GrapheneOS statement on Mastodon: https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/114661914197695338
Calyx made an official statement on this development here: https://calyxos.org/news/2025/06/11/android-16-plans/
Concerning stuff. Hopefully a workaround or solution is found at some point, but if not, I’m already thinking of how to manage without them.
I can’t see myself going back to a standard Android phone, so I suppose worse case scenario, I’d have to settle with LineageOS, or potentially abandon Android altogether and see if I can manage with discrete separate devices to fulfill the same needs, such as:
- a pocketable mini-Linux PC like a MNT Pocket Reform, which has the ability to use cellular networks. Should be able to text, browse web, and maybe GPS? Alternatively, perhaps the Mecha Comet?
- Small pocket-able dumb camera
- MP3 player
- Dumb-phone kept in a faraday bag when not in use?
EDIT:
Update on the situation from GrapheneOS in this thread (using Redlib, a proxy of Reddit)
The biggest problem for GrapheneOS is not the change to AOSP but rather our lead developer since 2022 being forcibly conscripted to fight in a war in April. That’s why we’ve been asking for help since April.
In April, we were contacted by someone about upcoming changes to AOSP impacting us including the removal of device support in Android 16. We talked about it internally but didn’t know if the information was credible. We prepared as much as we could for the Android 16 port but didn’t know exactly what would happen with device support. If we had clearer information on it and knew it was accurate, we could have prepared much more in advanced.
Porting to Android 16 is required to continue shipping full Android privacy/security patches regardless of device. Only the latest stable release gets full privacy/security patches, which was the May release of Android 15 QPR2 and is not Android 16. Older releases only get backports.
Pixels also only have their driver and firmware patches for Android 16, although we’re working on a release within the next 24 hours with backports of the most important firmware patches. We would normally have an experimental Android 16 release out already, if they hadn’t made changes to AOSP.
There are further changes coming to AOSP. It is not only what is talked about there.
In another comment:
We’re going to be continuing GrapheneOS but in the long term we’ll need to shift to our own devices with an OEM partner.
It’s not only Pixels which are going to be impacted. Pixels are still the only devices meeting our hardware requirements (https://grapheneos.org/faq#future-devices). It’s clear we need our own hardware in partnership with an OEM that’s serious about security and capable of delivering on it. We’ve had several attempts at OEM partnerships but they were unable to provide what we needed. It will cost millions of dollars to get a device meeting our basic requirements. We can do that, but we hoped for an OEM wanting to work with us instead of us needing to pay for everything through raising funds. We didn’t end up finding a good OEM to work with that way so we’ll do it the hard way.
What about jolla (with sailfish OS and support for android apps). Anyone any experience with this?
Sailfish OS is really nice, but only available for select Sony Xperia phones officially. Also native apps are few in number, but when I used it there was enough for basic needs - really good navigation app, ok Matrix and Telegram, official email app was excellent, the browser was workable. I think I got an Android parking app working too. But this was a while ago.
Well, they haven’t figured out how to properly use BT with android apps (there are some weird workarounds), but it isn’t viable without unstandardized Bluetooth device support (watches, lockers, etc.).
Well, looks like my jump to Fairphone is earlier than expected
PMOS and UT are godsends of operating systems!
New one is coming on the 25th, wait for that.
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Fairphone. And some older Sony Xperia. But afaik that limits the DRM (e.g. no more Netflix in HD).
The selection is extremely limited.
Of course this would happen just after I sold my iPhone
Lol, as if a stock iPhone was any better than a stock Pixel?
Now you can look at actually better alternatives (privacy/whatever wise)
Not much better but I’d trust Apple over Google any day. GrapheneOS is the only reason I switched to Android
At least with Android, you don’t have to connect to Google services, and with forks like Lineage/Calyx/Graphene, you can (nearly) fully ensure you’re disconnected.
iOS is no more privacy friendly than Android. This has been well established.
Aren’t other forks going to be affected by the same issues?
Global conglomerates are not your friend.
There will be many ways to get an extremely secure OS running on a mobile device. The problem is apps. Specifically, apps that are plugged into corporate clouds, i.e. an absolute ton of them.
The general problem IMO is that people are addicted to mobile computing. The tough form factor and performance specs mean that the hardware is locked down. Which puts free software at a major disadvantage.
The web platform is our last best hope. Keeping it competitive is going to be a political challenge as much as a technical one.
Should’ve built upon straight Linux rather than Android.
This would mean that all the necessary drivers for the entire hardware would have to be recreated by reverse engineering. that would take years until you have an even halfway working device.
In the end, you have to poke around randomly in the hardware until at some point a light goes on somewhere. and so on. takes freaking forever. some devices don’t have working support after a decade and more of work.
…for the entire hardware…
Referring to Pixel hardware? I also don’t think they should be building on top of Pixels.
…would take years until you have an even halfway working device.
PostmarketOS seems to support many devices. So its doable. I would prioritize something like the Pinephone though.
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…won’t meet the security requirements of the Graphene OS team.
I’m sure it doesn’t. I’ve read their statements on such things. Simply change the requirements.
They made those requirements for a reason.
PostmarketOS seems to support many devices
3 devices. They support 3 devices under the “main” branch. And those are not even real devices but emulated on PC.
Every single smartphone they support falls under the “community” branch. that means it was made available by volunteers in their free time. some will never see further updates after getting them to work once.
And the list looks like this:
Release Year Name Missing / Broken or not tested Features 2021 Fairphone 4 Battery Status / charging, Wifi, Audio, Camera, GPS, NFC 2021 PinePhone Pro Partial Battery Status, Camera, SMS, Calls, USB-OTG 2020 PINE64 PinePhone Camera 2020 Purism Librem 5 Camera and so on. there is none newer then 2021 and then it goes very fast down to 2012. see yourself: https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Devices#Phones
It does run on many phones, but e.g. support for Camera is very very rare because that is one thing you most of the time only get a binary blob for as driver and not the source code. and it is a god damn nightmare to get those things working.
They support 3 devices under the “main” branch.
I’ve used quite a lot of software in a “community” repo. It can certainly work. Will of course depend on the device you are using.
some will never see further updates after getting them to work once.
For it to be in community, their wiki states in needs to be actively maintained. Granted, I’m sure there is a window of time before something goes back to “testing” or “archived”
…binary blob for as driver and not the source code.
Just as I want free firmware in the desktop, laptop, and server Linux space, I hope we can move toward that in the mobile space as well.
I was seriously thinking about going the postmarketos route anyway. Even with GrapheneOS I still cannot stand Android (I don’t like iOS either, for all the fanbois).
Android is corrupted by Google, iOS is corrupted by Apple
We’re truly doomed
maemo was a superior experience to both.
Just checked and… yea, I wasn’t around when this existed haha
Okay, let’s say GrapheneOS is dead. That was a nice 10 years, so I’ve not kept up to this scene.
What’s the next best thing left standing? LineageOS?
I think you’re missing the point. If this is confirmed as a policy change, it’s not GrapheneOS that’s dead… It’s the Pixel as a mod-friendly device. And of course GrapheneOS runs only on that.
So the first thing you need to ask yourself is what’s the next best device. I have a Fairphone, I like it, they are extremely supportive of the community (so far as to help porting PostmarketOS on 10 years old phones). Then you decide which Android ROM is the best. CalyxOS for instance sounds pretty good.
Using a Fairphone does include a few compromises in terms of security compared to a Pixel. How important that is to you is something you’ll have to decide.
For me it’s pretty fine. If, like almost everyone around here, you are a human rights activist in Iran. Then maybe you should just keep running GrapheneOS on you Pixel with Android 15 for a few more years.
Hopefully within a couple years we sort this mess out, and a new reference device emerges with a hardware security features that are not too much of a step down from the Pixels.
GOS I mainly just like being deGoogled as much as I can while it still being Android. Sand boxing/permissions per app too. Yeah I’m not a war reporter so I can keep using it for some time worst case. Thanks, I’ll look bookmark Fairphone/CalyxOS for the potential future.
For fucks sake. Got me a pixel not even a year ago especially for Graphene -_-
…just bought the second one a month ago.
I just switched phones and I specifically gave up on my wish for GrapheneOS seeing it all but married to the Pixel line. I get that Pixels were popular but this was just a terrible decision on their part given the goal of GrapheneOS overall…
Honestly, this is like rallying against Toyota by only buying Corollas
Its not about popularity. to be frank, the performance of Pixels is mediocre at best. It is neither particularly fast, nor does it have a particularly long battery life, nor is it overly stylish.
The strength lies in the dedicated security hardware and the fact that you can re-lock the bootloader, which is extremely rare. plus 7 to 10 years support with updates.
In terms of privacy and security the combination of Pixel Hardware and GrapheneOS Software could be considered the holy grail. There is just no other hardware right now that comes even close.
That is, of course, until today when Google pulled the rug from under it…
As I have said, there may have been a sound technical decision back in the day but from where I see it, most people attracted to a non-google Android probably were not kin on having to buy from google anyway… like choosing to be Vegetarian but only when eating at Montana’s Steak House
There’s technical reasons Graphene went with Pixel - it’s the only phone with the security hardware required for their security direction.
I understand… but again, strategically that meant they are as free from Google as Google allows them to be (case in point)
I am not 100% knowledgeable as to the history and mission of GrapheneOS, I checked them out trying to de-google. But when I found out that I must buy a flagship Google phone to use GrapheneOS, it immediately defeated the purpose I was trying to achieve
Yup. My pixel arrived 2 weeks ago. Just loaded Graphene last week. Haven’t even put the sim card in it yet. FFS
I was literally looking into getting one a few weeks ago until I saw this
Literally just bought a pixel 3 days ago.
I’m ignorant on the matter: why is it happening? Isn’t Android open source?
Google regretting Android being open source and closing off access to the Pixel hardware source.
they saw how iphone is so walled in, and the customers none the wiser.
They’re really taking the worst lessons from Apple.
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More like don’t care. Very few people even install new app stores.
Shockingly they just care about calls, nfc, and apps. And I don’t disagree. Haven’t had a need to root in 10 years.
Link says it: “On June 10th, Google released Android 16 to AOSP - but without Pixel device-specific source code.”
And
“Why Android 16 is different
Android 16 was released to AOSP yesterday but with a one big difference than typical releases:
Google did not publish any device-specific source code for supported, modern Pixel devices. In previous years, Google released full device trees alongside new Android versions. This allowed developers to build and boot AOSP on Pixel hardware relatively easily. With Android 16, only the platform/framework code has been released. The device trees are missing, at least for now. This means AOSP 16 cannot currently be built or run on any recent Pixel device easily just using official source.”
This is such a stupid decision…
Why? It’s pretty clear that Google is mostly done with users having choices, particularly indovidual users, and all the more so on Google-branded hardware.
Manifest V3, Play Integrity, the attempt of introducing Web Integrity. How many more examples do you need to see?
This seems like a perfectly logical decision in that direction.
Google is dying to become the new IBM of American irrelevance
Delusional comparison 🤣
But still has a tang of truth
IBM was never engaged in the home like Google. They had a few productivity apps you might have used, and you might have bought early IBM branded hardware, but by the 00s the IBM compatible marketing was unnecessary and they largely and quickly died off in the personal space without making much actual impact or penetration. Nobody ever choose IBM. It was compatible and probably came with your PC.
Google has decided to piss off % .05% of their users to simplify development and reduce their costs on one of the most used operating systems on the planet.
It’s not really comparable at all.
Maybe Graphene should just consider loosening the device requirements. This will make an inferior product, but they could support Motos, which are still somewhat acceptable security-wise (but they still have yellow state) and we might get a more affordable GOS phone.
Replacing a smartphone with hardware that fills your smartphone needs is more expensive than I’d like.
- MNT Pocket Reform: €1,050.00, or $1,215.86
- 2013 Sony HX50, used: $220
Over $1400 and a lot of space for devices that, together, perform roughly the same functions as a new $800 smartphone.
How do phones manage to fit such decent cameras into their tiny chassis while still keeping the price down and also being a phone? I’ve seen explanations about how incredibly cutting-edge tech makes it into phone cameras, but it’s hard to fathom how the surveillance inside of them subsidizes the camera costs.
(Regardless, I would love recommendations for a good all-around digital camera that can actually compete with a phone’s camera app: low light conditions, macro, a little zoom, gps tagging, preferably fit in your pocket. Even if it’s old)
Woah, I missed that the MNT mini laptop costs that much, that’s wildly out of my budget. I think the Mecha thing is much cheaper (and a better form factor), though I’m not sure if it can use cellular networks.
It’s an admirable benchmark at least. I was eying “pocket laptops” but I didn’t see any with a screen under 8" that also supported a SIM added or PCIE slot to add my own, let alone hardware that wouldn’t require tinkering to run Linux. Most were $400ish devices with questionable build quality and Windows 11 preinstalled.
Windows 11 or not, most people with GPD Win devices tend to swear by them, and I think they’re linux compatible. https://github.com/aarron-lee/gpd-win-tricks
It’s time for Android to be supplanted by Postmarket OS in the upcoming years!
Year of the Linux deskto…
So in a way it’s a good thing.
There’s no longer a pixel vs. the rest. Nobody gets the shiny toys. All the phones will have to get systems the same way, by scraping the mud.
As an aside it will finally get those Graphene guys to shut up.
I wouldn’t be so sure on the last point. Saying it’s the final release of Graphene feels like an empty threat
