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OK, so GrapheneOS. I've used it for almost three years now. I've very much enjoyed taking a bit more control over my privacy. Maybe you will too.

Links for the wicked!

From GrapheneOS directly (on their website or social media):
- GrapheneOS home page: https://grapheneos.org/
- GrapheneOS donate page: https://grapheneos.org/donate
- GrapheneOS supported devices: https://grapheneos.org/faq#supported-devices
- GrapheneOS Attestation Compatibility Guide: https://grapheneos.org/articles/attestation-compatibility-guide
- Reddit comment from GrapheneOS about OEMs: https://www.reddit.com/r/GrapheneOS/comments/1o32gpg/comment/nivsx0k/
- Regarding GrapheneOS on social media, here's one post they copy/pasted multiple times in a short window, behavior I find a little unsettling: https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/116092140167973707
- Another recent comment from GrapheneOS in reply to someone who was just mentioning a competitor: https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/116076269968876054

App stores that aren't Google:
- Accrescent home page (an app store GrapheneOS has made available in stock GrapheneOS): https://accrescent.app/
- Obtanium home page (downloading apps directly from Git or other sources): https://obtainium.imranr.dev/
- F-Droid, you probably already know about them by now: https://f-droid.org/

About specific apps which might be helpful:
- Signal APK download: https://signal.org/android/apk/
- Terence Eden's awesome blog post about Contactless Payments in Europe using Curve with GrapheneOS: https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/06/contactless-payments-with-grapheneos/
- Organic Maps works pretty well as a general maps app: https://organicmaps.app/
- Unified Push homepage (great resource for notifications without Google Play): https://unifiedpush.org/

Also, thank you OpenMoji for the judge lady (CC BY-SA-4.0): https://openmoji.org/library/emoji-1F469-200D-2696-FE0F/

Chapters:
0:00 It's like a dumbphone...
2:01 ...but it's not a dumbphone.
4:32 But... Pixel? Isn't that a Google thing?
6:26 Installing apps on GrapheneOS
8:40 Messaging with GrapheneOS
10:06 What we leave behind on GrapheneOS
12:12 Taking back my privacy and my attention with GrapheneOS
14:22 Fine... yeah there's some drama with GrapheneOS
16:29 GrapheneOS is still awesome

#android #privacy #grapheneOS

Veronica Explains

A personal account of nearly three years using GrapheneOS as a daily driver on Pixel devices, covering why it's a compelling privacy-focused Android alternative. GrapheneOS strips out Google Play Services by default, leaving a minimal 14-app experience that can be selectively expanded. Sandboxed Google Play is available for those who need banking or travel apps, while a fully de-Googled setup is viable for users willing to use alternatives like Signal, F-Droid, and Obtainium. Key trade-offs include no tap-to-pay support, reduced push notification reliability without Google Play, and some GPS app limitations. Standout features include a duress PIN, PIN scrambling, storage scopes, and dramatically improved battery life. The author also candidly criticizes the GrapheneOS team's combative social media behavior while still endorsing the project as the best privacy option on Android.

GrapheneOS can help you retake your privacy, right now.

<p>Why not just go for a feature phone?</p>
