Changing the default apps. Issue

MasterOfMysteries

So far, I like Graphene OS. Still exploring all the features. But I cant change the default phone, or messaging apps. I think its a little strange, that also the phone dialer app privacy page leads to google. I would much prefer use my own open source apps, but i just recieve an error when trying to change the default app. (app was denied access).

Ive used adb to remove a bunch of things since graphene doesnt allow to be able to remove them. Ive read online that graphene doesnt suggest this, but there isnt really much choice. For instance, the camera app, it cant even be disabled, so no choice but to use adb. Even the keyboard cant be removed.

Is there an "official" way to allow my apps as default?

Why does graphene do this? Is there a reason these apps cant be changed / disabled / deleted.

MasterOfMysteries

MasterOfMysteries For anyone with the same issue. Here is the solution.

Go to Settings/Apps then find your default app, top right click the 3 dots, "Allow restricted settings"

de0u

MasterOfMysteries Is there a reason these apps cant be changed / disabled / deleted.

The reason varies according to the app. Disabling the keyboard has caused some people to be locked out of the device until a factory reset. Disabling the camera, if I remember correctly, leads to problems with taking pictures while the device is locked. I think Contact Scopes may depend on the default dialer for correct operation.

MasterOfMysteries No other choice but to use adb to remove these apps since they are useless in my use case, not to mention bloating up my space.

The system apps are part of the system partition. That space is not usable for storing user data, so removing the "bloat" does not free up space, and is fairly likely to break things (in some cases, things that won't be observed for weeks or months).

It might be best to do a factory reset now to restore the system to a known-good configuration before investing further time on setup that may end up needing to be re-done later. That would be inconvenient in the short term due to wiping your data, but may well save time in the long run.

Installing and running GrapheneOS means placing trust in a giant body of code written by Google and many open-source projects and the GrapheneOS developers. Android variants are complex software ecosystems, unfortunately tied together in ways that are not obvious. Rearranging parts of this without reading the relevant code may lead to mysterious problems.

DeletedUser88

MasterOfMysteries Even the keyboard cant be removed.

MasterOfMysteries Is there an "official" way to allow my apps as default?

If you don't mind me asking, are you aware of what DirectBoot is? Also, what keyboard app do you want to use instead of the AOSP keyboard?

untimed_rare

MasterOfMysteries I don't seem to have those 3 dots under Settings/Apps default apps. I use Sipnetic for both Phone and SMS but have been unable to set as the default app for either.

DeletedUser87

Ohh boy, who's gonna tell him?
Removing system components that the team already wrote NOT TO REMOVE multiple times, is a very bad idea. Enjoy random system crashes in the future or possible lockouts when you can't type your password after reboot and there's no fallback AOSP keyboard anymore. I guess some people want to FAFO.
As for the dialer or SMS app; I have had zero issues setting my own apps as default. If you can't for some reason, the two most logical explanations are that a) the apps are outdated and have a target API >34 or b) that you've already removed something via adb that was a dependency, who knows. In your situation, I would STRONGLY suggest to back up the phone, perform a factory reset and start from scratch.

MasterOfMysteries

DeletedUser87
I did already mention ive seen the teams posts in other forums before. But no other choice but to use adb to remove these apps since they are useless in my use case, not to mention bloating up my space.

The other problem I have solved and commented for others to see, with the same issue.

Oggyo

MasterOfMysteries But no other choice but to use adb to remove these apps since they are useless in my use case, not to mention bloating up my space.

Then I guess your best choice is answered here - https://grapheneos.org/faq#build

MasterOfMysteries

de0u Thank you for taking your time with this detailed answer.

If what you say is indeed true, this is a big shame for me. I really do hate the feeling of not having control. Which is why i moved from stock android in the first place. I see what you mean, and it makes sense. I just wish graphene would do this a different way instead of relying on those apps. But what I will do is continue to use the phone with my changes. All my data is backed up on proton drive anyway. I am curious to see what happends.

Trust these days gets so thin. I love graphene, but this might just push me away in the end.

For me i dont mind wasting a lot of time on setup 😄 actually i enjoy it, messing around with different OS's and configurations.

Thanks again for your time, i will keep an eye on anything strange.

DeletedUser69

MasterOfMysteries after what @de0u posted this is a surprising reply. Despite you realizing ADB is not a recommended tool and manipulating system resources is not advised, you decide to go ahead with your changes that are not based on well informed decision. From my experience changing default apps in System > Apps > Default apps is very easy, I never faced issues with it. You should factory reset your device (save important data beforehand) and start afresh without playing with ADB to prevent any issues during future OS updates.

Carlos-Anso

MasterOfMysteries

To address a genuine security concern, which malicious apps were abusing, there is an Android/AOSP camera related API which apps can call to which now only the system camera app is able to respond. Uninstalling the system camera app will break apps which rely on calling this API.

There are similar reasons with the other system apps that can not be disabled. They are a part of the operating system and provide critical functionality that other apps depend upon and alternative apps, which may appear to be a replacement, may or can not provide.

In pretty much all cases you can chose to use an alternative apps as your default and just ignore the apps included with the OS. They will still be there to provide the OS functionality that only they can provide if another app calls upon them. Just because these parts of the OS are presented as apps you can easily see via the UI it doesnt mean that they are not important parts of the OS. Many parts of the OS are less visible system apps which you also should not disable or deny permissions, other parts of the OS are not implemented as apps.

There is no real trust issue here as these are all parts of the OS. Clearly you are choosing to trust the OS. You have just chosen to think about these parts of the OS differently due to the way they are presented.

'debloating' by uninstalling with adb doesnt remove the files from the storage as they are necessarily included in each OS release and their presence is checked by verified boot. None of these apps will cause any 'bloating' by performing unnecessary activities. They will only fire up if you, or another app, call upon them.

Over the years there have been a whole lot of, sometimes very serious, breakages caused by users changing things via adb, developer options settings or removing permissions from system apps. Sometimes it is not at all obvious that the breakage is related to the changes. The team has spent a whole lot of time debugging issues that turned out to be caused by users doing these things.

We strongly recommend that people using the OS do not do these things.

de0u

MasterOfMysteries I really do hate the feeling of not having control.

Control and the feeling of control are not always aligned.

The GrapheneOS Contact Scopes code provides substantial control over which apps view which of your contacts. Disabling that code removes that control.

A case could be made that true control comes from reading the code, improving it, and contributing code that increases user control so that other users can benefit.

MasterOfMysteries

DeletedUser69

Carlos-Anso

de0u

The reason I stated in my post that I am aware of graphene not suggesting to use ADB was to avoid these types of replies, but not much I can do about it now.

To be clear, again. I am not the average user. I understand that it isn't advised but I want to know why. If I break the system by doing something, I will find the reason and learn something.

Also, no one has told me yet why the privacy policy for the default phone app links to google.

And there are many of the apps which seem to have no use, for instance the pdf viewer, yet it cant be removed.

And im sorry, there are too many points above to reply to everything you all said.

DeletedUser69 From my experience changing default apps in System > Apps > Default apps is very easy, I never faced issues with it.

That may be your experience, but it was not mine, but again, I fixed this issue and posted it for those who have the same problem.

I think people are getting a little angry about this post now, so im going to end it here.

My goal was first to fix the default app problem, which i fixed. My second was to find out why graphene does not allow to disable or delete apps, Some of the answers here have provided some good info, but still unclear.

I think, it would benefit graphene and users to not have these limitations, and to provide a different way, that would ensure the system doesn't break.

de0u A case could be made that true control comes from reading the code, improving it, and contributing code that increases user control so that other users can benefit.

I also agree with this. And im willing to do it. Im very curious how it all fits together

--- To finish

Im not sure how to update the post, so ill say this.

I also do not recommend anyone use ADB, im doing so to test and to fit the custom style of my device. I have yet to see any issues but as these guys posted above, issues may present themselves at anytime.

DeletedUser87

MasterOfMysteries Also, no one has told me yet why the privacy policy for the default phone app links to google.

It leads to Google because the AOSP dialer is developed by Google.

apps which seem to have no use

Maybe they "seem" like it, yet they can perform functionality that is either integral to the system or will be dearly missed and come up in another forum post down the line. Pre-installed apps are part of the product.img partition. You can't uninstall apps that are installed that way and there's no other way to install them later on.

I think people are getting a little angry about this post now, so im going to end it here.

Yes, people tend to get angry when they give you a valid answer and you're like "Okay, I'll do it anyway".

My goal was first to fix the default app problem, which i fixed. My second was to find out why graphene does not allow to disable or delete apps, Some of the answers here have provided some good info, but still unclear.

The answers are pretty clear to me. If you don't understand them, it's probably because you don't understand Android at a system level (no shame in that, few people do).

I think, it would benefit graphene and users to not have these limitations, and to provide a different way, that would ensure the system doesn't break.

That is directly related to the point I made above. There is no other way and 99,99% of users have zero problems with having a VERY small selection of apps preinstalled. GrapheneOS is probably one of if not the lightest mobile OS out there.

I also agree with this. And im willing to do it. Im very curious how it all fits together

You can start right here: https://grapheneos.org/build. Modify to your liking!

To be clear, again. I am not the average user.

No offense, but I think you very much are the average user.

DeletedUser88

MasterOfMysteries ADB was to avoid these types of replies, but not much I can do about it now.

MasterOfMysteries I understand that it isn't advised but I want to know why.

These types of replies are telling you the reason why it isn't advised.