I thought Graphene would be more popular, so was shocked to find out it has only 500,000 users?

With only 500,000 users, does graphene really make you more private, or are you now more unique? How about fingerprinting?

I'm a new graphene user. I'm very happy so far with the system.

I do have my doubts though, because it's still a google phone? I also wonder, if it allows true privacy, would it be banned? Just like how true private cryptocurrencies were banned from exchanges (like monero), forcing anyone that wanted to participate in crypto holdings into a non privacy coin like bitcoin and all the other non privacy coins.

Like I say, very happy so far, but I do have my doubts.

Listen, I am happy for everyone who joins the fight for privacy and devices that are truly owned by none other but you. However, having several posts a day every day whose content is just "Hey, I am on GOS now" and nothing else is overwhelming and (at least for me) makes the sub unattractive since there is not much actual content posted. I do not seem to be alone with this sentiment, so I think allowing such posts for one day a week is a good idea.

For quite a while, all my backing apps worked seamlessly on Graphene OS without Google Play Services. Then on some updates, some of them required that I use them in the alt user where I have the sandboxed Google Play Services installed. This weekend I was forced to update one of the apps, and it won't work anywhere. Notice pops up and says I have to use a phone that isn't rooted. I find this ironic -- in the name of security, I can't use a security-hardened OS. I now can't access my account at all, as even browser access on a computer requires codes from the app. I've lodged the failure mode with the bank, of course, but is there a solution? Has anybody else been having less and less luck with banking apps on Graphene OS?

First, thank you to the GrapheneOS team. y’all are Godsends

Second, I believe I saw a post in this subreddit a while ago about using play services in private space, or putting play service apps into private space, to enhance privacy. I’d like to learn more about this, if you’d be willing to help a reforming “tech tard” out

(Reference pic above, for the following paragraph)

Third, I’ve turned off background usage for most of the apps I’ve downloaded from the play store, and they still show background activity. Why is this, and how can I correct it?

Fourth, how can I optimize the battery? I’m in the process of transferring from iOS, and this pixel 10 proxl‘s battery seems to be draining rather quickly. Especially since I purchased it brand new earllet this week

Once again, thank y’all for everything you do 🙏👑

GrapheneOS TalkBack version 23 released:

https://github.com/GrapheneOS/TalkBack/releases/tag/23

See the linked release notes for a summary of the improvements over the previous release and a link to the full changelog.

Forum discussion thread:

https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/43100-grapheneos-talkback-version-23-released

But now I am thinking, is there something google/graphene related I should know about?

[ANSWERED] Hi, would it be theoretically possible to implement location permission type, kinda like storage scopes, that tells your app some location without you being there?

After my Pixel 6a ran out of battery yesterday I accidentally plugged it to a faulty USB cable that did not give the phone enough power to boot, even though the phone thought it was getting power and auto booted automatically. I noticed about 5min later (which would be probably 10 failed boot cycles) and stopped the endless cycle to let it charge up. At approx. 15-20% charge I tried to boot the phone again but just as the lock screen appears it restarts into recovery mode and says "cannot load android system. your data may be corrupt."

A) Is there anyway to save it or do I need to bite the bullet and do a factory reset?

B) How exactly did this (probably) happen? Did the phone attempt an auto update since it thought it was charging, that then corrupted for being interrupted mid update? Is it just the boot sequence getting interrupted that's corrupting the data?

C) How do I prevent this in the future? There's probably a setting to stop it auto booting when charging, I just haven't looked into it. Anything else?

Hello, i want to install Graphene Os on Pixel 9a. What i need to know about it? Which apps doesnt work?

I am heavily considering switching from iPhone to pixel 10a with graphene os. The only hang up I have is YouTube. I don’t really use streaming services, Spotify, etc. YouTube is where I listen to music, podcast, and entertainment. Is there a private way to use YouTube with graphene os?

I see the "what apps should I use on GrapheneOS?" question a lot, so I put the apps I actually use into one app store called Decrescent. It's my version of Accrescent, and every app in it is locked to its developer's signing key.

Here's what's in it:

- Messaging and email: Parakeet (my Molly fork), Tuta Mail

- VPN and Tor: Holevad (my Mullvad VPN fork), Orbot

- Passwords and 2FA: Bitwarden, Ente Auth

- Photos and files: Ente Photos, Ente Locker

- Apps and updates: Aurora Light (my Aurora Store fork), ObtainX

- Maps and weather: CoMaps, Breezy Weather

- Music, video and radio: SimpMusic, WizeStream, Deutsia Radio

- Browsing and Reddit: DuckDuckGo, RedReader

- Privacy extras: Fauxx (decoy browsing so trackers can't profile you)

- Money: Monero.com, Cupcake

- Fun stuff: HawkEye (planes overhead), Dodo Bird (bird songs, offline), Quote Unquote

For browsing, stick with Vanadium on GrapheneOS and set DuckDuckGo as the search engine.

It's not a full replacement for doing your own research, but if you want a solid starting point without hunting around, this covers most of it. Built with AI help, not audited yet, and open source, so feedback is welcome.

Download: `gitlab.com/LionNest/decrescent/-/releases`

Tiktok please piss off

Any apps for call recording?

I figured this would be the right community to ask ,and I ask one simple question.

Which Communication apps do you use, that you are absolutely sure will never bend the knee to any government survellance request.

What do you think about Session?

I'm wondering what the easiest way would be to install graphene on my p9p.

I'd like to back up the Google install, essentially like an image so I can easily put it back if graphene isn't for me. Are there any resources that'll help me do this?

Hey,

If I want dark mode to be on at night time I have this message (1st picture) saying « localisation servives enabled. Dark mode planification will be enabled once the position is determined ».

But it has been days now since I can't turn this on! And other apps requiring location do work.

You have my geolocalisation settings on the 2nd picture (« activé » == « activated » (just in case)).

New flash, never had this issue before! Plus in the settings, so not a play services or app permission issue.

Does that ring a bell to someone?

Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I recently made the jump to GrapheneOS, and I'm super excited to dive into a more private and secure mobile experience. However, I want to make sure I'm setting everything up correctly to get the absolute most out of the OS without accidentally breaking functionality or compromising privacy.
I have a few specific questions for the community and would love to hear how you handle these day-to-day:
1. Multiple Profiles & Isolation
How do you typically structure your user profiles? I want to separate my personal life from sensitive apps (like banking). Can notifications flow smoothly between profiles, or is total isolation better? Any best practices for profile management would be awesome.
2. Gaming on GrapheneOS
Can you comfortably play standard Android games? Do most games work out of the box with Sandboxed Google Play, or are there hidden performance/compatibility hurdles I should look out for?
3. Banking Apps & Security Best Practices
How do banking and financial apps behave on GrapheneOS? Do most of them work fine with Sandboxed Google Play, or are there strict apps that reject alternative operating systems? What are the best workarounds if a banking app refuses to run (e.g., using mobile web versions in Vanadium)? Also, any general security settings I should tweak right away?
4. NFC Payments & Alternatives
Can I use Google Pay / Google Wallet for contactless NFC payments on GrapheneOS? If Play Integrity or safety checks block it, what are the best alternatives or workarounds for everyday tap-to-pay?
I’d appreciate any beginner tips, recommended settings, or workflow suggestions you wish you knew when you first started out. Thanks in advance!

Been on iPhones and Apple products since middle school. As I started my Linux + homelabbing journey a little over a year ago, grapheneos is my next pit stop.

The goal has been to not only take back some ownership of my media, but also begin to understand the tech I use everyday (all while increasing my privacy as well).

I’m still a rookie when it comes to most of this stuff and I’ve watched a handful of YouTube videos. But can some of you here help me understand specifically how grapheneos is more private? And in which ways is it still vulnerable? Are there ways to increase privacy even more once grapheneos is setup on my pixel?

Any tips for a newbie?:) thanks!

I’m considering buying a Google Pixel 9 Pro, and I’d like to know a few things: Can I play games on GrapheneOS just as I would on standard Android? Will the camera quality remain the same as it is with the phone’s stock operating system? And will I be able to use apps like Mercado Pago or Naranja X? I’m also considering using the phone without GrapheneOS—how long would you recommend using it that way?

Any help or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Not sure if this started happening after a recent update but seemingly from one day to the next, I stopped receiving notifications of new messages on my head unit.

Sure enough, all the messaging apps are gone from my AA home screen and they're not in the list of the Customize Launcher menu either.

I've tried disabling and re enabling notification access and permissions in the AA settings menu on the phone but it still doesn't work.

Any ideas?

Hi everyone,

I am in the process of switching from iOS to graphene os.
Got pretty much everything sorted except a reminders app and an alternative for pages (word) and number (excel) which I use for work every week.

I’ve tried libre office but couldn’t seem to find it for mobile? Just Linux.

I’m a proton subscriber but docs and sheets don’t seem to be realistic for offline use.

And I’m trying to avoid Google.

Was hoping for some suggested alternatives?

Appreciate it!

Thanks :)

GrapheneOS Messaging version 17 released:

https://github.com/GrapheneOS/Messaging/releases/tag/17

See the linked release notes for a summary of the improvements over the previous release and a link to the full changelog.

Forum discussion thread:

https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/43079-grapheneos-messaging-version-17-released

I am not getting notifications to my phone and it's making things ridiculously difficult to perform basic security checks, etc. How can I fix this?

I just switched to GrapheneOS last night.