[stiray]

There is no alternative. /e/ and others dont even come close.

Security is one thing, the privacy they(GrapheneOS) provide is another. You can have privacy without every detail of security they require. While they refuse to provide privacy without security.

Thats why I buy Pixels and feel more and more dirty each time I do it.

Had sailfish in between but that is another set of problems, Jolla failing to realize, they need to have strong compatibility Android layer (to use everyday stuff like bluetooth - in my case for paying public transport) until there is enough software for Sailfish. In any case, Sailfish is my FAR prefered option, over GrapheneOS. But unfortunately the spin of the world and my wishes are not aligned.

[palata]

> There is no alternative. /e/ and others dont even come close.

Can you elaborate on that? Say I install LineageOS without Google Services and without microG, would you say it's bad in terms of privacy?

Or are you saying that microG is the issue?

[stiray]

In your given scenario (no Google Services, no microG), compatibility is the issue.

I dont use Android because I like it. I use it because I am forced to use it, without it I cant connect to corporate VPN, cant even take public transport (actually I can use NFC card and take a lot of care never to lose money on it, to drive to first place where I can charge it). Banking software. Update firmware for my headset.

Then there come the fishy practices of applications, full of advertising kits stealing information, where HelloWorld app is 90MB apk, as it has Facebook SDK included. You can partially protect yourself with https://netguard.me/, but even I can avoid it (wont explain how, typical android developer doesnt know much beyond java and I dont want to shoot myself in a foot helping them).

[palata]

Respectfully, you did not really give an answer to my question, you elaborated on the complaining.

What is it that makes GrapheneOS "good enough" (Would you say "perfect"? You seem to want "perfect") in terms of privacy, and /e/OS / CalyxOS / LineageOS unbearable?

[stiray]

That part is simple, install it and check the settings.

[palata]

I use /e/OS without the Google Play Services. I don't use any app from the FAANGs, and /e/OS uses a custom location service and blocks thousands of trackers.

Surely that's better than "nothing", isn't it?

GrapheneOS is more secure, but you're talking privacy here. With GrapheneOS I could run the Play Store or Google Maps in a sandbox, but it would probably not be better than not running them at all, would it?

[stiray]

Good for you, I was also doing it when I was a kid. Actually was even cooking roms and removing everything that I didn't need.

Then I got my first banking app and was decompiling it on each new version, removing checks for root, "compatibility" and security checks, and compiling it back. Then another app came, this time for public transport, and I was reversing two apps, once every 2-3 months. Became quite efficient with it.

Then I deliberately bought pixel for GrapheneOS, installed it and never looked back.

As I have already mentioned: I am not using Android because I like it or I would want it. Sailfish has everything, I will ever need. For myself.

But not for living in this world.

[scns]

> You can partially protect yourself with https://netguard.me/

Looks good. Another alternative would be TrackerControl.

[gitaarik]

I use a Oneplus 9 pro with Iodé OS (based on LineageOS). It comes with Aurora store and MicroG pre-installed. It works very good and I'm very happy with. It is regularly synced with security updates from LineageOS.