Hey, I’ve had GrapheneOS installed for some time, but after a while, issues started popping up. com.android.systemui kept crashing, and I’d get a message saying it had stopped working. The only option was to force close com.android.systemui. I could also dismiss the notification, but that didn’t help because the message would just come back after a while. After closing it, the problem would return. So, I asked for help on the official GrapheneOS general chat… and got nothing. That’s why I decided to install stock Android (the factory version that comes with the device). It’s nice because it has a lot of cool features, like automatic Wi-Fi hotspot. But there’s also a lot of bloatware, and it drains the battery quickly.
So, I decided to make a pros and cons table for both stock Android and GrapheneOS, and I thought I’d share it here in case someone needs help deciding.
| GrapheneOS | Stock Android |
|---|---|
| Pros: | Pros: |
| No bloatware (due to minimal installation) | Automatic Wi-Fi hotspot |
| Longer battery life | Google Wallet works |
| Can charge the phone from any charging port (even in public places) | Technical support available |
| Sandboxing all apps | Automatic app installation from Play Store |
| Better backup options (can save to network drive or USB) | Easy remote lock and wipe |
| Native file explorer is visible (unlike stock Android, where the icon is hidden) | Adaptive vibrations and sound |
| Faster updates than stock Android | All apps work |
| No need for antivirus (patches are general, not for specific viruses) | |
| Easier backup process (just select location and data, the rest is automatic) | |
| No VPN leaks | |
| Random PIN digits (harder to guess or see) | |
| Can add an extra PIN with fingerprint (additional security) | |
| Google services are optional | |
| Default GrapheneOS apps respect privacy (e.g., camera removes metadata, PDF viewer runs in a sandbox) | |
| Still Android-based | |
| Google won’t block APK installations (GrapheneOS is based on AOSP) | |
| Cons: | Cons: |
| Cannot automatically install apps from Play Store | Shorter battery life |
| No Google Wallet contactless payments | Lots of spyware from Google |
| No automatic Wi-Fi hotspot (unless there’s a way I haven’t discovered yet) | Lots of bloatware |
| Rare technical support on official GrapheneOS chats | Hard to access native file explorer (icon is hidden) |
| At some airports, devices with GrapheneOS may be automatically flagged for inspection if someone notices a Google Pixel with GrapheneOS | Automatic backup only covers photos and some data, and only to Google Cloud |
| Not all apps are supported | VPN leaks |
| Phone is more vulnerable to attacks (due to bloatware) |
Orginal one is in polish and on Buy European matrix chat i was asked to post it here
I was about to buy a Pixel 9 Pro XL at my carrier and use Graphene with it, but unfortunately the Pro XL version got discontinued or I don’t know so now only the Pixel 10 variants, 9 and 9a are available. (Strange that the Pro XL got pulled only).
Now I can’t decide should I wait for Graphene on Pixel 10 or just go for the 9.
I mean, 9 would be probably more than good enough, but that +4GB of RAM that the Pro XL (and 10) has are keeping me back from buying the 9.
I probably don’t even need 12GB RAM, but my previous phone also had this much and if I buy a new one, an upgrade here and there would be nice.