Getting Ready for Pixel / Graphene. Advice?

Shendai

User2288 Interesting list. There are a couple points or concerns I'd make here (like using a browser on GrapheneOS other than the default Vanadium with its security hardening) but I'll just limit to one real comment:

Telegram FOSS, this app burns through battery life like nothing else I've used. Had to ditch it for that specific reason, just really terrible. Would suggest looking at Nekogram X as an alternative, also open source, but without the dreadful battery life drain.

To the original poster - if you want to receive notifications reliably for all your apps, there may not be a practical alternative to using the sandboxed google services available through GrapheneOS. Sure, many apps work fine, but many don't, and while it stinks that we need google at all for such core functionality to work reliably, its vexing when it doesn't. Good luck and welcome. With patience and thoughtful setup, there's nothing quite like the control you have with GrapheneOS, in my opinion.

zeroNULLvoid

Sorry I have not gotten back to my question. Between work and the loss of a family member, I have not been around.

I want to thank everyone that responded constructively and informatively.

I have finally decided to "pull the trigger" and I am going to install Graphene this weekend. (Haven't even opened the phone yet!)

This weekend, I have literally nothing to do, so I will have the personal time to fill and spend with it!

[deleted]

zeroNULLvoid Did you get to install GOS yet? How are you finding it? Did it so far fulfill your expectations?

User2288

I need to revise my guide as I no longer fully agree with myself on every item on my original post.

I also agree with @Shendai .

TelegromFOSS is bad for battery.

Aves has internal video player, Simple Gallery doesn't. Simple gallery has internal editing tools. I believe Aves doesn't.

If you need extra browsers brave is a better option than bromite.

LibreTube is better than NewPipe for privacy, but both have their merits.

Checkout an app called UntrackMe. very useful for privacy when opening links in the browser for some common websites. Gives alternative frontends in the browser to read/view comon websites like youtube and reddit. Very handy for me.

You don't necessarily have to install Google Camera and Google Photos in a separate profile like I recommended before. How and where you install them depends on your strategy and how isolated you want them to be. You can certainly test install them once in a separate profile to get the hang of the process as a practice run.

[deleted]

User2288 I didn't know about the vimusic app, thanks for the link.

User2288

[deleted]

You're welcome.

I think some spotify clients exist too but I haven't looked into it yet. Spot would give better quality, but vi music is really good for convenience.

zeroNULLvoid

[deleted] I am getting the hang of it! Battery life is incredible, smooth, clean, does exactly what I want it to do, and keeps me more present in the moment. Installed F-Droid and Aurora, got Brave and my Proton suite - very pleased! Thank You!

Gee

User2288
Thank you for this great guide. Tomorrow is my starting day.
This might be a noob question: if I plan to run different user profiles, do I have to install Obtainium, Aurora, Droidify and Co. on each profile? My guees is yes, because other use case and profile specific apps need to be installed through them into each individual profile. Or is there something like a super user, who can download apps and then grants them access to different profiles? Thanks ahead.

Dumdum

Gee
You can certainly install apps in the owner profile if the app will be used on multiple profiles. Doing this will allow you to use the "Install Available Apps" feature to "push" an app from the owner profile into whichever profiles you wish. You can then update the app from the Owner profile, which will update the app on all profiles.

If you only want an app to be on a specific profile, then yes you'll need Obtainium/Aurora/etc. on that profile.

Gee

Dumdum Great, thank you. Brings me a step closer to plan how to use my Pixel as simple as possible. Not so easy when you are operating with three different physical SIMs and eyeing towards melting everything down to one eSIM and one pSIM ...

Blastoidea

Don’t load it up with all the crap that people think they “need”.

Gee

Blastoidea That's exactly why I am asking these noob questions here, to not install more junk than really needed.

User2288

Gee
Also know that for installing and removing esims you will need official google software. Gos alone cant do it. I'm not sure if it can be done using the gos' "sandboxed google play". Check other threads on the subject of esim installation/removal.

ntop

User2288
Wow.. Great list

Thanks