So, I searched for a specific GrapheneOS topic - there is none! Scandal! Stop the webserver!!!
Instead I opted to create one. I am interested in other members experience with it, with apps, with the triangle of hate (security VS privacy VS usability) and other stuff. Yeah, I could use the GOS forums, or some security related forum, or reddit, or… but you know what all of this places are lacking? PURPLE!
Hence this topic. To start things off my experience so far and where I am coming from, with some questions on top.
I have used almost every “smartphone” OS there is, started with palmOS back in the day, tried some Windows (when it still was called Pocket PC), tried some Android, fell in love with webOS (this actually triggered my love for FLOSS), used iOS (work phones…blargh), switched back to Windows Mobile (Nokia hardware man… something else!) and since the Elop thingy I used Android. First sock, but very soon switched over to LineageOS on fully rooted devices. I would have stuck with my latest device (a onePlus 7tp), but no more mayor Android updates and very slow security updates made this more and more dangerous, so I finally killed my wallet and bought a P8p.
I use it without any of the fancy “use google but don’t make me wet” stuff, because I don’t need it. I will not ever do banking on my mobile (never understood this…), I pay with real money (so paper and coins stuff) and I certainly don’t use any apps which require play services. Originally my plan was to use sandboxing for gCam, but since Android14 is out GOS can use PixelCam natively, which is just tooo good. My applist is kinda short anyway:
- Aurora - for the very few google store apps
- Conversations - XMPP messaging
- Cromite - one of 3 browsers, see questions
- DAVx5 - to sync contacts and calendar schedule
- Etar - calendar
- FairEmail - mail
- Fennec - one of 3 browsers, see questions
- FitoTrac - I LOVE hiking!
- FlightLight - fancy icons, Aurora needet, no FLOSS
- Forecastie - weather forecast with nice widget
- FreeOTP+ - for login via 2fa (for example github)
- Frost - fancy icons, not as nice as Flight, though
- HomeAssistant - well… home assistant
- Jellyfin - media streaming
- KDE Connect - I use KDE, btw
- Mastodon - twitter is cancer
- MediLog - high blood pressure, needs to be tracked
- Neostore - F-Droid in better
- OSmand+ - Maps, see questions
- Pedometer - step counter, see questions
- Pixelcam - well, the pics this thing can shoot are simply amazing
- QKSMS - SMS messaging
- Signal-FOSS - messaging
- Spotube - Spotify frontend, must get rid of this, see questions
- Telegram-FOSS - messaging
- Threema Libre - messaging
- Tiny Weather Forecast - weather warnings, widget
- Todo Agenda - calendar widget and birthdays
So this is not the longest list, but also not the shortest - but I am quite happy with it. I try to go FLOSS whenever possible.
My questions:
- I am still very unhappy with my usage of spotify - I would love to buy lossless (maybe even HR) audio tracks for a reasonable price to get rid of it, but I not yet found anything. Any idea or suggestions?
- OSMand+ is - compared to here, gmaps or amaps - very lackluster. Are there any better alternatives, specifically for Europe?
- Pedometer is my main battery drainer - anyone of you know a battery friendly step counter?
But currently my most important question, the thing that bothers me most:
- 3 browsers (cromite, fennec, inbuild vanadium) are two too much. I originally planned to go with vanadium, because it is for sure the most secure. But it talks to google and has no reliable adblocking. I then tried out cromite, which has some limited form of adblocking. Too limited for my liking. I then tried again my good old fennec with some add-ons, and this is doing the trick privacy and usability wise, but security is lackluster on android compared to chrome based browsers… I don’t know what to do here. What do you use?
So, this is the “All things GrapheneOS” topic, let me know what you have as experience with GrapheneOS, why do you use it, what do you like, what do you dislike, which apps you use and all the other good stuff!