in order to use your phone's all capability

Horsehocky...you only need a Google account if you want to allow Google to track your every movement to generate a profile of you for advertising purposes.

Some of us cheerfully use Android without Gmail, without YouTube, without Google Location Services (which is different from GPS), Google Maps, Google Apps, Google Play Store, and all other Google services. It takes some effort (and a VPN, and a rather huge hosts file), but it can be done. And yes, I'm using my devices' complete capacity. (I have two phones, three tablets, a Tronsmart, etc., etc.)

If you don't mind a monolithic company tracking everything you do on and off the Internet, enjoy. Some of us prefer to retain a bit of privacy, and so have no fear freezing three-quarters of the apps that are stock on Android.

 

[funkylogik]

Horsehocky...you only need a Google account if you want to allow Google to track your every movement to generate a profile of you for advertising purposes.

Some of us cheerfully use Android without Gmail, without YouTube, without Google Location Services (which is different from GPS), Google Maps, Google Apps, Google Play Store, and all other Google services. It takes some effort (and a VPN, and a rather huge hosts file), but it can be done. And yes, I'm using my devices' complete capacity. (I have two phones, three tablets, a Tronsmart, etc., etc.)

If you don't mind a monolithic company tracking everything you do on and off the Internet, enjoy. Some of us prefer to retain a bit of privacy, and so have no fear freezing three-quarters of the apps that are stock on Android.

Please no one pay too much attention to this crap
Some people really shouldn't be using an Android phone lol

 

[mikedt]

I'm not sure where you're getting that info from, but as long as you created the account, you can link any gmail account you want to your handset/tablet.

Are there laws prohibiting that sort of thing where you're from?

Maybe, apparently he's in Iran. Could be like this country, where there are laws that prohibit you from giving false information on the internet. Although this is Google, could be difficult to prove if one is being truthful or not. Not to be too P&CA "Be honest and human.", but that sounds like it could have come from our school's Communist Youth League.

 

[John Bean]

Some of us cheerfully use Android without Gmail, without YouTube [...]

Some of us prefer to retain a bit of privacy [...]

Are you part of a secret anti-Google cabal or is your "I" key set to type "Some of us" whenever you press it?

In my experience the phrase "some of us" is often just a way of trying to make a personal opinion sound more important, implying that the writer is spokesperson for a larger group. I've never felt a need to resort to this, but I suppose it's all a matter of self confidence.

 

[Slug]

Are you part of a secret anti-Google cabal or is your "I" key set to type "Some of us" whenever you press it?

There are numerous threads on AF discussing how to dispense with Google's services, indicating that there are plenty of people who feel the same way. It's their choice, so please respect that (and them).

 

[CharlieSummers]

There are numerous threads on AF discussing how to dispense with Google's services, indicating that there are plenty of people who feel the same way.

I have no empirical evidence for this, but anecdotally the folks I know who are concerned about Apple, Google, Microsoft, et al tracking usage patterns tend to skew older. Those younger tend to accept a loss of privacy as an acceptable trade-off for making life easier (auto-sync, etc.) where older folks are still concerned about someone knowing everything about them, i.e. having nothing to hide doesn't mean the desire to live in a transparent house. (Me, I bought my first computer, a Sinclair ZX-81 which I still own, in the early 1980's and have been programming the little beasts ever since. For comparison, it shipped with 1K RAM.)

Still, the point of this thread is whether or not you need a Google account to run Android; and old or not, paranoid or not, I (and the others I know who feel the same way I do, although perhaps not to the same degree) are proof that you do not. While Google made it difficult to run an Android phone without one (by design, of course), the underlying operating system still allows for far greater freedom than Apple's.

 

[mikedt]

I have no empirical evidence for this, but anecdotally the folks I know who are concerned about Apple, Google, Microsoft, et al tracking usage patterns tend to skew older. Those younger tend to accept a loss of privacy as an acceptable trade-off for making life easier (auto-sync, etc.) where older folks are still concerned about someone knowing everything about them, i.e. having nothing to hide doesn't mean the desire to live in a transparent house. (Me, I bought my first computer, a Sinclair ZX-81 which I still own, in the early 1980's and have been programming the little beasts ever since. For comparison, it shipped with 1K RAM.)

Still, the point of this thread is whether or not you need a Google account to run Android; and old or not, paranoid or not, I (and the others I know who feel the same way I do, although perhaps not to the same degree) are proof that you do not. While Google made it difficult to run an Android phone without one (by design, of course),

I think this country(China) would beg to differ actually. Could be a billion+ people now all using Android phones, tablets, etc. without anything Google whatsoever. I bought a new Android phone last week, an Oppo Find 7a, nothing Google here. Although I've subsequently rooted it and installed Google, because I do find it useful myself. BTW I started out with a ZX80 originally, yup 1kilobyte of RAM, jumping video every time I typed something. I have no objection to social networking and sharing things myself, because it does make my life and work much easier as an expat.

the underlying operating system still allows for far greater freedom than Apple's.

Yup, that freedom has allowed Android to become what it is in this country without any help from Google, apart from them providing the source code. Apple is an expensive luxury here, and you have to use Apple's services to do anything with an iPhone.

 

[Slug]

Still, the point of this thread is whether or not you need a Google account to run Android

Correction, the point of this thread is what the OP asked:

Why does this phone want my Google account info? Are there privacy issues I should know about?

The biggest advantage of a Google account is access to the Play Store. If that's unwanted then there's absolutely no need to create/use a Google account to run an Android device. As you say, and as others have previously proven, Google's services are not mandatory.

 

[aikinus]

Just type some random names, make sure you remember the email address and password. Name doesn't matter at all. You can't go anywhere, if you didn't have a Google account associated with the device.

 

[CharlieSummers]

I think this country(China) would beg to differ actually.

Interesting, and thank you. Living in the U.S., my perspective is narrowed; corporate interests here tend to be paramount. I didn't realize devices in China (and possibly elsewhere) were less Google-centric. Even the Tronsmart stick I have (which shipped rooted) needed to have numerous Google services frozen to satisfy my requirements. (Side note: I tend not to delete system apps, but rather freeze them instead. That way, if there is a show-stopper, one can easily reclaim the app even if the only access to the device is via ADB. I may be paranoid, but I ain't stupid.

 

[Crashdamage]

Google tracking me is of minor concern. The Google-paranoid among us are worried about the wrong things. Three-letter government agencies (such as the CIA and NSA in the US) are the true bogeymen. Google, Yahoo, Apple, M$, Amazon etc just want your money, one way or another. Who cares, let 'em try. 3-letter agencies have other things in mind.

IOW, worrying about Google having info is IMHO a complete waste of time. Unless you're a drug kingpin, Mafia boss, politician, filthy rich, terrorist, child pornographer or otherwise somehow an Important Person of some kind, nobody really cares who you email or what websites you've been to. They're not gonna bother trying to get your information beyond bank accounts, credit cards and basic personal info that could be used for identity theft.

If you're really concerned about privacy, avoiding creating a Google account will not help. You're being tracked anyway, probably by dozens of entities. To stay truly untraced today, you can't use a phone, snail mail, email, Twitter or any other kind of social media, a browser, or the internet in any way, not even via TOR.

The truly paranoid should wear a hoodie, sunglasses and a fake beard, even if you're female, so as to be unidentifiable on security cameras. Those suckers are everywhere. You can't own a car, have a driver's license or own property, so you'll need to live under a bridge. But at least Google won't be tracking your information.

OK, I'm having some fun with some of you, but seriously, get over it. It's not worth all the effort trying to stop what you really can't stop.

 

[CharlieSummers]

Unless you're a drug kingpin, Mafia boss, politician, filthy rich, terrorist, child pornographer or otherwise somehow an Important Person of some kind, nobody really cares who you email or what websites you've been to.

"If you have nothing to hide..." is an old chestnut used any time someone wants to know as much as possible about you. As a silly example, I have "nothing to hide," but I still don't want you to know what toothpaste I use. I'm not ashamed of my choice, I just don't think it's any of your business.

It's not worth all the effort trying to stop what you really can't stop.

Stop? No. Limit, minimize, control, or at least prevent specific entities from tracking specific things? Certainly it can be done...and I, at least, believe it to be worth the effort.

My sincere apologies for starting an interesting, but wildly off-topic discussion. I will make every effort to refrain from responding to future posts not directly related to issues dealing with a Google account.

 

[Slug]

Please folks, let's keep some perspective here.

Everyone should be concerned about their online privacy, because it's our data and our responsibility. Which is why I'm forever reminding people about Google Dashboard. For those who wish to use Google's services it offers fine-grained control over what is or isn't shared.

The choice not to is just as valid. Android is often expoused as "the mobile OS of choice", after all.