https://simplemobiletools.github.io/ A set of free open source apps to replace some of the preinstalled Android apps that have far more permissions than their stated purposes should require. For example the built in contacts app has 30 permissions including things like turn sync on even though you might want it off. It can even change audio settings, access call logs, calender events, read sms messages, get your GPS location, read email attachments and of course, full network access. All kinds of intrusive things that can only have one, obviously nefarious purpose. The simple tools contact app only has 5 permissions, to do only the things you would expect a contact list app to do. Like modify contacts, start a phone call, etc.
I've been testing some of these they are really nice apps, better than the stock Android ones and they don't try to connect to the internet.
The contacts app is interesting from a privacy point of view. There is a subtle but important difference between using it and using the regular built in contacts. When you consider how many apps require the contacts permission meaning any of them could upload your entire contact list to anywhere. The Simple Contacts app stores the contact informations in protected phone storage which is only accessable by that Contacts App. So for example, if you open the phone dialer and click contacts, it shows zero contacts because it can't see them. So if you want to call someone you open the Simple Contacts app and click on the contact you want to call. The Simple Contacts app sends only the phone number to the dialer and no other information not even the contact name. Likewise an SMS messenger app cannot see the contact list but if you click a contact to send a message it opens the default messaging app with that Contacts phone number only. The Simple Mobile Tools are open source on F-Droid.
