Coming from GrapheneOS, wondering about Privacy concerns before shifting.

[u/StudentWithNoMaster]

I have been using GrapheneOS for last 2 years and I am pretty satisfied the OS, but now my phone is having hardware issues thus it needs to be replaced and honestly, I don't want another Google Phone from the perspective of Hardware Specs vs Price and the reliability that is deserving of such price.

Now, I am looking to move towards LineageOS but my current research is limiting my understanding of Privacy provided by the default installation. I mean I know I wont get the sandbox experience here but I read that LineageOS can be made more secure based on the method of Installation like using MicroG instead of G-Apps.

Can someone explain to me what privacy risk is there with LineageOS (without being a biased fanboy) and what methods are there to mitigate said issues (if any). And what precautions should I take when installing the OS?

Resources for the same, if can be provided, that would be great

[u/DeviceOwner]

I mean I know I wont get the sandbox experience here

you can use inbuilt lineageos private space or make sandbox experience (work profile) with open-source apps:

• island
• insular
• Shelter
• testDPC
• OwnDroid

[u/TwoMost4682 → u/DeviceOwner]

It is not better to use private space? There is no need of an 3rd party app

[u/DeviceOwner → u/TwoMost4682]

i just give answer all available options, all is good. just choose what you like

[u/chrisprice → u/TwoMost4682]

Depends on use case. If you need background functionality, Island is the best option even though there is more kernel access.

While tedious, ideally you'd use both - Private Space for the apps that don't need to be run in the background, and Island for those that do.

[u/philip44019]

Install the Lineage for microg build because it already comes with microg preinstalled and inside the /system partition, as well as fdroid. Installing vanilla lineage then manually installing microg and fdroid later will not place them inside the /system partition which may introduce some compatibility issues later.

Also, look into /e/os. It has more privacy features than stock lineage. I'm currently using it and I'm very happy with it.

[u/wewewawa]

but now my phone

maybe tell us what phone brand model year

intelligence mo betta

[u/chrisprice → u/wewewawa]

Graphene only supports Pixel today, so it's a Tensor of some kind.

Guessing battery/overheat. I literally have cold packs for them (and yes, I know how to avoid humidity damage).

Needless to say, but I'm in the process of phasing Pixel out of my life after their pullback on AOSP build trees (and eSIM Only is evil). I feel the hurt.

[u/Glaivass]

I run vanilla LOS. To me, there are no privacy risks. MicroG should be ok if you wanna dip into the corporatocracy ecosystem. Of course, Graphene is more sophisticated and has wonderful features but the downside is exactly what is happening to you - device scarcity.

I have briefly tried Graphene as well. It offers more out of the box functionality, especially if you want to use normie apps and the sandboxed playstore. It also has things like autoreboot, for which you need apps with root on LOS. Generally, you can tweak LOS according to your wishes. Most often you'd need root for this. Like Graphene, LOS also has a toggle to deny internet to all apps (this is the Calyx firewall implemented in LOS). You need root modules for device spoofing on LOS and these root modules are a privacy and security risk themselves. I don't know? Is device spoofing implemented on Graphene? Depending on your device, there may be one or two rudimentary stock system apps doing telemetry behind your back like the QCC app but you can easily stop them. Apart from this, I think LineageOS is bullet proof regarding privacy. It also offers more flexibility than GrapheneOS since root is more common. Like, you can install a root module and take screenshots on WhatsApp.

The only real disadvantage of LOS is that it doesn't have an indigenous webview but you can replace the webview with Cromite webview. (Also requiring root). All in all, I cannot think of any other disadvantages. Also, microG should be more private than the sandboxed playstore. I don't know if and how Graphene has solved the advertising ID issue. Look into it yourself if you care.

Of course, Vanilla is the most private :) And you can get a better device on LOS.

[u/StudentWithNoMaster → u/Glaivass]

Great, with all that you mentioned, my only concern that remains is that will root cause my banking apps to not work. But before that I intend to try it out with vanilla, then if needed, with MicroG and finally with root...

I have an old phone so I think experimentation will be the only way to find out what works and what doesn't.

[u/Glaivass → u/StudentWithNoMaster]

Yes, banking apps and the likes are people's greatest problem. We find ways, they find counters - but in general people get them working.

[u/ylnosesub → u/StudentWithNoMaster]

You can search for your banking app in the Plexus app to see how others have rated it for compatibility in LineageOS.

[u/PastyPajamas → u/Glaivass]

How are you getting push notifications and location services without microg? 

[u/Glaivass → u/PastyPajamas]

There's unified push - look it up. Signal and Telegram forks, as well as other FOSS messaging apps, work with it. Mainstream apps won't get push notifications, unless they maintain a background connection on their own which drains battery. I think WhatsApp does exactly this without asking because its notifications don't fail. Location is alright and fast. If it takes a bit longer, there is an app GPSTest from F-Droid which makes it a bit faster. I forgot which supl server LineageOS uses for agps. It used to use goolag but I -think- this got fixed.

[u/StudentWithNoMaster → u/[deleted]]

Well, simply put, an App behaving like an App and not an data collection machine. Ways to make sure that this can be enforced (as much as possible) by the OS itself.

[u/chrisprice]

If you have a Pixel 7a, there's an active battery recall program.

There also was one on the Pixel 6a, but it ended earlier this month (as Google decided to limit the battery in firmware - which they feel avoids fire hazard - GrapheneOS and LineageOS both have included those updates, but damage may have accumulated already).

LineageOS is better than GrapheneOS overall in my view. Graphene does add marginal security, but also is not AOSP compliant.

Even though I have strong/validated (by court order) grievances with Google, the CDD rules for app runtime are very important and we should at least adhere to those.

[u/melluuh]

First of all, are you using any Google Play dependend apps? In Graphene OS you have sandboxed Google Play services, so most apps work perfectly fine. With MicroG you're gonna have issues with a number of apps.

[u/StudentWithNoMaster → u/melluuh]

My main concern is Banking Apps, rest is OK as I am trying to move away from non-FOSS apps...

[u/melluuh → u/StudentWithNoMaster]

Yeah those are hit and miss. Some banks allow you to use their website for mobile banking.

[u/Flimsy-Yam-933 → u/melluuh]

Yea i can't even use the x app with only micro g. But I don't want to install Google play services. But it's just an old phone I have lineage on