A couple of tricks.

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I recently received an email, about a subscription I didn't want.  On my phone.  Maybe I did buy in, at once.  Maybe I didn't?  I couldn't, last time this happened, figure out how to unsubscribe in time.  But, when the company emailed to let me know the payment had cleared, I asked them to scrub that, and stop the sub.

To their good, they did so without any real fuss.  I explained I am old, ill, and not a tech nerd.  Couldn't sort out how to cut it.  I had even changed my card, having my bank cancel the old one.  Didn't matter, they somehow used it anyway?  No.  I... really didn't like that.  I told my bank I lost the card, so they sent a new one.  And somehow they were still able to charge it.

So, this time, when I received a notification that another app was coming due.  For, say, $40?  Per year?  No.  NO!  So, I began trying to find how to end that.  Ugh.  It took a while, but I got to it after half an hour, maybe an hour?  Right.  I got it stopped.  I'll keep the free version, but that is it.  However?  To make more certain?  I considered removing the credit card(s), debit cards, new and old.

Since they seem to be able to use things, regardless if updated, up to date, or anything?  Yes, I wanted them completely removed.  I don't want them to have a way to charge me outright.  Directly or indirectly.  I think... I have been being eaten in that way.

That was some tomfoolery trickishness!  Wow.  That took an hour to find, then a lot of hopping between apps, the homescreen, and other apps.  Wow.  Eye crossing concentration, lots of writing and memory, double temp passwords (only one of which ended up being needed?), and lots of small print reading.  It took a lot to get to it, but finally, I think, all cards, new and old, are removed.  There isn't a way, currently, that I am aware of, for them to charge me for this, that, or anything else.

More, if before an already?  I turned most apps to pretty much zero access.  No adding things, without consent some of them.  Nothing in the background, neither internet access nor memory access.  And other things disallowed.  I have as much shut down as possible.  And I don't use the internet on the phone.  I probably should shut off roaming data, unless I want/need to use it.  Though it is easy to forget that is off, and how to turn it on.

I also need to create a faraday cage for it.  Doesn't need to be all that big.  Just a double, closed loop, electrical bag.  So when I don't want to be tracked, located, or called, I can shut if off, put it away, and know it is clean.  Pull it out if I want, or need, not otherwise.  Though then my location will be sent.

No, I don't trust that airplane mode really works.  Neither does shutting the phone off, even in airplane more.  And turning off wifi, bluetooth, and data roaming/usage do a thing.  The phone still talks to towers, and whoever else has master control levels over it.  That... isn't you, by the way.  Nasty little devices.  Unless you trust your government, from local to federal.  Yes, cops can listen right over your phone, probably over your radio too, so that doesn't matter all that much.  Feds can do it from plains, probably just grab it all anyway.  That... is the world we live in.

Still, I took care of a few things.  I have to change a few other things, as well.  And begin watching other things.  It's a criminal world, difficult to escape the clutches of, but... bit by bit, trying to take some things back.  Keep some people out of other things.  Better believe it.  Later.