As many of you know from my prior post, I have switched over to graphene OS for my mobile device. This article is an update on my progress so far, and I will provide a few tips along the way.
First I want to explain my situation, since your circumstances may cause you to choose different options.
I am a semi-retired boomer. I am not very adept technically, but I might have more time on my hands than you do. I also enjoy the process of figuring stuff out and trying workarounds. You may not have the time or the inclination to do that. Still, I do need my device for work related tasks, so convenience is an issue. I kept my old android around to ease the transition. I have learned from prior experience that going “cold turkey” on a change increases the odds of me throwing in the towel and going back to the easy solutions.
In my first article I toyed with the idea of going full stealth with a data only SIM card and a VPN dongle, but in the end convenience won out over more privacy. I think it’s a great idea, but it would be a little too radical for me. If you’re interested, check out @03365d6a53 and @final ‘s information in my prior post and their comments, and good luck with your brave experiment. Since I chickened out, I just switched my old Verizon Wireless sim card from my Galaxy S-10 to the Pixel 7. There were no issues, which surprised me a little. Verizon Wireless tends to interact with phones in a funky way, from what I’ve been told. Remember not to install any proprietary sim (especially Verizon Wireless) in a Pixel 7 before loading graphene and relocking the bootloader. You may never get it unlocked.
A Perfect Fit
I was anticipating a big tradeoff in quality and smooth operation switching to a Graphene OS Pixel 7. I was completely wrong. The Pixel 7 has a very solid build quality, and seems perfectly matched to the operating system. I guess it makes sense, since Graphene is built for this device. You don’t get all those mismatch issues you get with many android phones. The complete lack of bloatware definitely improves performance. The device seems snappy and responsive to me, though reviews I’ve read of the carrier loaded device describe it as a little “laggy”. I can’t believe how long a battery charge lasts. That was an unexpected huge benefit. I read that this is a result of losing all that bloatware. This was even more impressive when I discovered that the Pixel 7 with a standard carrier android setup is considered to have mediocre battery life.
The device is reasonably priced for what you get. That’s important, since you won’t find those promotional discounts or financing terms you would get buying a “carrier phone”. I bought mine straight from Google, and you probably should too. Read this review if you’re interested in learning about the hardware specs. The phone has a photo editing tool called “Photo Unblur”, which I used to sharpen a blurry photo of my daughter and I taken at her recent college graduation with a new Iphone. THAT was an unexpected benefit of switching to Graphene.
I also noticed an immediate improvement when using a VPN. I live in an area with spotty cell coverage. Every previous android device I have used disconnected my VPN every time I lost service. I have yet to have my VPN disconnect on the Pixel. I have no idea why, but I’m not complaining.
The operating system is set for “gestures” by default, rather than the standard android three button navigation. I gave it a try and decided to keep it. It is smooth and intuitive. Updates have been non events so far. I have had two; they were installed quickly and without any issues.
As I explained in my original post, Graphene comes pre-installed with a fully sandboxed Google Play Store. If you intend to continue using your Google apps and the play store, your switch to Graphene should be essentially painless. There will not be a huge learning curve, nor will you be making any major compromises. Apparently your apps may function differently once in a while, but from what I have read it is nothing major.
I would recommend that you consider setting up a second “user” where you can further isolate your Google apps in a sandboxed profile. In settings, go to “system, then go to “multiple users.” You can then toggle “allow multiple users.” This video explains the process in detail.
No Google For Me
I am stubborn, and as of now I have kept my vow to de google my life. I have decided not to use the Play Store, even if it is sandboxed. So far I’m surviving, and I am learning a lot, but it would have been easier to just get sucked back into Googleworld. I began searching for alternatives. One obvious issue I needed to consider was security. No more Play Protect. You may find this article useful.
When I began disentangling my life from google a few years ago, I signed up for Proton Unlimited. As a result, I use these Proton apps:
Proton Apps
-
Protonmail
-
Proton Drive
-
Proton VPN
-
Proton Calendar
I also use Proton Contacts, which is contained within the email app. Proton recently released Proton Pass, a new password manager. I will probably start using it rather than my old password manager.
I should mention that I got used to banking on my phone. I will no longer have access to my bank apps. This is an adjustment, but I can always log in to the web sites if need be. I see this as a good opportunity to head further down the road towards being unbanked. I gave up Paypal (and Venmo) a while back when they began censoring transactions and closing accounts they didn’t like. As I’m writing this I just learned that they closed the Graphene donation account. I never used Zelle. I do use CashApp, but only for bitcoin recurring buys, and only on a device without a cellular connection. If I’m out with my friends, I offer to split the bill in cash or with a lightning payment from my Phoenix Wallet App. So far, no takers. They laugh at me and I tell them they won’t be laughing when bitcoin breaks 100K. I will consider it a milestone when someone accepts a lightning payment to split the check.
My Other Non Google Apps
I download my FOSS apps from F-Droid repositories, and I download most of my other apk’s from APK Mirror. This site has a good reputation for safety, but there are no guarantees.
Here are the alternative apps I am currently using:
-
Amethyst
-
Mull browser
Mull Browser is forked from Fenix (Firefox). It’s open source and privacy hardened. It enables features from the Tor uplift project and uses Arkenfox preferences. I had no idea what these projects were, so I have linked to sites where you can learn more. It is also a deblobbed browser. I won’t pretend that I fully understand what that means, but it removes proprietary blobs. I have learned that a blob is a “Binary Large Object”. These closed source objects are large and can place demands on storage systems and network bandwith. They can also contain malicious code.
The browser allows extensions, and I added the recommended uBlock Origin extension, a “wide spectrum content blocker” that blocks ads, trackers, and popups.
- OpenBoard keyboard
The default keyboard didn’t work for me at all. My old fat fingers were mistyping keys at an alarming rate. I tried FlorisBoard, which was a little better, but its spell check suggestions were awful or non-existent. OpenBoard has worked very well for me. I can type accurately and the suggestions are excellent. It’s FOSS based on AOSP, with no Google binary dependencies.
- LibreTube
Libre Tube is an alternative front end for Youtube. It uses the Piped API. This app was inspired by NewPipe and Invidious, while solving problems inherent in both those apps. It’s FOSS, lightweight, ad free and privacy friendly. You connect to a Piped proxy, not a Google server. Your IP address is not exposed, and you can evade geographic content restrictions. You can choose from eight different proxies. I happen to be using whatever.social right now with no connection problems, but it’s probably wise to experiment.
- Hypatia
I installed this app since I’m downloading APK’s from sketchy sources. It may be unnecessary, but it makes me feel better. It’s a FOSS realtime malware scanner. It uses ClamAV style signature databases. It has negligible battery impact and is memory efficient. You can select and update databases.
- Open Note Scanner
Excellent scanning app that actually worked better for me than the old app I had been using from Google Play Store. Just remember you need to also install OpenCV Manager for it to work. I also discovered that in order to immediately email scanned documents you need the protonmail APK, not the PWA. I got a little PWA crazy when setting up my Pixel. There are limitations. On the other hand, it’s more work to keep APK’s updated, which is not an issue for PWA’s.
- Organic Maps
FOSS Google Maps alternative. No ads or tracking. It utilizes Open Street Map. It contains cycling routes, hiking trails, and walking paths. I have only used car navigation, which is still deemed experimental. Nevertheless, it has worked very well for me once I downloaded the map for my region. It does have voice navigation, although I have not used it. In the future they plan to implement Android Auto. I drive a 2006 Toyota, so that’s not an issue for me. I am learning about OpenStreetMap, which is a great project. Here’s a link to the United States organization.
-
Stacker News PWA
-
Fountain
-
Podverse
-
Note Everything
This is a really old, primitive app that I have used for years for taking notes. You cannot sync the notes to other devices without an extensive workaround and additional apps. I consider that a feature, not a bug. The notes live on my device, and each one can be easily encrypted. With the Pro paid app, you can encrypt your notes. I’m sure it’s not high end encryption, but I use it for privacy. I would not store any really private stuff on this app, like your keys, bank info, etc, but it gives you a little privacy.
Next Steps
Switching to the Google Pixel 7 has been painless for the most part. I get a great deal of satisfaction knowing that I am no longer supporting google in any way. I am also learning a lot about the functions and operations of a cell phone. It has been sort of like the way I felt switching from Windows to Linux. I learned so much more about how a computer works than I ever would have known had I not taken the leap. It is a big commitment, but not nearly as difficult or disruptive as I expected. I encourage everyone who wants to break away from big tech to give it a try.
I see this as a step towards my long term goal of controlling my own digital information. I intend to research equipment and begin moving to sovereign computing. I’m deciding between Start9, Umbrel, Sovran Systems, and Federated Computer.
I really like this quote from the Start 9 Web Site:
What is needed is a revolution in personal computing away from the current, hosted, custodial model that breeds dependency and corruption, towards a decentralized model, where individuals have absolute control over their data and communications.
Sound familiar?
Footnotes
supl.grapheneos.orgetc servers.