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Hi! I just started this Degoogled Phones subspace, and would love to hear from those of you who have any experience installing systems like eOS or LineageOS on their phones... How difficult or risky was it?... Would you recommend it?... That type of stuff... Welcome and thank you in advance! Cheers!
2023-10-21 · 7 months ago
I've used GrapheneOS on my pixel. it's nice and allows you to de-google. Install seemed okay to me but I've not tried others to compare. I went into it understanding there's a possibility to brick the phone, just like any other install.
@gritty: Yeah, I'd love to try it, but the possibility of tuning the phone into a brick scares me a bit... I'm guessing other people are thinking about it too, that's why I made this subspace... I think I'll go for it eventually, but I'll wait to see what people have to say on here first... There's plenty of traditional websites that talk about this, but I'm fed up with the web, so having this type of help on Gemini instead is really nice... I really like this Bubble thingy haha!
@nono I hear you. what I did was buy an older pixel direct from Google which was quite a bit cheaper. if it bricked, I wasn't out quite as much cash.
I've also installed GrapheneOS on my Pixel. But I haven't tried to install other systems into the Pixel. The Pixels seem to be the easiest to unlock and reflash, as others seem to not be the same, for example in Xiaomi phones you have to do a cumbersome process (from last I tried)
@gritty: Good approach, less of a risk
@jmjl: Good to know, thanks! I'll be keeping an eye on second-hand Pixel phones specifically from now on then...
I used CalyxOS on a Pixel (less strict than GrapheneOS and therefore somewhat faster) and the install was effortless and without problems.
I would only use GrapheneOS or CalyxOS, because they are better supported than Lineage etc., where sometimes just a random single person is maintaining the build and updates for a particular smartphone model. I de-google to get more privacy, but I won't trade it for less security. And Lineage has burned me in the past.
If I would de-google another Pixel today, I would start with GrapheneOS.
I highly recommend /e/OS, I have been using it for about 5 years. The support lasts much longer than LineageOS images. If you are leaning more towards privacy rather than security /e/OS is the way to go. There is a completely integrated cloud service included for private and encrypted syncing of email, files, calendar, contacts, notes, etc (based on NextCloud). Of course using these is optional.
There is an easy installer for a select number of devices. Other devices take more tech know-how but the instructions are well written so just take it slow! I have had good luck getting used devices at swappa.com including my current Pixel 4a.
Many years ago, I bought my wife a Meizu M2 Note which came with a surprisingly high amount of adware. Despite several factory resets, the only solution was to unlock the bootloader, wipe that crappy spyware factory OS and replace it with an unofficial, de-Googled build of LineageOS.
This literally saved the device from being thrown away. I used that phone for a few years and I was very happy with it, but it always had bad phone call quality and signal, and I also wanted to switch to a PinePhone, which has been now my daily driver for almost a year.
@michaelnordmeyer @xavi @Supernova: Thanks guys for the valuable info... So, for a beginner, no LineageOS... Rather /e/OS or GrapheneOS then... But still, I find it quite ironic that the model that's best suited for degoogling is the Pixel, a phone made by Google! :/
@Nono Fairphone models usually have first-party support for /e/, LineageOS and others, so they might be also worth considering.
@xavi: Never heard about that one... I'll look into it, thanks!
Keep in mind that GrapheneOS is made to be as secure as possible, which always comes with somewhat slower speed and more user restrictions.
For a functional Android phone you still need MicroG to supply fake Google APIs so that apps for banking, public transport, essential any service app with ties into real life are able to work. You need Aurora Store to download those apps.
CalyxOS and others install MicroG by default, but GrapheneOS does not IIRC, and an install is not as simple as installing an ordinary app (again IIRC). I recommend looking into this first or being prepared to try a couple different alternative OS.
Oh, and some OS have updates at least several times a month, sometimes several times a week, and download 1GB+ per update. This might be a problem for some people.
@michaelnordmeyer: To me, degoogling is more about not being tracked all the time, than it is for security really... So I suspect any OS maker that's concerned with escaping Google's grip will be secure enough for my simple needs... Maybe GrapheneOS is not for me then... I'll look for the best balance between ease of use (including the install process) and privacy... Thanks again for all the info!
I have a Fairphone 4, and while I do use the stock Android that it comes with, I know that they officially support using /e/OS, and will even sell you an already de-Googled phone if that's what you're looking for. It's a great phone, I've had it for a couple of years now and only have good things to say about it.
Also, here's the page for their information about their /e/OS support: https://www.fairphone.com/en/open-source/
@ruby_witch: Thanks, but I'm still in the exploratory phase at the moment. That's why I've been asking so many questions.
I did a reconfig of my phone a month ago or so and used GrapheneOS. very straightforward setup, and I've been able to use it normally without noticeable drops in performance.
I like Graphene. I haven't had problems with it at all. Arguably, it's better than the old stock android phone that I still use when I need proprietary apps. I'm pretty sure graphene can spoof microG now, but a bit of minimalism has changed what apps I use/need, so at this point I don't even care. cheers!
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