A hardened, privacy-first Android experience. No Google by default, no bloat, no tracking.
GrapheneOS supports Pixel 6 and later. Older Pixels are end-of-life and no longer receive updates. Full device list.
Pixel 8 and later get 7 years of updates. Pixel 6/7 are supported but older.
On your Pixel, go to Settings → About phone and tap Build number 7 times to enable Developer options.
Then go to Settings → System → Developer options and enable:
Plug your Pixel into your computer with a USB-C cable. On the phone, tap Allow when prompted for USB debugging access.
Supported browsers for the WebUSB installer:
Safari and Firefox are not supported for WebUSB flashing.
Power off your phone. Then hold Volume Down + Power until the fastboot screen appears — a black screen with red/green text.
On the fastboot screen, use volume keys to select Unlock the bootloader, then press Power to confirm.
This wipes your device. Do not skip this step.
Open grapheneos.org/install/web in Chrome, Edge, or Brave.
Click Install GrapheneOS, select your device, and follow the prompts. The browser flashes the factory images directly over USB — no command line required.
This is critical for security. After installation completes and the phone boots into GrapheneOS, power off and boot back into fastboot mode (Volume Down + Power).
Select Lock the bootloader, confirm with Power. The phone will wipe one more time and boot fresh.
Locking the bootloader re-enables verified boot and prevents tampering. Skip this and you leave the device open to physical attacks.
Boot into GrapheneOS. Go to Settings → About phone and confirm the build says GrapheneOS.
Check verified boot: boot into fastboot mode — it should show:
The questions everyone asks before switching.
Mostly yes, with caveats. Google Wallet works via sandboxed Google Play. NFC and tap-to-pay function normally. However, some banks enforce Play Integrity ctsProfileMatch, which GrapheneOS fails (it's not Google-certified).
Reality check: Many users report Wallet works fine. If your specific bank is strict, use their app directly or a different payment method. The community compatibility list tracks which banks work.
Usually yes. Most banking apps work with sandboxed Google Play installed. Some aggressive ones check for hardware attestation or use their own root detection.
Nearly all. GrapheneOS is fully Android-compatible. Apps from F-Droid, Accrescent, or direct APK work out of the box. Play Store apps work via sandboxed Google Play. The only exceptions are apps requiring deep Google integration (some Google apps, certain enterprise MDM tools).
Yes. Apps with their own push implementation (Signal, FairEmail, most chat apps) work perfectly. Apps relying on Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) need sandboxed Google Play installed. Either way, you get notifications.
Supported. Install via the GrapheneOS App Store with sandboxed Google Play. Requires granting specific permissions in Settings → Apps → Sandboxed Google Play → Android Auto. Works for both wired and wireless connections.
Fully automatic. GrapheneOS checks for updates in the background and installs them seamlessly. You reboot when convenient. Security patches arrive within days of Google's monthly bulletin — often faster than stock Pixel updates from carriers.
Almost. The GrapheneOS Camera app is excellent and supports all hardware features. The Google Camera app (via sandboxed Play) also works if you want Google's computational photography. Some minor features like certain AI enhancements may differ.
Yes, easily. Flash the official factory image from Google using the same web installer method. Your warranty isn't voided by unlocking the bootloader (though carrier-locked devices may have restrictions).
GrapheneOS ships with no Google services. You have options: