I never used /e/ but I used iode (https://iode.tech/) and it worked really well. Main differences:
Graphene doesn’t support pattern unlock because they claim PIN is more secure. This is stupid because you can just as easily see what PIN someone typed as the pattern. Since PIN is less convenient most people will use finger print unlock which means you can be easily forced to unlock your phone against your will
iode has support for shortcuts when using 3 button navigation, Graphene doesn’t for some reason
iode has really nice tracker blocker which can run next to a VPN, Graphene doesn’t
Graphene let’s you install Google Services in a separate work profile and separate apps that have access to them from other apps. In iode you will have microG installed system wide
For me that were the biggest differences. When it comes to app support they worked pretty much the same. I’m on Graphene now and it would be too much work to change now but for my next phone I will most likely go with iode.
Graphene has a pin scrambler, so the numbers are in a different position everytime you have to enter them.
It isn’t hard at all to get used to it, and it circumvents the pattern recognition bit.
Fingerprint unlock…that’s a different discussion especially with biometrics not being protected under the law, but for first unlock you always have to enter in a pin
Quickly looking at my phone, you can enter in a passphrase (though personally I think that’s too cumbersome). There’s also a swipe option, I THINK that might be pattern, but I’m not sure. I can’t test it, because it means deleting the already in place measures, and I don’t wnat to do that at the moment.
I don’t know enough about other points to comment on it.
Graphene has a pin scrambler, so the numbers are in a different position everytime you have to enter them.
It doesn’t matter. When I’m inserting my PIN on a bus or while standing or line with people behind me or something I know that anyone interested can clearly see my screen and learn my PIN, scrambler or not. Also, scrambler is not mandatory (I don’t have it enabled) so Graphene OS devs explanation that “we will not enable patter ulock because it’s not secure” while normal PIN can be enabled still doesn’t hold.
This is actually a broader problem with Graphene OS. The devs often fixate on some minor security issues that don’t impact 99% of their users at all and refuse to introduce features that they request. It’s exactly the same with supporting phones other than Pixel. 99% of users would be completely fine using Graphene on a different phone (CIA is not going to hack them) but the devs prefer to directly reject all those users.
It’s not as easy to see. If you miss the first two numbers then you can’t reasonably guess it. You can see the whole pattern even if you glanced for 0.3 seconds
Thank you, I was curious as well. Bit I did notice Graphine has pin scramble, so as annoying as it is sometime couldn’t use your finger pattern for your code. Assuming they didn’t see what numbers you were hitting and just your fingers.
Sorry, I realize that question could be interpreted in two ways: I meant for Fairphone not to try to get Graphene working on their phone. I know Motorola is trying to do that right now, for example.
From what I’ve read elsewhere (seen some comments here, don’t remember the exact threads) the Graphene team has a specific hardware requirement that Fairphone doesn’t supply. Would be cool to see both projects working together though
GrapheneOS is also open source. Fairphone could realistically fork the project without meeting the requirements deemed necessary for the maintenance effort by upstream.
That would be awesome if they do so. I like /e/OS for what it is and does, my FP4 works great after all. That said, having the option for Graphene OS I feel would do nothing but benefit all parties, so hopefully that can be addressed at some point.
It’s mostly a thing of what’s available for your phone. For pixels 6 and newer (and I think some new motorolas as of recently) you can use graphene. If you are on fairphone or a bunch of other devices, you have support for e/OS.
In general, graphene is a bit more secure than e/OS, so if you have the choice, it’s probably the way to go but if you don’t have a pixel and don’t want to buy one, e/OS is probably one of the better maintained degoogled android versions out there. Here you can find a list with a feature comparison.
no motorollas are supported yet by GrapheneOS. only new ones projected to come next year will be.
/e/OS is just a fork of LineageOS, with dubious software choices and practices. LOS is available for many more devices and is the cleaner almost-degoogled (like /e/ and other LOS forks) basic AOSP-like experience with lots of customization to use even in old devices that keep running modern android this way.
GOS is much more secure than LOS or any of its forks (including /e/), even more so when the latter is running in old devices that no longer have firmware updates. and it’s properly degoogled, with the option to use Google Services in the best way possible - without it having root access to your system and isolated from other apps, if you so wish
so, GrapheneOS is your best option. if you can’t or won’t, use LineageOS
ELI5: Why use /e/OS over Graphene? This isn’t a rhetorical rant; I’m genuinely curious.
Edit: See below. I misphrased this question.
Because the hardware isn’t from google.
I never used /e/ but I used iode (https://iode.tech/) and it worked really well. Main differences:
Graphene doesn’t support pattern unlock because they claim PIN is more secure. This is stupid because you can just as easily see what PIN someone typed as the pattern. Since PIN is less convenient most people will use finger print unlock which means you can be easily forced to unlock your phone against your will
iode has support for shortcuts when using 3 button navigation, Graphene doesn’t for some reason
iode has really nice tracker blocker which can run next to a VPN, Graphene doesn’t
Graphene let’s you install Google Services in a separate work profile and separate apps that have access to them from other apps. In iode you will have microG installed system wide
For me that were the biggest differences. When it comes to app support they worked pretty much the same. I’m on Graphene now and it would be too much work to change now but for my next phone I will most likely go with iode.
In defense of Graphene for the first point:
Graphene has a pin scrambler, so the numbers are in a different position everytime you have to enter them.
It isn’t hard at all to get used to it, and it circumvents the pattern recognition bit.
Fingerprint unlock…that’s a different discussion especially with biometrics not being protected under the law, but for first unlock you always have to enter in a pin
Quickly looking at my phone, you can enter in a passphrase (though personally I think that’s too cumbersome). There’s also a swipe option, I THINK that might be pattern, but I’m not sure. I can’t test it, because it means deleting the already in place measures, and I don’t wnat to do that at the moment.
I don’t know enough about other points to comment on it.
It doesn’t matter. When I’m inserting my PIN on a bus or while standing or line with people behind me or something I know that anyone interested can clearly see my screen and learn my PIN, scrambler or not. Also, scrambler is not mandatory (I don’t have it enabled) so Graphene OS devs explanation that “we will not enable patter ulock because it’s not secure” while normal PIN can be enabled still doesn’t hold.
This is actually a broader problem with Graphene OS. The devs often fixate on some minor security issues that don’t impact 99% of their users at all and refuse to introduce features that they request. It’s exactly the same with supporting phones other than Pixel. 99% of users would be completely fine using Graphene on a different phone (CIA is not going to hack them) but the devs prefer to directly reject all those users.
It’s not as easy to see. If you miss the first two numbers then you can’t reasonably guess it. You can see the whole pattern even if you glanced for 0.3 seconds
Thank you, I was curious as well. Bit I did notice Graphine has pin scramble, so as annoying as it is sometime couldn’t use your finger pattern for your code. Assuming they didn’t see what numbers you were hitting and just your fingers.
Fairphone can’t meet graphene security standards.
Graphene isn’t also that much better than the alternatives (when it comes to things other than security).
You don’t own a pixel?
Sorry, I realize that question could be interpreted in two ways: I meant for Fairphone not to try to get Graphene working on their phone. I know Motorola is trying to do that right now, for example.
From what I’ve read elsewhere (seen some comments here, don’t remember the exact threads) the Graphene team has a specific hardware requirement that Fairphone doesn’t supply. Would be cool to see both projects working together though
GrapheneOS is also open source. Fairphone could realistically fork the project without meeting the requirements deemed necessary for the maintenance effort by upstream.
Well in that case, it’s cool to see Fairphone using /e/OS!
That hardware requirement is something they could work on for upcoming phones.
Yes, but Fairphone is partnered with Murena (e/os), and there seems to be a beef between them and graphene, so I imagine its out of spite, too.
That would be awesome if they do so. I like /e/OS for what it is and does, my FP4 works great after all. That said, having the option for Graphene OS I feel would do nothing but benefit all parties, so hopefully that can be addressed at some point.
If Motorola does I’ll dump myPixel9 in a heartbeat… Google has too much of a hand in it…
I don’t believe Graphene supports Fairphone.
It’s mostly a thing of what’s available for your phone. For pixels 6 and newer (and I think some new motorolas as of recently) you can use graphene. If you are on fairphone or a bunch of other devices, you have support for e/OS. In general, graphene is a bit more secure than e/OS, so if you have the choice, it’s probably the way to go but if you don’t have a pixel and don’t want to buy one, e/OS is probably one of the better maintained degoogled android versions out there.
Here you can find a list with a feature comparison.
no motorollas are supported yet by GrapheneOS. only new ones projected to come next year will be.
/e/OS is just a fork of LineageOS, with dubious software choices and practices. LOS is available for many more devices and is the cleaner almost-degoogled (like /e/ and other LOS forks) basic AOSP-like experience with lots of customization to use even in old devices that keep running modern android this way.
GOS is much more secure than LOS or any of its forks (including /e/), even more so when the latter is running in old devices that no longer have firmware updates. and it’s properly degoogled, with the option to use Google Services in the best way possible - without it having root access to your system and isolated from other apps, if you so wish
so, GrapheneOS is your best option. if you can’t or won’t, use LineageOS