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  • Hacker News
  • I have always wondered what this OS looks like. They have an incredibly detailed website with zero screenshots.
    by veidr
  • It looks very plain (black background, monochrome icons, very few apps included). You can customize all that if you want. I personally quite like the default appearance, but I am also the kind of person who uses the default GNOME or KDE theme on Linux and does not bother with custom themes or anything beyond daily Bing wallpapers.
    by drnick1
  • It's valid question for people unfamiliar with the project, but it is the AOSP in terms of looks, GrapheneOS does not customize the UI in any way beyond what their own features require as additions. Note that Pixel OS is not AOSP. The default home app of course also influences the experience quite the bit unless you replace it, which is what I'd personally recommend everyone to do as it's so incredibly barebones. Lawnchair is already a big step up as an open source alternative.
    by Itoldmyselfso
  • Perhaps screenshots and sleek UI is not their selling point (and it isn't).
    by jesterson
  • There are numerous video walkthroughs of GrapheneOS. This would be one starting point:

    <https://redirect.invidious.io/watch?v=aNgupWEV13M>

    Visually, it generally looks much like stock Android in terms of capabilities, though a stock install generally has far fewer apps installed.

    by dredmorbius
  • GrapheneOS is fantastic

    If you'd like to donate to the project, you can do so here: https://grapheneos.org/donate

    by NoImmatureAdHom
  • The post doesn't say - what's new? Anything to look forward to besides the security patches for A17 being available for longer than they will be for A16?

    Asking as an A11 user who will probably soon need to switch to a new device. I haven't noticed anything on other people's phones that isn't available on mine, including on my work phone that runs an up-to-date GrapheneOS (but I don't need to do much more than calling and 2FA, so I might just not be seeing it). Anything you guys are excited for, or any protips of things to check out that were released recently?

    by lucb1e
  • Presumably any new Android 17 features that aren't counter to GrapheneOS's mission, such as "Bubbles allows you to turn any app into a compact, floating window" https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/platforms/android...
    by em3rgent0rdr
  • Desktop mode is new and exciting.

    This should have the full list; it's not a ton of changes, which speaks to how perfected Android has become.

    https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/06/Android-17...

    by Cider9986
  • That's exactpy why I get Google Pixel phones.

    Support expires? Upgrade to custom ROM Ads? Upgrade to custom ROM Want to use it as server? Upgrade to custom ROM.

    If I would use Apple iPhone, these old phones would be trash very soon.

    by masonwan
  • The iPhone 11 was released almost 7 years ago and is still supported by the latest iOS.

    For context, that would put it at the same release as Pixel 3 or Pixel 4. Those devices stopped receiving updates in 2022-2023.

    by MikeKusold
  • Also on the homepage: "Volkswagen started blocking GrapheneOS users"

      https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48571526
    by QuantumGood
  • What are North American people doing for replacing contactless payment? Last time I checked, the solution was to use Curve but it only works for Europe.
    by lifeisgood99
  • I am not North American, but instead of Google Pay I use my bank's app for contactless payments.
    by orthoxerox
  • There are a few other banks running their own NFC payment systems, like Swedbank in my country.
    by pona-a
  • Cash for most things, and just use a card like normal otherwise.

    I don't really see the appeal of contactless payment, pulling a card out really doesn't take much time.

    by Saris
  • There is no replacement. Strap a credit card to the back of your phone or pay cash.
    by drnick1
  • Garmin pay if you're ok with Garmin is one possibility.
    by carlmr
  • I have these cards I keep in my (RFID-blocking) wallet, one for each credit account. Then I just pull them out and tap to pay. It's super convenient - no app required!
    by kQq9oHeAz6wLLS
  • I'm in Europe, but I had accepted that I had to do without. I hadn't heard of curve, going to check that out.
    by jcul
  • I don't. GrapheneOS is worth the effort of pulling a card out of my wallet.
    by mrbluecoat
  • Graphene made me like using a phone. It behave like a computer. Really lovely
    by dopidopHN2
  • I can say the same. Been using LineageOS and GrapheneOS for most of my life. Some things are not super convenient (I generally dont install non-free-software applications and don't have Google Play services enabled), but the rest of the experience is great. No crashes, no bugs, no unexpected behavior. Currently I'm using the Pixel 9 Pro XL.

    I can also recommend Gadgetbridge for BLE smartwatch integration.

    by preisschild
  • I took the plunge into GrapheneOS a week ago. I picked up a new Pixel10 Pro and never even tried the stock OS (except to unlock the boot loader).

    I've got almost everything working the way I want. There were a few non-essential banking apps that won't install. The most annoying problem I had is when I tried to install Strava, which I cannot get working. The app installs, but it will not let me sign in. I guess I need a replacement, because I use that app a lot.

    by anonymousiam
  • I run Strava on my Pixel 10 Pro Fold running GrapheneOS. IIRC you need to have Google Play Store installed (with zero permissions, preferably) to make Strava work.
    by haltcatchfire
  • I know a friend is using Strava on his Pixel 10 running graphene so there should be a way
    by flaburgan
  • "Strava is an American internet service for tracking physical exercise which incorporates social networking features."

    Sounds like spyware, to be honest.

    by drnick1
  • The most hilarious is McDonald's app - it refuses to work without Play Integrity check. I wonder what braindamaged reasoning is behind this. Do they want to position themselves as a bank or something?
    by binarin
  • ~Happy iPhone user for almost 20 (!) years. This has got me seriously thinking about picking up a Pixel.
    by darkteflon
  • I feel like you'd be taking on a lot of pain for no real benefits though?
    by Cub3