Graphene OS

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Has anybody tried this operating system on their mobile device? It only works with the Google Pixel line of phones and ironically it effectively leaves Android 'de-Googled' upon installation (Google Play is an option as a sandboxed application) but there are alternatives to getting apps from there, which I'm sure a lot of people will appreciate.

I installed it myself on a purpose bought phone (pretty straightforward with the instructions on the website/with the web installation process). It requires unlocking the bootloader during the installation process however, which some people might not be comfortable with? But you can lock the bootloader again afterwards.

No, but it sounds interesting.

Personally I wish I could have a Linux phone from the factory.

Awesome. At some point I should switch this computer over. Apparently Microsoft has moved on from the best version of Windows.

^^ I meant disk management, not device manager.

Do you mean Microsoft has moved on from Windows 10? I think it was a sub-employee that spoke on behalf of Microsoft to the tech media and claimed that Microsoft planned for that to be the final OS, which isn't what they had in store, apparently.

I upgraded to Windows 11 too recently, since Windows 10 support is ending in... October 2025 I think?

Somebody said this in reply to someone else who claimed that Microsoft said that Windows 10 was the last version of Windows.

That's a fair excuse, but MS probably should have offered clarification when it became clear people were taking Windows 10 is the last version of Windows literally.

Yeah, Microsoft seemed to just let people run with the idea.

Yep, the learning curve might be a bit steep for people who are not committed to privacy or who don't want to avoid Google, I agree. It is not for everyone.

I've messed around with a few custom ROMs as my samsung devices stopped being updated. Mainly LineageOS. Never tried GrapheneOS but then I never had a Pixel.

My experience has always been that while I like the idea of a de-googled Android, they've done a pretty good job of making it very hard to remove Google Play services and retain a usable device. There are always alternatives to the Play store and others but pretty soon I always find I want something that requires Google. I usually end up installing MicroGapps or similar.

^ There are several different options as an alternative to Google Play, including F-Droid, Aurora store, Obtainium and more. Most apps that people use are available from those places. But Google Play does have the occasional app that seems exclusive.

The difference with GrapheneOS versus stock Android is that Google Play is sandboxed rather than having inherent access/security permissions.

With a stock Android phone you can have 15 or so Google apps that clutter up your smartphone, which you don't wish to use, and they cannot be removed. At least with GrapheneOS you can choose a couple of Google services rather than having to have a bunch of them installed, as an option.

I have it on my Pixel 8. From technical standpoint it's superior to yer average AOSP (Access to sensors can be denied, applications don't start in zygote mode by default, etc.), but base soft is utter crap (I have on mine replaced literally everything) and customizability is very limited (as is in "reference" AOSP). Sandboxed GPlay works, but I prefer F-Droid to it (and Aurora for GPlay-only software)