I’m in the US and poor (shocker) and cannot afford a new phone. Are there any alternatives to base Android that I’m unaware of? There’s an article on how to switch it to LineageOS, but I feel like that is a brick waiting to happen since I’ve been to LineageOS’ page and they mention nothing about support for my device. Am I just SOL until I can manage to get a new phone?
The XDA forums don’t have anything listed for your device. You can still improve your privacy by disabling applications (or uninstalling them through Universal Android Debloater) and replacing them with FOSS alternatives where possible. If you don’t already use F-Droid and Aurora Store (or equivalents), switching to those app stores instead of using the Play Store for everything will help you to change your app drawer over time. Take note of Aurora Store’s privacy report section that lists known trackers bundled with applications, it’s a very useful feature that is often overlooked.