How far do you want to go?
Threat levels explained
Privacy is not one-size-fits-all. The right tool depends on who you are protecting yourself from. We sort every app into three levels so you can start where you are and go further only if you need to. A tool's level is its floor, the lowest point where it is a smart pick. Higher up, you keep using the ones below it too.
Stop ad trackers, data brokers, and quiet profiling just by swapping in private apps, with no new habits or setup.
The starting line. Swap the apps that quietly profile you for ones that do not, without relearning your life: a private browser, a search engine that forgets you, encrypted DNS, an email alias. If you do nothing else, do this.
Trade some convenience on purpose for a much smaller footprint, once you decide privacy is worth a little friction.
You have decided privacy is worth a little friction: a trustworthy VPN, a de-Googled phone, compartmentalized email, a password manager backed by hardware keys. More setup, much less exposure.
For when a specific, capable adversary is actually after you, like a stalker, an abuser, or a hostile employer.
You are not hiding from advertisers. Someone specific is trying to reach or identify you, and they have resources: a stalker, an abusive ex, a hostile employer, an investigative target. Tor, an amnesic or compartmentalized OS, metadata-resistant messaging. Convenience is not the point, and most people do not need to be here. That is fine.
Not sure where you land? Most people are Covered, and that is a real win, not a consolation. Move up a level only when your situation calls for it.