Minimalist Privacy Setup: What You Actually Need to Stay Private in 2025

You don’t need 50 browser extensions and a tinfoil hat, you can run a minimalist privacy setup. Most of that noise just slows you down or breaks websites. If your goal is to stay private without turning your life into a full time job, here’s the core kit.

Just what matters.

Minimalist Privacy Setup

1. Your Phone Is the Leak

If you’re serious, start here. This is where most people bleed data.

Option A:

GrapheneOS on a Pixel
No Google account
Aurora and F-Droid Store for apps
Use Vanadium for browsing
Keep location off, airplane mode on when idle

Option B:

Dumb phone or no phone
Only if you’re going hardcore or don’t need mobile access

Compromise: If you’re not ready to ditch Android/iPhone, at least limit permissions, ditch Google Maps, turn off background data, and avoid apps that constantly phone home.

2. Your Browser Is a Snitch

Pick one and lock it down.

Recommended:

Firefox + Arkenfox user.js (pre-hardened)
uBlock Origin (strict mode)
Clear cookies on close
Use containers or separate profiles for different activities

Chrome is built for data collection.

3. Use a Privacy Focused Search Engine

Forget Google. Use:

Brave Search (good default)
DuckDuckGo (still decent, better search results than Brave)
Searxng (if you want control)

4. Email: Keep It Boring

One identity, one inbox = easy to track.

Setup:

ProtonMail or Tuta for main comms
Use SimpleLogin or AnonAddy for aliases
Rotate emails for different accounts

5. VPN or Tor

Don’t use both at the same time unless you know why.

Use a VPN if:

You want to mask IP from apps
You’re on public WiFi
You want location spoofing

Use Tor if:

You need anonymity, not just encryption
You’re doing anything sensitive

6. Messaging That Doesn’t Betray You

Use:

Signal (best balance of security and usability)
Session (if you want no phone number)
Briar (for off-grid comms)

Avoid SMS, WhatsApp, and anything Facebook touches.

7. Minimal App Footprint

Every app is a possible leak.

Rule: If you don’t need it, delete it.

Alternative tools:

Organic Maps (offline navigation)
Obsidian or Standard Notes (local note-taking)
NewPipe (YouTube without tracking) – has download too

8. Use Offline Where Possible

The less you sync, the less you leak.

Examples:

Download maps for offline use
Store passwords in a local manager (KeePassXC)
Keep your calendar and notes local
Backup to a USB or encrypted drive, not the cloud

9. Compartmentalize Everything

Different personas for different use cases.

One profile for banking
One for social media
One for research or browsing
Never log in to multiple things in the same browser

Keep your identities clean and separate.

10. Get Comfortable Saying No

Don’t give your phone number just because someone tells you to.
Don’t install apps just because a website nags you.
Don’t trade long term privacy for short term convenience.

For more complete removal strategies, read HOW TO ERASE YOURSELF FROM DATA BROKER SITES

Final Word

Privacy isn’t about being invisible. It’s about being intentional. A minimalist privacy setup won’t cover every edge case, but it gives you 90% of the benefit with 10% of the hassle.

Start here. Build from it if you need to.

-GHOST
Written by GHOST, creator of the Untraceable Digital Dissident project.

This is part of the Untraceable Digital Dissident series — tactical privacy for creators and rebels.
Explore more privacy tactics at untraceabledigitaldissident.com.