After my 6 year old Samsung A8 experienced some water damage, its screen started shitting itself, becoming unreliable. To live without a phone in 2024 would present too many inconveniences - one significant restriction being the modern banking’s mandatory 2FA via mobile app - so I started the search for a new device.

Obsessively scrolling /spg/ for the latest insights made me particularly interested in GrapheneOS. In this day and age, when GrapheneOS or LineageOS are so refined, it wouldn’t feel right to purchase a phone neither of these OSes support. After all, I’ve spent the last 4 years avoiding large, corporate (botnet) programs and services by

• hosting my own Wireguard VPNs
• creating a custom cloud storage solution
• migrating from Windows 11 to Linux shortly after it was released
• writing my own software for blogging, video editing, web archiving
• flashing OpenWRT on my router
• putting my work computer on its own VLAN which was probably the best this I could for piece of mind
• using Ad Guard
• using NewPipe and not visiting YouTube when it breaks
• restricting permissions for ugly, but necessary apps on my Samsung A8
• running the Universal Android Debloater against my A8

The list goes on.

I’d like to note that many of these things weren’t done because of paramount privacy paranoia, rather they were just fascinating technologies to explore. Diving into the depths of artisan technologies always teaches you new things, and you never know what you’ll discover. It’s a fun way to spend evenings when you have the energy capacity.

Anyway, the new device I landed on was a Pixel 7a, totaling $400 CAD with tax. It cost $100 less than my A8 in 2018, which is quite amazing considering we went from

• 4GB –> 8GB RAM
• USB 2.0 –> USB 3.2
• 3000 mAh –> 4385 mAh
• 1080p@30fps –> 4K@30fps
• 14 nm –> 5 nm
• 79.6 cm2 display area –> 90.7 cm2 display area

I flashed GrapheneOS on it using the CLI method, and it worked on the first attempt. Most initial settings were fine, but here is how I dialed it into my preferences.

• Installed FireFox (Google Play) and added uBlock Origin and Dark Reader extensions
• Installed HeliBoard (Fdroid) for a customized keyboard
• Installed Fossify’s Gallery app (Fdroid)
• Enabled 3 navigation buttons instead of the navigation gestures
• Added a custom wallpaper
• Turned on Night Light

That was pretty much it. The OS feels very snappy and refined. With all of it’s privacy features, such as fine grain app permissions, and disabling app background activity, picking up my A8 now feels like I’m entering into a Samsung, Google, Facebook, Amazon zoo with telemetry requests floating all around me, obstructing my vision and oppressing my agency. A/B testing lions see if my screams are more harrowing from biting or clawing. Keyboard logging penguins peck at me on each and every character I type. GPS sensing giraffes leer at me whenever I go and report my location to the zookeepers. Now I only visit the zoo if I have to.

Oh, there is one last thing. I’d like to dispel the myth of banking apps not working on GrapheneOS. I have successfully using Scotiabank’s app to login, and perform 2FA authentication with no issues.

Thanks for reading,

- NV