🙀

I bought a Pixel for it (I needed a phone upgrade) and installed GrapheneOS immediately after bringing it home. There was a little bit of friction because a few things weren’t working out of the box for me, like Android Auto and a few apps that use GPS (I tried to Pokemon Go, for example) but all these issues went away eventually. The only thing I miss is tapping my phone to pay for things, but this isn’t a GrapheneOS issue, (bank/card providers in north America and their reliance on Google Wallet/Apple pay are). There are financial institutions from other countries that offer tap to pay using their own app.

I love being able to select what files/contacts each app has access on my phone. I like being able to disable my camera/microphone for all apps with a simple touch.

Big problem for me - Intune. If I want it, I have to have a stock OS. Right now I’ve got a Samsung tablet which is nice hardware but dogshit software. I’d love to not carry two devices around, but that’s the price of freedom and convenience.

I recently got a Google Pixel as well and immediately switched to it.

I used to run LineageOS on Fairphone before, the only difference I felt is the bootloader locking.

As for comparison between the base OS, well, way less bloat. Its so much less bloat that its quite refreshing to see your phone screen with so little apps on a new install lol.

Only thing that don’t work is Macdonald’s app for me, but I guess that’s 1 more fast food I am cutting down on.

Made the jump a couple of weeks ago, and couldn’t be happier with it. Everything just worked out of the box. The web installer is literally point and click, zero hassle. Google store installer is bundled by default, and you can install it right away. All the apps I use worked fine for me without any issues.

It is so obscenely easy to install graphene on your phone. I bought a pixel just to try it like a 6 for 60 bucks or something and it took no time whatsoever. Online easy peasy and it is so much better than googles Android

is it worth it? Do you like it?

yes

is it worth it?

I’ll try to be objective.

The Pros:

1. Graphene gives you more “control” over your data “out of the box” than any other custom firmware. Yes, you can patch and mod your favorite firmware to your liking, but graphene “just works”
2. It’s rock solid and reliable. It only supports one hardware family. I’ve never had graphene lock-up, crash, camera stop working, etc
3. The installation and upgrading is amazingly easy (compared to other cfw) and streamlined. After the initial setup, it behaves just like any ofw.
4. You’ll see just how much of an intrusive cancer Google has become (Google play has a “feature” where they’ll dynamically load code and try to run it - graphene blocks this kinda crap).
5. Going back to stock Google (with locked bootloader) is rather easy. So you don’t have much to lose (other than a few hours) in trying.

The Cons:

1. Some apps will crash. Graphene hardens how applications behave (in terms of accessing memory, for example) some apps are buggy and will not work. Not many apps (may 1 or 2 out of 30+) but it does happen and you can fittle with the app settings to try to fix it, but it’s tedious through trial-and-error
2. Some apps won’t work, like maybe your bank because it will never pass the “Google integrity” checks. The fear and concern is that more and more apps will start to block cfw. So expect that you might need a second device.
3. Any apps/processes that deal with money (tap-to-pay, Google wallet) probably will not work (again, it fails the “Google integrity” checks).
4. (personal preference) I don’t like the graphene launcher nor their store nor their (boring) default icons. However, graphene empowers you to change/replace all this.

It’s 100% worth it. As someone who’s been flashing custom ROMs since the Windows Mobile 5.0 days, it’s never been as safe or as easy to do as GrapheneOS.

There’s only 1 app I can’t use on GrapheneOS (Australian government MyGov app), and that’s a small price to pay to get Google out of my life.

“Software integrity cannot be guaranteed on a custom os”

Ah yes software integrity like, sorry we no longer support your device beyond its intended lifecycle and please make sure your beloved app has the latest enshitification update installed.

I love it!
Installation their costom ROM was the easiest I ever did.
I can’t imagine going back to any other Android variant.

Aside from 2 apps I tried everything works fine including banking apps, which is to say: all I really want to use works.
If you’re especially worried about banking apps, you can have a look here about their expected compatibility: https://privsec.dev/posts/android/banking-applications-compatibility-with-grapheneos/

Short of my future Jolla phone with SailfishOS blowing my Pixel with GrapheneOS out of the water (unlikely to happen), I’m stuck with GrapheneOS for the foreseeable future.
My next daily driver might be from Motorola though, if they do their business with GrapheneOS the right way.

I relock the bootloader with graphene installed. EZ.

It’s great! Top notch privacy and security with OEM update convenience.

I’ve been using Graphene for several years and I love it. I could never go back now, Google android feels so incredibly bloated and invasive by comparison.

Double check your backups just to be safe, and then go for it. It’s not hard to revert if you hate it. There is a big of a learning curve, mainly just using the alternative app stores like Accresent, F-Droid, etc.

But once you spend a bit of time getting your apps installed and your system set up the way you like, you’ll love it.

Besides setting up my Samsung watch for the first time its been painless. My bank app works without issue. Honestly the worst part was moving from android 9 to 16. I had my last phone for 8 years so I splurged one got a 9 pro with extra storage and I don’t regret it. Its snappy, has all the features I need and I get security updatea frequently