I have a google pixel, and I know I could install grapheneOS on it. But I’m very, very hesitant, since I depend so much on my phone.
This isn’t like distro hopping, where I feel more comfortable hot swapping ssds, or making partitions, or using my desktop while I tinker with my laptop. My phone has a SIM and the service I depend on can’t be emulated off this phone.
So what do you recommend I do? Should I move my SIM (my phone service, really) to a new phone while I tinker with this one? Can I just blow up the current OS and wing it? Or maybe theres another option that would allow me to bail back to stock android in case something goes wrong. What do you think?
EDIT: how I use my phone: about everything I use is from fdroid, with the occassional app from aurora. I do use my banking app to cash checks, but I don’t use whatsapp, google pay, which I know arent compatible. So as far as app compatibility I dont think it’ll be a problem, Im mostly worried about my phone number not working. I dont know how SIMs work like I should, I just know Ive had the strangest issues in the past with it, so Im hesitant. Thanks for the replies so far.
Grapheneos is just a normal OS. You can’t do everything, like google pay or face unlock (because it’s too insecure) but 99% works just like any other android phone.
Installing the os doesn’t take too much time.
I prepared by moving all apps to foss and I disabling all google related stuff, read a lot, but in the end I should’ve just installed it. It’s not magic and nothing is special.
Grapheneos supports google play services and store etc. It feels like a normal phone. If you don’t want google play services in your main profile, use a user profile for it instead.
It’s always funny to me when people wave away tap to pay like losing it is nothing.
It’s my number 1 practical use case for my phone. My commuter card is stored there for example. I use it as often as I take photos at this point: I might take a dozen photos on the weekend but I commute every day.
Is having contactless payments in your phone really that critical though? If you have one of those wallet-style phone cases with the slots for cards then you can just put your card in there and basically achieve the same effect!
Oh weird, never heard of any bank not providing a card before. Open another account with a bank that gives you one if you can be bothered, but I completely understand if most people can’t be!
Cash only. I need very little in life other than food and clothing. I changed countries, which makes it easier, though paying by phone is very much becoming a thing.
I have no interest in being known for anything, my life is simple but not easy. The more I am off the radar the less I have to interact with others. That works better for me than being in the midst of things. Different use cases.
ETA : I donate to FOSS projects I use, for that I find someone (never the same person twice) and pay them to donate to the developer. That is about my only outside expense.
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Make a backup and save it.
You can reinstall stock if you don’t like it.
Grapheneos is just a normal OS. You can’t do everything, like google pay or face unlock (because it’s too insecure) but 99% works just like any other android phone.
Installing the os doesn’t take too much time.
I prepared by moving all apps to foss and I disabling all google related stuff, read a lot, but in the end I should’ve just installed it. It’s not magic and nothing is special.
But what about games from play store? That depends on G. Play Services. 1.
Grapheneos supports google play services and store etc. It feels like a normal phone. If you don’t want google play services in your main profile, use a user profile for it instead.
It’s always funny to me when people wave away tap to pay like losing it is nothing.
It’s my number 1 practical use case for my phone. My commuter card is stored there for example. I use it as often as I take photos at this point: I might take a dozen photos on the weekend but I commute every day.
For me tap to pay is useless, I always carry my cards.
removed by mod
If you wanna use a physical metro card that you have to refill with cash every X rides be my guest.
Horrid experience, I’ll keep my tap thanks
Is having contactless payments in your phone really that critical though? If you have one of those wallet-style phone cases with the slots for cards then you can just put your card in there and basically achieve the same effect!
It’s a virtual card, they don’t offer a physical tap card.
Oh weird, never heard of any bank not providing a card before. Open another account with a bank that gives you one if you can be bothered, but I completely understand if most people can’t be!
Yeah this isn’t a bank it’s a pre-tax commuter card offered through some work service.
The website is awful and sketchy looking but officially endorsed by Large Company and I get my $100 pretax dollars, so I don’t complain.
Oh weird, so it only works via Google/Apple Pay? What do they do if you say you don’t have a smartphone?
You can pay normally and then submit reimbursement. Which sucks majorly.
NYC only recently added tap to pay and it’s a godsend.
Ah that’s a bit shit, if you want convenience it’s on their terms, hard to argue with that really
I think it’s a matter of support. Where I am, major banks aren’t supported and neither is transit. I’ve used the feature once
That being said, I’d probably use it if it did
Its always interesting when people have something other then “making a phone call” as the number one practical use case for their phone.
Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I called someone on my phone
You call people?
Like, on the phone?
Weirdo
Hey, I text sometimes!
Different use cases, for you it is important, for some others not so much.
I have not had a bank account or credit card in ten years. Losing tap to pay would be less important than losing a pube hair to me.
Ok Chairmaker but we can’t all be on Sma’s bankroll.
It’s an interesting thought isn’t it? In a post scarcity Culture would privacy be important?
Hard to say. Privacy of mind seems most important. The rest… Seems immaterial?
The minds control all, after all.
Curious how you go about life without bank accounts and cards. Cash only? Or some other setup? Also curious about why you chose to do so.
If you don’t mind sharing, of course.
Cash only. I need very little in life other than food and clothing. I changed countries, which makes it easier, though paying by phone is very much becoming a thing.
I have no interest in being known for anything, my life is simple but not easy. The more I am off the radar the less I have to interact with others. That works better for me than being in the midst of things. Different use cases.
ETA : I donate to FOSS projects I use, for that I find someone (never the same person twice) and pay them to donate to the developer. That is about my only outside expense.
Thanks for the reply.
Always interesting to hear about different ways of doing things.