The question to ask is: do Google apps have an advantage here over others?
I second the fighting against a copy-paste bot. It took a couple of weeks of multiple daily requests before we got to exchange emails with some sort of human being, which was almost as useless until we gave in and abandoned
From an Pixel 5a perspective. The camera application provided by Google will only open Google's gallery application and will not open the one the end user sets as system default. User must exit the camera application and manually open the gallery application they really want to use.
One of the reasons I am looking forward for a company that provides a quality Linux base phone. That is the only way to get the system configuration and application select the end user really wants. Google and Apple are for profit prison Wardens with their mobile OSes.
PS. Has anyone ever studied the economic, resource, and power waste of system bloat-ware?
What exactly is that going to change with respect to the camera app? I'm as annoyed by Google Camera's behavior as you are but already today we can download FOSS camera apps for Android that will open the gallery app of our choice just fine. It's just that those apps are not quite as good as Google's app. Exchanging the underlying Android layer for regular Linux is not going to change anything about that.
This is just one example of why I disdain Google and Apple.
There is now way to improve the security of your device. End user should have the ability to block network connects to and from select networks, infrastructures, and applications. Example an application like ZoneAlarm or Open Snitch.
The internals of SMS on Android are wrapped in an API where a simple SQLite database would work and allow quick easy backup. Nope, need to use a 3rd party program instead of just copying files.
I also support the idea of Convergence to allow the device to be used a standard computer by connecting and external monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
Being able to reclaim the storage you bought and remove the bloat-ware. There should be zero reason I must retain your email client when I will never use it.
Until Apple and Google back track down their locked in path, Linux or BSD phone is the only way to take back the "Smart" in SmartPhone.
You can do that on Android with NetGuard.
(2) Can I use another VPN application while using NetGuard
If the VPN application is using the VPN service, then no, because NetGuard needs to use this service. Android allows only one application at a time to use this service.
* My understanding this that OS layer has the ability to circumvent Firewall that uses the VPN work-around.
Nothing google does is in good faith. They're a corporation - a bundle of regulations, laws, rules, and incentives executed on a mixed substrate of human brains and digital computers, beyond the control and sensibilities that govern individual rationality, seeking to maximize profit. If it's not illegal, they'll do it, and if it is illegal, they'll still do it if the penalty is less than the profit.
We have to stop pretending corporations are people. We have to stop pretending like CEOs can affect what these companies do - the only way to restrain them is laws with teeth. If you want CEOs to behave, enforce laws that come with jail time and lost fortunes. Otherwise, this is what we live with.