I’m using Graphene for around a 6 months now on a Pixel 9, with F-Droid being the primary app source. I quite like it.
Have never looked back since i switched to gos… just buy a refurbed pixel to avoid giving big G ya monry.
Remember, though, in less than 200 days google kills all “sideloading.” It seriously fucks with gos, and they have hinted they will eventually disable flashing custom roms
TL;DR The above commenter is spreading FUD. GOS will work fine and allow sideloading.
Stop spreading FUD. Google kills sideloading on Google certified ROMs. Being Google certified doesn’t mean you have more features than ROMs which aren’t certified. Only Google certified ROMs lose the ability to sideload and have to adhere to all Google Play policies. Meaning GOS loses its certified status but doesn’t lose the ability to sideload. The only way in which GOS might be coerced to disable sideloading is if Google pushes these changes upstream to the AOSP and even then forking is always an option. Also when has Google ever hinted at disabling flashing custom ROMs? It might be right down their alley but I wouldn’t make such claims without citing sources.
Just as a side note: Android ≠ AOSP. This is relevant as many people misunderstand the news they read. When Google changes Android (Google’s proprietary AOSP “distro”) it doesn’t necessarily mean that changes are coming to the AOSP or GOS which is also an AOSP “distro”.
Reading through this forum thread is recommended.
Aren’t there things GrapheneOS can’t do though like banking, wallet, and bus pass? I hope im misinformed because I’d love to switch to an alt OS.
Fairphone 6. Google can suck it. As long as people support the company, competition is coming. Hopefully, they have the resources to keep on going after Google shits on everyone.
Gah. I was really torn between replacing my broken Pixel with another Pixel+GOS or buying a Fairphone 6…
I ended up going with the Fairphone 6 cuz I want to support other players. I’m not completely off Google, but I keep moving away where I can.
I wish Fairphone and Graphene were friends… :/
If fairphone had the hardware support and kept up with modern android versions, GOS would have no beef.
Graphene coming with OEM phones other than pixel so it will solve those issues
Other than security differences, is the interface just like on a Pixel? Can I still force dark mode on uncooperative apps like on Pixel? Is there still notification history? Screenshots/select on overview?
I’m waiting for a phone to meet Graphene’s requirements that isn’t made by Google. Then I’ll switch. Hope it happens sooner rather than later.
I initially considered that, but in the end I just bit the bullet and got one 2 weeks ago.
My thought is with the current trend of PC hardware prices, I didn’t want to wait to see how it affects phone prices.
At the same time, I do not know if the collaborative phone between GOS and the manufacturer will be something I like. The current Pixel 10 phone is already bigger than what I ultimately prefer and I think it’s more probable the new phone will be phablet sized.
will be phablet sized
Already is… but it is what it is. Welcome to gOS, we don’t have cookies ;}
Break free from Google! By buying a Google phone…
That’s precisely my biggest problem with GrapheneOS
This betrays a deep level of tech illiteracy
Break free from Google with buying Google product? Lol
Ironic but true
Meh, there are better phones that actually support an open source community.
Fairphone with e/os has been working pretty awesome for me.
I ran various custom ROM’s for years on a FairPhone3+. It was great right up until the day all my banking apps stopped working. Banking app incompatibility is NOT the fault of GrapheneOS (or any other custom ROM) dev’s at all . . . but IMO this is the real problem today with any alternative mobile OS. Privacy vs. banking convenience. And yes, YMMV as some of them do work . . and mine did as well . . right up until the day they didn’t.
Just use a web browser.
People act like they can’t live without these apps, which are often just a repackaged website anyway.
My bank requires using a card reader for ID if you use a web browser. It can be done but it means carrying three physical things (phone, bank card, bank card reader) instead of one (phone).
So it is a minor inconvenience?
Also it would be an option to switch banks.
My point is that there is an actual difference. It’s not just a repackaged web app, and has actual drawbacks.
My personal plan is to move as much of my day to day stuff to a Mecha Comet, and also carry my Fairphone running Android for whatever proprietary crap that the world wants me to run. It’s two devices, but hopefully will minimize exposure to big tech.
pushTAN?
Do banking exclusively through the online portals? For me, if that means using my desktop or a laptop for banking, that’s what I do, because I will not install a banking app on my phone.
not every bank lets you
Switch banks. That’s what I did. I had a bank that required an app to use them as well before I decided that I cared about my privacy and wanted more of it. And when I found out that my bank wouldn’t let me do things, I switched banks. Because fuck them.
Generally it’s neobanks that cause the most problems. If you’re using older banks that have been around for quite a long time, they don’t have nearly the technology, so are less likely to have this occur. In the United States, an example of this might be something like Wells Fargo or Discover or something like that, whereas one of these neobanks that would cause problems would be like chime.
Generally, stay away from thin tech and stay with actual banks. You might also look at credit unions. My local credit union is really good, and has a good online website, and has an app as well, but doesn’t require it at all.
i’m not aware of any i can switch to in my country that doesn’t require a phone and an annoying pairing process.
I might make a post about banks that don’t require apps or collect data. Mine is stupid about it if you don’t opt out. I’m so sick of every business normalizing this.
I use several banks and several credit unions, and the only thing I can’t do with a laptop is deposit checks (which is getting pretty rare).
FinTech products like PayPal, Venmo, Cash.app, BlueBird and such often require a phone app, but aren’t regulated banks, and are best avoided when possible.
Same here, I might end up with a check in my hands like once per year, and so I have to make like one single trip to my credit union every single year or whatever to deposit that check, and that’s it.
my condolences are you euro?
south american.
I didn’t know they rolled like that, good to know for the purposes of learning about banking & surveillance systems. haven’t seen it mentioned on GOS forums
Exactly! I’d love to switch, but I rely on my banking apps too much. That’s a dealbreaker for me as well.
Nfc payments keep me chained. I guess i can get a second phone just for setting up a watch, but i don’t want a watch. So i live by not using the default launcher and a vpn. I’m working to change my email provider slowly
I was running LineageOS, but my screen broke so I just bought a trap phone with cash from Wal-Mart.

If only something more than Pixels was supported.
Blame literally every other hardware manufacturer for not implementing encryption enclaves correctly.
SOON
™
We will probably get GTA VI first.
Do you recommend putting it on pixel 6? Or is it outdated?
older pixels have fewer years of GOS dev support remaining. recommend 7+
beastmode
GOS is great. Funny, I used to rom hop and distro hop a lot; but on GOS, I installed it once and so far so good (5+ months in).
Just some tips for new users: Just install it and dont be afraid to try things out (Google Store, profiles, Aurora…etc). Oh and dont make it tooooo complicate with many profiles and private space. You can test first but dont over do it if you’re not experienced.
And no, I am not a dev from GOS lol. I’m an ordinary user who wants to take control of my phone.
Just some tips for new users: Just install it and dont be afraid to try things out (Google Store, profiles, Aurora…etc). Oh and dont make it tooooo complicate with many profiles and private space.
I recommend a clean main profile (i.e. no Google Play etc) and a corrupt profile, install your stuff then find FOSS replacements for main. Over time you naturally decouple from Google, but it’s there if you need it.
I was seriously considering getting an over priced pixel phone just so I could get graphene os, but then I discovered, that rooting it is impossible. Pity
Rooting is not possible because of the security risks posed by doing so. You could technically build your own GOS with root enabled, but that’s not recommended
This attitude is, to me, very security through obscurity. I did consider your idea, but on the whole can’t be bothered 🤷
Can you elaborate on how it’s security through obscurity? I’m just saying what the devs have said. It does make sense though that if you provide root access that it could be easier for malicious devices to gain root access and therefore take more harmful actions
Utter hogwash. If I don’t have a device, a hacker can’t gain access to it. That’s security through obscurity. Make things stronger, not evasive
This OS is pointless. I have a Motorola Edge. It’s like the OS is written by Google fanbois. Know what would be cool? Something that works on many types of phones.
I believe specifically designed to take advantage of security hardware only available on Pixels. Don’t think it has to do with being Google fanboys necessarily.
Ubuntu touch works on most android phones and has a handful with official support
I bought the 10 pro fold when it came out and flashed it to grapheneos right out of the box.
I bought a pixel 10 because I wanted face unlock for contactless payments (level 3 biometric).
But from what I’ve read in the past, GrapheneOS doesn’t work with most banking apps let alone payments.
It depends on your bank. I have brazilian banks that work perfectly well with tap, they just don’t rely on Google Wallet.
Just tap the card and check your bank account via browser?
We’ve been doing electronic payment and banking without smartphones for decades…
My primary bank is phone only.
I’d fucking switch banks lmao, that’s atrocious.
I’m sorry dawg.
Sounds shady


















