Fairphone is the bomb diggity
Buying a pixel isn't the end of the world, but it is still feeding the enshittification beast
this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2023
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DeGoogle Yourself
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A used pixel takes the brunt off of the moral compromise.
If pixel/GrapheneOS is not an option I would recommend DivestOS which supports a very wide range of devices
Here you can filter the search for Custom ROMs by release year. A few current models are already available: https://www.sustaphones.com/ beside Pixels i.e. Xiaomi, 2023, redwood X5 Pro 5G, Teracube 2e, 2022, emerald, Motorola g32, g42, g52, ...
this is a very cool website, thanks for sharing!
Google Pixel with GrapheneOS. Nothing matches it.
I recommend you purchase a Google Pixel 6a or above (minimum security support ends July 2027) and flash GrapheneOS. (Pixel 8/pro preferred)
Aurora Store doesn't avoid Google since a lot of the apps from the play store include Google's SDK and libraries. microG also doesn't avoid Google as it is still running proprietary Google code and has more privacy/security weaknesses
Sandboxed Google Mobile Services is a much better implementation which is featured in GrapheneOS. The services are not privileged and is treated like any other app. They don't downgrade privacy or security unlike the other alternatives.
There are much more privacy and security benefits using GOS. Here is a 3rd party comparison between different mobile OS.
microG also doesn’t avoid Google as it is still running proprietary Google code
What proprietary code?
has more privacy/security weaknesses
Source?
microG runs Google Play code just like Aurora Store. It is not fully open source. Here's more information.. It is still connecting to Googles propriety servers.
microG requires Signature Spoofing and alternative OSes usually ship with microG as a privileged system app. This increases the attack surface as it is not confined by the regular sandbox rules.
Now you're using a privileged component, which downloads and executes Google code in that privileged unprotected context, and which talks to Google servers because otherwise, how would FCM work for example?
Despite doing both of those things, MicroG doesn't have the same app compatibility as Sandboxed Google Play despite the extra access it has on your device. Even in some magical universe MicroG worked without talking to Google servers or running Google code (again, in a privileged context), the apps you're actually using it with (the apps depending on Google Play) have Google code in them.
microG runs Google Play code just like Aurora Store. It is not fully open source.
Neither of them run "Google Play code".
You can download proprietary apps through the Aurora Store and those on their own might include Google play libraries but that should be painfully obvious.
µG can optionally download and run the proprietary DroidGuard for implementing the proprietary SafetyNet. If you don't want proprietary software, you should not explicitly enable SafetyNet (I don't know what app you'd use it with anyways).
That's a Twitter thread with no cited sources aka. the truthiest information known to man.
It is still connecting to Googles propriety servers.
If you ask it to, yes. That's one of its explicit purposes.
It obviously must talk to Google servers in order to facilitate things like cloud messaging for example; there is no other way.
It does try to implement many APIs that would ordinarily talk to Google's servers in regular GMS using alternative methods however and if it has to talk to Google, it does so with the least amount of data possible.
microG requires Signature Spoofing
This is usually only enabled for the µG app itself and nothing else.
ship with microG as a privileged system app. This increases the attack surface as it is not confined by the regular sandbox rules.
This does increase the attack surface a little. In a world where blindly trusting gigabytes of privileged vendor blobs is the norm however, I don't think it's all that significant.
Compared to the hundreds of MiB of regular proprietary GMS code that ships on Android devices, it pales in comparison.
downloads and executes Google code in that privileged unprotected context
As opposed to ..running running the entire GMS in a privileged context?
MicroG doesn't have the same app compatibility as Sandboxed Google Play despite the extra access it has on your device.
You're comparing apples to oranges. µG replaces GMS, not the tool used to sandbox GMS. You could sandbox it in the same way.
There is no "extra access" that µG has compared to regular GMS.
[if] MicroG worked without talking to Google servers
I don't know why you keep mentioning this, it was never up to debate.
the apps you're actually using it with (the apps depending on Google Play) have Google code in them.
Apps that bundle Google Play code have Google Play code inside?!
Start the presses! Notify the President!
A wild revelation, the world must know it!
thanks for the answer! I would gladly do this if only pixel phones had an SD card... Sadly they don't, and I really need it, so no pixel for me :(
You can always connect a USB stick or card reader with an SD card via USB-OTG
I will recommend you do use a phone that still receives security updates (Not EoL) because I don't want you to lose out on security just to deGoogle.
If you are strict on having an SD card slot and your phone is still receiving support, you should use StockOS to receive firmware updates as soon as possible. If the phone you decide to get is EoL, the least bad option would be DivestOS (fork of LineageOS)
Perhaps you should add this criterion to the start post? Otherwise ten more people will recommend GrapheneOS...
Is there a reason you need SD storage? Some Pixel devices have onboard storage of 256GB+, so unless the storage needs to be removable, they could still be a good option.
If you have the money and you care about not buying or owning a Google product, and / or you care about repairability, get a FairPhone: you can install ~~GrapheneOS or~~ CalyxOS on them and they too support relocking the bootloader. It's not just Pixel phones.
Bonus: they have a SD card slot, unlike Pixel phones.
They're not the speediest or sleekest devices, but that's not where the interest lies with Fairphone cellphones: they're mostly designed for long life and easy maintenance, and they're made by a cool company I want to support personally. And they're not made by Google, so buying one won't support Google or the Pixel ecosystem in any way.
Fairphone is not supported by GrapheneOS, here's a detailed explanation as to why
Ah yes you're correct. I got confused.
If you have the money
here's the problem XD I'm willing to pay around 350€, 400 at most, and the fairphone 4 starts from over 500€
Yeah they're not cheap 🙁 It's too bad because they're really decent cellphones. But they're twice the price of anything equivalent from any of the big manufacturers.
Thanks to anyone for the great answers! I finally decided to buy a pixel 6 (or 6 pro if I find a good deal) and install a custom ROM on it! GrapheneOS will support it for "only" 3 more years, while other roms like lineageos or divestos will have longer support. What do you suggest? Graphene OS and when support ends switch to another one? O directly use the other one?
I have the P6. It's an all around good phone. Don't forget to look at GSI ROMs. All recent devices handle those. I can and eventually will install LineageOS on my Galaxy Tab S8 and have it on my old Tab low end tablet.
I've never heard of GSIs and it seems really interesting! I've found nothing about it on the LOS website, is it something "unofficial"?
Since devices that came with Android 10, all devices are expected to adhere to a standard Android interface. The GSI stands for generic system image.
Given a particular Hardware platform and drivers any GSI should run on any matching Hardware.
I know that Andy Yan's LineageOS GSI works on my sm-t510 (a64 variant) and from user testimonials, it also runs on the sm-x720 (arm variant, TAB S8).
I linked the forum section that contains the thread for his and many other GSIs.
Thanks for the answer!
I'm in pretty much the same boat as OP.
I'm seeing that buying a Pixel and then degoogle-ing it with Graphene OS is the way to go. Before I pull the trigger on that, can anyone point me to a good guide on how and when to load Graphene OS? Do I load it after activation with a carrier? Ok to do this before carrier activation?
And what functionality do I have with Graphene OS? Only Fdroid as a store? Can I sideload apps?
I'd really like to hear from some people that have actually done this about what to do and what their experience is with grapheneos. I'm leery of spending hundreds of dollars on a phone that may or may not work as I want.
I am seriously considering doing this but I'll buy an iphone if I can't really understand the pixel/graphene path well enough before dropping the $$.
Any YT vids about someone doing this?
https://grapheneos.org has a lot of info. Make sure to buy a phone with an unlocked bootloader. All carriers lock it so buy it used and make sure that its unlocked or buy it directly from Google. You can install all google apps through Aurora store, a Play Store fronrend. You can also install sandboxed Google Play services so your Play Store apps can run and have functionning notifications, as they usualy rely on Play services. Yes you can sideload apps like normal android. Its AOSP without the google stuff. Some videos/channels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh5xjsE4mU4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igSUmfKTXqU https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrG6IID2FX7-GxyKtavRhEA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1KZWjZVnAw
The stores I have on my GrapheneOS pixel 7a: F-Droid + droidify, Aurora store, and the Google Play store as well for some official apps I cannot do without. Between these, there isn't an app that I couldn't find or install.
I bought my pixel second hand, to not put more money in Google's pocket, and to avoid any carrier locking. Not sure how that will impact the installation, but it might. Best to investigate that matter.
I have to mention: I still cannot believe how easy that installation was. I rooted my previous phone and put lineageOS on it, which was such a tedious procedure back in the day, I really dreaded installing GrapheneOS. But that web interface, detecting everything and guiding me along was pure heaven. I hope that'll become the default for any custom installs.
Interesting. Thanks for this info.
Google Play? So you degoogled and regoogled?
:)
At least it's sandboxed now ;)
I'm a GrapheneOS user. You can use whichever store you like. Sideloading works too if you want to get stuff directly from GitHub, for example.
If you use esim, probably better to activate before flashing GrapheneOS. Otherwise, doesn't matter imo.
I'd suggest you take a look at the discussion forum. You can ask questions there or just browse and you can probably learn a lot about GrapheneOS there. Also the homepage has tons of info, of course.
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Iirc, there are unofficial ports of LineageOS for newer devices. Also, I've been using another system, ArrowOS, in its vanilla form, on a Redmi Note 10 Pro phone I have, and it's working fine so far, so maybe an alternative for your case if you don't find a decent phone compatible with LineageOS?
Regarding your edit and GrapheneOS support - they will definitely support the pixel for as long as Google are providing official support, though they have then continued support in the form of security patches for much longer than that for older devices. No guarantees of exactly what will happen in the future but you're probably best of using GrapheneOS for now and then in three years time seeing what the state of things are. Things change quickly in technology, maybe you won't need to move anything, maybe you'll want a completely new phone by then!
Great, I'll do this then! Thanks man
No worries, I'm by no means an expert but I've been using it for a couple of years and I'm happy to try and answer any questions!
Pine phone
I so, so wish this were a real option, but sadly the software support just really isn't there yet.
For that to become reality I think it would either need a 'Proton for Android Apps' or some sort of killer app that I can't even imagine.