GrapheneOS: first impressions, stumbling blocks, and opinions 

I like the vibe of these unscripted, but minimally edited videos. It's really nice!

There are some phone cases that use materials which can detune the antenna a bit making them less efficient. (Ham Radio operator here). It really is insane how locked-down the smartphone ecosystems are as a whole. Thanks for bringing us along on your exploration of GrapheneOS! (Also, DANG that PowerPC Macintosh looks sooo good!)

Great video, Veronica! Regarding the drama behind GrapheneOS, the head developer at the heart of the drama was reported to have stepped down 3 weeks or so ago, so hopefully the drama will evaporate and allow the GrapheneOS team to continue development based on its merits.

Having been around tech for over 50 years, I wish I had the enthusiasm you bring to each of your videos. Thanks for keeping the tech fires burning...

Google can't lock you out of apps downloaded through aurora, the downloaded files aren't liked to any particular account by default, despite the login requirement for google play itself. Also, CalyxOS is a bit more user friendly than Graphene in it's post install phase, so you might want to review that one too.

I've used GrapheneOS for about 2.5 years now. Basically when it was first introduced and love it ever since then.

When I saw this, I thought it was going to be click-baity, but damn, was I impressed with this process! Anyone who might not be familiar with booting something on a phone might think it's kind of obvious, but the level of automation in this is next level. Cool stuff, I'll look more into GrapheneOS!

Organic Maps is surprisingly nice. Since I started using it, I've discovered a bunch of new cool biking trails that just do not show up on Google Maps by default All thanks to OSM!

I liked the video. It looks like it took you more than a day to do it. This demonstrates your commitment to your community and to the task of offering us the best or at least the most complete analysis of your experience. I just want to say, thank you for this.

19:30 they kinda did! Graphene OS prefers sandbox Google play as the app store. That's why they put so much effort into providing a sandbox version and also give you the ability to install it natively.

Love the format and presentation of your vids. Has a wholesome/educational vibe, that i feel comfortable sending to someone like my nephew.. Great work, Veronica.

Really great video. Thank you! The overnight tent reference was fun too!

I, like you, used to flash android devices in the early days. To see this process simplified into a step-by-step and even interactive and semi-automatic web interface is truly astonishing! Thanks for the video, might even try this on my pixel just for the shoos and goos

I appreciate how your channel is always so positive! It's just refreshing to watch a tech channel like this because you always find things to appreciate and don't overly criticize, and that makes trying new things look like fun!

I enjoy your videos. You do a really good job of presenting the information. The tone of your voice, the editing, it's all done really well.

certain cases that use *metallic* colours can act as sort of shield against frequencies, sort of like (partial) Faraday's cage as those metallic colours have some conductivity

I haven't tried a custom rom ever since I got my current phone but I remember it being super annoying to unlock the bootloader and install stuff via recovery menu. It wasn't really hard if you followed the instructions it just had a lot of steps where you could mess up. This web based installation on the other hand seems super easy and straightforward, I'm really impressed with how simple averything was.

Wow, this was an eye-opener. I've got a bunch of old cell phones lying around and I'm hoping the install process gets to a point that it allows me to breathe new life into these old devices. Just like how my love of Mint has me re-enjoying my 10 year old Dell.

This is great. I have been watching many Graphene OS videos over the past year or so. I have Pixel 6a on order already and am hoping to get Graphene installed in the next week or so. Thanks for the good information.

I just subscribed, I like your sense of humour 🖤

Awesome video! It would be awesome to see more content about this from you!

Hey, thanks for the video. I really enjoyed that. You just tried it without doing a whole bunch of research cause that’s the level of my knowledge with us and so watching you do it was helpful.

Great video! Thank you for taking us along the journey - i’d love an update video around the 1 year mark and hear your perspectives again 😊

I would be happy if we had more hardware options. I don't have interest in phones without a 3.5 mm headphone jack, but Google Pixel devices don’t offer this once-standard feature.

Great first look! I can very much relate to the initial button confusion, and the installer is indeed fantastic!

Just read the blog post and your use of a smartphone pretty much mirrors mine, except I spend even less time using it as a phone. So that made this episode even more interesting. Thanks.

Great video, and your Linux tutorials are fantastic also - subbed.

This is a great introduction to GrapheneOS, thanks for sharing your experience. I have nearly zero experience with Android based phones, so this was quite interesting. Back in the day I was hoping Canonical would get their smartphone experience based around Ubuntu into wide adoption, but alas, 'twas not meant to be. Your video has me intrigued about this ecosystem; I may have to find myself a second handle Pixel to give GrapheneOS a whirl.

yay new Veronica Explains video

Thx for this sneak peak tour/guide vid, cheers!

Super cool to see the setup process for a nonstandard mobile OS like this! I still have my Pixel 3axl, & it's going strong on plain be-google'd android for now, but I definitely want to go full Linux Weirdo with my next phone (& make sure I can do a decent job of playing tech support for my wife, too). I'll keep an eye out for your longer-term review!

I am learning alot here technically and appreciate your simple approach !!! 😊 !!!

Really enjoyed this video. Thanks! I'm a noob to all of this stuff and your videos really help me understand :)

Thank you again for another great video!! :)

My fav part of your videos are the bee boop skat noises you make in between scenes!

Wow that intro was slick! Nice video btw.

Jumping straight in at the deep end is exactly how I have installed every custom OS's or new app. I VERY rarely read instructions or guides, I just want to give it a try without having to jump through hoops. To me, if it passes that intuitive test then it's a good start in my books.

very cool video. I am thinking of grapheneOS so it was great to see your process. thanks for sharing :)

That's a great video. What was particularly heartening was seeing Veronica struggling with some of the set-up. I'm a very non-technical user, and I get frustrated at installation/set-up instructions which probably make sense if you know all about the software, but which are totally opaque to the newb. I realise that when I'm trying out Linux distros, the installer is pretty much make or break (like, I kind of know about partitioning and mount points, but I'd like the installer to offer sensible defaults for a first try). And the video made me interested in GrapheneOS. Oh, small phones. You, me, and my wife too, Veronica. But it seems there ain't a market for rationally sized devices, because Apple has stopped the Mini, and I don't think there's anything reasonably powerful with a screen smaller than 5.8".

Great review! I've been daily driving Graphene for a couple months now (Pixel 5a). It was a big adjustment from stock at first, but I am enjoying it now that I am adjusted. It's also seriously reduced the number of apps I keep on my phone.

Great video. Looking forward to a follow up video.

WoW! Veronika Madam, you explain stuff easily and make them simple for us. You are an asset for us. I don't like vs code and have been using codium as an alternative to it, without any tricky extensions in it. Running very fine and is a charm to use.. i don't like big corporations stealing my data..

Excellent Veronica! Thanks, GrapheneOS looks as if it may be a real goer. :D

OOOHH, installation right from the browser is a very sleek experience. Snap!

Your pre g3 power pc tower in the background gave me a flash back. Like from highschool.

Love it. Thanks so much!

Perfectly explained, thank you! 😎

What a fantastic and entertaining video!

I'm blown away by this, didn't know this was even an option. It would be great to have a wizard guide the installation. I will be trying this out soon. Thanks Veronica.

Nicely done!😊

Hi, Veronica! Thank you very much for this video! It's something different, from the perspective of a normal user. I'm sure it helps other people who are not nerds and would otherwise never dare to do something like this. And it can help software developers to better understand ordinary users and make their products better. I'm looking forward to more videos from you on GrapheneOS and I hope you stick with it, because there's really nothing better at the moment if you value privacy and data protection. I have been using it since March 2023 and have had many other smartphones and mobile operating systems before that.

That's a great video Veronica, I dived into custom roms a few years ago when my Galaxy S5 was performing poorly, it was no where near as easy as this one, I was very surprised! I've been considering buying a Google Pixel 3a or 3a XL phone I think it was to try ubuntu touch which is supported 100% including a couple of others, is that something you've considered? The Gnome Maps seems to work a lot better these days. Thanks for the video, I enjoyed watching!!

The final fantasy 2 sleep melody immediately brought me back 25 years and watching my older brother play this for hours on end. Probably what got me interested in D&D.

❤You are awesome. Great video!

Cool Personality there!!!

Great informative video. Phone cases all the way!

I had to watch this video for research !!! And liked, Subscribed and Shared !!!

Subscribed after watching this! :)

good review ive been using graphene os for a few months im quite happy with it as i had concerns with privacy

Rooting smartphone to install any custom ROM (LoS, Mokee and others AOSP) is my daily hobby around 7 years ago. But now it's little bore to do that anymore. GrapheneOS is new for me so I want to try it. Thanks for your upload. Keep good content.

That’s a really good video...!!! And really good info for those who are questioning Graphene OS...

Cool, I love Improv!

Looking forward to hearing more about your experience with Graphene OS, and other de-googled Android ROMs in the future!

Your astonishment and delight mirrored my own as I installed GrapheneOS a little over a year ago. I could never have handled CyanogenMod. The initial user experience was easier for me because I started from the opposite position, using as few non-FOSS apps as possible and no Google apps, later adding sandboxed Google Framework Services (but not Play Store) to run Google Camera. I have never used Play Store and never signed in to a Google account on any phone I've owned. It was fun to see your reactions. I intensely loathe the default Android experience. The first thing I do setting up loved ones' phones is turn off all those obnoxious notifications, tighten privacy settings as much as Google allows, and uninstall or disable bloatware. Did you know Facebook is now baked into many phones, can't be uninstalled but only disabled? I wish I could afford to give every loved one a de-Googled phone. Still, my Pixel 6 running GrapheneOS does everything I need it to do: I even keep my calendar online on a non-Google server that syncs to my calendar app, Etar. For me it's a keeper, but I continue to cautiously add functionality. In recent months I installed sandboxed Google Play Services and Play Store on a secondary profile for the sole purpose of occasionally running a bank app. One thing I wish my phone could do is voice recognition (voice typing), that is, without sending everything I say to Google.

Great video 👍

Wow! That installer is incredible! I remember following a blury video and installing a new kernel and ROM from an SD card then wiping everything. All using the volume keys and the power button and taking half an hour!

OMG, that rate limitation notification is so timely as I'm watching this late...waow :D

I’ve been running graphene OS for a couple months now. Absolutely love it. I have Google play sandbox on a burner account so far so good no problems.

It seems the Developer in question has stepped down from the project. It's always good to be aware of these things even though drama is that last thing I want to think about when it comes to using a security focused phone OS.

Nice one Veronica :)

Love you your voice g, somone learned projection and breath control.

I love your channel. Any follow up on the graphene phone?

Loved the video Veronica. I'm glad you touched upon the issues with the developer. I believe he stepped down after the most recent incident. I believe, based on what I've seen, he's an individual with some serious mental health issues, so it is my hope that he gets the help that he needs and is then able to return and be a productive member of the open source and privacy respecting community. With that being said, I'd really love for you to look into the other alternatives to GrapheneOS. I am really considering going down this path myself, and I am not really certain I know what alternative platform would be best for me. I'm not sure I really understand the difference between GrapheneOS, Calyx, and Lineage. Heck, even throw in a look into a Linux phone. I basically use my phone for four things: texting (Signal), meetings while on the move (Zoom), navigation (Google Maps), and phone calls. It'd be nice to be able to evaluate what might be best for me before I invest time and money trying to make an alternative solution that respects my privacy work.

Thanks for this

Any further updates on your use of Grapheneos?

:) THANKS MUCH for sharing! This is exactly what I was hoping to do as well:) Is it still working out, or did you switch to a different OS? ALL the BEST and Cheers from Upper Left Coast!

Thanks for the video, fascinating stuff, biggest thing was it looked good because it turned off all the rubbish that google and other manufacturers install - if you want a phone to make calls/messages and occasional note taking - as you said "I want my phone to be a phone" that sells it, thanks again for the deep dive! Also can;t wait to see what you do with the 486...

Hearing "cyanogenmod" and seeing the logo gave me some major flashbacks to ~8 years ago when I was trying to install them on my phone (because it was "cool" at the time) and, in turn, bricking my phone because I didn't know anything about how stuff works. And I probably couldn't read very well... Later, once the new phone became not-so-new, I tried it again, but after switching between different ROMs I bricked it again. But the fun I had!

I love that PowerMac behind you.... I have a PowerMac 9600 among others. That is still to this day i think the coolest case ever made when you open it up.

Great video! Hope to see an update to this video.

Good review

'What? This... It's for another video!' CAN'T WAIT!

I installed graphenos a couple months ago - I found that when I would switch between my google and non-google accounts it kept requiring me to enter the password rather than allowing a fingerprint - I saw on the forum that having a lot of fingerprints loaded could cause delays, but I thought it was possible that also could be my cause - I had doubled a few of the fingers to scan them twice but after I removed the extra fingerprints it has worked flawlessly since. It sounds like this might be an android issue that just doesn't otherwise have a lot of visibility since most folks don't have more than one user.

good video, thank you :)

ohhhh. that install was sweet.

Cool desk at video's end. Me envy.

Interesting. I always thought you used the Pinephone Pro with Arch Linux and Phosh, what are your thoughts on it?

What do you do on a pixel phone when a flash fails? I'm so used to Oneplus and having a MSM tool to save me.

Wonderfull look at GrapheneOS. In days of future past, I would regularly unlock my phone, and install CyanogenMod...I loved the idea of having a small, portable Linux box. Then Samsung started to lockdown their phones, and that was that. I had Google phones before, but they were manufactured by LG, and the quality was...not great. I don't know who is making Googles phones these days (looks it up...Foxconn who make many of Apple's phones) so the quality will probably have improved. I always try to keep at least one spare phone for when Muphy happens, and I sound like a fun project putting GrapheneOS on a Pixel phone. Thank you for your video!

Interesting video, some people do get a wee bit paranoid about security but, having said that it is important.

5:59 I had one of those I gave away. I maxed that thing out so much and expanded EVERY port I could. At one time? I even had 20 HDD's hooked up to it. It was CRAZY how cool the Old Mac's were to mess with. OSX 10.2 using it as a Server with some modifications to the UNIX code I got from a book I still have someplace. I think I was one of the first to DUmp in CCFL's and Leds at the time inside the case. And the Golden days of Firewire!

The number one point of Aurora is granting access to the google play store without requiring that you install Google Play Services and all of the other privacy-ignoring, battery-eating Google services that comes with. On my previous phone, I used microG to provide exactly the APIs that I needed to get a couple features working (GSM notifications in particular, and apps that fail to run without those APIs - even if I don't use them - in general). Aurora allows this. However, on my new phone I don't intend to use apps that won't run without Google's bloatware. This does mean dropping Google Maps in favor of a good-enough FOSS replacement, namely OrganicMaps, available from F-Droid.

Well, regarding recommendations for a smaller phone, I'm using a Qin F22 Pro, and I'm loving it!

You could just use the web-based google maps, but you might lose some features. I suppose. I have ubuntu on my surface go on a 10 inch screen or my desktop computer so I just use firefox for checking out maps mostly, course a phone is even smaller so I'm not sure how it would turn out on that. On my samsung android I use web based facebook (though I typically don't use fb there) just because I don't want those apps installed

15:20 My mind when my boss and mistress start talking about my work 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Very, VERY nice video!!! I love your job! Greetings from Brazil!!

"It's not a power button if it's the Talk to Google button!!" Yes, I feel your pain. Another example of when Marketing overrules the Hardware team.

Thanks for sharing, the way you approached is logical. One thing I'm wondering is there a firewall app on here, something we can control, that'd be nice. 👍

I wasn't expecting the pixel 8 till next year were you referring to the 7a?

out of interest did you try copperhead (similar idea to graphine as a secure android build)

Using a temp gmail might not actually offer more privacy since theyll tie all your gmail activity to that of the same household unless each device is on separate vpn networks