MDM or other options to make a "Dumb Phone" on GrapheneOS?

pjbarkdull

I got turned on to the idea of using GrapheneOS and Unlauncher for a "minimalist" phone from Side of Burrito's youtube channel. I want to go one extra step and really dumb down the phone, removing browsers and app installations unless I choose to give myself those permissions from my desktop. I was thinking about using an MDM but can't think of any free and degoogled options that would work for me. Ideally, I'm just hoping to create a curated list of approved apps to make my phone into a minimalist dumb phone for detox/productivity that gives me an extra layer of circumvention protection (from myself ha ha) by requiring an extra step like this. If anyone knows of a free MDM or something like this that would work (with a low barrier to entry for installing, I'm really new to a lot of this) I would appreciate it!

unwat

pjbarkdull

Don't know of any free MDM software that you can use. My best suggestion would be to leave the owner profile empty and use a secondary user profile then remove that profile's permissions to install apps in Settings > System > Multiple users > *user name* > Disallow installing apps

I used to use some social networking apps like Facebook more often, but on GrapheneOS, I installed those apps in another profile. Now I don't get notifications and I don't see the icons, so I never think about those services. I think I've used Facebook maybe 3 times over the past year. Maybe if you end up installing apps again, just put them in another profile. Maybe if you do it this way, your experience will be like mine.

Aaron

pjbarkdull

No need for an MDM in my opinion as you can have it all with GOS.

I keep the home profile "Dumb" with phone and txt, which reduces overall privacy and security surface - no Google pollution, etc...

Then I have Personal (Gmail, Maps, YT) and Work (we use G-Suite) profiles that are polluted with sandboxed Google stuff. Behaviorally I have to INTENTIONALLY log in to the "smart phone" stuff only when I need it.

In a pinch, it is very handy to be able to fire up Google Maps as it's significantly better than OSM and the other FOSS maps.

I'm better learning the streets, I actually plan out drives (north to Main St, East on Main for 3 miles to Harrison, then north on Harrison, etc), and I'm disconnected from all the garbage on the mobile internet.

pdagenius

pjbarkdull Perhaps you are looking at this the wrong way. Have you considered a vintage or retro minimalist phone instead if a GOS Pixel.

Blastoidea

Okay, I’m ignorant ….. what’s an MDM?

pjbarkdull

Blastoidea Mobile Device Manager! ~~I'm going to edit my post to include that now that I think about it.~~ * Corporations often use as a gross overreach on employee devices to monitor and push or block certain apps but I suppose it might be neccessary when you're handling sensitive data or the like.

*Looks like I can't edit my OG post anymore but Mobile Device Manger or (I think) Device Policy Manager is what I'm getting at

Blastoidea

I’m completely missing what you are trying to accomplish. GrapheneOS as installed is pretty minimalist.

Are you just playing in your head, or do you have a need?

pjbarkdull

Blastoidea My desire is to install an MDM or similar program onto my phone to blacklist specific apps, making my phone more "dumbed down". I'm hoping to use an MDM because you can manage your device policies from an administrator account on a third party device in order to do this. It's that extra layer of circumvention prevention that I want to help me create a dumbphone (to help myself avoid the cycle of deleting and reinstalling apps). The problem that I'm running into is that I don't' know of free and degoogled services that would work with GrapheneOS. And I can't think of any alternatives that would help me with what I'm trying to do.

pjbarkdull

These responses are why I made posting to a forum my absolute last resort. If you don't have a solution to what I'm specifically asking for can you please just avoid giving me unsolicited life advice? I would like to try this. If it's not your cup of tea, that's fine by me. I would still appreciate any and all help with the issue I'm specifically trying to address.

BluishHumility

This is kind of an odd thing to want to do to your device on purpose. The obvious solution would be: just don't use those apps. 😆

One thing you could do is set up a guest account, with a curated set of available apps and no permission to install anything. When you want to limit your device usage in this way, use the guest account. If you need to make a configuration change, log in to the regular account and then switch back when you are done.

pjbarkdull

BluishHumility Ha ha, yeah, I know it's a little odd. I've been frustrated with how I always seem to go back to reinstalling the same apps over and over. Some folks switch to a Light Phone, or flip phone, or whatever else it may be but I'm required to have more functionality than what those afford. I want to try and make a permanent lifestyle change that forces me to rethink what, when, and why my phone is incorporated into my life and help me recognize where I'm overdependent in general. To me, this would just be a way to commit to myself and what I want even if it seems silly to other folks. At the end of the day, whatever baby steps help me get where I want to be I'll take. It's the same kind of deal as "just exercise". Plenty of people struggle there so whatever helps them do it, however strange or convoluted their personal systems may be, all the better if it gets them exercising and works for them in my opinion.

Anyways, sorry about the rant. I've tampered with this idea, and at the end of the day it might not be a bad idea if things don't pan out otherwise. Thanks for the thought! :)

matchboxbananasynergy

This is a reminder to everyone that we should try to be helpful to people who come here to try and find solutions to their problems/issues. Sometimes, saying nothing is better than saying something unhelpful/dismissive.

To be clear, I'm referring to some now-deleted replies in this thread.

BluishHumility

@pjbarkdull I saw this video recently and it seems relevant to this topic. The author addresses the "dumbphone" trend and why it is appealing, then discusses a few ways to capture some of the same benefits of a dumbphone on a regular smartphone by tweaking some of the device settings. https://piped.garudalinux.org/watch?v=2OybGwwGc20

EWS

I am about to do the same thing i cant get my mdm to work properly but i have uninstalled mic, camera, browser, bluetooth, nfc, emercency calling wath i havent managed to remove is the ability to screenshot screenrecording and this is something i really would like to not have enabled

evalda

pdagenius I suppose such phones would be way less secure than a Pixel on GOS.