GrapheneOS version 2025022700 released:

https://grapheneos.org/releases#2025022700

See the linked release notes for a summary of the improvements over the previous release.

This release adds an opt-in GrapheneOS network location client providing location detection based on nearby Wi-Fi networks using a local trilateration algorithm run on the device. It fetches a list of nearby Wi-Fi networks from Apple's location service either directly or through a GrapheneOS proxy.

It currently only has a very basic approach to altitude estimation which we'll be properly integrating into the trilateration algorithm in the near future.

It currently only uses Wi-Fi networks but we'll be extending it with support for using cell towers as a fallback in the near future.

We're in the process of building our own network location database based on scraping all of the cell tower and Wi-Fi data from Apple's service. Scraping all the cell tower data is quick and will be easy to keep rapidly updated. A contributor scraped more than 2 billion Wi-FI APs over 3 months.

This data isn't copyrightable and Apple freely offers it without requiring authentication. It will be the initial basis for our database, but we'll add other sources including an option to send us data from GrapheneOS devices. We'll provide database downloads to support offline network location.

    Wow, opt-in GrapheneOS network location, "5G only"mode, support for blocking callers who are not in the contacts and much more. Thank you for this great update, can't wait to give the features a try!

      GrapheneOS This is quite impressive!

      Would it be possible in the future to store a subset of this AP database on our device so we don't need a network connection? Perhaps by "pre-loading" a country or area on a map?

          GrapheneOS does this work when someone isn't using a cellular network or WiFi?

          It would be nice if one day these requests can be routed through VPN and then Tor (Port 9050) for those of us who don't trust anyone ever.

          This is a cool feature and thanks for making it opt-in.

              TalentedQuill

              will be extended with much more functionality in the near future including ...our own network location database either via a service or offline database downloads (we're in the process of building our own database...

                Cool improvement, can't wait to update it on my 7a

                Testing this on 8Pro so far first impression is that it seems a bit less responsive when unlocking? Tested on three different profiles with different pins and all had same weird behavior where not all clicks were registered. Will report back after testing some more. I have improved touch responsiveness enabled.

                So that's what you've been working on recently! Thank you very much :)

                Given that "5G only" and "4G or 5G only" modes are now available, I'm curious to see how the official stance on LTE and 5G will be updated. I know 5G has some security benefits but I can't figure out whether I should use it, just yet.

                  Network location in Location Services works great !

                  My configuration: Location Services > Network location > GrapheneOS proxy. Using Organic Maps: Offline Map and Google Maps in a second system-wide profile, the device is indoors, the device's location works, if I disable Network location, the device's location doesn't work.

                  The addition of 5G only or 4G/5G only is also very welcome.

                  GG to the GOS team as usual, it will be great when the functionality is extended to cell towers etc.

                  Would like to see an option for "GrapheneOS Developer Recommended Defaults" after each update, with a diff of what would change. For older installs that might not have caught up.

                  IcyScroll I'm curious to see how the official stance on LTE and 5G will be updated

                  I would not expect anything to be changed. The purpose of these features remains attack surface reduction, by allowing the user to enable only the minimum set of protocols they require. The latest changes merely provide more flexibility than previously.

                  If 5G offered any significant security improvements (or known additional risks), that would likely have been discussed extensively here, and a 5G-only feature would have been added much sooner.

                  Bottom line: the previous advice should still stand. Avoid cellular networks if you can. If you must use them, enable only the protocols you need to get coverage in your area.

                      enable support for blocking callers not in Contacts

                      How will it work with secondary profiles? E.g. if this is turned on, will it block incoming calls from numbers that are saved in Owner's Contacts app but aren't in the currently active profile?

                      Probably9857 I would not expect anything to be changed.

                      Well, it has to be at least slightly updated now.

                      Probably9857 If 5G offered any significant security improvements (or known additional risks), that would likely have been discussed extensively here

                      I recall somebody discussing it here, although not extensively.
                      https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/16437-feature-request-5g-only-mode-with-android-15

                      Probably9857 or known additional risks

                      For now, 4G-only mode makes more sense since 5G has a lot more attack surface.

                      https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/16437-feature-request-5g-only-mode-with-android-15/5

                            Probably9857 If 5G offered any significant security improvements (or known additional risks), that would likely have been discussed extensively here, and a 5G-only feature would have been added much sooner.

                            Yes, the cellular network isn't secure and 4G / 5G Only is simply a way of reducing the attack surface, but that's also because before, 5G coverage was much less deployed than 4G coverage, 5G coverage is now expanding.

                                Are there any benifits of WiFi location over GPS other than it works better indoors?

                                If we use WiFi location what information is sent to GOS or Apples servers?

                                angela

                                angela does this work when someone isn't using a cellular network or WiFi?

                                It would be nice if one day these requests can be routed through VPN and then Tor (Port 9050) for those of us who don't trust anyone ever.

                                What do you think is routing / transporting your packets in this combination? I am really not sure if you're trolling here, or you really have no clue how any of this works but watched one too many doomsday yt vids.

                                      Xtreix before, 5G coverage was much less deployed than 4G coverage, 5G coverage is now expanding

                                      Yes, that is the way of the universe... newer things replace older things. Not sure what point you're trying to make here.

                                      All I was saying there is that if 5G did have significant security benefits over 4G/LTE, GrapheneOS would likely have made 5G-only a higher priority, rather than waiting for it to be more widely available.

                                      Since GrapheneOS did not do that, we can infer that the project does not view 5G as a significant improvement in terms of security.

                                      Seems to me like we are in agreement.

                                        0xsigsev he wants to loop himself into the 3rd Dimension ???

                                        Sorry but VPN and Tor is not a good idea in case you don't know exactly what you do

                                            Murcielago wait what, you can stop anyone calling you whos not in your contacts? how does one do this?