GrapheneOS version 2025112100 released

Offliner-A-GoGo

Miles You seem to be one of the forum speakers? :-)
Sorry, it won't happen again, but it was just on the tip of my tongue. ;-)

Miles

Offliner-A-GoGo

Im just a regular user

Bietschhorn

Thanks for the release. Unfortunately I have a major problem with it on my Pixel 9. After starting the phone I first put in my Pin. That works. Next comes the password, that secures the display. The problem is that I cannot put in my pwd because the keypad does not appear.
After rebooting the phone at least two times, the keypad appears as it should.
It would be great if that can be fixed. To get around the bug I will change the display lock method.

de0u

Bietschhorn Does this help? https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/28325-cannot-unlock-phone-after-restart-keyboard-does-not-appear/8

userofgos

Sparronator9999 how did you even downgrade to the previous version? From my understanding downgrade protection prevents this.

Did you create your own build with they old ui added back in?

Sparronator9999

userofgos how did you even downgrade to the previous version? From my understanding downgrade protection prevents this.

Downgrading involves unlocking the bootloader and flashing both boot slots with the version you want to downgrade to, then relocking the bootloader once you're done (i.e. what you did when originally setting up GrapheneOS on your device, assuming you didn't buy it with GrapheneOS pre-installed). The only Android versions you truly can't downgrade to are those with outdated bootloaders that have a lower anti-rollback value than the current one installed on your device. The most recent Android release that incremented the anti-rollback value was the May 2025 security update on both stock Android 15 and 16 (unsure of GrapheneOS equivalent), so going from Android 16 QPR1 to the last Android 16 non-QPR1 release is no problem.

To actually downgrade, you just obtain the factory image of the release you want to install (I did this by copying the latest download link for my device and replacing the version number with 2025110801, the last non-QPR1 release with security preview patches), and follow the command-line install guide to actually install it. This will wipe your phone, similar to when you first installed GrapheneOS, so make sure you back up your data first (as mentioned before, Seedvault apparently works, but I wouldn't rely solely on it).

Finally, should you choose to go this route, keep in mind that it will reduce your phone's security as more updates get released. And if Google decides to do more anti-competitive Play Store practices (like the Play Protect thing a few months back that stopped a bunch of apps from opening if not installed by Play Store), they won't be fixed until you update.

userofgos Did you create your own build with they old ui added back in?

If only it were that easy for me to do, but 1. AOSP is a very large project spanning hundreds of repositories, and so I haven't found which aspects of the UI I would need to revert, 2. on that point, I don't have >300GB of space lying around (except on very slow HDDs) to save the entire AOSP/GrapheneOS source code (contributing to the first problem, because the AOSP repository browser kind of sucks), 3. My computer only has 1/4 of the RAM needed to successfully compile Android, and 4. I don't feel like I could commit to keeping the reverted UI up to date, at least not without help. Oh, and I feel like I'd run into coding skill issues (no pun intended) very quickly, as I've never worked on any OS before. I would be interested to see if anyone else cares enough to maintain an up-to-date, pre-M3E variant of GrapheneOS, though.

userofgos

Sparronator9999 This will wipe your phone, similar to when you first installed GrapheneOS

This is what I meant by downgrade protection. The way you first described your situation made it sound like you were able to downgrade GOS without it being wiped and factory reset in the process.

I still find it hard to believe that one would do all this and completely disregard the security model for the sake of having the old UI back.

Sparronator9999

Miles No one is using grapheneos for its UI, it is what it is, and it works.

If I were still starting out on Android (GrapheneOS was my first Android OS after nearly a decade of Apple device use, dating back to ~iOS 4), I'd probably agree, but since first buying my Pixel 8 in 2024 specifically to use with GrapheneOS, I've grown to quite like the Material You UI (it is an award-winning UI after all, at least according to Google), outside of a couple of annoying issues (like auto-brightness accounting for whether Extra Dim is enabled or not with no way to disable it, combined with not dimming to 0% brightness in a pitch black room with no way to convince it that the screen is too bright for me, despite claims to the contrary). While Material 3 Expressive had some neat new features (like bringing back 1x1 quick settings, which apparently used to be a thing in older Android versions?), I absolutely hate the more "childish" appearance of the UI (which others - myself included - have already pointed out), and just feel like some of the animations were over-engineered. Like seriously, who needs or cares about the adjacent notifications being affected by the one you're trying to swipe? That and some other usability issues (which I described above) is why I went back to pre-QPR1 Android 16. To be honest, if I bought my Pixel today and M3E was the UI it came with, I think I'd probably return it (heck, even sell it if the store I bought it from had a shitty returns policy), and just deal with Liquid (Gl)ass back on iOS.

By the way, downgrading the OS took me nearly four hours, mainly thanks to having to back up and copy my phone data to my computer twice due to a missing recovery key the first time around, forgetting that ADB is much better at handling many small files than MTP. The point being, I gave M3E a fair shot, and will be waiting to see what Google has in store with Material 4, or whatever they come up with next, assuming anti-compete laws haven't gotten to them by then. Or (but I find this unlikely), they'll either fix some of the main gripes I have with this new UI, or make it more customisable such that I can fix it myself without rooting my phone.

Novalissoide

Sparronator9999 downgrading the OS took me nearly four hours

All this work, all this deliberate distancing from the security model against 0-day exploits, all this just to reject the very much beginning phases of the Md3E UI?
Your long term-strategy seems to be the hope of future Md4 being closer to your personal taste, this mindset is pretty far from a security mindset. Just my opinion.

Sparronator9999

Novalissoide Improved security isn't really why I decided to get GrapheneOS in the first place, instead wanting to try out Android while also using an OS that respects my privacy (I do appreciate all the effort that went in to making it as secure as it is, though, and have even found bugs in a modification to a program that I made thanks to memory tagging). Yes, I understand the whole privacy requires security to work thing, but maybe next time Google won't hire toddlers to design their new icon set/font, or over-engineer the animations (i.e. notification area), or add unnecessary (and in my opinion, annoying) haptics that can't be disabled. I also see the flaws in my above statement about waiting for a potential MD4 to come out (Google - again assuming they haven't succumbed to the DMA, anti-compete lawsuits, etc. - could somehow find a way to screw up their UI even more in the future and market it as a "feature"), but I still think running an older version of GrapheneOS is a better option than rooting my phone in an attempt to fix some of the problems I have with M3E's UI, while also losing much of the security benefits of having the trusted boot chain and potentially not being able to use even more apps on GrapheneOS.

Novalissoide

Sparronator9999 I question your intentions when spreading detailed descriptions of the 'downgrade for aestethics'. These lines, especially when well written will be read as instructions by users who may stay away from security-stunting if they hadn't been presented with super-convenient how-to:s in the support forum.
Like you just said "Improved security isn't really why I decided to get GrapheneOS in the first place". So, what is the utility in what you put out?

Sparronator9999

userofgos This is what I meant by downgrade protection. The way you first described your situation made it sound like you were able to downgrade GOS without it being wiped and factory reset in the process.

I might not have been clear enough there then. That assumption is incorrect, though: you must wipe your phone if you want to downgrade your OS.

userofgos I still find it hard to believe that one would do all this and completely disregard the security model for the sake of having the old UI back.

Well, I guess we just have different needs, mindsets, or maybe a bit of both. I might upgrade again once QPR2 comes out, I might not. Maybe Google will find another way to screw alternative Android OS users again tomorrow, forcing me to upgrade to fix my Play Store apps (which, by the way, I download through Aurora). I would rather not be bothered about it any more than I already have been, which I'm pretty sure I mentioned in my original post ("please don't roast me for this, I understand the security implications").

Novalissoide These lines, especially when well written will be read as instructions by users who may stay away from security-stunting if they hadn't been presented with super-convenient how-to:s in the support forum.

I see. I did put a disclaimer there (multiple ones, in fact, if you read back to my first post), but maybe it would be better for them to figure it out themselves if they're anything like me. I may end up deleting that part of the post if I still can (you can edit posts, right?)

Novalissoide

Sparronator9999 if they're anything like me. I may end up deleting that part of the post if I still can (you can edit posts, right?)

Sir, again, the downgrade protection. . .

rpupkin

CaptainPlanet I've just started having the same problem as well with apps that require location services under my sandboxed user. Using a Pixel 7.

rpupkin

nandohyphen1 I have been having a similar problem for several months now. The only reliable charger is my laptop! My Pixel has decided that the charger I had been using for over a year is no good. It charges for about a minute then just stops. I've tried several chargers to no avail.

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