Call your representativesHire a lobbyist to donate millions of dollars to election campaigns for your representatives
Doesn’t even take that much. Most can be bought with a couple thousand.
Time to popularize Linux phones. I read that the security model is lacking, but especially given that Android is Linux too, it shouldn’t be too difficult to catch up. The EU is also interested in tech independence, so that could be one of the sources of funding. And there are a few viable early projects, like Ubuntu Touch and Sailfish.
IDK, I’d think the best path forward would be to just fork Android and move on from there. That’s what Graphene OS already does. Just standardize on Graphene OS for everything and get them more devs / resources.
yeah I will start deeply researching this because I refuse to use a closed down operating system for my phone my whole life. Fuck android fuck google and fuck apple
Remember to contribute to postmarketOS!
Fucking love postmarketOS. First OS to improve on Maemo on an N900
I’ll be frank with you. As long as my customers are captive on either Apple or Google platforms I can’t do shit.
Linux phones look more and more attractive
Couldn’t agree more Especially when the Pine Phone Pro is improving every year since its has came out and with Posh shell and Waydroid nothing will stop Linux from succeeding in the modern era
Graphene OS
No, linux
Is GraphenOS tenable to use as a daily driver?
Yes.
Is grapheneos available on anything but Google pixel phones?
No, just buy one used on ebay.
I heard that they’re working on that, but currently only Pixel.
Sadly, no. Your best bet is Lineage without gapps. Aurora and F-Droid covers pretty much everything I use, so that’s likely my move in the near future.
I have found it good
Are you pretty much able to do everything you need? I don’t even love using my phone but when I use it its kind of critical. Things like maps while driving. Does that work alright?
I am. You can install Google Play services in a sandbox. One of my banking apps works the other does not, but I prefer to do that over web on a desktop anyway. Otherwise I get pretty much everything off of f-droid.
Absolutely.
so much yes. I just got mine a few days ago and I love it so much.
Absolutely. You won’t be able to use tap to pay, and the Google Wallet app doesn’t open for me. Certain banking and finance apps might require some additional compatibility settings to be enabled. Otherwise it’s been an extremely smooth experience for me.
Cool. Currently I try to use Mobile Pay for everything, but the privacy is more important for me. I’m on IOS right but I’m tired of Apple and hate Google’s privacy policies. So I’ll def get a refurbished Pixel and try out Graphene. Thanks!
Everyone is talking about getting a fairphone and whatnot but I’m concerned about the open source apk communities shutting down since the market share and interest is killed by this.
My main issue is losing YouTube ReVanced. I refuse to pay for Premium! Especially to one of the wealthiest companies in the world!
Sorry to piss off all the Apple shills on here, but sounds like an opportunity to me. I think there’s enough of us that want something better and some traction with Graphene and some Linux options. This should be a spark to ignite some fires. I’m disappointed but unsurpised by this news, but also a little excited about the window of motivation and opportunity this opens.
Honestly, I’m worried. Current Linux options are expensive and or shitty. IDK if Sailfish is still a thing. I can’t use Apple. If I keep taking good care of my not-so-shitty Xiaomi phone, maybe I have a couple more years until I’m pwned.
PostmarketOS seems promising, though.
I look forward to LibrePhone coming online. I hope it comes soon …
“Librephone — Free Software Foundation — Working together for free software” https://www.fsf.org/campaigns/librephone
SailfishOS is still very much a thing and they have a brand new phone on the way. Since it hasn’t been released yet it’s hard to get into specifics, but early interest seems to point in a positive direction at least.
Could you go over what Graphene is for phones? Is it easy to switch to an alternative to android?
Its a version of android OS that can be installed on Google Pixel phones. Its a relatively easy switch if you’re technically inclined, but the device needs to be carrier unlocked.
I’ll switch in a heartbeat if they support a nonGoogle phone
They’re working on it. Unfortunately most phones have poor security hardware, which is why its limited to Pixels at the moment.
Good news!
If it’s just a fork of Android, doesn’t that mean 194 days from now they either need to branch off entirely and write their own code from here on out…
Or…
Never advance the base code?
No. As long as the base remains opensource (AOSP), they can remove the bad parts. Graphene has made numerous contributions to AOSP, I’m confident they can manage that. And if the user base growths, I hope their fundings will follow.
It would be a good thing for the world if AOSP was forked with big resources behind an open project with an open governance. But that needs lot of resources.
deleted by creator
Isn’t carrier locked phones exclusive to America? As far as I know, no other country lock their phones to a specific carrier.
It’s Android with all of the Google removed where possible and sandboxed where not. You can choose to install the Google Play services and use it like any other Android phone or use it without any Google software.
Some things won’t work, namely things like some banking applications and NFC payments, because they require on hardware attestation that Google will not allow Graphene to pass. Essentially everything that isn’t banking/payment related works exactly like any other Android phone.
It is just a secure phone (though you can still install Facebook on it if you want) that is designed around mitigating attacks that could violate your privacy and security.
Very easy to install, you just buy a Pixel directly from Google (don’t buy from the carriers, they’ll be locked). Enable OEM Unlocking in the Developer menu and then plug it into USB and you can install it directly from the Graphene site via WebUSB. It takes about 5-10 minutes, then your phone will reboot (It’ll give you a scary looking screen about not running a Google OS that you’ll see every time it reboots but it’s just informational, it doesn’t affect anything and the system will boot into GrapheneOS in a second or two).
The more complete instructions and WebUSB install process:
What really bugs me about it: The first step from “how to ungoogle your phone” is “go, give money to Google” by buying their hardware.
It bugs me also.
My thinking is that the part of Google that I think is bad is their advertising and algorithmic recommendation systems which are built on private data that I no longer wish to divulge.
The Pixel is made by a company that used to be called HTC before they were consumed by Alphabet. That company produced good hardware that was smartly designed and innovative. That legacy continues with the device that Google has sells as the Pixel.
There are a few things about the phone that Alphabet has tainted, such as the inability to use NFC payments because hardware running GrapheneOS isn’t allowed into their secure hardware attestation chain. Not for any real technical reason, only because it allows Alphabet to disincentivize people away from a competitor by abusing their many monopoly powers.
GrapheneOS takes advantage of the excellently designed HTC hardware to create an operating system that is designed from the ground up to be secure. It then leverages the complete control over your hardware to put Alphabet’s other software inside of a little box where it constantly lies to the software in a way that lets your applications work without them actually being able to access everything on your device.
Yes, it is technically an Alphabet product and giving them money can feel distasteful. However, in this case by buying their hardware you can cut off their software, which is the actual thing that is negatively affecting everything.
I’d buy any other phone that fully supported GrapheneOS’s requirements for future devices.
Until then, I’m less worried about giving HTC money than I am about having a device that I know is under my control and that works to protect my privacy.
Why do banks need a hardware attestation, out of curiosity? I’d assume that banking apps are just clients so all that matters is if they have creds or not.
The banks don’t want their payment systems being accessed by devices that are compromised by malicious actors.
The attestation chain allows for Google to tell the apps ‘Yep, this system is running a known safe image that has been crytographically verified using the secure hardware on the device’. The apps will only allow their payment systems to be accessed (like, to send an NFC payment) if this check can verify that.
If you want technical details: https://developers.home.google.com/matter/primer/attestation
They don’t NEED it for NFC payments to work, this is a way of limiting attack vectors on their payment infrastructure (or, cynically, a way for Google to ensure that no competing OS can exist because people would rather give Google all of their privacy so they can pull a phone out of their pocket rather than a credit card.
traction with Graphene
What kind of traction? Is it missing something? Or do you just mean more developers behind it?
It’s missing a robust user base imo. More developers too.
Fuck you Google. I won’t do further updates on my Pixel and the moment I run into an issue I’ll move operating systems or phones if required. Half my apps don’t come from Google Play and I don’t want the developers to have to register with Google for anything.
is there a way to ACTUALLY disable them? I’ve attempted to change every option I can find (pixel 7 pro) and it just downloads them anyway. I’d love to try graphene but I am a fucking moron and I will 100% end up bricking my phone if I attempt to install it.
no you won’t … its so easy to install.
Not that I know of. I was just going to not install them.
Actually I hear Graphene installation on a Pixel is nearly unbrickable and has a nice user friendly website.
I watched a video of it and was reminded of the old Limera1n/Blackrain/etc IOS jailbreak days. There was one where you just went to a website and swiped to jailbreak then your idevice rebooted and you were jailbroken.
put grapheneOS on it …
That will be the go to. I’m just procrastinating the migration.
So, does it mean that degooglized android phones will suffer as well?
This will take effect for only google “certified” phones. If you’re using a custom rom with no gapps (including play services) installed, you will most likely be not affected.
If some of your apps rely on play services, i can heavily recommend microg as replacement for it.
Do I have to install microg or graphene or whatever on my Google Pixel before that date or miss the boat?
Have been putting it off.
GrapheneOS has sandboxed play services that you can easily install to make sure apps work. my banking app only works with play store services so I installed them and set them to zero permissions. You can also make a second profile with nothing installed and switch when you need those apps. MicroG has never worked for me on any phone.
Fairphone, here I come.
Out of the loop here. How can google lockdown an open-source operating system? I know they are involved in developing it because it benefits them, but does that mean they own it?
The comments keep mentioning Linux phones, have they managed to get Linux running on mobile hardware that I won’t have to go on an archaeological dig for?
There’s this… https://commerce.jolla.com/products/jolla-phone-preorder
It specifies the European market, not sure how well it’ll play with Canadian service providers. I’ll have to wait and see before dropping $1000 (before shipping) on it. VoLTE is pretty much required here and last I heard that was tricky for Linux phones
For now I have GrapheneOS on a Pixel 8 Pro, but I’ll keep an eye on this one to see if it’ll be compatible in Canada
I have GrapheneOS on Pixel 8a and given all the recent news I’m genuinely anxious about what’s coming next :(
Also waiting for this! Would love to get TOH, but doesn’t look too promising currently.
What does this mean for GrapheneOS and similar degoogled android versions?
While it does not affect them directly, it is unlikely most app developers will give significant effort to only support a small percentage of Android users running custom ROMs. So while GrapheneOS users will be able to install apps, there will likely not be that many apps to install.
Edit: What I mean is that most applications will have to choose to either agree to google terms and identify themselves, or develop only for custom ROMs, or stop developing altogether. And I don’t think many will choose the 2nd option. Also, 1st option may not be available if google does not like your app.
How do we defend our privacy on Android now?
