Please make Graphene pretty, because normal people don't care about security

FlipSid

Do "normal" people even care?
Me for me part would not be willing to accept the potential trade off...
So better do one thing (privacy and security) excellent

Eirikr70

N1b Once all security and privacy plans are fulfilled, we might get what the OP requests.

From my experience, the major objectives are never fulfilled. So I wouldn't expect GrapheneOS devs to make the OS more shiny. Anyway, it's largely shiny enough for my needs, and what stops the people I know from adopting it is not its "unshininess", but rather the absence of Google's signature.

bayesian

The beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

What you find "cute" I might find horrifying.

I would love of GOS only focused in security and usability.
Aesthetics stuff, apart from dark mode, can be left for AOSP and custom apps.
So I would be highly against using developer time to make things "cute".

[deleted]

N1b Security and privacy are ongoing and developing processes and they can never be completely fullfilled but they can be broken down in partial tasks and those can be (depending on expectations and capabilities).

aurocha

Only thing I would care is an updated dialer and sms app by implementing, let's say, lineageos dialer, for example.

Even if it's not that distant from what GOS is currently shipping, I sure miss vibrate on answer and some esthetic refinements. Nothing crazy.

I get that focus is on security and that they are a small team. Nevertheless, we can still wishful think.

Cheers,

Eury

THE most important resource for me as a GrapheneOS user has been 'fossdroid' on reddit. Scour the recommendations made over the last few years, and there is a treasure trove of apps for various matters.

For aesthetics,

I'm very pleased with 'WallYou' -- some very beautiful wallpapers
an interesting one that's fun to apply now and then is a Vincent Van Gogh painting adapted to 3d 'Lamartine'

What my point is is that the resources, IMO, are out there to address various needs. I think having to do some research cultivates the mindset of having a greater awareness of what's going on in your phone's OS and phone's app's permissions.

I've come to regard "pretty apps" as a potential red flag for privacy concerns. Consider some of the video editing apps in the Google Play store; some have embedded components to things like Facebook.

links:

https://old.reddit.com/r/fossdroid/

WallYou
https://github.com/you-apps/wallyou

Doodle
https://github.com/patzly/doodle-android

Lamartine: Live wallpaper
Aurora Store / Google Play store

Eury

I follow macrumors.com every day; it's a great resource. But as far as "pretty apps", it concerns me that I rarely see forum members address the privacy side of iOS apps.

5rlyn

I found an AMOLED wallpaper of Snoopy that looks great with the monochrome icons. Used the Yr.no weather app widget with full transparency and looks great.

CyberOtter

People who have no awareness of the implications of bad security and privacy, won't make any sacrifices trying to obtain them. Luring those people on board with cute & shiney UI is futile.
However, those that do understand how essential security and privacy are, will happily take the trade-off in UI and features for feeling protected and secure.

traveller

Personally I like it plain and simple. Important settings are not hidden behind bells and whistles.
Also I think this is de-facto standard with most privacy-first software.

DeletedUser301

The white stock GOS apps look like a sore thumb in the middle of all other colorful apps. :)

AlanZ

DeletedUser301
They are indeed quite terrible. The least the project could do is make them gray/black rather than that glaring, eye-gouging white.

Xtreix

I'm only speaking for myself, I tried several configurations to improve the aesthetics and I came to the conclusion that I was never improving my basic user experience which is more important to me, if you display the icons on the home screen, you'll have duplicate icons, you can't hide the ones you don't use every day, some icons aren't compatible with Material You etc. I ended up using a dumbphone launcher and minimalism actually offers aesthetics and makes the user experience better from my point of view, I use unlauncher discovered with Side of Burritos and it's the best dumbphone launcher I know of at the moment. You also have olauncher, but I find it less easy to use.

Panda-na

graphy00 and since we need them to join too if we're ever to patch up our security vulnerabilities that come from having normal people as contacts, please consider making pretty apps.

It is not possible to base your own privacy on what other people in your contact list does. Think about it, there is a million things you can do right or wrong to increase your privacy. Eventhough you do everything correct, none of your friends/contacts will do it the same way. Especially people that care more about aestethics than privacy. If you have a severe threat model, you have to limit yourself in ways that complicates absolutely everything in your life. None of your contacts will accept such sacrifices.

FlipSid

graphy00 and since we need them to join too if we're ever to patch up our security vulnerabilities that come from having normal people as contacts, please consider making pretty apps.

What? 🤔🤔🤔🤔
How, or since when, do security vulnerabilities in other devices have something to do with patched up (other) devices?
I'm responsible for what I do and don't do.
If I would have to worry about other people might as well stay off the internet (in this case).
Or not leave the house. Exaggerating here a bit with the last sentence.
In my case, it took a bit to get used too the minimalistic look of GrapheneOS, but now, every time I use my phone I know what OS I'm running. GrapheneOS
And I find it 😎
Again normal ppl will not give a s.it amd just use Google or standard OS before putting up with flashing, syncing etc

mmmm

FlipSid How, or since when, do security vulnerabilities in other devices have something to do with patched up (other) devices?

Well there is a case to be put forwards here: your close friends may have all of your details stored in their contacts app. Depending on the friend it could be everything, adresses, birthday and other anniversaries, age and birthday, emails including ones on you may specifically try to keep private, numbers. All sorts of stuff that you may try hard to keep away from XYZ, all inadvertently given away by your friends lack of security or knowledge of privacy issues. As the OP suggested - moving these people to GrapheneOS is a benefit to all. The UI may matter in this case - it’s true plenty of people may be put off by the look. I and many others here and wherever love the look but as the OP suggested, we may not be ‘normal’ people. The OS itself, especially compared to many privacy centric tools, is extremely user friendly. A bit of makeup could convert the previously unconvertable.

FlipSid

Ok, hadn't thought of that scenario. But, when I switched, I had no idea of the UI and was confronted with it.
Then again I endet up here for security first and foremost.

mmmm Depending on the friend it could be everything, adresses, birthday and other anniversaries, age and birthday, emails including ones on you may specifically try to keep private.

If it doesn't work, I mean devs deciding to make GrapheneOS "prettier", because the question will arise where does it start and stop, or friends refusing to move to GrapheneOS, there is still the option to sit them down and have a talk.

mmmm

FlipSid

Blastoidea

Please note, I agree and I do think features to increase security and privacy are much more important. I also love how it looks so I would keep it the same regardless.

But there is a relevant case for more mainstream os prettiness tweaks such as the op mentioned.

router99

graphy00 is this satire?

F0SSIL

I think GrapheneOS is too pretty. I want it to look as old-school as possible.

Blastoidea

I would much rather the Graphene Gnomes continued working on security and privacy, rather than frippery.

Subliminal

Screw the normies. We're on our own