I was thinking about using graphene OS, but I’ve read some lemmy users dislike this OS due to perceived misleading advertising and the pixel 7a you’re supposed to install graphene on because it’s from google (an advertising company).
Another option would be lineage OS, but there is so much false information about this OS, namely compatible phones that simply don’t work with this OS and no support.
what works for you? I want a phone with no google, that doesn’t force me to use the manufacturer’s ecosystem and that won’t show the apps I don’t want or need (on an asus I own you cannot neither get rid nor hide bloatware)
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I use LineageOS because my phone is not a Pixel and it works fine for me. If you don’t want to pay Google for a Pixel, buy a used one. Other than that LOS is fine. It doesn’t have anonymization features like /e/OS or something like that but it doesn’t force nor promote any apps or ecosystems (except for Seedvault but it’s not a big deal) and it is FOSS
I have a Pixel and LineageOS is the best by far. Freedom to root, which I absolutely want… I want full control over my devices. I’m extremely picky about how every little thing runs and works in my phone and I can only get it with root. You can’t get root with GraphenOS without a huge pain in the ass with updates.
It’s hilarious people install GrapheneOS and think they are better off because Google services are installed as user apps instead of system. You lose as soon as you install them either way. They are getting the data they are after no matter if it’s installed as a user app or system app.
But anyway, I’ve been running LineagOS since it used to be Cynogenmod over 10 years ago. It’s the most established and reliable while remaining open to customization by far.
Unfortunately 90% of privacy-conscious people can’t live without Google services because Google Meet, banking apps and other Play Integrity needing stuff
There isn’t any Foss phone. Graphene os and everything else requires proprietary software for the modem to operate at a minimum.
If you are ok with some proprietary software go with Lineage OS.
For devices that support Lineage OS go here: https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/
I’m using /e/ os for more than 3 years on different devices (with some customizations) and it works like a charm. An important aspect is that you can install e on any phone that has the bootloader unlock and supports GSIs - theoreticaly any device that runs Android > 9
/e/ has a gsi image which is neat!
I don’t use nor promote any banking apps or other G**gle/proprietary dependendent apps.
Why nobody talks more about e.foundation /e/ OS?
Enlighten me please 🙂
Any chance to use Whatsapp on /e/ ?
You can, but the question is why would you contribute to their data collection? Try: signal.org
I use Signal, but I’m unable to force everybody to do the same.
I’ve been using Graphene since the pixel 4a, have never considered going back. It works wonderfully.
GrapheneOS is perfect. Pixel phones are Google hardware yes, but works like a dream once GOS is installed. NO MORE GOOGLE !!! Frequent OS updates, love it
I loved it too until I forgot my wallet one day. It’s the one thing I had to go back to stock Android for because I forget everything but my phone constantly.
Calyxos user here. I like it so far. Half a year into it. I can live with microg instead of gms. And it also works on moto g32, 42 and 52 so you don’t need Google hardware.
I’ve read some lemmy users dislike this OS due to perceived misleading advertising and the pixel 7a you’re supposed to install graphene on because it’s from google
There is no misleading advertisement. Go with Graphene if you own a Pixel (from Pixel 5 up) or you can find a cheap second-hand one.
there is so much false information about this OS, namely compatible phones that simply don’t work
Care to share which devices are you talking about? If a device is officially supported by the latest LineageOS version, it works.
Calyx. It just works. I’ve honestly just used it like stock Android, using as many private apps as possible. It’s so fun seeing all the cool little projects not on iOS! I just recently discovered Petals, which helps with measuring THC intake.
GrapheneOS is fundamentally better, if CalyxOS didnt fix up their mess in the past months.
I also use calyx but I’ll agree that graphene is technologically superior of the two. I’m more comfortable with the idea of using MicroG as opposed to sandboxes google play but that’s not to slant the implementation in any way.
I also avoid sandboxed play like hell.
But note
- microG downloads official Google binaries. It is not some magical reverse engineered bundle. It is a reimplementation
- microG has privileged access to the system, and thus gives Google privileged access
- apps needing Google Play often include the binaries themselves and dont even rely on an “adapter”
- GrapheneOS sandboxed play has the same access as the apps, not more, not less
Sandboxed Play is better for privacy and may prevent a Pegasus/malware vector.
DivestOS has sandboxed microG but I didnt try it. Also note that microG could break any time and the Google binaries may be outdated.
Privileged android apps are a huge attack surface as so many devices have them. So outdated privileged microG binaries may be a target.
Re-implementation means reverse-engineering and building new binaries. What’s the point of MicroG if it is just downloading google binaries? An app with privileged access is different than a remote access trojan. The whole point of a sandbox is not to have the same access as the original app.
What you are saying doesn’t make any sense.
Strong words here.
I couldnt find what is the correct definition of “reimplementation” but we can assume it either means “taking the binaries and bundling them in a different bundle” or “writing different code to do the same thing”.
The whole point of a sandbox
What sandbox? Not the Android app sandbox, as microG (when I used it) needed to be installed as system app i.e. flashed to the system partition.
microG may isolate the binaries or whatever code it runs in some way, but not via the Android App sandbox.
Now GrapheneOS uses a privileged app that channels the calls of the unprivileged to the OS. This is also possible for microG, so it can run unprivileged too. DivestOS does that.
The concept of signature spoofing and more is poorly pretty flawed.
I would really like if a fully open source rewrite of the core services could just work, but these apps are written for Google, contain the official proprietary code anyways, and signature spoofing only works if you dont use many hardware security features.
GrapheneOS can be extremely secure when degoogled, but it cannot securely fake to be a Google Android. And neither can microG Android.
You would need to change the apps to do that.
I’ve had calyxOS on this phone now for about 2 uears now. Its pretty good. It comes with microG to simulate the google apis.
For me LineageOS is a good baseline. I don’t have anything against “privacy” OS’s but they’re not really for me. I just use F-Droid to get apps and don’t care about compatibility with proprietary stuff so neither microG nor the GrapheneOS sandboxed Play services are of interest to me. I don’t use GrapheneOS because I don’t have or want a Pixel phone.
LineageOS significantly increases the lifespan of devices it supports and that’s important to me. Planned obsolescence is cancer.
My ideal mobile OS would be something like Mobian (or even better, a GNU Guix based distribution) but it should be noted that AOSP is also a Linux based operating system and thus anything derived from that is a Linux mobile OS.
Used pixels are surprisingly cheap for how well they hold up over time, and graphene works well.
I totally agree. Used pixels are superb with grapheneos. Syncthing is what i use ad a backup. I think the problemi is that google stops releasing updates after 5 yearss old units don’t get updates I think. I have the 5th June build and it reports a security update of December 2023.
If you don’t live in the EU. Here you get a better new phone from xiaomi/motorola/oneplus than a pixel for the same price. Yes, I get grapheneos and relockable bootloader, but used things are too expensive here. If you need a cheap phone, buy a cheap phone (fuck EU’s import regulations).
I don’t know what you are on about, but if brand-new Pixels are too expensive for you (although their price is uniformed to the US one), you can easily find them second-hand.
For example at a time where my Pixel 7 was available for 500$ (466€) in the USA + 100$ trade in (93€) for my Galaxy S8 = 400$ = 373€ it still was 620€ in Austria on Amazon, the only way to buy it because Google did not offer it through their Google store here and normal stores didn’t go below 650€. I could’ve gotten 20€ trade in for my old phone = 600€. 60% more than in the USA at the same time.
Used market basically didn’t exist because Pixels generally were a bit overpriced
I’ve used Lineage on multiple devices, Calyx, and Graphene. Graphene by far has the least issues (basically none), and the best compatibility in my experiences. Being able to relock the boot loader is perfect for a mobile device too.
GrapheneOS is probably the best option out there.
As you said, it’s only for Pixels currently, because
- They are more secure than most other phones. They have some kind of chip built in that makes them superior. I don’t know the specifics, but other commentators might add some information if needed. Something with encryption if I remember correctly. The GrapheneOS team is a bit …picky… when it comes to security, and most other phones don’t reach their requirements for a secure device.
- Google is one major contributor to Android, and their phones are fine tuned to work perfectly with it. Other manufacturers’ phones feel less polished.
- It’s easier to maintain one line of devices that are very similar, instead of keeping hundred phones up to date and secure. Pixels are similar to iPhones, they get updated almost simultaneously and are similar. If you now add a phone from a different line, e.g. a Fairphone or Nothing Phone, things get more complicated. If you look at Calyx (more onto that later), the FP4 caused quite some headaches for the dev team.
Pixels are cheap(ish) for what you get, and I believe Google makes them so cheap because 99% of users don’t care which ROM/OS is installed. Those are the advertisment-cows that will get milked. If you buy a Pixel and install a custom ROM on it, they will loose money.
My experience with GrapheneOS has been great. My Pixel 5 hit EOL a while ago and still gets maintenance updates almost weekly.
Many security additions are overkill for me, but quite some make a lot of sense.I used CalyxOS for a year too, but now that I don’t get full updates anymore, I don’t feel safe anymore with it.
I think GrapheneOS is technically superior to Calyx, especially due to the sandboxing they do. MicroG has full root privileges and can do with your phone what it wants, while also breaking some apps due to missing dependencies. If you choose to enable Play Services on GrapheneOS, they are user level and heavily restricted, and only you decide how much access you want to give them.
Regarding Calyx, since they don’t limit themselves as much in terms of security, they also offer a ROM for the Fairphone. Maybe check that out too.
DivestOS also seems to be a good option. AFAIK it’s based on LineageOS and supports a lot of devices, while being more secure than LOS.
Regarding Linux phones, I don’t have any experience with them. I tried Phosh (Mobile Gnome) on an exhibition a while ago, and it felt great and interesting, but from what I’ve heard, they are nowhere as good as Android.
My personal ranking:
- GrapheneOS on a Pixel. Get an used/ refurbished device if you don’t want to support Google. Best price-performance ratio, great OS, and very good hardware (battery life, camera, etc.)
- CalyxOS on a Fairphobe. Modular device with good repairability. Nowhere near as good in terms of what you’ll get for your money. Better security than 95% of other phone ROMs, oh, and you can just swap your battery in seconds if you want that :D
- DivestOS on a random supported phone, e.g. a China device. Nowhere near as sustainable (short lived update support, no spare parts, etc.)
- Linux phone. Only a good option for a tinkering device right now imo.
Same here, I have an old Pixel 4a that still gets security updates from GrapheneOS. Banking apps and Amazon don’t seem to like it, but I don’t mind just doing those on my laptop anyway.
Great synopsis!
The cool thing about GrapheneOS: It provides basically all the comforts and usability as any Android (stock) ROM minus some compatibility issues with a portion of Google Apps and services (Google Pay doesn’t and probably will never work, for example) while providing state-of-the-art security and privacy if you choose to utilize those features. A modern Pixel with up-to-date GrapheneOS, configured the right way, is literally the most secure and private smartphone you can get today.
