this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2024
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7 Things You Should Know Before Switching to GrapheneOS (www.howtogeek.com)
submitted 1 month ago by Dominion0236@lemmy.one to c/privacy@lemmy.ca
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[–] MajorHavoc@programming.dev 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Nice write up.

I feel like everyone under-sells the speed difference, though. I haven't seen performance differences this impressive from an OS switch in many years.

For those that know the feeling of switching a tired old x86 to Linux and getting a peppy performant device - this is better.

Maybe it just feels better from being a pocket device, or maybe my last phone was more deeply bogged down with vendor crap than I can fathom.

Either way, my affordable older Pixel is running GrapheneOS substantially more responsive for daily tasks than the most expensive phones I have ever bought before.

[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 month ago (2 children)

That Sounds Great! But Will It Work on My Phone? Currently, GrapheneOS is supported on Google Pixel devices only...

Aaaaaand, you lost me.

I've got so many spare phones that I'd love to install this on. Not a single one is from Google. They screwed me once with their hardware (Pixelbook), and I don't feel like giving them any more money.

[–] Kroxx@lemm.ee 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yeah it only being supported on pixel is what made me lose interest too but there is a good reason why it's specifically pixel phones, it's one of the only phones that doesn't have a bootlocker/ you can disable it. GrapheneOS can't operate on phones with a bootlocker. I could be a little off on this explanation but that's the gist I remember.

[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

I would flash custom roms all the time years ago, then I just... lost interest since most of the features I liked came bundled with Samsung phones. But Samsung phones are now (apparently) hard to flash decent custom roms on, so I do guess you're stuck with a pixel.

[–] thanks_shakey_snake@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

Yeah, that's the main blocker for me, too.

[–] schwim@lemm.ee 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

"Imagine browsing without trackers following you everywhere or your phone’s performance lagging because of ads. That's the kind of freedom GrapheneOS promises."

It's hard to take the sales pitch seriously after such disingenuous statements such as this. The OS itself doesn't serve ads, but rather the apps you install and the web pages you visit. As well, as soon as you browse the web or install one of your most loved popular apps, you're being tracked. For the average user, the one that wants to use the same apps on the gOS OS that they do on stock android, they will be faced with basically the same ads and the same tracking.

[–] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The OS itself doesn’t serve ads, but rather the apps you install and the web pages you visit.

I don't know what phone you use, but a stock Samsung phone absolutely serves ads and tracks like crazy. You can monitor the activity with something like Adguard. Not to mention the bloat like Facebook will call home even when you aren't using it.

So yeah, it would be nice if the OS itself wasn't an open door for this type of crap.

[–] thanks_shakey_snake@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

"So just uninstall Facebook."

You literally can't on the last two Samsung phones I've owned.

[–] lost_faith@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Were your last 2 samsung phones purchased from your carrier at a discounted rate? Like an $800 phone for $50? Or did you purchase them not from a carrier?

[–] thanks_shakey_snake@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

From a carrier, but unlocked.

[–] lost_faith@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

I bought my pixel, because there was an alternate os for when they stop supporting it, outright and there is only the Google bloat with no fb or carrier apps. For your next phone this might be an option? Haven't used Samsung in a few years but still a suggestion.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 4 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Is dual booting possible? I'd love a Google boot for when maps/pay/etc are needed, then switch back for the rest

[–] unrushed233@lemmings.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Google Maps works just fine on GrapheneOS, the only thing that doesn't work is GPay.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I meant Android auto 🫠

[–] Saik0Shinigami@lemmy.saik0.com 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Works fine in GrapheneOS...

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago

Nice! I didn't know play services worked (I'm asking genuinely), and therefore pay and auto and some other pure Google stuff didn't work

[–] XTL@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 month ago

I think those should work, but if you're entirely degoogled, maybe running a container would work?

[–] AstralPath@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

You can use different user profiles in Graphene for this purpose.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago

Thank you I'll read about this.