Hello,
I am a new user to GrapheneOS and I still haven't fully set up my phone / found what works best for me.
Later this year, not so long away, I will be travelling through China as part of a route through central Asia. I am interested in visiting, and have booked my flight out of, the Chinese region of Xinjiang (which I'm sure you've heard plenty about, however I'm not here to discuss any of that).
I will be crossing from Kyrgyzstan to China via the Irkeshtam border crossing - which is known for heavy security, including many thorough luggage and body checks by hand and scan, multiple passport checks, fingerprinting and (most importantly) multiple mandatory device checks. I have heard from many anecdotes and articles online that the (presumably) mandatory device checks include hand checking and a comprehensive scan done through installing a temporary app to scan your device and send it's data to the authorities for inspection.
As you can tell by me being here, I care about my privacy. I am not, however, a terrorist / freedom fighter, spy or journalist, who are the actual target of these security procedures - so in theory should have nothing to worry about and entry should be smooth. I am not too concerned about China seeing my mother's phone number or that I booked my flight tickets using a certain email or bank account. I am however, worried about something perfectly civilian being deemed suspicious or outright undesirable - potentially leading me to have my entry delayed further, denied entry or even (unlikely) be detained.
I am someone who has been politically interested / active for a long time so will take care special care to reduce apps and accounts to be primarily or purely practical ones, with as little additional data as possible. I don't want a liked social media post or an edgy joke or personal discussion from when I was a teenager to be flagged. I deem it unlikely, however, that I will be able to with hold much personal data from my phone as I will need to access banking; personal messages from friends, family and bookings; emails; etc.
I am primarily concerned that having little on my phone (or as little as possible) will be, by it's nature, suspicious to the authorities. Many online seem to recommend wiping or near wiping your device for such occassions, however that just seems like a great way to look like a bumbling spy or criminal.
Additionally, I am very concerned that merely using GrapheneOS will be an easy signal for the authorities to be suspicious of me - risking a whole load of potential mess. This worry has been heightened by the recent media reports about the guy that was arrested in the US after giving border guards his duress password. I don't intend to do this, but am worried the mere presence of GOS will raise red flags.
I am considering simply reinstalling the stock Google OS for this trip at least, and being careful what permissions I allow, what I install, what I search and who I sign in as. Then when I get back transfer my photos, perhaps new contacts, etc, sign out and start over.
I'm sure I can look elsewhere for more general recommendations on device considerations or advice when travelling China, for things such as e-sims or VPNs, but would appreciate any extra advice too. As long as my main focus is addressed!
My understanding of much of this is very limited and I certainly don't have a clue how the Chinese device scanning software works. I would really appreciate any advice!
Thank you