Hi, I'm currently thinking of switching from iPhone to Graphene OS, but having to use a Mac and iPad for my work, I was wondering if it still makes sense?
For some context, I'm currently a student and always put my iPad & Mac in a Faraday bag, which is integrated in my bag pack when I'm not working/studying.
Being currently learning more about Graphene OS, I would be very glad to get some comments/feedbacks :)
Hi and welcome to the forum!
I own Ipad and had an Iphone before I transferred to GOS.
My reasoning was that if I can't control what apple can see or know about me, I would just limit it to the non-sensitive activity on device. Besides, I figured that GOS gave me much more freedom of what I can use without compromising something (insecure sideloading or jailbreaking). It's ok to use Ipad/Mac for college or school activity since you are expected to be there by documents anyways, but a device that is constantly with you (phone) should be more private and not related to your identity in any way.
As a result, if some agency/bad actor would take a look at my account, they would find nothing more than they already digged about me. I also left apple watch and Ipad for the purchases online that use my real identity and banking card (Apple pay is more private than putting card info + Bank would already snitch about it)
Sure, why not? Pixel devices don't explode when they are 100 meters or closer to an iOS device.
I switched to GOS a couple years ago after being in the Apple ecosystem for years. I love my pixels with GOS so much more than my iPhone.
My pixel actually feels like it's mine. It takes some time to figure out workarounds for Apple services but it's very do-able.
I still use some Apple devices but I have Advanced Data Protection turned on. I particularly enjoy the GOS install from Mac. It's just so slick. I'm also fortunate enough to have a Linux machine for when I need more privacy.
If your workflow needs both a GOS pixel and Apple, it's not difficult to make it work. As an example, my family uses a lot of iPhones but we message on Signal so blue bubbles don't matter.
You are a student and if using Mac & iPad positively affects your workflow, by all means, keep using it. You can always have a GrapheneOS as a phone for just communications - calls, sms/messaging, quick emails etc.
When it comes to work and studies, do what makes sense and adopt tech that makes it easy to focus on the task at hand. Having said that, embrace the concept of compartmentalisation. Should you want, you can use your iPhone, Mac & iPad for work & studies alone and switch to a Pixel w/ GrapheneOS for your personal life. As @c86 mentioned, using ADP is the way to go if you still want to keep using Apple devices.
I use an iOS device for work. I've switched to using a Pixel w/ GOS as my personal device this year. I still have an iPad, as I and my partner use it for browsing, banking, tax and other common family digital needs. My partner also exclusively uses iOS, which is one of the reasons I cannot sell/donate the iPad. It is by no means a replacement for a PC but a tablet is way faster to access, portable and compatibility with services is flawless.
While in uni I had a vanilla Android for my personal device, windows PC and an iPad. I agree, this was not the ideal setup but it kept me sane through my course. As soon as I graduated I got rid of the PC, switched to Linux and LineageOS device with minimal apps and a few years later switched to iOS and since this year, been rocking GOS. I bought a Pixel last year January and flashed GOS, went all in and crashed. We all have to take it slow. Identify the right apps, services and get your priorities rights, at least that's what I did and GOS worked for me on my second try.
To answer your question, yes you can make it work. Use the best what iOS, MacOS & iPadOS have to offer (ADP, Lockdown etc) and use minimal apps wherever possible and adopt privacy friendly apps like Signal, Ente, Proton/Tuta, Simplelogin/Addy, Mullvad/iVPN, NextDNS. Take it slow, you will figure it out :)
vagr thank you very much for all your explanations and recommendations!
Yes I'm of course already using Apple ADP feature, I also tried to use the Lockdown Mode but it was unfortunately causing too many issues on my iPhone with apps like Standard Note not opening anymore.
On other forums I saw a lot of people saying to completely get rid of all Apple devices, which was a bit discouraging as I really need my Mac & iPad for my studies. I spend my whole day on it (outside my studies too). So your comment helps me a lot :)
vagr We all have to take it slow. Identify the right apps, services and get your priorities rights, at least that's what I did and GOS worked for me on my second try.
Yes exactly, I try to find the best balance between practicality and privacy to ensure that I can keep the same setup over time, while improving it little by little, without giving up all at once because I've gone too far or too fast.
When I will buy a Pixel to use GOS, probably in the next few months, I'm thinking of keeping my iPhone with me (in a bag pack), simply storing it in a Faraday bag too, to make sure I still have it available if I need it.
Regarding apps and services, I've tried to do my best by giving up all iCloud/Google services and now use Tresorit, Ente, Proton Mail/Calendar/Drive/VPN, Standard Notes, Obsidian, DeepL (paid version to avoid training on my texts), LanguageTool, Brave, YubiKeys, Signal, Organic maps (when I can), Revolut (for their ephemeral/virtual card function for online purchases), cash for physical purchases.
But knowing that 2 years ago I was completely in the Google ecosystem and also had more than 30 smart devices at home with 2 Google Nest Audio, it was quite a lot of work to give up everything and replace every service/workflow.
But I'm finally much more satisfied with what I've got now :)
Again, thanks a lot for your comment!
DF218
Yes !
Because privacy is not black and white. One loophole in your setup does not ruin everything. You are still gaining control over your data.
DF218 Tresorit, Ente, Proton Mail/Calendar/Drive/VPN, Standard Notes, Obsidian, DeepL (paid version to avoid training on my texts), LanguageTool, Brave, YubiKeys, Signal, Organic maps (when I can), Revolut (for their ephemeral/virtual card function for online purchases), cash for physical purchases.
Uff ! You are doing very well !
DF218 But I'm finally much more satisfied with what I've got now
I am sincerely happy for you that you are happier and found a more private setup that suits you.
DF218 it was quite a lot of work
Congrats
DF218 On other forums I saw a lot of people saying to completely get rid of all Apple devices, which was a bit discouraging as I really need my Mac & iPad for my studies. I spend my whole day on it (outside my studies too). So your comment helps me a lot :)
Yeah I would really suggest not to listen to those people. I mean sure if someone could follow that advice it could have privacy and control benefits but the alternatives are usually lacking in other areas. Namely security.
Take it from me. I have been very happy using GrapheneOS yet I still use Windows. Don't worry about the implications of you relying on that kind of stuff! The fact of the matter is you inviting such a private and secure OS into your life is already a significant improvement. It makes a lot of sense to do it this way as privacy shouldn't mean just forsaking everything you own or use that is invasive. The better way is to take it slow and see what you can rationally and reasonably replace rather than just going all or nothing! I have actually made the mistake of treating it as all or nothing before. It's really not a good idea it can be very frustrating and demotivating.
Anyways. I hope you enjoy GrapheneOS as much as I do! Cause really I've enjoyed it so much I never really want to go without it again! :)
DeletedUser95 Ok I see thank you very much for your explanations and details :)
