Things to do after rooting your android
For clean roms / stock android / LOS
- Do not insert a sim or connect to wifi during the setup process at all
- DO NOT SKIP through the startup screen, read through it carefully
- Make sure to deselect E V E R Y single option you get, turn off everything you can turn off, and opt out of every option - they are all spyware (Not like it makes a real difference I suppose though, like telling them "please don't" means anything)
- Do NOT add a google acc, or any other acc during setup (not that I know of any other, but just in case smth comes up in future)
- Connect the phone to a pc, or a USB storage through an OTG and install the following apps
- AFWall+ - https://f-droid.org/en/packages/dev.ukanth.ufirewall/
Install and enable.
Select needed apps and services that get the required phone systems working, mobile data/wifi/tethering, and apps which you need - on a priority basis.
The exact list depends upon your ROM. Trial and Error, but it's worth the pain.
Only after this step can even you begin to think about connecting to the internet.
- App Manager - https://f-droid.org/en/packages/io.github.muntashirakon.AppManager/
DISABLE every unnecessary app, every bloat, again you can always over-disable if you're unsure and re-enable later if needed.
NOTE - I advise against uninstalling; some ROMs, especially OEM ones if you're forced to use them, can break. Uninstalling their bloat might and likely will lead to a boot loop on the next reboot.
Just disable apps, however - that is useless against google apps, they still work even after disabling (hence AFW).
For bloated ROMs
The above should be done by them too, that's standard procedure.
These ROMs tend to have their OEM app for everything, file manager, dialer, gallery, calculator everything. Remove them all, and replace them with alternatives on Fdroid. I recommend this guy - https://simplemobiletools.github.io/
For disabling the apps, use the ADB method, here is a helpful table (thanks @arvid).
IMPORTANT - Go one by one in case of MIUI, after disabling something, test a little for a while and see if all works, if something breaks, re-enable quickly.
I'm aware of apps like this which disable/delete all OEM bloat it can find at once, but I tried disabling (not deleting course) MIUI Bloatwares on my ultra-cheap POCO, but it caused MIUI to break and restarting caused boot loop. So at least in the case of MIUI, I advise against it, but in general just do the ADB method, since who knows what exactly these apps do.
In general, don't use/allow preinstalled apps internet and don't use any bloat apps, remove and replace them with FOSS apps for the ones you need to use. This isn't a list of apps guide, and to encourage minimalism, I'll leave that to the user's research; but I suppose everyone knows about Bromite and Aurora Store and stuff; use them.
If you must use a "normal" app from the store, then at least try to limit their connections with selective blocking using Blokada or any other app. I recommend the oldest versions of Blokada since the newer ones keep getting more corporate-like with every new update.
Inputs welcome.
Edit:
Here is a further piece of help for those stuck with an OEM ROM, a non-root DeBoater (inside joke)
https://bb.chip.icu/d/56-an-android-debloater-tool-general-poco-c31miui-125/
