As an Android Privacy Nerd, Here Are 6 Privacy Apps I Regret Using

As someone who takes online security quite seriously, I have used many different applications and services over the years. Some were legitimately great experiences, but others I regretted installing.

Below are six privacy apps that I tried but ultimately felt weren’t right for me. While some have security flaws or other major red flags, others were overly complicated, lacked key features, or were simply too expensive.

Private Internet Access It was one of the first VPNs I paid for. At that time, I got a good deal on an annual plan and decided to give it a try. I want to be clear that PIA is actually a pretty solid VPN service. It offers unlimited simultaneous connections, advanced features like split tunneling, and has a proven track record of not logging user activity.

My real reason for uninstalling it is that there are simply better options out there in terms of ease of use and app capabilities.

PIA is known for offering many features, but that has a downside. The sheer number of options makes the interface seem cluttered and the learning curve is steeper than most other VPN services. I also admit that the fact that PIA is based in the US is a bit worrying, although its track record makes it clear that it is not a real problem in practice.

I reviewed some options before landing in NordVPN as an alternative. While it is priced a little higher, I think it is worth it. Nord is faster, works better with streaming services, and overall has a much cleaner app experience.

Brave is one of the most popular options if you are looking for a security-focused web browser. It has built-in ad and tracker blocking, optional Tor features, and an interface that, while a little cluttered, is still reasonably easy to navigate.

That being said, Brave Search is a disaster. The results are often unreliable, so there is little reason to use it. The sync feature also doesn’t work as well as other browsers like Chromeand Brave’s ad blocking may be too aggressive in some cases, breaking certain websites.

However, the main reason I uninstalled Brave was battery drain. It wasn’t that bad for me. Android devicebut the desktop version had quite serious problems. If you can overlook its weaknesses, it may still be worth installing, but I personally prefer Firefox with uBlock Origin. It consumes less resources and I find the user interface a little more to my liking.

last pass It used to be the most popular password manager, although it was always a bit expensive. The app and browser extension are extremely easy to use, there are many features, and syncing between devices works well on a wide range of platforms.

If that was the whole story, I would have stayed with it longer. But the main reason I regret using LastPass is because of the company’s poor record of security breaches. A polished app and a long list of features only matter to a point when trust is broken.

These days I use bitwarden. It’s not as intuitive or feature-rich, but it’s a very solid platform, made even better by the fact that it’s free.

Before moving to Bitwarden, I tried a few different solutions, including KeePassDX. There is a lot to like. The user interface is clean and easy to use, and everything is stored locally, meaning zero exposure to server-side security risks.

Of course, there are trade-offs. There are no cloud capabilities, so syncing requires manual work rather than being seamless. All you get is community support, and if you lose your master key, your data is essentially unrecoverable.

I stuck with KeePassDX for a few months, but eventually moved on because I wanted something less DIY. Despite having a steeper learning curve, Bitwarden ended up being a better fit for my needs.

open board It was once one of the best privacy-focused keyboard apps available, but it has since been abandoned and is no longer officially listed on Google Play. It’s still easy to find through APK sites if you want.

This keyboard is completely offline, uses no servers, and does not log keystrokes in any way. On the downside, predictive text and autocorrect are pretty basic. Swipe to type requires manually installing a set of proprietary files, which can be a bit complicated.

My biggest regret with OpenBoard is that it worked so well that I kept it much longer than I should have, as there are simply better options out there with better support.

If you want something similar but actively maintained, I recommend HeliBoard. It’s a comparable experience, but it’s well supported and one of the most popular privacy-first keyboards. Like OpenBoard, you will need to download it as it is not in the Google Play Store.

Google Maps is a great navigation app, but if you’re concerned about privacy, OsmAnd It’s worth checking out. It’s completely offline and is often more accurate than Google Maps for rural roads and similar conditions, as long as you keep your maps up to date. The open source software doesn’t track your location or sell your data, and is great for outdoor use, with support for hiking trails, cycling trails, and similar overlays.

OsmAnd is also extremely customizable, which is both its biggest strength and biggest weakness. There is such a thing as too much customization, and the learning curve here is really steep.

Beyond that, OsmAnd can be rigid when it comes to directions and location searches. One small mistake and you won’t get any results. Long-distance route calculations often take longer to process than expected and live traffic data is very limited given its offline design.

If you prefer simplicity, you’ll probably want to look elsewhere. I personally use Organic Maps now when I want an offline browsing experience. It’s not as deep or as customizable, but it’s considerably easier to use.