I've used LineageOS without Google services for about a year now. The only big missing feature I've found is notifications which in some ways is quite freeing and makes me check my phone a lot less.
LineageOS (and perhaps other ROMs) have the option to disable all networking features for apps, so I actually still use Google Camera, Google Photos (as an offline gallery) and Gboard (again all offline) and the majority of features just work. They don't complain about missing Google Services, nor about the missing internet connection.
There are great alternatives to apps like YouTube (NewPipe), Maps (OSMand), Chrome (Chromium, or I use a browser called Privacy Browser on F-droid) and I have tried apps like Spotify and they too work without Google services (although I guess some features might be lacking).
F-droid is an amazing service and has many FOSS alternatives to apps. I found myself today recompiling my browser application to fix some small bugs which just made me sit back in my chair and think "that is so cool"!
I think making the change can be gradual (for example switching to LineageOS for MicroG to get a subset of working Google services) before fully de-Googling, but the change is definitely possible (and easy) to make.
LineageOS (and perhaps other ROMs) have the option to disable all networking features for apps, so I actually still use Google Camera, Google Photos (as an offline gallery) and Gboard (again all offline) and the majority of features just work. They don't complain about missing Google Services, nor about the missing internet connection.
There are great alternatives to apps like YouTube (NewPipe), Maps (OSMand), Chrome (Chromium, or I use a browser called Privacy Browser on F-droid) and I have tried apps like Spotify and they too work without Google services (although I guess some features might be lacking).
F-droid is an amazing service and has many FOSS alternatives to apps. I found myself today recompiling my browser application to fix some small bugs which just made me sit back in my chair and think "that is so cool"!
I think making the change can be gradual (for example switching to LineageOS for MicroG to get a subset of working Google services) before fully de-Googling, but the change is definitely possible (and easy) to make.