{"id":420338,"date":"2022-03-23T14:00:34","date_gmt":"2022-03-23T11:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-is-grapheneos-and-how-does-it-make-android-more-private\/"},"modified":"2022-03-23T14:00:34","modified_gmt":"2022-03-23T11:00:34","slug":"what-is-grapheneos-and-how-does-it-make-android-more-private","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-grapheneos-and-how-does-it-make-android-more-private\/","title":{"rendered":"#What Is GrapheneOS, and How Does It Make Android More Private?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3a1c74aac70\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3a1c74aac70\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-grapheneos-and-how-does-it-make-android-more-private\/#%E2%80%9CWhat_Is_GrapheneOS_and_How_Does_It_Make_Android_More_Private%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;What Is GrapheneOS, and How Does It Make Android More Private?&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-grapheneos-and-how-does-it-make-android-more-private\/#What_Is_a_Custom_ROM\" >What Is a Custom ROM?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-grapheneos-and-how-does-it-make-android-more-private\/#Android_De-Googled\" >Android De-Googled<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-grapheneos-and-how-does-it-make-android-more-private\/#Privacy_Security_Features\" >Privacy &amp; Security Features<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-grapheneos-and-how-does-it-make-android-more-private\/#Where_Do_I_Get_Apps_for_GrapheneOS\" >Where Do I Get Apps for GrapheneOS?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-grapheneos-and-how-does-it-make-android-more-private\/#What_Phones_Can_Install_GrapheneOS\" >What Phones Can Install GrapheneOS?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWhat_Is_GrapheneOS_and_How_Does_It_Make_Android_More_Private%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;What Is GrapheneOS, and How Does It Make Android More Private?&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage alignnone size-full wp-image-790268\" data-pagespeed-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Graphene-OS-logo.png?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Graphene-OS-logo.png?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Graphene-OS-logo.png?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"GrapheneOS Logo.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Using a modern smartphone comes with some privacy and security concerns. GrapheneOS aims to solve some of those problems. It\u2019s a custom version of Android that puts privacy and security above all else.<\/p>\n<p>Custom ROMs are not as prevalent in the Android world as they used to be, but there are still some solid ones kicking around. GrapheneOS is one such ROM. Let\u2019s look at this privacy and security-focused take on Android.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_a_Custom_ROM\"><\/span>What Is a Custom ROM?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before we get started on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/grapheneos.org\/\">GrapheneOS<\/a>, let\u2019s talk briefly about custom ROMs. A \u201cROM\u201d is essentially just the operating system on your device. \u201cROM\u201d stands for\u00a0\u201cread-only memory,\u201d which is where the operating system is stored on your device.<\/p>\n<p>Your Android device comes with a ROM developed by Google, Samsung, or whichever company manufacturers the device. A \u201cCustom ROM\u201d is a ROM that was developed by a third party. In the case of GrapheneOS, it was started by a developer named\u00a0Daniel Micay. Today, GrapheneOS has a small team of full-time and part-time developers working on the project.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>5 Reasons to Install a Custom Android ROM (and Why You Might Not Want To)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Android_De-Googled\"><\/span>Android De-Googled<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 534px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-790374\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/apps-e1646690226819.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"GrapheneOS apps.\" width=\"534\" height=\"500\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some of the default GrapheneOS <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>s.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>GrapheneOS bills itself as a \u201cprivacy and security-focused mobile OS with Android app compatibility.\u201d That\u2019s a very accurate description.<\/p>\n<p>At the core, GrapheneOS is built on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). This is the foundation that all Android skins are created on. It\u2019s Android at its most basic. There\u2019s no Google Play Store or any Google apps included.<\/p>\n<p>From there, the GrapheneOS team has focused on building in better privacy and security rather than a bunch of insecure and unnecessary features. The most visible example of this is the aforementioned absence of Google apps.<\/p>\n<p>Google certainly has a plethora of great, useful apps and services, but they come with some pretty big privacy trade-offs. It\u2019s no secret that Google keeps a lot of information about you and tracks your activity. To make matters worse, you essentially have no choice but to use these apps if you have an Android device.<\/p>\n<p>Removing Google from Android im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely makes it more private and secure. For example, it\u2019s very difficult to fully stop Google from tracking your location on Android. Even if you turn off the location permission in the Camera app and Google Photos, a rough location will be attached based on Wi-Fi and other variables.<\/p>\n<p>However, there are some standard Android features you may miss without Google Play Services. Some apps will have issues with location and push notifications. This isn\u2019t as much of an issue if you stick with open-source apps (more on that below).<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>What Are Android Skins?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Privacy_Security_Features\"><\/span>Privacy &amp; Security Features<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Privacy and security is what GrapheneOS is all about, so there\u2019s a lot to talk about here. Right away, you\u2019ll notice this is different than the majority of operating systems. You don\u2019t need an account during the initial set-up process.<\/p>\n<p>After set-up, you\u2019ll notice there\u2019s no default app store or many apps in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>. You start with just a basic messaging app, camera app, a special privacy-enhanced Chromium-based browser, and a few other utilities.<\/p>\n<p>Actually using GrapheneOS feels very similar to other Android versions, but there\u2019s a lot going on behind the scenes. GrapheneOS greatly beefs up the security around the Android runtime and apps that run on it.<\/p>\n<p>One example of this is the GrapheneOS app sandbox. Apps that run on GrapheneOS\u2019 version of Android are much more restricted in what they can access from the operating system. You can even fully revoke network access for any app, which is something you can\u2019t do on Android devices with Google Play Services or even iPhones.<\/p>\n<p>A big security advantage of GrapheneOS is software and security updates without needing remote access.\u00a0The update server only knows the IP address used to connect to it and the version being upgraded from.\u00a0This makes it considerably more difficult for cyberattacks and malware to get access to your device.<\/p>\n<p>In short, GrapheneOS is like Android with all of the privacy and security features cranked up to 11.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>What Is the Privacy Dashboard on Android?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_Do_I_Get_Apps_for_GrapheneOS\"><\/span>Where Do I Get Apps for GrapheneOS?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 599px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-790371 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/2022-03-07_16-43-35.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"\" width=\"599\" height=\"362\" data-credittext=\"F-Droid\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">F-Droid<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As mentioned, GrapheneOS doesn\u2019t include any sort of app store by default. Technically, you could install the Google Play Store yourself, but that defeats the purpose of many of the privacy enhancements. Instead, you can use <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/f-droid.org\/en\/\">F-Droid<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>F-Droid is a free and open-source app \u201cstore\u201d for Android devices. All of the apps and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s available in F-Droid are also free and open-source.\u00a0Apps and games that feature ads, tracking, or in-app purchases are clearly labeled in F-Droid.<\/p>\n<p>Like GrapheneOS, you don\u2019t need an account to download anything from F-Droid. Since it\u2019s only free and open-source apps, the selection is much smaller than the Google Play Store. There are over 3,500 apps in F-Droid, while the Play Store boasts over three million.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, GrapheneOS is just like any other Android operating system. You can sideload apps and games from places like <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/apkmirror.com\/\">APKMirror<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Sideload Apps on Android<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Phones_Can_Install_GrapheneOS\"><\/span>What Phones Can Install GrapheneOS?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-762500\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Google-Pixel-6-Pro-Alt-Angle.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"pixel 6 Pro\" width=\"650\" height=\"367\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Google<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We\u2019ve talked about how the Play Store and Google apps are privacy problems. Oddly enough, Google\u2019s own Pixel smartphones have the most secure hardware features. That\u2019s why GrapheneOS only officially supports Pixel devices.<\/p>\n<p>At the time of writing in March 2022, the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Google-Pixel-Pro-Smartphone-Telephoto\/dp\/B09HYR2NC8\/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?tag=hotoge-20\">Pixel 6 Pro<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Google-Pixel-Unlocked-Smartphone-Ultrawide\/dp\/B09HJZPFDD\/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?tag=hotoge-20\">Pixel 6<\/a> are the best phones for GrapheneOS. You\u2019ll get five years of security updates. The other officially supported Pixel devices are listed below\u00a0(device codenames in parenthesis).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pixel 6 Pro (raven)<\/li>\n<li>Pixel 6 (oriole)<\/li>\n<li>Pixel 5a (barbet)<\/li>\n<li>Pixel 5 (redfin)<\/li>\n<li>Pixel 4a (5G) (bramble)<\/li>\n<li>Pixel 4a (sunfish)<\/li>\n<li>Pixel 4 XL (coral)<\/li>\n<li>Pixel 4 (flame)<\/li>\n<li>Pixel 3a XL (bonito)<\/li>\n<li>Pixel 3a (sargo)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The majority of Android devices are capable of running GrapheneOS on a technical level. However, that would rely on other developers creating custom builds for those devices. Your best bet if you want to run GrapheneOS is to use a Pixel.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p>That\u2019s all there is to GrapheneOS. It\u2019s a s<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a>ped-down version of Android without all the privacy and security trade-offs that come with most modern smartphones. You are certainly sacrificing some convenience, but the benefit is more control over your data and information. For some people, that\u2019s a worthwhile endeavor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/790266\/what-is-grapheneos-and-how-does-it-make-android-more-private\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;What Is GrapheneOS, and How Does It Make Android More Private?&#8221; Using a modern smartphone comes with some privacy and security concerns. GrapheneOS aims to solve some of those problems. It\u2019s a custom version of Android that puts privacy and security above all else. Custom ROMs are not as prevalent in the Android world as&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":420339,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Graphene-OS-logo.png?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-420338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=420338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420338\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/420339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=420338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=420338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=420338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}