Post
With Gemini being forced on the next update of Android, by now the most used computer operating system in the world, many are rightly looking for a way off the demoralising and life-scraping AI conveyor belt.
Here's one.
I've been running custom Android ROMs on 2nd hand smartphones for years. Cyanogen, then LineageOS, a few other experiments too, but the last few yrs I've settled on GrapheneOS, run on refurbished Pixel phones.
This I do without a Google account
@JulianOliver hello
Can you elaborate on the forcing of Gemini in the next update? In which capacity is it being forced?
@lodurel I ought to have been clearer that it's already being force-installed during Android updates across phones & tablets, & increasingly difficult to completely disable. Unless you go with an after-market ROM, your Android device will be pushed to Gemini, as part of Google's AI-by-default policy.
On some devices it's via Chrome itself, triggering a non-negotiable 4GB download of Gemini Nano:
Ben running GrapheneOS (previously known ascCopperheadOS) since thé vert
Only limitation, some banking apps might be tricky to run. Fortunately, the good blokes at #PrivSecDev maintain a list of 'Banking Applications Compatibility with GrapheneOS':
https://privsec.dev/posts/android/banking-applications-compatibility-with-grapheneos/
Did that too but had to revert to (Sandboxed) Google Play at some point cause one (crappy) banking app didn't update properly via Aurora and I lost access to what the bank calls a "digital key" and to the app.
[I hate banksters].
@9x0rg Yes it's definitely advised in hostile operating conditions. Arguably wise anyway. The sandboxing/isolation is very nicely done. I gave Copperhead a go a long time ago, but only briefly. I forget what issue I ran into on a Nexus at the time.
@JulianOliver same here, I _think_ one of the first device I used was a Nexus (2016-17). It is now indistinguishable from any device running AOSP, only better.
Yes it can seem a bit limiting that GrapheneOS only runs on Pixel devices. That may change soon, with Motorola announcing a new line of devices pre-installed with Graphene:
https://motorolanews.com/motorola-three-new-b2b-solutions-at-mwc-2026/
Whether there will be builds available for flashing on 2nd hand Motorola's is another thing however. Nonetheless, a major step toward some semblance of digital dignity from a major brand.
"Whether there will be builds available for flashing on 2nd hand Motorola's is another thing however"
I'd say almost certainly not. I think the devs said they were targetting one of the newer Snapdragon chips because those have some functionality that is good for security. And they generally don't seem very willing to compromise on security to be able to service more devices.
@frog_reborn That seems likely. It's when those same (currently) newer Motos with recent Snapdragon arch hit the 2nd hand market that will be telling.
@frog_reborn I'm not sure that 2nd sentence is actually a sentence. Hopefully you get my drift.
So far as installing apps in a de-Googled phone context, this is most often a mix of F-Droid for all the free and open source goodness (https://f-droid.org/), and Aurora Store (https://store.auroraoss.com/) for those apps solely on Google Play.
Again, no Google account needed.
Can attest it works very well indeed. I want for nothing.
@JulianOliver fully agree. Never regretted my move towards #grapheneos. It was more of "what took me so long?"
@JulianOliver the Obtainium app is a great way to install and manage updates for open source apps. https://obtainium.imranr.dev/
@JulianOliver
Getting a de-googled phone is definitely my summer project this year.
Hadn't heard of Aurora Store before. What exactly is its benefit if it's just a pass-through window to the Google Play Store? No snark, just curious.
@jpoesen You can install apps without a GG account, effectively anonymously also. It is to the Play store what DuckDuckGo is to Bing etc
EDIT despite what it says on the site, you do not need a GG Play account.
Install bonfire.cafe
Get the full app experience
