Out of all the TH-camrs for phone reviews and technology, you are the only one that mentions how privacy, protection, and customization works in very well explained videos. Great job and keep up the good work.
I've done a lot of research on the graphene os system and it's something I'd like to try out. Not very computer savie so was wondering where I can go to get it installed on a pixel where I can trust them. Any suggestions? Looks easy but don't want to f**k up my new phone so need the help. Love your vids but sometimes you move too fast through it so I have to keep backtracking to take notes on the important stuff. Maybe a short recap at the end would help.
Recently bought a Pixel 6A and tried to install GrapheneOS on it. I must say I'm impressed, I ran into a few issues connecting to Windows but once I switched over to Mac to install it was really simple and easy to do. I'm now going with a dual phone setup (iPhone 13 and Google Pixel 6A running GrapheneOS) to phase out the iPhone. The times I've set the permissions in GrapheneOS really makes you feel powerful to limit the apps access to stuff. So far I like the OS.
This was great! Had no idea Graphene had a fully browser-based install process. We’ll need a follow up on how you manage backups and recovery in a private and secure way!
One of the best videos on Graphene OS I’ve seen. Not only you showed how to install OS but also cleared doubt regarding installing Google apps. Every other video on youtube just says about OS or about how it works but never showed the OS in real time.
Tech, Privacy, and a Free Lifestyle? This is everything I like so I'm definitely subscribing. Do you do livestreams? it would be fun if people could ask you questions about RV Living live
Hahaha that’s a great tag line, actually! Thanks for the sub and welcome! We do have livestreams every now and then. We had been considering one within the next few days funny enough! We’re thinking we’ll do one this Sunday, and we’ll make a post in advance!
I hold you responsible for introducing me back to my "root"s of Android customization, even if it's installing an entirely customized privacy-focus OS. I thank you, one, for actually being passionate about these types of projects. That alone made me hit "subscribe". Secondly, I thank you for displaying what seems to be genuine honesty. That being said, I look forward to the videos you post, as I have only watched this one. Again, thank you. I'm following your guide along with the website now. 🤗
Hahaha I'm glad to have been of help there! And that's quite the compliment, thank you! We'll definitely have more videos in the future specifically on tech, privacy and the whole gamut!
@@CozyLivingMachine definitely looking forward to it. Judging by the number of views on your cozy living videos, it seems like you've hit quite a mark with the new tech videos. Took you long enough, huh? Lbvs
I'm motivated now. Used to run custom mods but Android has worked pretty well other than privacy, so didn't feel compelled anymore. But Graphene OS looks very good.
Absolutely! Especially for anyone who likes to tinker, it doesn't seem that you have to "give up" anything with this ROM these days!
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Even if I don't use it, I love this point of view, like to have the choice. And as I'm a hacker at core, I love to see how quick and easy it still is. I totally get the need for privacy and security. But I also like the fact that, this way, you really own the device: you're not tied by any software licence to use the hardware. This becomes an exception these days, and not only in the phone industry.
@@BInTheRage Ah right haha no worries man. Got my p7p today and been reading some issues coming up with wifi and some screen stuff so may wait a little longer till then iron out a few more issues for the 7 series but i still really want to use graphene.
I hope it's helpful! It's a longer video, but I didn't want to leave too much out, of course. I hadn't used the web installer prior to this, but it really is so easy now compared to using the command line and ensuring that you get all of the right files in the right place with the right syntax and all. For the general user, this is a game changer! I'd love to know how it goes for you. Now, if I could only run GrapheneOS on a Galaxy Note or S22 Ultra... 😂
@@CozyLivingMachine I get mine tomorrow and will definitely be setting it up with GrapheneOS right away. I agree an s22 ultra would be the perfect device for it!
Thanks! I'm glad it was helpful! GrapheneOS is pretty great overall, and just being able to demote the Google Services alone is worth the flash. And funny enough, even as someone working in tech, I have never used Discord! But that's a good suggestion, I will look into that and see about setting something like that up.
@@CozyLivingMachine I work in tech too and completely understand not being on Discord. I try to minimize my attack surface as much as possible by not being active/signed up to social media/apps for the most part, but I do loves me some Discord lol. Keep us posted though I think that could be an exciting/fun thing for your growing community!
Great Video and Guide. I just ordered my Pixel 7 today.. Gonna run it with Google for a few days just to make sure everything is working correctly, then plan to either Switch to Graphene or CalyxOS.. Still not too sure which would be best for me. I do use uBer on the weekends though.. so I need to make sure that will work. I do like not having the 1000's of Google Services Running in the Background. Not entirely sure how or if All my Apps will work or not, but most of the stuff I can either use on the Web Browser if I need to. I hate the fact that they want to "Monitor" everything I do. Great Video much Appreciate it.
Great video, and thank you for the insights! Very well put together and informative. Really appreciate the style and attention to detail! I want to mention that disabling Google Play services (not letting it access the internet) affects many of the apps installed from the store. Some apps misbehave, and some will not even start. So please advise people to leave it on or only turn it off when not needed (I don't like having it on either). Thank you so much for the guide!
Thank you for the review. Instead of paying $1,299 for a Librem 5 with a hardened Linux distribution and no ability to use Android applications. I plan to buy a Pixel 6A on sale for $299 + GrapheneOS and have a DeGoogled phone based on a Google Pixel spy phone. It is now a NON spy phone for much less and I can still use Google Maps my way now boxed in a Graphene OS sandbox. Subscribing now! I have some Android applications that I MUST have but they have never been ported to Android so now I have a protected mode of Android that stops that ubiquitous Google, Apple, Microsoft and Meta spying.
That's a fantastic plan to me, especially at that price! Seems like a no-brainer, and I really hope this type of thinking takes off because it just makes great sense.
@@CozyLivingMachine I replied to your email address with Info for you ( I have successfully lived your way for over 20 years & learned more lessons) under "about" and it was returned.
Any apps that require payment cant work on degoogled phones. Go ahead and continue with your heavily spied on phone , might want to install duck duck tracker protection to get an idea how bad it really is lmao.
Because banking apps require a lot of data collection permissions, besides all the Google Play malware it needs running in the background. It's so secure precisely because you can't do things like that.
@@vaultboy1419 ok, so it means that if you are a person that uses apps on a daily basis that heavily relies on Google play services such as banking apps, then this GOS is not for you, right? Or is there a way to still use your banking apps on this OS but still stay secured?
Very informative mate. I've only just discovered your channel since you began this pixel series. You're so good at it, I thought you must be a tech TH-camr 😂. As an instructional video, it was very clear and has given me the confidence to give it a try. Thank you
"You don't have to be a hacker, even though it'll make you look pretty cool" Hits home so bad 😆 I basically think exactly this every time I"m rooting/flashing etc. I feel like I'm on Mr. Robot every time I run a basic ADB command or tap a few things in TWRP lol
This is what I had been asking Microsoft to do back in the day when the Windows phone was released. Sell an open platform to the consumer and have the consumer choose whatever secure open-source OS they wished to download on their devices and whatever app store and or apps they wished to utilize where Microsoft's role would be back-end services and hardware support. Windows phone would still maintain its unique GUI features and customization but the end user gets to control what the device can access and what apps can do or not do with the device... but it is all spilled milk now...
I'm trying to load Stock Android ROMs into all the phones I have in my house and you're here trying to load "GrapheneOS" into a PIXEL PHONE! Lmao. Love your videos btw.
The Pixel 7 lineup has gotten some pretty solid battery improvements from some software/hardware optimizations. Would you say you've seen better or worse battery performance after installing this? I'd feel having nearly nothing Googlefied would help, but just curious as this seems wonderful to have!
It sure has! And I noticed my standby time had increased from dropping 1-2% overnight to being at the same percentage by morning. The display is a battery hog, of course, but a little less telemetry and processing that it has to do, a little more efficient!
The battery on my Pixel7 pro sucks - it doesn't even last a day, and takes a couple of hours to charge. By contrast, my old Huawei P30 is still on 25% after four days, and takes about 30 minutes to charge.
@@nacekozo the battery on the 7 pro is really good, what do you mean? My phone lasts all day with about 40% at the end of the day, and takes about 45 minutes to charge to 80%
Well done, if you still remember this man have been worked for Apple and as he pointed out all of them are watching you, so with that being said be careful with what you choose for your daily life! Have a nice day.
Thanks!! That motorhome is this one here: th-cam.com/video/gnYCieERt3I/w-d-xo.html And this is our new motorhome: th-cam.com/video/nSBdLhdwA_w/w-d-xo.html
6:32 what… how old or what cable are you using iv never had issue with lighting iv had more issues with androids there’s always something wrong with em…
:) THANKS MUCH and EXACTLY what I need to do on a Pixel7a! I hope it works as well for me in the future! Subscribed and will watch your Pixel8 Pro vid next to see how it differs or not. All the BEST and Cheers! :)
I installed this on my Pixel 6 and the only issue I had was Google Pay. I use it constantly, every day so it was kind of a deal breaker. Other than that it was great, hope to go back to it at some point.
@@andrey.003 Nah, I ended up going back to stock because I rely on GPay too much. Things may have changed since I tried though. It's a pretty painless process to install both Graphene and stock, so no harm in trying it out!
Past months I’ve been playing around with degoogled ROMS to see the difference and if I could daily drive all FOSS apps or what apps I’d need google play services. What made you try GrapheneOS vs calyxos or lineageos?
I chose GrapheneOS because the team really focuses on system hardening and from what I've read in my comparisons on forums and such, they're quicker to release software patches. I had also read a report that Lineage was still sending out some information, though it wasn't exactly clear as to what that was here: www.scss.tcd.ie/Doug.Leith/Android_privacy_report.pdf I'm sure that CalyxOS and Lineage are just fine, I just appreciated that GrapheneOS specifically works on the Pixel and focuses on system hardening with quicker updates!
@@CozyLivingMachine oh I did not know that about Lineage! Good to know! I’ll probably give Graphene a try. /e/ is a little buggy so my viable option are between Graphene and Calyx I think. I like the idea of MicroG on Calyx allowing push notifications. We shall see!
Great video! Can you confirm doing this does not effect the camera functions? You said you can download Google camera, but does that make it identical to the original software ?
@@CozyLivingMachine sweet! I heard that with the march update the camera improved. Wondering if they mean the camera app update or the Google operating system update. Like ai might be involved. That’s an additional question - is ai within apps compromising privacy ?
Great video! One update: Sadly the whole switching users from the lock screen with biometrics/fingers is broken. I read it's broken upstream, as in Android itself. Doesn't work for me on GrapheneOS (Pixel4a & Pixel7) and it doesn't work on stock Android 13 either. Currently search on Aurora is broken with anonymous logins, so logging into Aurora with a Google account (maybe a throw-away one?) is fine. Google learns what Apps you are installing and that's it. I've added this and some more updates to my latest video.
In this particular case, while I've never used Live Translate, my understanding is that because it's an on-device Google service that is intercepting the call and interacting in your place as an automated task, it requires Google services. While it's potentially possible to install this service once again after installing Google Play Services and the rest, it isn't available by default.
@@CozyLivingMachine Oh ok,I was thinking if I should install a custom Rom the day I got the phone but after using call screening and live translate now I don't want to lose those . Live translate is really useful since it converts other languages to English even in apps like WhatsApp so I don't need to keep copy pasting in Google translate
@@ArjunRavi I completely understand! I've heard nothing but great things. My use case is just a bit different, but I suspect you'll love the phone either way!
Pretty cool! I just will say though that the mic and camera access you mentioned is standard on pixel phones by default, I have a 7 myself and the camera and mic access toggles are there by default! Cool that it is leaking over to the more mainstream aspects aswell.
It sure is! I should have better explained, but this video is intended as sort of an introduction for folks who are coming from iOS and switching, as I had, and may go straight to GrapheneOS and never touch the default Android. I also wanted to touch on the similarities for those on stock Googled ROMS to show that the simplicity and features are here as well -- but in some cases are much better, such as when wi-fi is disabled in GrapheneOS, it is ACTUALLY disabled, things like that!
@@CozyLivingMachine yea that's totally true!! I love that these kinds of projects are getting more popular which leads to options in more standard solutions aswell!
This is very interesting, the biggest thing for me is the separate profiles, especially with respect to finger print unlock. My question though is, does each profile run a separate instance? does is cull processes in the background if you swap profiles? for example, you mentioned having a profile for just banking. So what would happen for example, if you had a bank app for you, and a bank app for your spouse (the same app, different logins) -- if I accessed my bank account info, then handed the phone to my wife and she swapped to her profile, would it close the app on my profile? keep it running in the background and open a new instance so she could log into hers?
This is with the phone itself. A few videos prior to this was shot entirely on this phone running the stock OS. It's not, by any means, unusable footage (you can see!) but it's not the same quality as what you'd expect with an iPhone. The great news is that whether running GrapheneOS or stock image from Google, GCam is GCam and identical images and videos from both!
Might want to try CalyxOS too, they are both great but CalyxOS has a lot of feature Graphene doesn't - MicroG (A complete open source rewrite of play services, haven't had issues with it also more privacy in thoery) - Holding the power button while the phone is off turns on the flash light I use this a lot now couldn't live without it - Revoke network permissions in the background not just completely revoking them - Seems faster at the cost of added memory safety Graphene seems to have Only issues I have are - Default apps suck since they are ASOP(replace them with simple apps and Google apps with no network permission thank me later) - No way to change the /etc/hosts file besides a custom DNS or rooting - WiFi randomly goes out when I leave the phone in standby for a while but toggling airplane fixes it quickly(Could be a hardware issue? Happens on both roms)
This is an awesome comment! Thank you, very specific info. You give a few good reasons to try out CalyxOS! I may just have to do that. I suspect people will enjoy a video or two on that as well. I think the more of us that share that this is an option, the less people will settle for not really owning and being able to control their phones! Options are always a good thing!
Restricting internet for games would be heaven for games that load adverts every minute! Trust me I don’t mind adverts as it supports apps, but it’s excessive in some, soo restricting network should good
Is it possible to use developer options and stuff in the settings to sufficiently achieve the same or similar result? As changing something like the os is still too worrying for me. Tech potato!
Unfortunately it isn’t possible, not to this level! You can use adb tools and remove some bloatware on devices, but it won’t give you control over sensors and networks and calling home, unfortunately!
Joel, how do you sync contacts, calendar and tasks without using Google contacts, calendar and keep? I saw some TH-camrs using Davx5 with Nextcloud. What would you do?
Upload the files to iCloud Drive, Google Drive, etc then download them via a browser, install in whichever app. For syncing, I don't have automated backup functionality enabled, I just haven't done any research into it!
Oh man please help. I did everything and now in fastboot mode it only says "restart bootloader" and not unlock bootloader. What did I wrong? OEM is ready
So full transparency I’ve returned this to pick up the 7 Pro. However, after installing GrapheneOS, standby time wasn’t affected more than 1% over 13 hours of sitting on the desk, not plugged in. I know on my 4a, the battery life nearly doubled. So I’ll do more tests on the new device with real world numbers with GOS but without the telemetry, it should be MUCH better.
My question as someone who just got the Pixel 7 pro, does this disable or lose functionality of the phone? I'm starting to notice almost everything that makes this device unique goes through google cloud services and as much as I'm tired of google tracking everything, I do use their services for my business. It would suck if this reduced functionality of the voice to text, text to voice, voice control google lens etc.
I do know that you can reinstall a lot of these things, including the Google Lens feature. The speech services I haven’t tried. I’m picking up the 7 Pro soon, I’ll test again at that point!
That was what I was thinking too. I dig the wish to have a phone de-googlefied as something a lot of people seem to want. But the attractive part about the Pixel IS all the Google software tricks and gadgets, the AI stuff. I'm sure there's spying going on in the AI stuff, but it's also one of the USP's of this phone. I'd say if you'd want a spy-free phone, get a Red Mi or something and put Graphene on that. Red Mi makes decent phones with great speed and decent camera's.
@@CozyLivingMachine yeah, now I'm use Google silicone case too and it really looks good, but your transparent case on Pixel 7 looks so cool in this video. Maybe you have a link on it?
Are other devices able to read images and data normally? do i have to install graphine befor setting up phone for maximum privacy? what about tranfering data from old phone? will this open me up to loss of privacy? (data on old apps)
Typically, you have the option to prevent certain apps from reading your permissions, though you cannot tell what's going on. Google will always have "super user" permissions and should they do image scanning and the like, you may or may not know about it but you'll have no control over it at all - just as one example. When you perform the install, it will fully erase the device, of course. Transferring data like contacts, calendars, etc is easiest if they're already on a computer that you have, but this is different for everyone. Reinstalling apps is easy enough, you'll see in these GrapheneOS videos, but as for data within the apps, that's probably not going to come over unless you sign in to the app itself, which may be a privacy concern, depending. I've never had an instance where this important for me to do, but it's worth a consideration! Before jumping straight in, it may be worth looking into other privacy-preserving measures first, such as dumping social media and online behaviors that easily identify you by name, address, phone number, email, photographic likeness, etc.
I would double check your USB drivers, unplug and replug, restart Chrome, and use the Google help articles for troubleshooting there. They'll have a fix listed somewhere!
Just installed GrapheneOS today... one thing I had to do , not sure if its different now vs when you made the video, but i had to set the usb to Use for File Transfer in order to write Graphene onto the phone. Trying to figure out how to Get GooGle Cams on the phone...
Is there any advantage of using the Google Play Store (that in Apps) over the Aurora Store? Would it be sufficient to just install the other 2 Google apps to get everything working?
I have not found, nor can I think of any other advantage. I use the Aurora Store, and it allows me to install certain things, like Netflix, that the Google Play Store will not allow!
No you can't You can manually skin it with Huawei icon pack Huawei kwgt widget Huawei klpd And Huawei like launcher And for notification panel you'll need another app to change it to Huawei like notification panel It's a hassle and battery might start draining If you're here for customization Go for corvus , pixel experience plus etc
Hi. The I am a novice, but interested it the privacy. If I go for the graphene, will the android app update to their latest version, and is the a way to up keep the software going slow 3 years from now?
I could be mistaken, but I dont think all devices allow for oem unlocking. I have an unlocked pixel 6 pro with a verizon sim and the "oem unlocking" button was greyed out. Upon doing some research as well as speaking with verizon tech support, they said some devices didnt allow for it based upon the retailer it was bought from. Its pretty infuriating because I was stuck in a shitty android 13 beta at the time and trying to opt out of the beta would put the phone in a boot loop. I had to reinstall the same software using the windows cmd and android toolkit because without the bootloader unlocked you are unable to install non-oem software nor previous versions of the software (aka stable build).
I was wondering if this had been discussed because there are multiple variants of the Pixel 7 and there is talk that other variants might not be able to have the bootloader unlocked like the Verizon variant. I don't remember the thread exactly but there is an unlocking/rooting thread on xda that discusses in full detail which variants are unlockable and which ones aren't.
If google can track you with location off (standard phone set up) whats to stop them from tracking you after gaphine os installed and google installed after?
The way that this works is that you've completely removed the original operating that used Google services and apps with elevated privileges (and your user account will run with lower permissions than those services, so they can override you). By removing the original operating system and replacing it with something that does not have Google services at all by default, you can choose to reinstall a few of those services again, but they run with standard permissions that you know do not include the ability to run in the background or with special permissions!
I have an iPhone and I want to do this with a Google Pixel 7 also, just wanted to know how can you back this up without Google or whoever knowing everything? Thanks
Out of all the TH-camrs for phone reviews and technology, you are the only one that mentions how privacy, protection, and customization works in very well explained videos. Great job and keep up the good work.
Thank you very much! I'm especially glad that it's clear, I just hope to help folks new to all of this!
yea and google dont want to advertise it :D
I've done a lot of research on the graphene os system and it's something I'd like to try out. Not very computer savie so was wondering where I can go to get it installed on a pixel where I can trust them. Any suggestions? Looks easy but don't want to f**k up my new phone so need the help. Love your vids but sometimes you move too fast through it so I have to keep backtracking to take notes on the important stuff. Maybe a short recap at the end would help.
Keep speaking truth and Apple will fire you.
Oh no, I left back in 2017, shortly after Angela Ahrendts began making some rather drastic changes to the Apple repair process. Long gone! 😂
@@CozyLivingMachine Damn! Apple's loss sir.
Like how Susan Wojcicki changed youtube
lol
Hahahaha 😆
From Google Pixel 7 to DeGoogle Pixel 7
25 minutes spent good on learning more and more about android, graphene OS and privacy.
Thank you buddy for this video.
Thanks for watching, and I'm glad I could be of help!!
Recently bought a Pixel 6A and tried to install GrapheneOS on it. I must say I'm impressed, I ran into a few issues connecting to Windows but once I switched over to Mac to install it was really simple and easy to do. I'm now going with a dual phone setup (iPhone 13 and Google Pixel 6A running GrapheneOS) to phase out the iPhone. The times I've set the permissions in GrapheneOS really makes you feel powerful to limit the apps access to stuff. So far I like the OS.
Bro i will have the same setup with pixel 7a and iphone 13pro. Can you tell us about your experience?
i have an iphone 13 and i bought an Pixel 7a :-) next week i will install grapheneos @@Ssiooriginalfreeway
This was great! Had no idea Graphene had a fully browser-based install process. We’ll need a follow up on how you manage backups and recovery in a private and secure way!
You're on a roll right now with these Pixel videos! Great stuff man!
Thank you!!
One of the best videos on Graphene OS I’ve seen. Not only you showed how to install OS but also cleared doubt regarding installing Google apps. Every other video on youtube just says about OS or about how it works but never showed the OS in real time.
I appreciate that! I knew it would make it a longer video, but I figured it'd be worth it for folks to actually see the finished product!
That is really slick. I use an iPhone but I picked up a Pixel 7 for an excellent price. I think I'll try this.
Tech, Privacy, and a Free Lifestyle? This is everything I like so I'm definitely subscribing. Do you do livestreams? it would be fun if people could ask you questions about RV Living live
Hahaha that’s a great tag line, actually! Thanks for the sub and welcome! We do have livestreams every now and then. We had been considering one within the next few days funny enough! We’re thinking we’ll do one this Sunday, and we’ll make a post in advance!
I hold you responsible for introducing me back to my "root"s of Android customization, even if it's installing an entirely customized privacy-focus OS. I thank you, one, for actually being passionate about these types of projects. That alone made me hit "subscribe". Secondly, I thank you for displaying what seems to be genuine honesty. That being said, I look forward to the videos you post, as I have only watched this one. Again, thank you. I'm following your guide along with the website now. 🤗
Hahaha I'm glad to have been of help there! And that's quite the compliment, thank you! We'll definitely have more videos in the future specifically on tech, privacy and the whole gamut!
@@CozyLivingMachine definitely looking forward to it. Judging by the number of views on your cozy living videos, it seems like you've hit quite a mark with the new tech videos. Took you long enough, huh? Lbvs
@@BLAKESUAVETV Exactly!
Really appreciate this video! I don’t think I’ve seen a video as thorough about Graphene OS. Great work!
Thank you!! I appreciate the feedback! ☺️
Thank you for this video!, I've been wanting to see someone do an install of GrapheneOS. Super easy to understand what you were saying, Thanks Joel!
I'm glad it's helpful, happy to share!!
I'm motivated now. Used to run custom mods but Android has worked pretty well other than privacy, so didn't feel compelled anymore. But Graphene OS looks very good.
Absolutely! Especially for anyone who likes to tinker, it doesn't seem that you have to "give up" anything with this ROM these days!
Even if I don't use it, I love this point of view, like to have the choice. And as I'm a hacker at core, I love to see how quick and easy it still is. I totally get the need for privacy and security. But I also like the fact that, this way, you really own the device: you're not tied by any software licence to use the hardware. This becomes an exception these days, and not only in the phone industry.
Wow this is absolutely amazing !
I have pixel 7 as well
I'm really bad at doing those type of things but I'm definitely going to try this
Thank you
Good luck! It looks scary at first, but the guide is just fantastic and it’s pretty dang easy now. Just a few buttons. 😊
Did you flash it ? What do you think?
@@JonnyParker- no i didn't 😅 maybe after the holidays
I don't wanna be trying to work on my phone haha
@@BInTheRage Ah right haha no worries man. Got my p7p today and been reading some issues coming up with wifi and some screen stuff so may wait a little longer till then iron out a few more issues for the 7 series but i still really want to use graphene.
Now this is what I was waiting for!
I hope it's helpful! It's a longer video, but I didn't want to leave too much out, of course. I hadn't used the web installer prior to this, but it really is so easy now compared to using the command line and ensuring that you get all of the right files in the right place with the right syntax and all. For the general user, this is a game changer! I'd love to know how it goes for you. Now, if I could only run GrapheneOS on a Galaxy Note or S22 Ultra... 😂
@@CozyLivingMachine I get mine tomorrow and will definitely be setting it up with GrapheneOS right away. I agree an s22 ultra would be the perfect device for it!
Awesome video thank you!! I thought I could control most of the settings you pointed out in GrapheneOS but this was super informative!
Also do you have a Discord? I'd love to chat with you!
Thanks! I'm glad it was helpful! GrapheneOS is pretty great overall, and just being able to demote the Google Services alone is worth the flash. And funny enough, even as someone working in tech, I have never used Discord! But that's a good suggestion, I will look into that and see about setting something like that up.
@@CozyLivingMachine I work in tech too and completely understand not being on Discord. I try to minimize my attack surface as much as possible by not being active/signed up to social media/apps for the most part, but I do loves me some Discord lol. Keep us posted though I think that could be an exciting/fun thing for your growing community!
This is very informative, no BS.
I appreciate that feedback! Thanks!
+1 for the Aurora store. I run it on my chromebook to get certain apps.
Good point, I always forget about Chromebooks, and Aurora Store would be great for those!
Thanks mate! I just ordered a pixel 7 pro last night, and am planning to install it right away.
Funny enough, I just returned the Pixel 7 and I’m ordering up the pro myself! Enjoy your new phone!
@@CozyLivingMachine Thanks, and you too!
@@CozyLivingMachine you meant you returned ur pixel 7 and getting a pixel 7 pro instead?
@@itsyaboivoid Yes indeed! I just picked one up the other day, still waiting for my screen protector! 😂
Just came across this video via your pixel 7 pro video and I'm very interested in this. I never knew I was until I watched your vids. Thanks!
Great Video and Guide. I just ordered my Pixel 7 today.. Gonna run it with Google for a few days just to make sure everything is working correctly, then plan to either Switch to Graphene or CalyxOS.. Still not too sure which would be best for me. I do use uBer on the weekends though.. so I need to make sure that will work. I do like not having the 1000's of Google Services Running in the Background. Not entirely sure how or if All my Apps will work or not, but most of the stuff I can either use on the Web Browser if I need to. I hate the fact that they want to "Monitor" everything I do. Great Video much Appreciate it.
Great video, and thank you for the insights! Very well put together and informative. Really appreciate the style and attention to detail! I want to mention that disabling Google Play services (not letting it access the internet) affects many of the apps installed from the store. Some apps misbehave, and some will not even start. So please advise people to leave it on or only turn it off when not needed (I don't like having it on either). Thank you so much for the guide!
Sounds like my dream comes true. I will try this as soon as I arrive at home this weekend.
Thank you for the review. Instead of paying $1,299 for a Librem 5 with a hardened Linux distribution and no ability to use Android applications. I plan to buy a Pixel 6A on sale for $299 + GrapheneOS and have a DeGoogled phone based on a Google Pixel spy phone. It is now a NON spy phone for much less and I can still use Google Maps my way now boxed in a Graphene OS sandbox. Subscribing now! I have some Android applications that I MUST have but they have never been ported to Android so now I have a protected mode of Android that stops that ubiquitous Google, Apple, Microsoft and Meta spying.
That's a fantastic plan to me, especially at that price! Seems like a no-brainer, and I really hope this type of thinking takes off because it just makes great sense.
@@CozyLivingMachine I replied to your email address with Info for you ( I have successfully lived your way for over 20 years & learned more lessons) under "about" and it was returned.
I found the right video.. ney, channel at the right time!
Thanks!! That’s nice to read! Welcome. 😊
Good stuff man. Flashing it.
Absolutely worth it!!
question: If this OS is so secured, why did you opted to not install your banking apps in that Pixel 7 running on GrapheneOS?
*crickets*
Any apps that require payment cant work on degoogled phones. Go ahead and continue with your heavily spied on phone , might want to install duck duck tracker protection to get an idea how bad it really is lmao.
Because banking apps require a lot of data collection permissions, besides all the Google Play malware it needs running in the background. It's so secure precisely because you can't do things like that.
@@vaultboy1419 ok, so it means that if you are a person that uses apps on a daily basis that heavily relies on Google play services such as banking apps, then this GOS is not for you, right? Or is there a way to still use your banking apps on this OS but still stay secured?
Very informative mate. I've only just discovered your channel since you began this pixel series. You're so good at it, I thought you must be a tech TH-camr 😂.
As an instructional video, it was very clear and has given me the confidence to give it a try. Thank you
That's kind of you to say! And that's really awesome, I'm glad to be of help!!
@@CozyLivingMachine Cheers 🍻 from Australia
"You don't have to be a hacker, even though it'll make you look pretty cool" Hits home so bad 😆 I basically think exactly this every time I"m rooting/flashing etc. I feel like I'm on Mr. Robot every time I run a basic ADB command or tap a few things in TWRP lol
This is what I had been asking Microsoft to do back in the day when the Windows phone was released. Sell an open platform to the consumer and have the consumer choose whatever secure open-source OS they wished to download on their devices and whatever app store and or apps they wished to utilize where Microsoft's role would be back-end services and hardware support. Windows phone would still maintain its unique GUI features and customization but the end user gets to control what the device can access and what apps can do or not do with the device... but it is all spilled milk now...
I'm trying to load Stock Android ROMs into all the phones I have in my house and you're here trying to load "GrapheneOS" into a PIXEL PHONE! Lmao. Love your videos btw.
Good luck! And thank you!
???
Awesome video! Thank you so much for the instructions!
The Pixel 7 lineup has gotten some pretty solid battery improvements from some software/hardware optimizations. Would you say you've seen better or worse battery performance after installing this? I'd feel having nearly nothing Googlefied would help, but just curious as this seems wonderful to have!
It sure has! And I noticed my standby time had increased from dropping 1-2% overnight to being at the same percentage by morning. The display is a battery hog, of course, but a little less telemetry and processing that it has to do, a little more efficient!
The battery on my Pixel7 pro sucks - it doesn't even last a day, and takes a couple of hours to charge. By contrast, my old Huawei P30 is still on 25% after four days, and takes about 30 minutes to charge.
@@CozyLivingMachine I have problems with the Pixel 7 pro taking a lot of battery idling
@@nacekozo My phone doesn't take a couple hours charge. What charger are you using?. My phone will last a day and a half real easy with lots of use
@@nacekozo the battery on the 7 pro is really good, what do you mean? My phone lasts all day with about 40% at the end of the day, and takes about 45 minutes to charge to 80%
Well done, if you still remember this man have been worked for Apple and as he pointed out all of them are watching you, so with that being said be careful with what you choose for your daily life!
Have a nice day.
Sweet dude just ordered my 7 expecting it tomorrow. T u for the video 👍
Very interesting, to bad I am not tech savvy enough to utilize what your teaching. The youngsters will find this very useful.
Thanks!
Thanks for the great video. Its very helpful.
Is there any video of your rv. Looks very nice, would like a small tour of it too.
Thanks!! That motorhome is this one here: th-cam.com/video/gnYCieERt3I/w-d-xo.html
And this is our new motorhome: th-cam.com/video/nSBdLhdwA_w/w-d-xo.html
@@CozyLivingMachine woah thanks!
Hey!! Great video. Would love to see more software/pixel content for u
Thank you! And you absolutely will! 😊
6:32 what… how old or what cable are you using iv never had issue with lighting iv had more issues with androids there’s always something wrong with em…
Brilliant,thank you for this,.. definitely subscribed.👌
:) THANKS MUCH and EXACTLY what I need to do on a Pixel7a! I hope it works as well for me in the future! Subscribed and will watch your Pixel8 Pro vid next to see how it differs or not. All the BEST and Cheers! :)
I installed this on my Pixel 6 and the only issue I had was Google Pay. I use it constantly, every day so it was kind of a deal breaker. Other than that it was great, hope to go back to it at some point.
Did you get it working at the end?
@@andrey.003 Nah, I ended up going back to stock because I rely on GPay too much. Things may have changed since I tried though. It's a pretty painless process to install both Graphene and stock, so no harm in trying it out!
Such a helpful video, thank you!
Excellent review. Thank you.
Past months I’ve been playing around with degoogled ROMS to see the difference and if I could daily drive all FOSS apps or what apps I’d need google play services. What made you try GrapheneOS vs calyxos or lineageos?
I chose GrapheneOS because the team really focuses on system hardening and from what I've read in my comparisons on forums and such, they're quicker to release software patches. I had also read a report that Lineage was still sending out some information, though it wasn't exactly clear as to what that was here: www.scss.tcd.ie/Doug.Leith/Android_privacy_report.pdf
I'm sure that CalyxOS and Lineage are just fine, I just appreciated that GrapheneOS specifically works on the Pixel and focuses on system hardening with quicker updates!
@@CozyLivingMachine oh I did not know that about Lineage! Good to know! I’ll probably give Graphene a try. /e/ is a little buggy so my viable option are between Graphene and Calyx I think. I like the idea of MicroG on Calyx allowing push notifications. We shall see!
awesome question
don't forget pine64
Cool, I see you rocking those crusher evos!
They're definitely my favorite headphones I've ever had, fantastic bass! 🎧
Great video! Can you confirm doing this does not effect the camera functions? You said you can download Google camera, but does that make it identical to the original software ?
That's correct, it's exactly the same software and hardware. Identical functions.
@@CozyLivingMachine sweet! I heard that with the march update the camera improved. Wondering if they mean the camera app update or the Google operating system update. Like ai might be involved.
That’s an additional question - is ai within apps compromising privacy ?
Are you still able to use nfc pay or my banking apps. I know when you trip the Knox security on my samsung phone, I can longer use my banking apps.
Do you also plan on using more privacy conscious computer operating systems? Would love to see a video on that !
Great video! One update: Sadly the whole switching users from the lock screen with biometrics/fingers is broken. I read it's broken upstream, as in Android itself. Doesn't work for me on GrapheneOS (Pixel4a & Pixel7) and it doesn't work on stock Android 13 either. Currently search on Aurora is broken with anonymous logins, so logging into Aurora with a Google account (maybe a throw-away one?) is fine. Google learns what Apps you are installing and that's it. I've added this and some more updates to my latest video.
Do the pixel exclusive features work? Like call screening,live translate in apps ,etc
In this particular case, while I've never used Live Translate, my understanding is that because it's an on-device Google service that is intercepting the call and interacting in your place as an automated task, it requires Google services. While it's potentially possible to install this service once again after installing Google Play Services and the rest, it isn't available by default.
@@CozyLivingMachine Oh ok,I was thinking if I should install a custom Rom the day I got the phone but after using call screening and live translate now I don't want to lose those . Live translate is really useful since it converts other languages to English even in apps like WhatsApp so I don't need to keep copy pasting in Google translate
@@ArjunRavi I completely understand! I've heard nothing but great things. My use case is just a bit different, but I suspect you'll love the phone either way!
Pretty cool! I just will say though that the mic and camera access you mentioned is standard on pixel phones by default, I have a 7 myself and the camera and mic access toggles are there by default! Cool that it is leaking over to the more mainstream aspects aswell.
It sure is! I should have better explained, but this video is intended as sort of an introduction for folks who are coming from iOS and switching, as I had, and may go straight to GrapheneOS and never touch the default Android. I also wanted to touch on the similarities for those on stock Googled ROMS to show that the simplicity and features are here as well -- but in some cases are much better, such as when wi-fi is disabled in GrapheneOS, it is ACTUALLY disabled, things like that!
@@CozyLivingMachine yea that's totally true!! I love that these kinds of projects are getting more popular which leads to options in more standard solutions aswell!
I may have missed it but what about google monthly feature drops bug fixes and security updates? How do you get those?
GrapheneOS releases standard patches and bug fixes, very quickly from what I'm reading in forums and such!
If you dont mind me asking, what about social media such as whatsapp, facebook, and instagram?
What case are you using? looks cool!
How google play works on graphene? I mean, can i install google pay app and use it? Or revolut? Or any other banking app?
This is very interesting, the biggest thing for me is the separate profiles, especially with respect to finger print unlock.
My question though is, does each profile run a separate instance? does is cull processes in the background if you swap profiles?
for example, you mentioned having a profile for just banking. So what would happen for example, if you had a bank app for you, and a bank app for your spouse (the same app, different logins) --
if I accessed my bank account info, then handed the phone to my wife and she swapped to her profile, would it close the app on my profile? keep it running in the background and open a new instance so she could log into hers?
22:10 Dude just gave away his location. Let's go guys... 😂
Come on over! 😂
What's the difference between this and calyxos? They look very similar but people get angry talking about them at the same time
At 23:10 you said video is not so great on this phone. Is this generally a thing with pixels or does it has something to do with grapheneos?
This is with the phone itself. A few videos prior to this was shot entirely on this phone running the stock OS. It's not, by any means, unusable footage (you can see!) but it's not the same quality as what you'd expect with an iPhone. The great news is that whether running GrapheneOS or stock image from Google, GCam is GCam and identical images and videos from both!
Might want to try CalyxOS too, they are both great but CalyxOS has a lot of feature Graphene doesn't
- MicroG (A complete open source rewrite of play services, haven't had issues with it also more privacy in thoery)
- Holding the power button while the phone is off turns on the flash light I use this a lot now couldn't live without it
- Revoke network permissions in the background not just completely revoking them
- Seems faster at the cost of added memory safety Graphene seems to have
Only issues I have are
- Default apps suck since they are ASOP(replace them with simple apps and Google apps with no network permission thank me later)
- No way to change the /etc/hosts file besides a custom DNS or rooting
- WiFi randomly goes out when I leave the phone in standby for a while but toggling airplane fixes it quickly(Could be a hardware issue? Happens on both roms)
This is an awesome comment! Thank you, very specific info. You give a few good reasons to try out CalyxOS! I may just have to do that. I suspect people will enjoy a video or two on that as well. I think the more of us that share that this is an option, the less people will settle for not really owning and being able to control their phones! Options are always a good thing!
Restricting internet for games would be heaven for games that load adverts every minute! Trust me I don’t mind adverts as it supports apps, but it’s excessive in some, soo restricting network should good
12:19 There's also something like AirDrop for Android ob 5he Pixels, but unfortunately it's part of the Stock ROM.
You said that you always use signal, but do you not talk to anybody without signal for messages?
I do not. For businesses and such, they get a Google Voice number but that's about it!
Does Graphene OS extend the years of software and security support beyond googles 3/5 year updates?
I have the same phone, its ok. I had galaxys for the last 10 yrs so its a learning curve, I do not like being boxed in with so much google stuff.
Absolutely!
How do u get all the content from the phone to work without putting it in 1 by1.
Simple and sincere, amazing!
Have you noticed any loss of photo quality compared with the original os?
So with the default app, it’s not nearly as good. Reinstall Google services, restrict permissions, then install GCam, and it’s exactly the same!
@@CozyLivingMachine Thanks!
Hey, great video! I want to install it but I am concerned about my banking apps. Will they work?
Absolutely. Mine work 100%!
12:40 I don't have a screen cast option on my Pixel 7 Pro with GrapheneOS. How did you get that to work?
I noticed that I had to make it show in the menu up there, but otherwise it just appeared once I was on Wi-Fi automatically!
Is it possible to use developer options and stuff in the settings to sufficiently achieve the same or similar result? As changing something like the os is still too worrying for me. Tech potato!
Unfortunately it isn’t possible, not to this level! You can use adb tools and remove some bloatware on devices, but it won’t give you control over sensors and networks and calling home, unfortunately!
Having problems with the Aurora Store saying my account is rate limited every time I search for an app. What to do?
It helped for me to reinstall the app. I was also able to choose "Anonymous (Insecure)" and that did the trick for me!
Joel, how do you sync contacts, calendar and tasks without using Google contacts, calendar and keep? I saw some TH-camrs using Davx5 with Nextcloud. What would you do?
Upload the files to iCloud Drive, Google Drive, etc then download them via a browser, install in whichever app. For syncing, I don't have automated backup functionality enabled, I just haven't done any research into it!
What phonecase is that? It looks very good
store.google.com/us/product/casemate_tough_clear_cases?hl=en-US this guy here!
Oh man please help. I did everything and now in fastboot mode it only says "restart bootloader" and not unlock bootloader. What did I wrong? OEM is ready
How is the battery life? With respect to the system that comes from the factory, any difference? thanks
I got a Google 6 pro and I'm wondering how your battery life has been with this OS it looks pretty light
So full transparency I’ve returned this to pick up the 7 Pro. However, after installing GrapheneOS, standby time wasn’t affected more than 1% over 13 hours of sitting on the desk, not plugged in. I know on my 4a, the battery life nearly doubled. So I’ll do more tests on the new device with real world numbers with GOS but without the telemetry, it should be MUCH better.
Definitely an informative video, but I'm surprised you did not have screen view with your computer background etc. 😉
Thank you! And I only thought I should share the GrapheneOS page specifically to make it simple!
Where did you buy the phone from? Trying to figure if if you buy it unlocked from Google will it have the OEM unlocked
Yep, I got this one from Google directly. Then swapped for the 7 Pro that I picked up from Best Buy, also unlocked!
My question as someone who just got the Pixel 7 pro, does this disable or lose functionality of the phone? I'm starting to notice almost everything that makes this device unique goes through google cloud services and as much as I'm tired of google tracking everything, I do use their services for my business. It would suck if this reduced functionality of the voice to text, text to voice, voice control google lens etc.
I do know that you can reinstall a lot of these things, including the Google Lens feature. The speech services I haven’t tried. I’m picking up the 7 Pro soon, I’ll test again at that point!
That was what I was thinking too. I dig the wish to have a phone de-googlefied as something a lot of people seem to want. But the attractive part about the Pixel IS all the Google software tricks and gadgets, the AI stuff. I'm sure there's spying going on in the AI stuff, but it's also one of the USP's of this phone. I'd say if you'd want a spy-free phone, get a Red Mi or something and put Graphene on that. Red Mi makes decent phones with great speed and decent camera's.
@@PhilippensTube if only, but GrapheneOS only supports Pixels, starting at Pixel 3.
Will payment apps works well with this OS?
Thank you for this video. Which case you use with your Pixel?
I ended up getting the Pixel 7 Pro after the 7, then using the Google silicone case. It's perfect!!
@@CozyLivingMachine yeah, now I'm use Google silicone case too and it really looks good, but your transparent case on Pixel 7 looks so cool in this video. Maybe you have a link on it?
@@mostyakuzski2791 a.co/d/gcsygdC
Are other devices able to read images and data normally?
do i have to install graphine befor setting up phone for maximum privacy? what about tranfering data from old phone? will this open me up to loss of privacy? (data on old apps)
Typically, you have the option to prevent certain apps from reading your permissions, though you cannot tell what's going on. Google will always have "super user" permissions and should they do image scanning and the like, you may or may not know about it but you'll have no control over it at all - just as one example.
When you perform the install, it will fully erase the device, of course. Transferring data like contacts, calendars, etc is easiest if they're already on a computer that you have, but this is different for everyone. Reinstalling apps is easy enough, you'll see in these GrapheneOS videos, but as for data within the apps, that's probably not going to come over unless you sign in to the app itself, which may be a privacy concern, depending. I've never had an instance where this important for me to do, but it's worth a consideration! Before jumping straight in, it may be worth looking into other privacy-preserving measures first, such as dumping social media and online behaviors that easily identify you by name, address, phone number, email, photographic likeness, etc.
Would changing the OS nullify the phones warranty?
Nope!
I'm a real tech-noid. When I click on unlocking bootloader, I get "no compatible devices found". Help please!
I would double check your USB drivers, unplug and replug, restart Chrome, and use the Google help articles for troubleshooting there. They'll have a fix listed somewhere!
9:20 can't we remove this message every time the phone boot?
I cannot install aurorastore in the work profile. Have you the same problem?
Just installed GrapheneOS today... one thing I had to do , not sure if its different now vs when you made the video, but i had to set the usb to Use for File Transfer in order to write Graphene onto the phone. Trying to figure out how to Get GooGle Cams on the phone...
Is there any advantage of using the Google Play Store (that in Apps) over the Aurora Store? Would it be sufficient to just install the other 2 Google apps to get everything working?
I have not found, nor can I think of any other advantage. I use the Aurora Store, and it allows me to install certain things, like Netflix, that the Google Play Store will not allow!
Will android auto work in one of the profiles with maps and still keep the other profiles privet ?
Good question! But no. Google intentionally blocks this.
Good video! Might even be great! I have one or two niggles, bit I'm sharing this for sure!
Can you install...huawei's UI skin...on other Android phones ... There are a lot of great features that I like...
I'm sure that you can, you just have to find the .apk file. That's the real challenge, I'd say!
No you can't
You can manually skin it with
Huawei icon pack
Huawei kwgt widget
Huawei klpd
And Huawei like launcher
And for notification panel you'll need another app to change it to Huawei like notification panel
It's a hassle and battery might start draining
If you're here for customization
Go for corvus , pixel experience plus etc
Hi. The I am a novice, but interested it the privacy. If I go for the graphene, will the android app update to their latest version, and is the a way to up keep the software going slow 3 years from now?
goodjob man, realtalk
Thank you!!
I could be mistaken, but I dont think all devices allow for oem unlocking. I have an unlocked pixel 6 pro with a verizon sim and the "oem unlocking" button was greyed out. Upon doing some research as well as speaking with verizon tech support, they said some devices didnt allow for it based upon the retailer it was bought from. Its pretty infuriating because I was stuck in a shitty android 13 beta at the time and trying to opt out of the beta would put the phone in a boot loop. I had to reinstall the same software using the windows cmd and android toolkit because without the bootloader unlocked you are unable to install non-oem software nor previous versions of the software (aka stable build).
Yep, this appears to only be the case for Verizon devices, they're terrible for this exact reason. Verizon should unlock it after 45 days, however!
I was wondering if this had been discussed because there are multiple variants of the Pixel 7 and there is talk that other variants might not be able to have the bootloader unlocked like the Verizon variant. I don't remember the thread exactly but there is an unlocking/rooting thread on xda that discusses in full detail which variants are unlockable and which ones aren't.
If google can track you with location off (standard phone set up) whats to stop them from tracking you after gaphine os installed and google installed after?
The way that this works is that you've completely removed the original operating that used Google services and apps with elevated privileges (and your user account will run with lower permissions than those services, so they can override you). By removing the original operating system and replacing it with something that does not have Google services at all by default, you can choose to reinstall a few of those services again, but they run with standard permissions that you know do not include the ability to run in the background or with special permissions!
I have an iPhone and I want to do this with a Google Pixel 7 also, just wanted to know how can you back this up without Google or whoever knowing everything? Thanks