GrapheneOS Questions:
Im thinking kicking google out of my house. How good compatibility it has to android apps. What is change that my banking app will work?
Do you recommend it more than other privacy, no google OS? If so why.
Real question is, i dont know enough to ask anything so if theres anything you have faced, goog or bad, please tell 💜
#GrapheneOS #privacy
I have been running a LineageOS and MicroG combo on an old Razer Phone 2 for about 2 1/2 years now. Whilst it is not GrapheneOS, it still is a custom ROM regardless.
Most of the usual apps worked with microG, and since GrapheneOS outright implements the real Google Services - albeit heavily sandboxed and tucked away - this should mean that most to all apps should work "just fine".
Just get used to:
- Having more than one App Store. Google Play and F-Droid apps, and possibly Obtanium for anything you need much faster (albeit slightly manual) updates for.
- There will be cases where things are just odd. For instance, I use Organic Maps for navigation and sometimes, while walking, my little dot on the map will just go speeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen XD. There might be a quirk here and there. But with a tiny bit of patience and a little online-searching-fu, you should be easily able to handle most to all things! And hey, there's that asknostr hashtag ;)
I have had a very amazing experience. Since my Banking app didn't like the information that my phone provided to it, I had to also root it, to then install new system properties AND a module to hide the fact that it was rooted. xD Best-case scenario, you don't need that.
#GrapheneOS is awesome and iirc, there is one of their devs strutting around somewhere here on Nostr. o.o
So its something like first time changing windows to linux 😂 if im getting it right.
I will check those OS's as well.
And i forgot asknostr #.
Thank you for sharing your experience with custom roms. 🫂
It's as easy as learning android. Going from iOS to Android can be jaring at times due to the UI but once you get used to it it's absolutely fine.
I switched from an iPhone 11 to a brand new pixel 7 and installed Graphene OS three weeks ago. The experience has been amazing. I don't see myself ever going back, even if iPhone's UX is superior to androids at times IMO. I am recieving MUCH more privacy and security improvements than I am minor inconveniences like non functional apps. Only apps that don't work ATM are cash app and my bank app. Strike works and I use my bank via a PWA. Its Android, just better... a few things might not be as convenient or streamlined, but I'm willing to sacrifice those for improved security and privacy. And with is being open source software, it's only going to improve.
Only reason i want banking app work is so i dont need keep key list with me all the time. But let see. I hope it work but i it dont i will mayby figure way around it. Mayby just buy cheap phone to use as and signing device for my bank.
Just if there was money that dosent need banks or their apps. 😂
Install play store on GrapheneOS, install your bank apps, uninstall the play store again. Bada Bing, Bada Bang.
While in the of discovering, confronting the truth is inevitable.
They say facts are the enemy of the truth.
🫰🏻 attention 
Banking apps, and not even all of them, have an issue with rooted phones and app sources other than play store. That's why Aurora Store doesn't always work when installing bank apps, thsy detect how they were installed. However they never check if the play store they've been installed with is still present on the phone
Been running Lineage (another custom ROM) since the cyanogenMod days (previous project from same community).
I've been degoogled for about 7 years now.
The thing is, Google ecosystem integrates so well, because it's all centralised and made by the same people.
GrapheneOS is a great one!
For a degoogled experience you'll need to idenitify your needs on a per-need basis and find an alternative. As a good starting point, just look for open-source alternatives with active Dev teams.
With that in mind, the experience has been amazing.
Here are a few to get you started:
Gmail --> Protonmail
PlayStore --> F-Droid(open source), Aurora Store (If you ever need something proprietary from the playstore such as banking), Obtainium
GMaps --> I've been testing OsmAnd~, and enjoying it.
Happy to provide further alternatives if you need.
In summary, it's perfectly possible to have a degoogled experience for an entire family, and it works great so long as you're willing to put up with the odd quirk here and there and the lack of standardisation or unified eco-system, which when I consider the price is my data, is well worth it.
Good luck!
Lol im stuck at fastboot 😂 Going trough drivers and trying another cable. Restarting windows.
If those wont work and cant find phone with fastboot devices i will fire up linux and try that way.
I've been using calyx os for a couple years and love it. Play store apps work but you have control over everything with a firewall and other nice privacy features. I do have a phone with graphene and it's nice but calyx is a better daily driver for my wife, teenager, and myself
Most people I know that use graphene use a backup phone as well, as not all apps or their direct substitutes are available on f-droid store. Especially local payment apps, or apps that are available only in certain geographic jurisdictions.. so I backed out for now
Hi Simple, I've noted a couple of issues you were having below to troubleshoot, you are using a Google Pixel phone that is compatible and supported yes?
Next are you using the official instructions or some third party youtube video?
Are you attempting to flash with the CLI or Web based installer method?
GrapheneOS has 99%+ app compatibility with the sandboxed Play Services and per app toggles to disable where necessary or desired our hardening on/off.
Banking apps rest in that 1% in some cases due to their reliance on deprecated safetynet or Play Integrity API. However as linked below we have a resource provided by the community for the community based on it's feedback.
Yes using other non stock cables can cause issues as not all USB C cables either C-C or A-C are fully standard compliant resulting in them not being usable for low level fastbootd (this is not the standard fastboot in the bootloader).
Use the stock cable, ideally with another Android device (no driver required), if using a laptop be aware some use a daughterboard acting as a hub internally for USB C dependent on how old it is, the same for front IO on desktops.
Also:
I saw that i will need Google Pixel so i gave up with Graphene for now. Lineage had support for my phone, but my problem was windows did not regonize my phone at all when at bootloader. Did not have time to think too mutch, i left do some stuff.
Anyhow adb and fastboot downloaded from google, usb drivers from manufacturer.
I dont know if its becouse device signature enforcement need test some things.
Anyhow, cool stuff you are doing by developing open-source os for phones. All the love 💜 and privacy 🫂
Usb debuging on
OEM or something on
Freshly installed linux
Installed android tools adb & fastboot
I can find my phone while its on but not in bootloader. Power cable is shit (more specific its my usb port thats ruined) so i will now throw my glows of and try later. Need check what phones i have lying around.
