How has GrapheneOS evolved usability wise?

AlanZ

It has been nearly two years since I last used GOS. I miss many aspects of it and occasionally still donate to the project. Currently iOS is my daily driver, but I plan to eventually acquire a Pixel 10 as well.

As it doesn't seem possible to install GrapheneOS in an emulator, I am unable to evaluate the current state of the OS. This has made it necessary to ask several questions here:

Can you make the desktop icons substantially larger without resorting to screen zooming, making elements bigger or installing third party launchers?
Has the antiquated Gallery app been replaced with a GOS app?
How about the Messages app? The Calculator app?
Does Vanadium have local Bookmarks export and import now?
Is Seedvault still the default backup method?
Are the GOS icons still glaringly white or have they been adapted for dark theme?

I would love to find out the answers to these questions.

Thanks !

MineralWater

AlanZ Can you make the desktop icons substantially larger without resorting to screen zooming, making elements bigger or installing third party launchers?

What do you mean by that?

I have used iOS in the past and on Graphene it's the same setting like in iOS, you can make everything appear larger for better reading.

For me, it looks the same like on iOS.

Or did you mean you want large icons, but keep the super tiny default font size?

scythian2000

Hello,

With the stock launcher you, the best you can do is set the grid for app icons to be 4x4. Otherwise you'll need to use another launcher to do this.
Unfortunately not—still the same gallery app from my Nexus 7 tablet back in 2012. Though, talks about implementing a new gallery app are being discussed.
I first used GrapheneOS four years ago and went back to it two months ago; and both the Calculator and Messages app remain unchanged since then.
No.
Yes.
They are still black and white, yes. But you can change this by using the Themed icons option and it will use the Material You palette for all app icons on your home screen—thus eliminating that "glaringly white" issue you have with them.

AlanZ

scythian2000

Thanks for taking the time to respond!

So, unfortunately it looks like no real progress has been made in usability for the time being. Understandable, considering the amount of work and the limited resources GOS developers have.

0xC0DED0D0

Fairly new user, since December, on a 9a and have already stated elsewhere on this forum that I've never been happier with a smartphone than I am now. That statement still stands, and it's all due to GrapheneOS itself.

To answer your questions in rapid succession:

Nope
Nope
Nope
Nope
Yup
Android 16 does have a "themed icons" experimental feature for the default launcher. Not a developer option, or anything.

With that said, opinions differ with taste. I discovered μLauncher, through Accrescent, after the switch and quickly adopted it for my homescreen needs.

Run it without icons at all, just listings of apps + gestures for the everyday stuff. No worries about using a third party launcher at all. Particularly this minimalist one, with no permissions...

Similarly, I don't mind using Aves for my gallery needs.

Messaging is preferably done through Signal (Molly), so the stock app is not an issue for me. Though for whatever SMS needs I might have, I'd rather use the stock one due to security. Both SMS and MMS have been used as attack vectors before.

I say go for it!

Personally I can't stand iOS's environment, and was happy to get away from it after having to use an iPhone for work.

Like I said, opinions differ.

AlanZ

0xC0DED0D0

Thank you, but these are bare minimum requirements for me. Also, "Themed icons" are only changed for the desktop, not throughout the system. I will keep checking periodically. Hopefully better news next time.

AlanZ

Or did you mean you want large icons, but keep the super tiny default font size?

Yes, I want to leave all the rest of the interface elements at their defaults, while scaling the icons x4.

AlanZ

Also, not strictly a GrapheneOS question but does anyone know if the default (incredibly idiotic) behavior of Chrome based browsers to delete downloaded files themselves instead of just clearing downloads history has changed?

carboneos

AlanZ no it hasn't changed

AlanZ

carboneos

Thanks! Yet another bummer, though.