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GrapheneOS patches an Android VPN bypass that Google decided to leave alone (www.techradar.com)

submitted 1 week ago by commander@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

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[-] Reygle@lemmy.world 176 points 1 week ago

I went Graphene a while back and can't be happier with it.

I'd still love to see a real Linux phone that really works and really has native Signal/etc apps but since buying a pinephone years ago to tinker with it, I'm not holding my breath.

If anyone here has fears/questions about installing/using it, I can give you basics. NOT an expert, but installation was the easiest thing I could have imagined, took MAYBE 10 minutes literally following their official guide.

[-] lemmyng@lemmy.world 64 points 1 week ago

Agree. On my fifth anniversary with GrapheneOS and it still kicks ass.

The Pixel phones on the other hand still leave a lot to be desired as reliable hardware. My 8 Pro is the best of the ones I've owned, but not by much considering my Pixel 6 Pro had a shitty Tensor modem, and my Pixel 4 XL had a spicy pillow.

The sooner GrapheneOS moves to Motorola, the better.

[-] Reygle@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago

I don't have any serious complaints about my 9a REALLY, but I'd prefer something with SD, headphone jack, and I'd REALLY kill for something much smaller. (but no fold, that stuff's for derpy weirdos)

[-] DigDoug@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago

If Motorola offer one with and SD card and headphone jack, I'm buying it on day one.

[-] curbstickle@anarchist.nexus 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I had looked it up, they are starting with new phones in the same line/family as Motorola Signature, Motorola razr fold and Motorola razr ultra apparently

[-] lemmyng@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

So the closest baseline is the Moto Signature, and even then it won't ever meet their standards. Best to start from the Signature's specs and hypothesize from there.

[-] Reygle@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Samesame

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[-] echo@lemmy.ml 27 points 1 week ago

The software for linux phones is pretty much there. Gnome and KDE mobile are surprisingly capable. There’s built in apps for every basic thing you’d need on a phone like a dialer, SMS app, camera, etc. plus all the normal apps adapted to work with mobile like the calculator and maps apps.

The only real limitation is with the hardware. I have no idea why all new linux phones launch with specs from a decade ago. You can get a better experience by flashing ported Postmarket OS to an Android phone like the Nothing phone or a OnePlus 6t.

It shouldn’t be like that, no idea why it’s impossible to just have a linux phone with decent specs and a good camera on par with modern flagships.

[-] ozymandias117@lemmy.world 22 points 1 week ago

Linux phones try to build from upstream Linux, and the major phone SoC vendors HATE upstreaming their code.

They believe every character in their source code is absolutely top secret.

A middle ground I wish was considered more is taking Google's kernel and the vendors DLKM partition/DTB/DTBO for hardware support, and putting a GNU userspace on top.

This has had problems in the past, because vendors would modify syscall tables such that they don't match userspace anymore, but with GKI, I think we're closer to that being a possibility

[-] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 6 points 1 week ago

Thats always the problem with building hardware open source products. You spend millions developing the OS to work with your stuff and you get like six months before someone else is competing with you, except they didn't have to spend that investment. The only reason we got the steamdeck was because the guys that made it ALSO owned the means of putting games on it, so they didn't really need to make money on the product itself (kinda like with Google and the play store).

[-] ozymandias117@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

At least with the vendors I'm referring to (2/3 that make all Android phones), they just took the open source code, hacked it up as quickly as possible to get some basic drivers working, and moved on.

There wasn't any "special sauce" in the source, they just didn't want to spend the effort to upstream it

Edit: Just because you said "hardware open source" I wasn't advocating for open hardware, just for hardware vendors to, ya know, support the hardware

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[-] k0e3@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 week ago

This might be a silly question, but do you think it would be a good idea for me to first set up my old android phone with my bank and authenticator apps before I make the switch in case some of them don't work?

[-] Reygle@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago

Yep sounds like a good idea to me, I like when people think ahead like that.

[-] k0e3@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 week ago

Thanks! I have an old Motorola I can use for banking. I think in just gonna do it tonight!! Wish me luck!

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[-] eli@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I'm about to make the switch myself. I have a Pixel tablet and a P9 Pro. I swapped my tablet over just so I can test things out. I want to deGoogle completely. No play store.

So far I've had to make a list of all my apps I have on my phone and go one-by-one seeing if there's an apk for it somewhere outside of play store, and if not, then if there's an alternative app, and then website or PWA it is.

I've come to realize I have a lot of unnecessary bullshit on my phone to begin with. Think I'll make the switch this weekend, just need to find a few more alternatives to specific apps.

[-] lemmyng@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

https://apt.izzysoft.de/packages/com.jksalcedo.librefind

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[-] ItsNotImportant24@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

What apps are you looking for alternatives for? I run Graphene and have replaced everything with foss alternatives and couldn't be happier. Except my banking app and a couple that should absolutely be the official apps, but those are installed on a seperate profile.

Also, dont use Aurora store for apps once on GOS. Its not recommended. Use Obtainium for apps straight from the source or accrescent along with GOS' official app store.

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[-] superglue@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 week ago

Check our Aurora store for apps you need from the Play Store. But ya, once you start scrutinizing the apps on your phone you realize 95% of it is just useless junk you dont need.

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[-] akwd169@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 week ago

Does signal not work on grapheneOS?

Im bound to end up on graphene in the very near future but im trying to prepare myself for the conveniences ill be giving up, I know tap to pay is one, and bank apps proba ly wont work (but online banking in a browser works fine for me)

Is there anything else like that?

[-] dudesss@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Signal, and its improved client app, Molly, works great on Graphene without any issues.

Honestly all my apps worked, even my banking app. I had one weird case where an unpopular app did not work, but I had contacted the Devs of that app, and it soon got resolved -- I'm not sure if I helped.

So now, all my apps work without any issues.

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[-] cookiecoookie@lemmy.world 121 points 1 week ago

Would be nice to have a non Google device with GrapheneOS

[-] gnuplusmatt@reddthat.com 102 points 1 week ago

Motorola is supposed to be doing Graphene supported phones soon, whether thats from the factory or with an official installer I am not sure

[-] EliteCloneMike@lemmy.zip 30 points 1 week ago

Seems likely at this moment that Motorola phones will run GrapheneOS be right out the gate as it is a partnership. Just hopefully it’s not a one sided partnership and Motorola doesn’t strong arm the GrapheneOS people into something that is more locked away and just works like an app. https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/motorola-plans-to-put-grapheneos-on-phones-so-why-is-it-a-big-deal/

[-] dogs0n@sh.itjust.works 19 points 1 week ago

From the outside, this doesn't look one sided to me and Motorola (Lenovo) won't want GrapheneOS "locked away".

Motorola partnered with GrapheneOS explicitly because they want the highest security for their enterprise phones (in my opinion), so Motorola demanding GrapheneOS be less secure would be silly for them anyways since they prioritise enterprise (as far as I know).

And in any case, if Motorola caused beef with the GrapheneOS team, I believe in GrapheneOS's morals to ignore stupidity. They probably have a contract anyways that states Motorola have near zero influence over the OS.

[-] Holytimes@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Lenovo and Dell are some of the only companies that actually care about Linux weirdly enough. That also arnt Linux software developers anyways. If anyone's goanna do it "right" it's those two.

[-] fodor@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 week ago

Motorola is desperate for a non-Google solution because they don't want to be losing to Google when it has a monopoly over everything. So you may be right in that Motorola wants the highest security for enterprise but more generally if they don't have an alternative operating system then they don't have a future in the cell phone business.

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[-] mlg@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

Lenovo running the show is what makes it viable, otherwise I would have thought it was a Google backed conspiracy to drain GrapheneOS resources on a product that would never release.

Tbh the mobile industry is long overdue for some competitive upgrades anyway. A lot of their underlying functionality has fallen far behind desktop OSs.

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[-] imdoneinteracting@sh.itjust.works 18 points 1 week ago

2027ish

[-] sanitation@lemmy.radio 13 points 1 week ago

Yeah but even then - are they targeting hobbyists and privacy crowd? Or more like some special enterprise use case?

[-] rumba@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 week ago

Short answer, whoever buys them, all of the above. But consider, that with the whole world's slide to the default invasion of privacy, the privacy crowd might well get invaded by the average Joe tired of all the shit.

[-] WhoIzDisIz@lemmy.today 7 points 1 week ago

It's definitely meant for their Enterprise customers.

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[-] SwifferWetjet@thelemmy.club 37 points 1 week ago

Lol "flaw"

Guess I'm ditching android fully. Anyone got any reccos for something with a pricetag that won't make me cry and no Google bullshit?

[-] CubitOom@infosec.pub 14 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

If you live in a market the Jolla phone doesn't support, then the sony xperia 10 mk3 with sailfish-os

[-] Dojan@pawb.social 5 points 1 week ago

Why does their own phone run Ubuntu Touch and not Sailfish? Or do they have multiple flavours available?

[-] CubitOom@infosec.pub 6 points 1 week ago

I was wrong, the Jolla phone comes with sailfish. I must have confused it with something else.

I've updated my comment above.

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[-] MaggiWuerze@feddit.org 5 points 1 week ago

Jolla Phone? The new one I'd on pre order currently and will deliver in June

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[-] Rod_Orm@piefed.world 7 points 1 week ago

Oh yeah i remember that bug, they still not patch that!? Who knows with their other product like chromium

[-] Phantaloons@piefed.zip 7 points 1 week ago

That's my secret, Cap, I'm always outdated.

-Lineage User

[-] jjlinux@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 week ago

Crazy. The moment I started reading this, GOS's update dropped on my phone 🤣

[-] CaffeinatedCubits@programming.dev 5 points 1 week ago

I need graphene on my Samsung phone

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this post was submitted on 07 May 2026

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