I have been trying to switch to my Graphene Pixel 4a 5G for a long time now, still figuring out user profiles to get some google play services for necessary work apps. It's just been such a long learning process that I kind of want a fundamental reminder of why people love this OS to keep my spirits up about finally using it full time.
What are your top 3 favorite features about Graphene?
My top three are:
- choice of Using Google Services or not.
- Expanded permission toggles like Network and Scopes (Storage Scopes, Contact scopes)
- focus on Security while also keeping the OS Easy to use.
Hardened malloc implementation
Storage Scopes
Minimal default applications
operation-casserole have been trying to switch to my Graphene Pixel 4a 5G for a long time now [...]
It might be better to pick up a 6a, or something with an even longer support horizon, because the GrapheneOS project officially recommends retiring the 4a5g:
Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 are end-of-life and shouldn't be used anymore due to lack of security patches for firmware and drivers. We provide extended support for harm reduction. [source]
Given infelicities in the current backup system, it may be inconvenient to work through setting up one device only to need to switch soon to another in a hurry if a big security issue pops up.
1) While I love all the privacy and security enhancements, my favorite has to be scoped storage. Such a clever solution to apps asking for way too much information.
2) How quickly updates occur. It's phenomenal.
3) All the high quality information provided. I've learned a lot over the years merely by reading the documentation and social media posts.
My 3 favorite features that I notice almost every day:
1) User profiles (and the related ability to use Google in a separate profile and then even sandboxed)
2) Storage and contact scopes
3) Starting with a minimalist setup and then being able to customize the OS according to my needs
My three favorite features that work less tangibly behind the scenes:
1.) MTE
2.) Speed with which GrapheneOS releases updates
3) the focus of the developers on exploit mitigations (hardened malloc, libc, runtime etc.)
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- The battery runtime.
- Being able to disable an app without uninstalling it. I keep the amazon and sony headphone apps on board but disabled.
- When I flip a toggle - it's off. No background funny business.
- The updates but I wouldn't mind know when I'm getting them.
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“More precise system clock via lowering the system clock time update threshold from 2000ms to 50ms and lowering the system clock drift warning from 2000ms to 250ms. This can be helpful for time-based protocols such as TOTP.“
Nah just kidding here are my favorite features :
- Sandboxed Play Services
- Disable user-installed apps
- Internet toggle
- Auto reboot
And Contact and Storage scopes
I agree that the background updates are fantastic.
But I think that we often forget all the technical work that most of us don't understand i.e. pretty much the whole page graphene.osorg/features
The promptness of the updates.
Everything else.
Sandboxed Google services
Storage scopes
Memory tagging
It's so hard to pick 3. It has so many unique and important features. I guess I'll go with
- Hardened memory management
- Sandboxed Google
- App permission extensions (sensors, internet, scopes...)
- No shitty bloatware, only the most basic stuff
- Full control over my device (if anything on my phone initiates communication to its mother ship it's 100% my fault)
- Storage scopes
Also: control over network access, updates, community, and the strong belief I am not fed false promises and getting brainwashed by marketing
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- no Google apps or services
- Storage scopes
- Apps
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I value privacy (very high) over security (high), so here's mine:
- Google services removed by default
- Turning off Bluetooth and WiFi actually turn them off
- Scopes. I wish I could scopes all the things, especially location (ex: cycle population-dense landmarks), but Storage and Contacts is an excellent start
- No bloatware software
- SandBoxed Google services
- Call Recording (I find it to be very useful in some situations , missing only automatic option).
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Sandboxed Google Play Services (I use them in my work profile for certain apps via Shelter)
Daniel Micay's and the GOS team's expertise. They really make a difference.
The feeling that I am the absolute master of my device
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All privacy and security aside for being obvious, I reinstalled Google/Stock in a moment of weakness and realized how much crap there was on there! There's just so much...Google. And everything comes with an algorithm/feed - something they can hook you in with. It's kind of obvious, but it's so overbearing once you've experienced the lack of it. That and every Google app is logged in all the time to your account, it's truly a suffocating experience. I came to my senses and moved back to GOS. The user experience of stock Pixel is not a good one for me.
So in a nutshell:
- Minimalism - and the ability to have as much or as little on your phone as you like, which leads to number
- Autonomy - the feeling your device belongs to you, like you did actually pay for it and can do with it what you like - one reason i originally moved away from Apple.
- I really missed the storage scopes with stock and realised that was a big deal for me.
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operation-casserole
You know, unfortunately using gos/pixel and moving to a "privacy" phone has a very tall learning curve. It was quite unpleasant even for a technical person like me.
I'll just say its really important to have a "fully functional base" to start from so that the phone becomes usable. This means having a full set of working "primary" apps that don't pain you.
This means apps for:
- phone calls,
- SMS
- gallery
- camera
- calendar
- note taking
- calculator
- audio/video player
- file explorer
- youtube player
- maps
- browser
- weather
- app store
Sometime the look and feel of the OS is also critically important for the person so add "launcher" to the above list.
Once you have the above out of the way, the rest become much easier to deal with and you can take your time to deal with them since your base phone is working and not bothersome.
Replace any app that gets on your nerve. Don't neglect this.
As to your pain, you know, you just have to be clear about why you do this and what you are freeing yourself from. You have to be clear about the value of that for yourself. That the extreme surveillance built into regular phones is just not the future you want in your life and that the alternative has some pain and you are willing to endure that pain and cost. The cost gets lesser over time.
The reason this has dragged for you is cause you never committed. Though i'll say it took me a whole month of 8 hours a day to learn everything i needed, and that was really gruesome. Back then i thought "there is no way the average person could stomach this". So i totally get where you are coming from as well. I was there too.
But now i kind of don't even notice the phone anymore. Which is where you wanna be.
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operation-casserole
Imagine:
- being location tracked all the time
- not knowing if your conversations are being listened to
- the phone knowing all your relations and who you are standing next to all the time
- " them" knowing your whole contact list and who you call and for how long, all the time.
- everything you type on your phone
- every app having access to internet and gathering data on you.
- your browser searches and map movement always being logged against you.
- your phone surveiling everyone around you
- being an instrument of this surveillance system and propagating it and not being able to stop it in your phone
That's why you got this phone.
That's why "I" got this phone, and i will endure some pain, but its part of being a responsible human being and saying no to a horrific future for my and other's children.
All the mitigations so I can use GPS as privacy friendly as possible:
Rerouting location requests to the OS.
GrapheneOS server or proxy for connectivity checks, SUPL and PSDS.
The ability to decide which permission I want to give to which app. Including GPS.