It definitely helps. In GrapheneOS, Google Play Services can be installed, but it is sandboxed and doesn’t even have network access unless you allow it.
It solves so much more though, like through scoping you can give an app access to your contacts, or just specific contacts; to the app, those specific contacts are the only contacts that exist on your phone.
They have Google services but through a third party wrapper called MicroG, which keeps it sandboxed to a degree that you can keep it from doing system-level actions like this
edit: not microG, as evidenced by the strikethrough I put in very soon after receiving the first of several replies clarifying the situation. I would encourage you to read one of them before adding your own. <3
Gos doesnt use MicroG. MicroG is a foss implementation of googles APIs, with very ways to be tracked, and the ability to turn those components off.
Graphene says “you get nothing or you get these closed source black boxes we sandboxed”.
Install AirGuard, if you’re concerned about people stalking you. Install an icon pack and/or switch to a different homescreen app? I prefer that Graphene gives users freedom to setup their phone however they want.
Guess is finally about time to move to grapheneos
does graphene os solve this? I thought they were mostly google under the hood
It definitely helps. In GrapheneOS, Google Play Services can be installed, but it is sandboxed and doesn’t even have network access unless you allow it.
It solves so much more though, like through scoping you can give an app access to your contacts, or just specific contacts; to the app, those specific contacts are the only contacts that exist on your phone.
They have Google services
but through a third party wrapper called MicroG, which keeps itsandboxed to a degree that you can keep it from doing system-level actions like thisedit: not microG, as evidenced by the strikethrough I put in very soon after receiving the first of several replies clarifying the situation. I would encourage you to read one of them before adding your own. <3
You actually have to implicitly install google services on GrapheneOS, but if you do install it then it is sandboxed.
Do they use MicroG for sandboxing on GrapheneOS? Most searches on this topic online yield results indicating this is not the case.
https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2022/04/21/grapheneos-or-calyxos/#sandboxed-google-play-vs-privileged-microg
https://red.artemislena.eu/r/degoogle/comments/zwmcp7/cannot_install_microg_on_graphene_os/
They do indeed not use microg, just sandboxed Google services
Oh my bad. According to another commenter it is sandboxed though
Gos doesnt use MicroG. MicroG is a foss implementation of googles APIs, with very ways to be tracked, and the ability to turn those components off. Graphene says “you get nothing or you get these closed source black boxes we sandboxed”.
Its been time. You won’t regret it. Graphene is the best Android implementation I’ve ever used.
The icons suck. I want tag following notification. For a secure os not having the notification that a tag is following you seems like a mistake.
Install AirGuard, if you’re concerned about people stalking you. Install an icon pack and/or switch to a different homescreen app? I prefer that Graphene gives users freedom to setup their phone however they want.
Can I use sensitive apps like Chase banking?
I can confirm that Chase, Ally, Venmo, and Robinhood all work on Graphene. You just need to install Google Play Services.
Dope. I didn’t know that.