Welcome to the latest episode of my blog series Breaking Up with Big Tech. This is a huge one. In fact, I consider it the final boss of the entire process. And as of this post, I can raise my fist in triumph, for I have broken away from the smartphone duopoly.

Zachry Wheeler the Google Slayer has officially adopted GrapheneOS.

It’s hard not to feel like King Theoden at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. “Arise, Defenders of Privacy! Fell deeds awake: hardens and deletions! Screens shall be shaken! Motherboards shall be splintered! A flash-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Install now, install now!”

A bit much? Nah. Not when the enemy is the tech-equivalent of Sauron.

First, Some Context

It’s one thing to switch from Windows for Linux. That’s a huge step, but unless you’re a power user on the go, your computer doesn’t follow you everywhere. Your laptop doesn’t join you at the gym or grocery store.

Phones are different. Most people keep them within an arm’s reach at all times. It sits on your desk, joins you on errands, and rests on your nightstand when you sleep. It’s an ever-present surveillance device that funnels data to some the world’s most nefarious companies.

This is why I consider ditching Apple and Android to be the final boss of a Big Tech breakup. These devices are so ingrained in our modern lives that losing a phone is akin to losing a limb. We are bound to them, for better and for worse.

Emphasis on worse.

Google and Apple make ungodly amounts of money by harvesting and selling our personal data. They have zero incentives to make their devices private and secure, and no amount of PR will ever convince the public. We watch in horror as they repeatedly break laws with little to no consequence. But unfortunately, they have created a massive mobile duopoly where it’s nearly impossible not to use them.

And this is when GrapheneOS enters the chat.

Graphene is a privacy-focused operating system that fully de-Googles an Android phone. The end result is a hardened device that returns power to the user. No tracking, no data collecting, no security threats. This is what I wanted most from my Big Tech breakup, but I was forced to save it for last.

Fighting Hesitation

You may recall from the original post that I was planning to wait until Graphene released their own devices. Given its super-strict hardware requirements, Graphene only works on a Google Pixel. I didn’t feel comfortable bricking an expensive phone and reviving it with a different OS. It felt too risky. So in the meantime, I would work through the rest of the breakup list.

I accomplished one task. And then another. And another. Before long, I had powered through my entire breakup list. I had gained some serious momentum and I really wanted to tackle my phone. But again, I didn’t feel comfortable. So I waited.

And then the big news dropped.

Graphene announced a partnership with Motorola to start producing security-hardened and privacy-focused phones. Hell yes! But they wouldn’t be ready for release until 2027. Ugh. I was hoping to see them at the end of 2026, and even that felt like an eternity.

So I hiked my sleeves and said, “Screw it. Time to get a Pixel.”

Finding the Device

There is a delicious irony in buying a Google Pixel and then wiping Google from the Pixel. As much as I hate the company, it’s a sad fact that Google currently makes the best smartphone hardware, hence why it’s the only device that can run Graphene. And once I understood what Graphene was doing, my hesitation morphed into excitement. It’s much like buying a powerful computer with a Windows virus on it, then curing it with Linux.

So the next question was, where to get a Pixel?

I refuse to buy anything from Google directly, new or used, and with the Graphene phones dropping in a few years, I just needed a temporary solution. That’s when I found Back Market, a huge retailer of used electronics. You can think of them as the Best Buy of refurbished tech. I found a great deal on an unlocked Pixel 8 in excellent condition, so I made the purchase.

Let’s pause for some important side notes:

First, Pixel versions look like this: 8, 8a, 8 Pro. Base numbers are made with better hardware. The “a” versions are made with cheaper components, hence the budget price point. The “pro” versions have bigger screens and better specs, but they all have the necessary chips to run Graphene. It just comes down to personal preference.

Second, Graphene recommends version 8 or later, given the big leap in hardware specs and longer support times as compared to previous versions. That said, if you have a version 6 or 7 lying around, you can absolutely flash it with Graphene. Again, it’s up to you.

Third, the device must be unlocked, i.e. not tied to any particular carrier. This is another big scam in the smartphone industry, in that carriers can lock devices to prevent users from going to competitors. It’s a lot like Amazon enforcing DRM on eBooks. Don’t have a Kindle? Too bad, can’t read the book. Just make sure that you see “unlocked” in the product details.

And so, I awaited the delivery of my “new” Pixel 8. It was surprisingly cheap, less than a quarter of the retail price for a 2-year old device. That is some epic depreciation.

It made me realize how much of a premium these companies charge for brand-new phones. It’s a racket akin to the auto industry. The device loses half its value the second you open the package. Having the latest and greatest can be a huge money sink, so it pays to scrutinize what you’re getting. More often times than not, it’s the same device with a few unnecessary add-ons. But anyway, a few days later, I had my “new” device in-hand.

Installing Graphene

And then came the moment of truth. It was time to install the GrapheneOS.

Much to my surprise, Graphene made the process all but effortless. All I needed to do was enable a few settings, plug the device into my computer, then go through their handy-dandy web installer. I thought for sure that this was going to be an all-day event with scary warnings and error screens. Nope! Graphene understood that users would be reluctant to get into the technical weeds, so they created a click-through guide.

Here are the basic steps:

1) On the device, enable developer mode and OEM unlocking.
2) Plug it into your computer.
3) Click some buttons on the Graphene website.

Voila! You now have a de-Googled phone powered with GrapheneOS.

There are a few minor caveats, of course. You must use a browser that has web-installer capabilities. (I used Brave with Shields disabled.) If you’re installing from Linux, some distros are a bit finicky and require some extra steps. Everything is documented in the guide. Most users will sail right by them.

Using Graphene

With Graphene installed, I could now answer my biggest question: what apps don’t work?

I recreated my previous setup and much to my surprise, everything worked great. Zero loss! I was truly impressed. There were some expected quirks, like using the Neo and Aurora stores instead of Google Play. I also installed F-Droid for some personal favorites. But at no time did I hit a wall and pine for Google services.

That said, every experience will be different. I had already neutered Google on my previous phone, so the transition was very smooth. But, if you’re thinking of adopting Graphene while deeply embedded in the Google ecosystem, then the transition will be a major shock. I would highly recommend ditching your Google dependencies before ditching the Google OS.

I would say the biggest con is the lack of RCS (Rich Communication Services). This is a texting protocol developed by Google, which has unfortunately become a carrier standard. It replaced SMS and MMS as a feature-rich alternative, which gave Google undue power over messaging.

The obvious solution is to use Signal instead, a private messaging app with a very similar feel. However, convincing your entire contacts list to adopt a new messaging system can be a futile effort. Thus, most Graphene users adopt Signal and then use the built-in Messages app as a fallback to SMS and MMS. It’s not perfect, but it works.

If you need Google apps, Graphene allows you to install a sandboxed version of Google Play. You can also silo Google into a different user profile, then jump back and forth as needed. I haven’t done either because the entire point of adopting Graphene was to ditch Google. But in any case, the options are there.

After a few weeks of daily use, I must say that the Graphene experience has been magical. I rest comfortably knowing that my phone isn’t tracking my movements, recording my chats, or spying through the cameras. In fact, Graphene lets me disable them outright. Google settings do nothing to protect your data. Graphene settings are kill switches that give you full control over your privacy and security. (And it’s all open-source.)

Other Options

I should also note that Graphene is not the only solution for a de-Googled experience. While it’s certainly the best, there are other options if you’re not ready to murder a Pixel.

LineageOS and /e/OS are popular options for mobile privacy. They won’t fully harden your device, but will get you most of the way. I had planned to adopt one of them until Graphene released their own devices. But alas, I happened to have a finicky phone model that couldn’t run any of them, hence the Pixel purchase.

Final Thoughts

And with that, I have officially reached the end of my Big Tech breakup. The final boss has been vanquished and my digital kingdom has been saved. Hurrah!

It’s hard to emphasize how much peace of mind this has given me. I was an early adopter of the smart revolution, but now I’m an ardent dissenter. I will never again buy their products. I will never again use their services. Big Tech is dead to me, and I hope to see the day when the house of cards collapses. In the meantime, I’ll be chatting on my Graphene phone, gaming on my Linux machine, and watching Blurays on my dumb TV.