The installation was very easy! It's very greatful that my data doesn't send to Google any more.

im still waiting for the linux phone of my dreams tbh

Welcome to the fold!

Just a heads up, GOS doesn't recommend the F-droid app as apparently there's some security concerns. SideOfBurritos on YouTube talks more about it. An app like Droidify or Neo Store would be better and still uses the same F-Droid repositories. I use and really like Obtanium which allows you to download and manage apps directly from their websites, GitHub, F-Droid, & more.

Graphene really is the next best thing. If you can get your hands on a used Pixel or splurge for a new one, you won't regret converting. At least until there's a production-ready gnuPhone

Good to know. Any informative reads on this? I like burritos but prefer them as the main dish.

Seconded on Obtainium. Basically any FOSS app is gonna have a repo there with releases regardless, and you can always just use an f-droid repository if they only publish releases there.

Plus, way easier to export a list of installed apps to restore them at a later date!

Congratulations!

I don't really understand why Pixel is that evryone likes/they support.
I can't accept the fact that there is no external sd card support.
I believe I am getting old because I am very stuck on this point, even more than the headphone jack.

Nevermind I just saw Motorola is actually making a deal with gaphene OS. They were my next future phone with sd cards and even styluses- if this goes through, can't wait!

I also like having expanded storage. But if you actually care about privacy?

You want the minimum amount of data on your phone at any given time. Your recent camera roll, any cached music and apps, and that is really it. Everything should be offloaded to your private storage ASAP

Because for as shit as google and apple are? You can also remote wipe those devices. less effective if it is a government agent that has it, but it is a thing. And, depending on the storage setup, that sd card might be raw dogging it to begin with.

Welcome !
Quick tip: Google has a database of cell towers that helps getting a location quickly and helps starting the GPS connection even indoors.

You don't have that on GOS.
So when you use localization with organic maps, you'll notice it struggle to find you. You have to have a clear view to the sky to get a ping and then you can use it inside your car for example.

I also use https://github.com/barbeau/gpstest to get the ping more quickly.

I understand sd card is a security risk. But you don't have to use it.
The utility is the key.
I'm just 100% against corporations enshittificating their products so you pay hundreds more for a 50$ part.

It is because there are hardware security features that most other Android phones do not support and Graphene OS is going for maximum security and privacy. Besides, they're coming out with their own hardware by partnering with Motorola shortly.

Let's hear the review!

You can improve a coverage alternative with one of the many apps which discover and upload cell towers to Beacon DB.

Here's the Side of Burritos video with two followup videos in the description (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzpVI4zaso0)

I don't really know much about it to be honest, and the video is pretty old, and someone in the comments says the issue is fixed but I haven't seen that anywhere else. I just use Obtanium anyway since you can get most FOSS apps from GitHub, a for ones that don't, you can still find F-Droid apps. SideOfBurritos also has a more recent video about how to set up and use Obtanium if you're interested.

Yeah, I would like graphene, if not for the fact that they require me to brimg money into the google echo system...

The Motorola in 2027?

Pixels are the main target of aftermarket ROMs because they are reference Android devices with highly available unlocked developer modes. Most companies producing phones do things like add propriety changes that require substantial workarounds for relatively basic hardware functionality and make it much more difficult to even install an aftermarket ROM.

Really this is all a consequence of capitalism itself and the need to lock in ecosystems to establish controlled markets (allowing for controlling one's own profit). Every phone could be fully unlockable and hackable by the end user, but companies specifically prevent this in order to maximize their own profits.

and you can always just use an f-droid repository if they only publish releases there.

So Obtainium users can install F-Droid apps through Obtainium?

Is it actually usable for everyday stuff though? I heard that bank apps are pain in the ass among other things. Maybe this new deal with Motorola changes things.

(Edit: Maybe) You can't do mobile deposit, but surely you can still just use the bank's website.

It shouldn't be difficult for a custom ROM like GrapheneOS to make the user explicitly allow a microSD card to be mounted if that would cause any security issues.

Yes, Obtainium supports installing from F-Droid repos. It's a bit more of a pain compared to using something like F-Droid, though.

It has always been an option to buy a used phone, immediately unlock the bootloader, and install GrapheneOS on it while avoiding installing Google apps entirely.

Then Google gets none of your money.

I can't accept the fact that there is no external sd card support.

OK, this is going to sound dismissive, and I really don't mean it to be. But why?

For data transfer, you can still use the USB port (I do it all the time). Other than that, there's more than enough storage available onboard for any reasonable amount of usage. I don't even really keep anything critical on my device at all, so what there is is kind of overkill already.

I just don't understand the need for an SD card with storage being as plentiful now as it is. I want to understand.

But at the same time, you are signaling that you give money to a phone where is OK to actually change what it runs without much questions (for how long? Not sure). In a way, it's an incentive to do something positive (even if it is google).

Also as someone mentioned, getting second hand phones is possible although I understand it can be a big gamble at times

I have been using it for 2+ years exclusively. I had a few issues with mobile deposit with my old credit union, but I moved to a new one and it works. So does the Discover app. Pretty much everything else is great, and I worry much less about my phone spying on me.

I can do mobile deposit with both my credit union and Discover.

GrapheneOS has some services of its own that improve location speed and accuracy when enabled: SUPL and PSDS. They're both implemented in ways that try to preserve privacy. See here for more info:

https://grapheneos.org/faq#default-connections

With these enabled, it's usually quick to get your precise location.

Maybe. But for now I'm on an 8a.

I've been meaning to try out Obtanium anyway since the Linux Unplugged podcast talked about it.

I feel your pain on storage and headphones but Graphene is worth the sacrifice to me. I also like that my 8a will get updates until at least 2030.

And welcome to software development. Every feature needs time (money), engineers (money), and testing (money). With most testing continuing in perpetuity because any pull request could break it.

And when you add on that graphene is a nonprofit baked FOSS project... Well, if it is as simple as you think it is then get to making a pull request, I guess?

I just got a Pixel 9 last week and put GrapheneOS on it. Couldn't be happier with it so far. The install was completely painless using web installer. All my apps worked out of the box. Google Store works fine in the sandbox. UX is good, and you don't have any of the crap Google normally loads like all the adaptive services, and all the other junk that runs in the background.

I'd argue that Graphene is a better thing since it's based on an OS that's been designed for mobile from the ground up. I expect it's going to be a while before Linux UX on mobile catches up to desktop, but Graphene works great already.

You can install Google app store in a container, and all the apps I've used work fine on it out of the box. It absolutely works fine as a daily driver.

An ezpz 256 gigs without spending an extra $200 used to be orgasmic is all I can say

Apple did a hell of a job teaching people that means it’s more fancy.

Sad thing is that Linux used to be ahead on phones. Everyone swore by N900 and it was sabotaged by ms buykilling Nokia.

Cheers mate. I'm running GrapheneOS on my Pixel 9a.

That’s great! Well, I think I’ll give a shot when my iPhone dies.

I'd be happy to make a PR as soon as there is officially supported hardware that supports microSD expansion.

Yep! It's not the same experience as F-Droid (e.g. it's not gonna be you scrolling through a list of apps, picking the one you want, and hitting install. Obtainium is more of a "get the URL to where the app's releases are, paste it in here, add it, then hit install, plus you might have to do a little config so it selects the right release if there are multiple", but once it's set up, it's set up.

I fully replaced the F-Droid app with Obtainium for actually installing and updating apps, but I still keep the F-Droid app around just because I can go on there, search up apps, do a little browsing, then take the app I want and put it in Obtainium.

I'm a data hog. Storage is cheap and it should be available on my phone also.
People always saying physical Media is important, and most of the time they tink of cds and dvds.
I use my sd cards for physical Media sorage.
I used my camera and accidentally recorded 40 gigs of video.
With external card I do not have to worry.
Music, books, picture heavy pdfs, movies full tv series sits comfortably in my palm.

Yeah but apple actually takes care of its customers. They are one of the few ones that is exactly what it seems, and isn't expensive or cheap. Most people saying apple devices are overpriced simply aren't the target demographic for the products.

Couldn’t you encrypt the SD card? And while you’re at it encrypt the internal storage also. Linux should support that, right?

It would've been a cool world if we got Linux that could work seamlessly between desktop and mobile. Imagine if you had architecture where apps were built as services with an API, and then you could connect either desktop or mobile UI to them. Heck, at that point you could even make custom UIs across apps, or pipe them together the way you do with shell scripts. And then you could also have a device like a phone which has all your apps and data, and you could plug it into a dock with more memory, GPU, etc. So, you wouldn't have to juggle a bunch of devices and sync data between them.

I see! Thanks for this explanation.

isn't expensive

Bullshit. Upgrading from 1 TB of internal storage to 2 TB on a laptop is not a $250 expense. Before the memory crisis, I could have bought a brand new M.2 SSD with the full 2 TB for less than that.

How do you take a picture of your phone?