Hey dear smart community, I don’t use any Google products or services over 3 years now. Always had android and used fdroid. No apps for banking ( cash lover). Osmand for maps. Extremely happy to find this app for socializing with like minded people. Now I feel time has come to upgrade privacy and security and custom ROM phone. I am considering if getting pixel8 and installing GOS. The only issue is,that I have 0 (ZERO) knowledge about how to do it. I have looked many videos and read on websites how to do it,but I am so afraid that I will not be able. I don’t know if that is right to ask for assistance from people here,but I don’t feel like I am capable of doing so. Plus,I have samsung which I would like to prepare and give my friend to use. Unfortunately, that person in immersed to Google world ( internet banking apps ect). Do you think LineageOS could give more protection and same smooth usage of phone ? I will appreciate any suggestions how to custom ROM phones. Best wishes to all.
GOS = Easy to super easy
Linage / other on Samsung = hard
In the past other roms on devices have caused issues for me (I’m happy to deal with them) and others (who would prefer to just use google).
I understand you want the best for your friend, but if there already immersed the best experience for them is just default samsung.
It would be better IMO to format, debloat, and then install some privacy friendly options.
- FDroid
- Thunderbird / Email client of choice
- signal
- browser of choice
- etc
That way they have some privacy apps to get started.
I’ve used both Graphene and e/OS (based on Lineage), ime they have one thing that they do better than the other. Graphene comes with more granular privacy controls, and e/OS comes with tor connectivity built into the OS itself (“hide my IP” option). Both are daily driver capable phones and I like them both.
Just make sure to set up a firewall as well if you want to keep unnecessary shit from connecting to the internet, as neither of them allows you to block all of the bloatware out of the box (but you can block more of it using Graphene).
I bought a /e/os phone from Murena last year, because GrapheneOS did not sell a phone that wasn’t manufactured by Google. So far I’m pretty happy with my Murena phone.
Get at least Pixel 9 series phone. You’ll have support from GrapheneOS until 2032. And you just open their installer in the browser and follow the instructions.
Hi I work at Murena and we sell phones precisely for people who want to use something different than Big Tech yet don’t really have a lot of technological expertise eg to flash devices. Check us out at https://murena.com/ ! Our phones come with /e/OS, you can read more about it on https://e.foundation/
Can recommend indeed. I have used both, GrapheneOS and /e/OS and can confirm both are great. If you somehow do not feel or do not want or can not setup yourself, buying from Murena is a great alternative to stay away from BigTech.
In 2027, Motorola will realease a phone with GrapheneOS preinstalled. So no Google phone.
Allegedly. Till Motorola announces it and it gets released, I well not hold my breath. Also price by the time it gets released who knows what it well cost.
basic rule for life (and messing with computer hardware / software) - it’s inevitable that you will have times that are challenging and difficult but if you work through the problems you’ll come out the other side with more experience under your belt.
You may have zero knowledge now but I can already tell that the desire to improve is there.
We all start somewhere.
I was apprehensive about buying a used Pixel to install GrapheneOS on, so I put it off for a year or two. When I finally did it, it was so easy I wished I had done it sooner. It’s a great OS and you’ll probably be surprised how easy it is to set up. Things have really changed since the old days of finding half-baked custom Android images on dodgy file shares through forum sites. GrapheneOS installation is slick.
I’ve just recently installed GrapheneOS on a new Pixel 8 (as in, refurbished, but for me it was new). It worked quite well. I’ve used to use the CLI installer before, but after looking at the current recommendations on their website, I followed through with the web-based one.
One point of local struggle for me was when I needed to “Flash factory images”. It looked like it’s not going well, I didn’t understand (still don’t) how to read the instruction unambiguously on when I should stop waiting, ended up restarting my phone once needlessly. However, doing the same step again afterwards somehow made the flashing successfully, and the button for the next stage got enabled (“locking the bootloader”). In total, it was inconsequential.
Everything is working super-smooth since. I’ve did a hardware attestation procedure to make sure that my refurbished phone is fine, and it shows up as fine. I’m quite content with how it went. Considering how you describe your phone usage, you would benefit from GOS or another open firmware a lot. You can give it a try, it’s a good firmware! I wish there’d be projects that would be freedom-first, not privacy-first with the same quality level. I digress and it’s subjective at this point. Just give it a try!
Just make sure your Pixel 8 is unlocked. The rest is very simple.
