F. A. Q.

Why should I get a de-googled phone?

Privacy: One of the main reasons to switch to a degoogled phone is to regain control over your privacy. Google collects a significant amount of personal data, including your location, search history, and app usage. A degoogled phone eliminates this data collection, ensuring your information remains private.
Data Security: By using a degoogled phone, you reduce the risk of your data being compromised or hacked. Since Google services are not integrated into the phone, there are fewer potential entry points for cyberattacks.
Enhanced Control: With a degoogled phone, you have full control over your device and its applications. You can choose which apps to install, update, or remove without any interference from Google. This allows for a more personalized and secure user experience.
Longer Battery Life: Google's services, such as background syncing and location tracking, can drain your phone's battery quickly. By using a degoogled phone, you eliminate these resource-intensive processes, resulting in extended battery life.
Less Bloatware: Most Android phones come preloaded with numerous Google apps that cannot be uninstalled. These apps not only consume storage space but also collect data in the background. A degoogled phone allows you to avoid unnecessary bloatware, giving you more storage for apps and files you actually need.
Reduced Dependence on Google: Google's ecosystem is deeply integrated into Android devices, making it difficult to escape their services. However, a degoogled phone frees you from this dependency, allowing you to explore alternative services and apps that align better with your preferences.
Increased Performance: Without Google's services running in the background, a degoogled phone typically experiences improved performance. The device can allocate more resources to the apps and tasks you prioritize, resulting in smoother operation and faster response times.

Can I get the phone in cornflour-blue?

You can get it in any colour you like, as long as it's charcoal! Options are far more plentiful when shopping for a phone case, however.

What are the key features of Graphene OS?

GrapheneOS aims to defend against the exploitation of unknown vulnerabilities by reducing the attack surface and implementing exploit mitigations. It also provides control over the USB-C port and pogo pins, ensuring enhanced security and privacy.
Android App Compatibility: GrapheneOS is built with Android app compatibility in mind, allowing users to enjoy a wide range of applications while maintaining a high level of security and privacy.
Research and Development: GrapheneOS focuses on continuous research and development of privacy and security technologies. This includes improvements to sandboxing and exploit mitigations to ensure a robust defense against potential threats.
Hardware-Based Encryption: GrapheneOS offers full support for hardware-based encryption features, providing an additional layer of security for user data. This feature is extended to other hardware-based security features as well.
Open Source: GrapheneOS is an open-source project, allowing the community to review and contribute to its development. This transparency enhances security and ensures that the OS is continuously improved by a wide range of contributors.
Privacy and Security Focus: GrapheneOS is designed with a strong emphasis on privacy and security. It implements improved sandboxing techniques, anti-persistence/detection measures, and more complete patching to protect user data and enhance overall security.
Sandboxed Google Play: GrapheneOS provides a sandboxed environment for Google Play, ensuring that app installations and updates are isolated, minimizing potential exploit threats.

Does Google Play run on these phones?

These phones run GrapheneOS, as such GrapheneOS does not support the Google Play Store by default[1][2]. However, it is possible to use Sandboxed Google Play on GrapheneOS for apps that require it[1]. Sandboxed Google Play is the only way to use Google Play on GrapheneOS, and it can only be installed and run as regular, sandboxed apps[5]. Other apps, like Signal, have their own implementations for app compatibility[1].

GrapheneOS allows for alternative implementations such as UnifiedPush, but for them to be useful, apps need to specifically adopt them[1]. It is not something the OS can do for apps[1]. One user mentioned that they have a standard profile without Google Play Services and a work profile with it on GrapheneOS[4].

Google specifically prohibits preloading Google Play and other components like Google Services Framework, Google Play Store, Google Backup Transport, and Market Feedback[3].

For more information, it is recommended to refer to the provided sources: