Compiled by DeltaSeven, here’s a repository for setting up a secure Android tablet for messaging. As I’ve talked about on Radio Contra and worked with students in class to build, having a wifi-only tablet for secure messaging, phone calls and email from a public wifi is the lone safeguard against government tracking and intrusion in today’s era.
Seriously.
Beating a dead horse here but if you’re of the mindset that ‘burner phones’ are somehow secure (or even relevant) in 2020, you’re about two decades behind the power curve. The technology is what it is and the facts are what they are, no matter how bad you want to think otherwise. That said here’s a better way to communicate, off-grid, from literally any public wifi or ad-hoc network with broadband access.
How to use this list:
- Download the .apk files to a laptop.
- Attach your WiFi tablet to a laptop and select ‘share files’ from the connections options.
- Drag and drop the .apk files to the device- this will place them in the Android’s memory.
- Open your Android and go to Settings, and search for ‘Install Unknown Apps’ or something to that effect (different versions are slightly different). This will allow you to bypass any Google monitoring of your app installations.
- Go to Files, then to Apps.
- Find the .apk install files
- Install the apps individually.
- Restart the tablet and your Apps are ready to rock and roll.
What are your thoughts on running a sdr dongle through the tablet for added singint capabilities?
Do it, as long as the processor will run it.
Not sure if it will but ill give it a shot.
Try it and let me know how it works out, if you don’t mind. Its one heck of a tool if it does.
Absolutely
A few of questions.
There are a lot of different tablets on that Amazon link with different sizes, speeds, version of the OS, etc. Is there a specific one that you’d recommend?
Are there any specific apps that need to be removed to stop Google/Amazon tracking?
I’ve used my laptop and a SingaLink to do digital modes. Would this tablet replace those or would the tablet still need to drive the SingaLink?
Thanks for all of the good info.
Matt
Get a cheap one. And when you’re in the homescreen, scroll up (this brings up the master app menu- ALL of them installed) and hold down each one that has anything Google-related on it and select App Info. Then ‘Disable App’. Ignore the warning- it won’t shut down your Android or make it explode.
Personally I’d keep running the laptop for SignalLink, but the tablet is another option.
From what i am reading about the signalink device, i’d keep it on the dedicated laptop, as most tablets have a micro usb or the new usb C, that MAY, power your device….
Also, you’ll need a usb micro/type c adapter for tablet to connect a standard usb cable to it….
I like to have separate systems for various things, like my sigint os laptop for dedicated intercept stuff and tablet/re formatted android phone to use with fldigi and ht’s..
Thats just me, i like things segmented out so that i am not relying on a single piece of hardware…
I picked up this tablet
Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 8.0 T395 Tablet w/ 8MP Camera – Black
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0784NVZ5S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1&fpw=alm
its expensive, but worth every penny for the features i get..
kick ass encryption/security too…
About this item
8.0 inch LCD Capacitive Touchscreen, 800 x 1280 pixels Display with IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins), MIL-STD-810G compliant & Stylus Pen
Internal Memory: 16GB, 3GB RAM – microSD Upto 256GB
8 MP Rear Camera with Autofocus, LED Flash, HDR, Panorama & 5 MP Front Facing Camera
OS: Android OS, Chipset: Exynos 7870 Octa, Processor: Octa-Core1.6 GHz Cortex-A53, Graphics: Mali-T830 MP1
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Dual-Band, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot, Bluetooth: 4.2, A2DP, LE, GPS: Yes with A-GPS, GLONASS, USB: 2.0, Type-C 1.0 Reversible Connector
Very, very cool.
I ran across this while doing some of the research on Rooting or de-googling. Seems like the tentacles of Google run very deep into the OS and hardware.