So, surprise surprise, that phone i bought is causing me problems.
I decided to look into phones that are privacy and security focused. And the result is the Silent Circle Blackphone 2.
https://www.silentcircle...-solutions/blackphone2/
"Silent OS is Android-based and engineered for optimal privacy, Silent OS puts powerful privacy at your fingertips. Free of bloatware, hooks to carriers, and leaky data, Silent OS puts privacy in the hands of you and your enterprise, without compromising productivity."
Haven't tried it yet, but it is definitely on my radar.
"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."