this post was submitted on 25 Nov 2024
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Privacy

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I am a long term GrapheneOS user and would like to talk about it. r/privacy on the redditland blocks custom OS discussions which I think is very bad for user privacy, and I hope this post will be useful to anyone who are in the hunt for better privacy.

Nowadays smartphones are a much bigger threats to our privacy and Desktop systems, and unfortunately manufacturers has designed them to be locked down devices with no user freedom. You can't just "install Linux" on most smartphones and it is horrible. And most preloaded systems spy on us like crazy. That was why I specifically bought a pixel and loaded GOS onto it.

According to https://grapheneos.org/features , they start from base AOSP's latest version, imptoves upon it's security and significantly hardens it. There's hardened_malloc to.prevent against exploitation, disabling lots of debugging features, disabling USB-c data, hardening the Linux kernel and system apps etc. They even block accessing the hardware identifiers of the phone so that apps cannot detect whqt phone you're using. That means with Tor and zero permissions given, apps are anonymous.

Compatibility with apps are best in Custom ROMs but there are still that can't work, especially if they enforce device integrity. Very few apps usually enforce that tho. Also their community isn't the friendliest but you can get help. Just don't try and engage too much or have too many debates.

Anyone else here use GrapheneOS, or any other privacy ROMs? What is your experience? Do you disagree on any point? Let's have a discussion!

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 weeks ago (6 children)

I would love to buy a pixel to install GrapheneOS but ain't no way I'm giving google money and I don't know where I can buy a brand new pixel. There are currently 3 apps that scare me and not sure if they're even working on GOS and one is my bank app

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I have no problem giving google money to pay for good hardware as lobg as they give me the freedom to do with it as I please.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

This is what kinda scares me. Pixels are/were the only phone I know with a green/gray screen problem. Can't find images online (probably can't find the right words to search for it)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I think it's not PIxel only issue. Some Samsung S series devices also suffer from the same screen green tint issue.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

I mean yeah but never heard about it and owned some Samsung phones (yeee realized too late).

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I believe only the pixel 8 is effected?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Pixel 4 too! I saw a video on yt about it

Something like https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=yfZEtTYs5r8

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

Regarding banking app, check privsec.dev 's list.

Regarding Pixel, don't see it as giving money to Google, see it as payingnfor good hardware.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Of course mine isn't supported 🥲 fuck google

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Does yours have a website you can use through a mobile browser? With the exception of mobile depositing checks, which I do once every 15 years or so, I can do all of my banking in the browser

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago

It does but the mobile app is a lot better in terms of UI. For example, on the app I can transfer money in a few clicks while on the website I have to login every time (app is fingerprint), navigate in desktop more and find the way to transfer money to the other card. Maybe it works, maybe no one reported it as working (I hope that's why!)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm still paying a shitty company for good hardware. I will see if I can find a good refurbished, otherwise I'll pay the hardware with money and not my data. Fuck google

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

I'll pay the hardware with money and not my data.

Way to go

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago

Found a pixel 7 8/128 for 270€ and could be good

[–] [email protected] 18 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Getting a used/refurbished one doesn't really give them anything, and actually prevents them from getting data on the next person who would have gotten the used phone and used the stock OS

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

True. I have to see which one is the right one for me and the price. I'll check it later

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

I got a 6 a few months ago and it's solid. I only got it as a test but ended up using it full time. I do wish j had gotten a newer one only to future proof more

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago

I've found the 7 8/128 for ~270€ and it's great! Good conditions too, it scares me the green screen problem which is a pixel thing

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Here they aren't officially available yet there are still plenty of resellers - I guess you can find some in your area. I was really scared that the bootloader wouldn't unlock due to the origin country's carrier shenanigans, but it went through just fine (still checked every bit of info I could before buying).

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Last time I bought a phone it was sold as phone of my country then realized when started that was from another country in Europe so I'm scared of getting that again

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)

At least the listings I have seen explicitly listed the origin country. Mine is Japanese, and it cost less than an American counterpart, for example.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago

It's not a big deal but the thing I wanted to use was not available on that region🥲 then I learned how shitty the company was

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Check out Swappa. They usually have plenty of phones in various condition to pick from.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 weeks ago

It's a refurbished website for the US? I'm in Europe and I can check something similar Thank you!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

My bank app worked fine on lineage OS without Google Play Services, but I ended up leaving them anyway because I wanted to have a bank that would let me use a mobile website and that bank required the use of their app.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago

Good luck to me I guess! Thank you!