A custom ROM allows you to extend the life of your Android phone, but does it come with risks in 2024 and why isn't it more popular?

I am surprised that Google spends so much time tackling custom ROMs via it’s Play Integrity API. If only they paid that much attention to say, curating the Play Store more, it had be much better for everyone

  • @ObsidianZed@lemmy.worldEnglish
    9•3 days ago

    Do you use it on a Pixel? Last I read, that’s the only officially supported phone. It feels ironic giving Google money for a phone so you can use deGoogle more.

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for it, I just wish it supported more devices.

    • NoxyEnglish
      7•3 days ago

      I do, yes. First on a Pixel 5 and then (and currently) on a Pixel 8 Pro.

      The purely emotional icky feeling of giving Google money is far less important than the tangible security, privacy, and usability upsides of GrapheneOS on a supported device. But if that’s important to you, just buy a Pixel secondhand, Google gets no money from that.

      I wish more devices were supported too, but my understanding is that only Google makes devices that are both secure and open enough.

      Article in German, but the relevant points from the GrapheneOS lead are all in english: https://www.kuketz-blog.de/weshalb-grapheneos-aktuell-nur-google-pixel-geraete-unterstuetzt/

      One point about Samsung:

      Samsung takes security almost as seriously as Google, but they deliberately cripple their devices when you unlock them to install another OS and don’t allow an alternate OS to use important security features

      • @ouch@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3•3 days ago

        Samsung takes security almost as seriously as Google, but they deliberately cripple their devices when you unlock them to install another OS and don’t allow an alternate OS to use important security features

        What does the crippling and security features refer to?

        • @MasterBuilderEnglish
          1•13 hours ago

          It’s painful disabling knox so you can root or flash custom roms.

        • NoxyEnglish
          3•2 days ago

          Seems like you can’t re-lock the bootloader after installing an alternative OS, for one

        • NoxyEnglish
          2•3 days ago

          I know exactly as much as you do about it. Just quoting the lead dev.