I’ve been wanting to do this for ages! I’m rocking a Pixel 8 Pro so I’m considering GrapheneOS, but lack of time keeps holding me back. Also not sure what to do about Google Wallet. I know Curve Pay exists as somewhat of a replacement, but I haven’t done enough research on whether I want to trust yet another company with my card purchase data. Was thinking maybe just go back to using physical cards? Even though it’s less secure. I also recently added some store loyalty cards to Google Wallet. I do wonder what else I’d be giving up? But yeah it’s mostly the time investment to install it and learn it.
I’ve been slowly trying to de-google my Pixel 6 pro. Thinking about Graphene.
I use Google Photos to share kid pictures with the grandparents but I’ve been trying to migrate to Ente. Google checkout makes it a pain to export your pictures in bulk and load them into something else. I think I found a Python script that did the last batch but I forget the specifics.
My wife and I track each other on Maps but that’s not a deal breaker, just nice to see when the other is in transit to time dinner and things.
After that it’s just some banking apps, bitwarden, 2fa, etc which should work fine.
It just feels like a big leap.
It’s funny. When I first heard about couples sharing their location with each other, I thought it was so creepy. I trust my SO, why the fuck would I want to spy on them?!?! But then, we had some family members develop some health problems where it could be life or death to know where they were, so we started sharing our locations. And now I find it comforting to open up maps and double check to make sure they are still okay, and how long till their home, etc.
It sounds cool
I keep hearing mixed messages if it works yet or not.
I’m also hearing that you can’t do it on most phones?
Just started 2 weeks ago with graphene Os on a pixel 8 pro , love it already
yes, but my phone isnt supported. I’m looking a lot at mobile linux but thats still a ways off.
Constantly, to the point where I’m considering what concessions I would have to make to start using a linux phone. I’ve also considered the possibility of reverting to not having a phone anymore and supplementing my communication needs through other means.
It’s definitely getting to that point, especially with the new stuff google is trying to pull.
My old phone is 5+ years old at this point and the battery’s going spicy pillow on me… Considering replacing it with one of Murena’s offerings (which ship with /e/OS) but I’m still on the fence.
I switched to iOS a few years ago after my OG pixel finally died and work was offering me a new iPhone for free. At this point I don’t really want to go through the hassle of migrating again. I have been keeping an eye on the whole Linux phone thing though because it’s really interesting. Without tap to pay or any sort of android auto/car play support I don’t think I’ll be fully switching anyway though.
EDIT: I re-read the post and realized OP was talking about android ROMs. As an iOS user I don’t really have a place in this conversation but I’ll leave my original post up anyway.
I use GrapheneOS. IDK if it will still be available when support for my current phone’s support runs out. I’m kinda thinking about some kind of dumbphone if Android becomes too difficult to harden. A linux phone would be nice, but the options that exist so far are pretty expensive or have other severe issues.
I’m carrier locked until my phone is paid off, so I can’t do anything until after that. I’m probably going to go with Graphene since I have a Pixel. Admittedly, my reason for switching is less to do with privacy (though I would like to have more than stock offers) and more to do with Google’s upcoming restrictions on installing apps from non-registered developers. If I wanted a corporation telling me what I can do with my phone then I’d just go back to iOS.
This isn’t related to carrier locking. If your Pixel is a carrier branded model, there is a high chance the bootloader is permanently locked. Verizon especially.
Hopefully that’s not the case. I’m not on Verizon, but my carrier does use their network. According to my carrier’s support pages they’ll automatically unlock the phone a couple days after it’s paid off, which for me is in a month or two.
I’m not on Verizon, but my carrier does use their network.
Did you buy your phone from that carrier? Because if you did, then it’s a Verizon model (because it’s carrier locked and running on the Verizon network), and will have a permanently locked bootloader. You can check this by going into the phone’s Developer Settings and finding the “OEM Unlocking” toggle. If it’s greyed out…Sorry bud.
According to my carrier’s support pages they’ll automatically unlock the phone a couple days after it’s paid off
Hopefully. But please keep in mind that SIM unlocking (i.e. locked to a carrier) is not related to bootloader unlocking. Far too many people get confused over this concept.
Well, that’s unfortunate.
Had been Android user for more than a decade. Switched to iPhone last year.
No, not like that! Lol
Really interested hearing why.
My journey: https://piefed.social/post/180870
Wait, you are that Cloudless! I only realize now, I only remembered the dog profile picture
Yeah 90% of the threadiverse is from our multiple accounts.
Yeah, Android has been getting worse. I still remember when I could still install apps on an SD card. Suddenly, the next version of Android just removed that feature, and I was stuck with the pitiful 16 GB of onboard storage even though I had a 32 GB card at the time.
I’m contemplating making the same move. Google killing sideloading also kills the last reason for me to stick with Android, so I may as well go with the phone by the company that hasn’t based literally its entire business model around harvesting user data for targeted advertising.
Years ago, I switched to an iPhone. It’s awful, but the alternatives were even worse.
Before that, I experimented with everything: full de-Google setups, vanilla Android approaches, and compromises like LineageOS with Gapps. None of them were good enough for me. The middle ground (LineageOS + Gapps) served me for years, but eventually, essential apps started requiring vanilla Android, which I refuse to use due to privacy concerns.
At this point, I still prioritize functionality and reliability, so stock Android and iOS are the only realistic options. I’m not a journalist in a dictatorship, so my data leaking isn’t a life-or-death issue, but Google’s data-exploitative business model makes Android the worse of the two evils. Both platforms have major flaws, but blatant privacy violations are a dealbreaker for me.
In an ideal world, LineageOS or GrapheneOS would work seamlessly with all apps, but that’s no longer the case. The perfect OS is out of my reach.
If my needs were still limited to calls, SMS, and email—like in the 2000s—there’d be plenty of great FOSS options. But the 2020s demand more, and the FOSS world hasn’t kept up.
I’m seriously considering using my laptop for 99% of my computing needs in the future.
iOS is like wearing a straightjacket (I say this with using iOS daily, and having used Macs since 1985).
Linux isn’t ready for daily driver.
So, no
Yes. I have some old phones that I play with when I have time. I find that /e/ is pretty good, but I’m a little bit iffy on the company atm. So now I’m trying to build postmarketOS for my Galaxy S9, which is a fun and frustrating journey.
I do want to try Graphene, but I don’t have a Pixel and really don’t want to buy more phones when I have multiple that works.
Also I need certain apps for work so I can’t completely rid myself of Google and Microsoft. At times I have had two phones in active use, but I find myself defaulting to work phone since I’m required to have it on me for most of the day anyway.
I would if I could. I only found out Verizon has some bullshit lock on my phone that prevents me from at least trying GrapheneOS. Likely the last time I buy from them and I’ll bring my own device next time.
If anyone knows a way around the Verizon lock let me know.
there are only two viable ecosystems:
- android based
- stock iOS
- niche Linux phones not ready for daily use
The post is basically asking if people will move to apple, and I don’t want to give up side loading, newpipe, and my open source freedom.
It’s not, I was thinking more about /e/os, graphene or Lineage
Those are all android, they are not stock android it’s true, but still flavors of android.
I edited the title to make it more clear