this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2024
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The idea of getting outside of the Google ecosystem is intriguing. I have a pixel 8. Is there a website that I can go to to learn how to switch? My battery just drops like a stone.
I'd go with CalyxOS. Install is also easy, but graphene touts allowing Google play services to be used... The very part of the picture that drew you to this comments section. You don't have to install it in graphene, but then almost no apps work right.
CalyxOS use microG, a fully open-source spoof of Google play that is super light on battery, allows most apps to work fine (including banking), etc. Some apps like Pokemon go don't, however.
Graphene sandboxes Google services heavily, and is enabled and used only at user discretion. It doesn't get higher priority than any other user application on the device. Calyx is alright but I would recommend Graphene much more than Calyx. I don't like either of these though unless you are a privacy nut. If you just want to get out of Google, LineageOS works plenty well although without many of the creature comforts of a stock ROM.
I wish graphene supported microG. They've decided running closed-source Google (user-level app or not) is the best option, and I disagree.
I'm glad there's options though.
divest has all the graphene hardening and have unprivileged microg, it also runs on a much wider range of devices.
I'll check it out, thanks
Thank you for your full explanation, kind stranger. Ill give it a good going over!
Cheers!
No worries, and whatever you choose will be better than stock, calyx graphene or lineage. Good luck!
Check out Graphene OS, it supports the pixel lineup and is pretty easy to install if you know how to read and copy paste.
Thanks Man. Ill do some research.
GrapheneOS, has easy to click webpage buttons to guide you through the flashing. It is deggogled, you can add playstore and apps, and they can be sandboxed away from default storage. Updates are frequent, battery drain is way less without all the google BS.
If you're sandboxing Google play services, you are, by definition, still installing play services. They are still running, but are sandboxed. So I don't see how you see any less battery drain.
I run MicroG instead of the proprietary Google play services, and while I do see a bit ofl an increase in battery life for light usage, for medium and heavy usage it's pretty much the same. Admittedly my battery is pretty old.
Because you can add only what you want and restrict notification and other data transfer, auto turn off when not in use, etc. It is the constant google chit chat that kills battery. My play app keeps nagging it wants more permission to function better but I just deny it. also it is just play service, no gmail, no google drive, etc. and I didn't have it snooze power this week but only 3% play aervice use since sundays charge.
By being ripped out and sandboxed the same way other apps are, Google services isn't free to siphon battery. This means you can restrict battery use and cut the constant communication down. Thus saving battery. If you allow it, yes it is not different than if it was preloaded.
I second the people that said lineage OS. I am using it right now. I got this Nord phone because I knew they were easy to tinker with. I used it a bit and ended up with a newer galaxy. Well after I put lineage on the Nord every problem it had went away. Excellent battery life, runs smoothly, weekly security patches if I want etc. One thing that helped a lot was the "Aurora" app store. Let's you install apps anonymously from the play store without requiring google services. Many of them won't work due to the no google services, but a surprising amount of stuff does just fine even if it complains about it.