If you want digital privacy, the first step is using your phone less and get a desktop PC instead.
Desktop PCs are modular. You can choose the hardware hardware components. If you want privacy, you can choose hardware components that has good open source drivers and Linux support. And of course you can choose Linux as your operating system instead of Windows. For smartphones the software is provided by the manufacturer, and unless there is a custom ROM available for the phone and the bootloader is unlockable, you cannot alter the software on the phone. But there is more.
Applications cannot track your exact location, because a desktop PC do not have any built in GPS or Wifi sensors. While smartphones do have them, and many of the apps want to know your location.
Applications cannot make a profile of your habits gait patterns and daily routine based on the accelerometer sensor, because a desktop PC doesn't have one. While on Android, applications can access the accelerometer without needing any special permission, and therefore they can collect that information and profile you based on that.
A desktop PC also doesn't have a built in microphone. So it's not possible for applications to listen to you (unless you connect one). A smartphone obviously has a microphone in it.
When you use a smartphone you need to decide which walled garden you want to be in: Google's or Apple's. You can't go into a phone shop and buy a phone like you do with a PC, you cannot simply install Linux OS on a phone either (Termux doesn't count, it's just an app on Android.)
PC can run 24/7 and can run servers which are essential if we ever want a more free and decentralized internet and builds upon nodes run my volunteers who care. Phones are simply not designed for this, maintaining network connection would drain the battery in no time.
Do not look for privacy on a smartphone, because you have none, get a desktop PC instead and start from there.
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