I've swapped to using it since I switched to GrapheneOS. Only apps I've got using it so far are Tusky (Mastodon), Molly (Signal fork with UnifiedPush), and some of my self hosted stuff which allows for web hooks.
I really hope it catches on in more apps. Especially as their library has automatic fallback to Google's service.
Signal doesn't encrypt notifications from what I understand. It uses Google/Apples notification system like everything else. But the notification only says "Hey, wake up!". Then the Signal app goes and retrieves the message from Signal's servers. That retrieval will be encrypted, but it's outside the push notification system at the point.
It's not about it being locked. It's being able to re-lock it after unlocking. You can unlock it, flash something like GrapheneOS on to it and then re-lock it. If it's left unlocked, then anyone with a few minutes access to your phone could flash anything over the top allowing them to bypass the standard protections, install any app as at the system level.
I've tried a few of them now and have settled on Eternity.
Oh, that's a real shame. It's been a while since I found it and grabbed some old shows not available anywhere else ( The Chaser, CNNNN, The Mole). Hopefully it makes a comeback at some point.
In case you weren't aware "The Archive" runs a pretty substantial repository of Australian TV shows. r/DownUnderTv has instructions on how to get access.
I quit more than a decade ago now. I still occasionally get a craving for one. I don't get the same physically reactions that you listed. Mostly get the cravings when I'm stressed.
I swapped to it at the start of the year. I've been really enjoying it so far. I'm down to a single app which requires Google Play Services installed. As it's only one app I've created a second profile specifically for it and only have Google services installed in that one. I've disallowed it running in the background too, so my phone is never running the services outside the brief times I need to use the app.
Losing contactless payments was a minor inconvenience, but I picked up one of the cases which can fit a couple of cards inside as an alternative.
Yeah, I've always expected they reserve it for people mass buying games from other regions. Or at least some legal defence if someone complains about people playing games that aren't allowed in their region.
It's certainly against one of Valve's rules to use a VPN to access Steam. I've never heard of anyone getting banned for it though.
I noticed this morning that mine is saying "No apps available" too. Not sure if the issue is withy Aurora or Google