GrapheneOS is essential before connecting a pixel phone to the internet.
this post was submitted on 20 Jan 2024
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Grapheneos is the whole reason I bought a pixel.
Big same. Sadness over no micro SD though. Hell they should just have nvme 2280 slots these days.
I was tempted to install GrapheneOS, then I noticed a chance that banking apps may not work due to some check will fail.
There's a semi-official compatibility list for banking apps: https://privsec.dev/posts/android/banking-applications-compatibility-with-grapheneos/
This thread is a year old why are you here?
In the developer settings I set all the animations to twice as fast (half as long) so they feel snappier.
Install GCam, few reasons:
- The new update that requires you to go into a menu to change exposure and white balance instead of just tapping on the viewfinder to show the two sliders infuriates me to no end.
- Custom video bitrate. Not every video I take needs to be full quality, and even then, full quality video on my Pixels so far are not worth it. Couple hundred megabytes just for 1 min of footage that doesn't even look that good? Nah.
- Photosphere >>>>> panorama. I don't understand why they decided to kill it off entirely.
Do all gestures work, when you use 3rd party launcher? Got P9 PRO XL and so far I'm on the default launcher. Came from Xiaomi 12, where if you switched launcher, gestures stopped working.
Comment on WiFi calling: I had this on for a while, but found that it was way less consistent than cell towers. Calls wouldn't drop, but they would cut out for a second or two, and I would miss stuff in the conversation. So I actually turned this off unless I need it. You seem to like it for battery life - does it make that much of a difference?
My must-have things are more generic Android than Pixel-specific, but: Revanced apps for YouTube and YouTube music, a better file manager, Firefox, and Gallery (also by Google, but for some reason they want me to use Google Photos, which isn't great IMO). Plus F-Droid to find some good FOSS.
Disabling Wi-Fi calling is very important to me. My call quality is much better going through the tower in my area. The tower's extremely reliable whereas Wi-Fi might or might not have the bandwidth available to handle a call.
In my mind, a much better algorithm is needed to determine which connection is best for a call in real time.
Use Insular to create distinct personal and work environments.
Install Silence from f-droid to screen phone calls, and completely stop spam calls in their tracks.
You customize the OS and then install a custom OS?
I install LineageOS first thing because I can skip Gapps altogether, then I install DDG browser and enable App Tracking Protection (or Untracker might work better for you, use case dependent)
The I install Droidify and Obtanium for my apps, activate airplane mode and then toggle WiFi on.
Very curious, why LineageOS on a Pixel phone?
You customize the OS and then install a custom OS?
I admit it was definitely an awkward way of writing it 🙃, but those are simply the things I tried in chronological order as I was not really familiar with GrapheneOS in the beginning.
I've been using it since it was Cyanogen on my Nexus S, and stuck with it. I've tried many others, but almost a decade ago. LOS just stuck, as I liked the privacy features, flexibility and stability
I very much like CalyxOS, it's fast and polished, using microG (an open source clone of Google play services) so all your apps work, but your battery lasts longer since everything ribs locally if you like.
Anything in particular that works better with CalyxOS + microG than with GrapheneOS + sandboxed Play Services?
There's a lot but not total function parity. Android auto is one I wish worked, but I have a motorcycle, so don't really care.
You've just gotta hope the sandboxing is effective. I'd rather just have something open source fool the apps into thinking it's Google, vs having a low-level malware written by very smart Google engineers, constantly checking the perimeter of the sandbox for an open door..
If you use sandboxed Google services for notifications, you need to allow full network permissions to Google services. Kind of defeats the purpose.
That's why I don't run Google services on my phone. CalyxOS instead uses microG, an open source replicator of Google play services. Since it isn't signed with Google's private keys, some things (particularly Google pay) don't work, but idgaf.
@RubberElectrons @Renohren 😁 Have never seen "idgaf" before but, like the expression, "he was a man of few words and greeted me with two of them", it is instantly understandable. Cool!
Try Neo Launcher and its associated Neo Feed. Amazing control/customization.
I also recommend OpenBoard, but the newer maintained fork with gestures and other features.
Browser-wise - Mull.
Instead of Google autofill for passwords - something like Bitwarden instead.