Strange difference in gos devices

Maketrades

I know its not recommended to make changes in developer options but I thought Lett me take a look.. I am very security/privacy interested and kind a healthy paranoid but my know how is not very high but we try to find out what ever can be find out..

I have 3 devices and checked on all 3 the first thing I noticed is that on 1 of them I need to put the lockcode to enter in develepor options.. I find this strange because I have set them up all the same way just the one with the lock I did that very recent and the others a coupke minths ago but since all have the latest version it shouldn't matter.. I find this kind of worrying and hope somebody can explain..

2- when checking running services I see on 1 user profile system ui (com.android.systemui) could somebody explain what that is and does?

3- there is a option of WiFi non persistent Mac randomization.. What's the downside to togle this on? I tought standard setting for gos devices was Mac adres randomization but it looks like its not toggled on in developer options..

4- apps has a option dont keep activities.. If toggle on what activities are destroyed? Letts say I have only a char app and a mail app does the messages be destroyed or does the hole app got destroid?

5- how can I check if I run the security preview update? I have made the choice to skip this first round just to see what's going to be after the embargo but I notice different things on the 3 devices. I explain.. 2 of them I had set up before the release of the security preview so i had since the day of the release a message on screen saying there is a security preview release and option to choose opt in.. 1 of the devices I accidently toggled on and off and I directly switch off network before completing download.. I restart phone and when switched on network again message disappeared since then so I geuss I updated it with just 1 toggle on and off.. The other new phone I installed a week ago and when installing i choose without security previews. But the new one don't give me the message that there is a security preview to opt in.. Oef!! I notice this is a big story i type here but excuse me i didn't found a easier way to explain to ask the question.. Is the there any way I can check what version is running on the devices?

Hope its not to many questions in 1 topic and hoping on some serieus feedback. Thanks and keep up the good work!!

userofgos

Maketrades I have 3 devices and checked on all 3 the first thing I noticed is that on 1 of them I need to put the lockcode to enter in developer options. However it is not recommended to use Developer options, so please use caution and expect to face bugs and don't go blaming the GrapheneOS updates for breaking things.

I just tested this on my Pixel 8a, tapped the build number 7 times and had to enter my PIN before I could enable developer options.

Maketrades I find this strange because I have set them up all the same way just the one with the lock I did that very recent and the others a coupke minths ago but since all have the latest version it shouldn't matter.. I find this kind of worrying and hope somebody can explain..

It's not clear what happened in your case. Did only 1 of the 3 devices you own ask for PIN/Password? or did 2 of your devices ask for PIN/Password and 1 device did not?

Maketrades 2- when checking running services I see on 1 user profile system ui (com.android.systemui) could somebody explain what that is and does?

It should be self explanatory in the name...this system process/service is responsible for your devices UI (User interface) and should never be tampered with. There is nothing to worry about. PLEASE DO NOT make changes to system apps/services.

Please read the following:

GrapheneOS Features: (https://grapheneos.org/features)
GrapheneOS FAQ (https://grapheneos.org/faq)
GrapheneOS Usage guide (https://grapheneos.org/usage)

Maketrades 3- there is a option of WiFi non persistent Mac randomization.. What's the downside to toggle this on? I thought standard setting for GOS devices was Mac address randomization but it looks like its not toggled on in developer options..

Please do not use the Developer option setting for this. The GrapheneOS Features page goes into detail about this feature: https://grapheneos.org/features#wifi-privacy

Maketrades 4- apps has a option dont keep activities.. If toggle on what activities are destroyed? Letts say I have only a char app and a mail app does the messages be destroyed or does the hole app got destroid?

I don't know what you are referring to here. Are you talking about the Manage app if unused toggle in the App info of any app installed?

Maketrades 5- how can I check if I run the security preview update?

Please read: https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/27068-grapheneos-security-preview-releases

Maketrades

Nobady any input on the above

23Sha-ger

Maketrades
Learn how to ask questions, nobody is going to read that spaghetti of thoughts.

Maketrades

userofgos It's not clear what happened in your case. Did only 1 of the 3 devices you own ask for PIN/Password? or did 2 of your devices ask for PIN/Password and 1 device did not?

Only 1 of the 3 I needed to provide a pin that's the newer installed one from last week but since we update I thought all settings would be same..

userofgos I don't know what you are referring to here. Are you talking about the Manage app if unused toggle in the App info of any app installed?

No still in the developer options there is a section apps not sure what will be cleared after use..

jd1

I will try to answer some oft your questions.

UI stands for User Interface. That process is responsible for the Android UI.
I also wondered about this setting. This is my explanation. I'm not completly sure if it is correct. Random persistent MAC address is random, but stays the same for each network. A random non persistent MAC will change everytime you connect to a network. This means that the network can not remember your device.

5: Go to settings - system - system update and check the receive security preview releases settings

Maketrades

jd1 5: Go to settings - system - system update and check the receive security preview releases settings

By settings you can't see what version is installed. At least I can't find it..

userofgos

Maketrades No still in the developer options there is a section apps not sure what will be cleared after use..

Please don't enable this, enabling Developer options is NOT recommended and are hidden from the normal menus for a reason...they are not for Stable use of a device.

userofgos

Maketrades Only 1 of the 3 I needed to provide a pin that's the newer installed one from last week but since we update I thought all settings would be same..

How did you enable Developer options to begin with? Did you go to Settings > About Phone > Build number > Tap 7 times for all three devices? or only the one that asked for the PIN/Password?

userofgos

Maketrades By settings you can't see what version is installed. At least I can't find it..

Go to Settings > About Phone > Build number (security releases currently are indicated by 01 at the end)

Maketrades

userofgos Go to Settings > About Phone > Build number (security releases currently are indicated by 01 at the end)

They all 3 have build number ending 800 at end but wonder why 1 of them not showing prevoeuw release available in screen. But thanks

Maketrades

userofgos Please don't enable this, enabling Developer options is NOT recommended and are hidden from the normal menus for a reason...they are not for Stable use of a device.

I didn't enable it but curious to know what it does who knows I find it usefulk to enable of I know what it does so I can deside

Maketrades

userofgos How did you enable Developer options to begin with? Did you go to Settings > About Phone > Build number > Tap 7 times for all three devices? or only the one that asked for the PIN/Password?

I gruss that's the only way to enter developer options to tap on it 7 times. 1 asking for a pin the other 2 I can just enter.. The 2 are pixel 9's the one with pin is 9a

userofgos

Maketrades They all 3 have build number ending 800 at end but wonder why 1 of them not showing prevoeuw release available in screen. But thanks

I'm confused... You asked how to tell if your devices are currently running the Security Preview release, I told you how to tell, and based off the answer above you are running the regular release of GOS as indicated by the release ending in 800.

Maybe I misunderstood what you were asking for.

userofgos

Maketrades the other 2 I can just enter

What happens on both of these if you go to Settings > System > Developer options > turn off > reboot phone

Then after booting up go to Settings > About Phone > Build number > Tap 7 times do you get asked for the PIN/Password?

GrouchyGrape

Maketrades I know what it does so I can deside

As others have already stated, just don't. Even for very experienced android users, it's frowned upon to enable developer options. Seemingly benign settings in there can break fundamental system processes and/or drastically increase the attack surface.

Based on the above conversation, you're not very experienced/comfortable with android. Just don't.

Maketrades

userofgos I'm confused... You asked how to tell if your devices are currently running the Security Preview release, I told you how to tell, and based off the answer above you are running the regular release of GOS as indicated by the release ending in 800.

Maybe I misunderstood what you were asking for.

You understood it right that was my question.. And that one is answered by checking the build.. But still I wonder why on 2 phones there is not a mrssage annymore that there is a security previeuw availabke to opt in to. Its on the banner or not sure how you call it the notifications when you slide the screen down.. Excuse the paranoid just what to understand all the actions happening on my devices

Maketrades

userofgos What happens on both of these if you go to Settings > System > Developer options > turn off > reboot phone

Then after booting up go to Settings > About Phone > Build number > Tap 7 times do you get asked for the PIN/Password?

These 2 still no password needed after the this actions

userofgos

Maketrades But still I wonder why on 2 phones there is not a mrssage annymore that there is a security previeuw availabke to opt in to. Its on the banner or not sure how you call it the notifications when you slide the screen down.

This is normal behaviour nothing to be paranoid about. See https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/27068-grapheneos-security-preview-releases/52

Security preview releases are disabled by default. We made the page for opting into it recommend enabling it by having it toggled on by default. Users who have not explicitly set it to either enabled or disabled get a persistent notification each boot opening an activity to choose. If people simply ignore it or switch away from the application, it remains disabled, because the default is disabled. If the value is not explicitly set by the user, it's disabled. It must be explicitly enabled by the user to be enabled.

graphny

Before I start, screw around all you like just remember to reinstall the os or just factory reset it before you use the phone normally.
Although you said this I have set them up all the same way maybe you have lockscreen pin set on that one device?
And for the don't keep activites option, it just closes all the apps as soon as you close it like it won't run in the background at all maybe with some exceptions like vpn app. Atleast that what I remember it happened when tried that option some years ago on my samsung.
For the notification thing, as the person above me quoted because you made a choice that notification disapeared.
I do remember seeing three mac option settings. I emabled the per network random mac addr because I don't want my router app to send me a notifcation that a new device connected to my wifi whenever I turned on wifi.

Onlyfun

Hey, first I want to second following statement

graphny Before I start, screw around all you like just remember to reinstall the os or just factory reset it before you use the phone normally.

Since your questions seem to be cleared up, I will only add that none of them is issue and a warning regarding developer options. I really advice to not use it on your main device. Having dev. options enabled allows more things to happen which are not bad until they are not triggered with bad intents. On the other hand if they are it might bring significant issues. I have been tweaking this with app manager and experienced some consequences that I would prefer to avoid if I knew ahead. The least harmful was getting my device into a bootloop with only option to fix by a reset. Specially be careful around debugging tools, both usb and wireless.