Is it even worth trying to preserve privacy on a smartphone?
I always used an always-on VPN with split tunneling as long as they've been available on a phone, until I switched to iPhone.
Most banking apps break, a lot of websites send you through an endless captcha loop and there are plenty of other annoyances with an always-on VPN on this thing.
Split tunneling worked on every VPN app on Android. The only VPN I know of with a sort of pseudo split tunneling feature at best is AdGuard, but I don't even bother with it these days.
I use iCloud Private Relay, which isn't much of a VPN outside of Safari, but I've always liked the idea of adding at least some kind of privacy layer to my browser.
Does it even really make a difference though?
I can search something on DuckDuckGo and I'll still get targeted ads for it whenever I open TikTok. I have background app refresh disabled and I don't allow any apps to request tracking via iOS settings, but still these goddamn algorithms are so "good" it almost feels like they can read your mind.
I know the easy solution is simply not to use infamously invasive apps like TikTok but let's be real; the Fediverse alternatives are in no way viable replacements. They're cool proof of concept type shit, but no one can realistically switch from YouTube to PeerTube. And Loops is a really well made TikTok clone, but there's almost no content on either platform, in comparison.
And I don't mean to be harsh or trash talk either one of them — I think of them more genuine and human, honestly pretty similar to blogging on the indie web. But as much as I like genuine, authentic, human-made posts, I need that junk food too.
I need to be spoon-fed an endless stream of mindless bullshit when I'm bored, and I know that's a problem.
Mostly because there's no way to consume it without letting it set up shop inside your phone like a virus.
I guess the real question is: what are you willing to pay to be amused to death?
And yes, that's a shout out to one of my favorite Roger Waters records ❤️