With current world information making a number of us reconsider our partnership with modern technology, especially our partnership to U.S modern technology companies that run one of the most prominent solutions being used; I made a decision to take the plunge and try transferring to GrapheneOS on my Google Pixel 9 Pro.
The objective
Regardless of the common factor for those looking to get a custom deGoogled ROM, I’m not aiming to remove Google from my online activity. Rather, I wish to minimize my reliance on their solutions any place I can.
The primary means of doing this was moving my email account far from Google, and all the solutions connected to it. While that is still in progress, I have actually made sufficient of a running start that I thought I might make it function. But was I a bit also keen and would certainly that jeopardize the migration?
Obstacles I recognized heading in
Obviously, going from having a great deal of your solutions centred around Google makes leaving the ecological community somewhat troublesome with modifications required. For myself, in relation to moving to a deGoogled ROM, there were 2 main concerns:
- There’s apps I require from Google Play (banking, job apps, Google apps etc). While GrapheneOS has a sandboxed Google Play choice to enable full accessibility to the shop and its functions, will there be any kind of issues with the solutions I need?
- I have a Pixel Watch. I actually rather like it, something I wasn’t expecting originating from the Apple Watch community prior. Provided the Pixel Watch counts heavily on Google Solutions, will there be any problems and can I even get the watch synced and operating in a usable state?
Setup and the very first 24 hours: What have I done?
The web based installment itself went as efficiently as you can picture, in terms of setting up a customized ROM onto an Android phone. If you have actually done this in the past (even if it was years ago), you would notice that this is a much better and simpler experience. It’s still not a process I would inform any non-technical individual to do, I don’t assume any kind of customized ROM procedure can be; nonetheless it is about is smooth as it can obtain.
What you are welcomed with once it is full though is bare bones Android, an App Store with a handful of apps and no onboarding for those not of a technical mindset. This is not an experience for the pale hearted or for those not ready to go into points and work it out themselves, or at the very least with a little on-line help from guides out there.
I continued to set up a few products, after that likewise look at some open source choices through F-Droid and Obtainium. I ultimately got to installing the sandboxed Google Play service through Graphene’s Application Shop application, logged right into my Google account.
My primary goal for the Google Apps at this stage was to obtain my Pixel Watch synced and running. With the Watch app installed, I arrangement the Watch with the phone itself without way too many problems. However it was when I began to make use of the watch that I became aware just exactly how based on Google connection the watch is.
The initial issue I observed was that my Do Not Interrupt setup was not syncing between the watch and phone. After experimenting with permissions settings, I understood from the Watch app that this sync requires Google’s Digital Wellbeing solution; which is both not installed neither can it be mounted from the Play Shop (not compatible based on the Play Shop listing). I used this a fair little bit now I’ll require to manage these separately (I locate establishing it on the phone protects against unwanted calls and notifications involving the watch anyway).
The 2nd problem was the battery of Fitbit alerts from the watch. The watch application itself is able to update directly by means of the Google Play shop without requiring to mount the Fitbit app, nonetheless attempting to access any of the Fitbit things on guard will certainly call for downloading and establishing the phone application. I just care about the step count anyway, which is still noticeable by a floor tile or issues on guard without requiring to mount the application; so I still haven’t troubled keeping that.
The 3rd issue was not obtaining ring notifications on my look for inbound calls until after I missed out on the telephone call. Trying to stick to Graphene’s supply phone and messages applications was the plan, and messages came via penalty and I could also react from the watch uncreative. Nevertheless, calls would certainly disappoint up on the watch up until the missed phone call notification came via.
It was at this point, I began to wonder if this was all worth it and thought I could be returning to supply within 24 hours.
This is a big issue for myself. The key factor I have a watch is for call notifications (I had actually some important missed phone calls for many years from my wife when I really did not have a watch, so now she demands it). Setting up Google’s very own phone application fixed this and instantaneously enabled the capacity to take phone calls from the watch too. I’m not too worried regarding using the Google phone app as it has excellent spam phone call filtering system and is typically nicer to make use of than supply.
If you make use of RCS, you will notice the supply messages app doesn’t sustain it either for privacy reasons. While I do not use it so do not have a problem with this, others may want to install Google’s own messages application too.
Overcoming the kinks and getting back to typical procedures
It not all troubles though as there has actually been some points on the watch that are functioning which I really did not expect to on a custom ROM with restricted Google gain access to.
The schedule application obtains its info straight from the cloud, so you can see your Google schedule and jobs access straight without needing to install or sync these to the phone. Pretty beneficial for me as we still have a household schedule in Google (and I’m not requiring my other half to change once more after moving away from iCloud).
The exact same puts on Maintain notes, where I would utilize Google’s Aide to add and update my wish list in Maintain. With the Keep floor tile additionally functioning, upgrading and ticking off my shopping list is precisely the same as it was prior. Speaking of Assistant while you do require to set up the Google application to configure it on one’s guard at first, when this is done the Watch aide runs in your area and the Google app can be uninstalled from the phone.
Google Pay was something I most definitely had not been anticipating to work. While I recognized that tap-to-pay though the phone was not possible because of safety constraints, I did mount the Wallet application for all my other passes currently saved to the Google account. I was happily stunned when I was able to setup my settlement card in Google Pay for the watch and use it efficiently. In hindsight, as long as the watch can configuration the card, there’s no factor it shouldn’t work as the Pixel Watch as its software program is still supply; however it was an added advantage I didn’t expect.
Keep in mind: In order for the Google Wallet application not to collapse on loading, you must enable Phone and SMS consents for Google Play Services. This may be a privacy red flag for some.
My mistake: attempting to try to find Google choices straight away
While I entered GrapheneOS to start my journey away from Google, I obtained caught up in attempting to do points without Google’s oversight instantly. Because of this, I almost obtained as well annoyed trying to work out the issues I was running into and taken into consideration going back to Google’s OS instead.
I was advised by Graphene’s Mastodon account itself that it’s fine to begin with all the Google services arrangement and function your way backwards from there.
Next action in the journey
I’m still overcoming the advantages and disadvantages of routing Geolocation access requests with Graphene’s system as opposed to allowing the approval via Play Services and using Google’s Location Accuracy capability. It is absolutely slower to get a location and not as accurate, which mostly affects utilizing Google Maps.
My following step is to re-establish my work account and MFA apps for usage at the workplace. I have my old iPhone 13 arrangement as a back-up in the meantime with my job stuff on it, so it’s not an essential thing to get functioning as soon as possible.
Why bother if I’m simply using Google services anyway?
There’s most likely many who are asking this question. I suggest if I’m just setting up and enabling Google services anyway, why undergo every one of this problem?
Well the important point is a mix of firm and personal privacy of my tool over Google. There was a recent exploration of Android System SafetyCore service secretly set up onto Android tools to assist with on gadget scanning of images for unwanted content; which raised the same personal privacy worries as Apple did a couple of years prior.
The various other point is simply the quantity of services Google sets up on Android phones and exactly how frequently it sends data back to Google. Based on the screenshots, there’s simply a bunch of things I do not want or require, yet I don’t have an option with the stock OS. Also, when I did have area allowed for Play Provider, it was curious to see simply how usually it accessed my place even when I was doing an activity not related to place in any way (a.k.a opening my Mastodon application).
Incorporated with the safety and security setting the GrapheneOS group have actually done which surpasses what Google have; also if I remain to make use of Google services themselves, it seems to be a benefit to run this more locked down OS.
Originally published at https://andrewmelder.com on March 3, 2025