get grapheneos!!

they're also working on backporting android 16 to pixels. in phase 2/3 last time i checked, so they are doing decently well. it's not over, it just adds more work for them that i'm sure they can overcome. security updates already backported

banking apps partially work

grapheneos usage guide

I was writing a comment that my device is unsupported and all the supported pixel phones are flagship priced. Then I decided to check my work and look it up.

Long story short I have a refurbished pixel 6 on the way, it was cheaper than my current phone was.

glad to hear, enjoy it!

It is my memory at fault or it was discovered, various times, that Google (and all the others obviously) tracked people also when they opted out ?

I don't remember, but it wouldn't surprise me.

Like, I personally find it useful enough to have stuff enabled, but I do get that people want it off for real. I wouldn't be surprised if the only way to achieve that is to degoogle the phone.

Thanks, I've wanted to do this for ages, but I got this current phone before I knew about grapheneos and the compatibility issue. Now all I need is to fully switch my main email and I'll be significantly de-googled.

It was free a few years ago, I've hated it since I got it.
I think I got vibes from the windows phone a friend had some years ago and .. thought it would be the same? Idk
Mine broke, and it was free. Eh

River, meet phone.

Novice question: I think I am understanding that Aurora is a way of accessing the Google store without actually installing the Google Play Store, but is there a software package that it comes with? Is it MicroG? I am a little lost with how these relate to each other.

I installed Lineage and MindtheGapps on my Pixel 3a yesterday, but I'm interested in alternatives before I commit to this setup. It seemed like the easiest route given my lack of know-how, but my hope had been to de-Google gracefully and I don't know if that's possible with system-level Google still installed on my phone.

My understanding is that, in broad strokes...

1. Aurora acts like a proxy or mirror that doesn't require you to sign in to get Google Play Store apps. It doesn't provide any other software besides what you specifically download from it, and it doesn't include any telemetry/tracking like normal Google Play Store would.

2. microG is a reimplementation of Google Play services (the suite of proprietary background services that Google runs on normal Android phones). MicroG doesn't have the bloat and tracking and other closed source functionality, but rather acts as a stand-in that other apps can talk to (when they'd normally be talking to Google Play services). This has to be installed and configured and I would refer to the microG github or other documentation.

3. GrapheneOS has its own sandboxed Google Play Services which is basically unmodified Google Play Services, crammed into its own sandbox with no special permissions, and a compatibility layer that retains some functionality while keeping it from being able to access app data with high level permissions like it would normally do on a vanilla Android phone.