GrapheneOS on the Pixel 4a - De-Google Installation Guide to Remove the wwCult Out of a Private Phone

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxzXPaHvVkw
Don't deal with FB nor Google as suggested...
In this video I'll discuss about GrapheneOS, a security hardened, privacy focused, AOSP-based ROM. You will see a step-by-step guide on how to install GrapheneOS and also a full review of this very interesting custom ROM (exemplified on the Pixel 4a device). Enjoy!

Android Platform Tools: https://developer.android.com/studio/...

GrapheneOS Official Guide: https://grapheneos.org/install

GrapheneOS Releases: https://grapheneos.org/releases

From Brax.me blog on androids OS upgrades:

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Svetne 12/22/21 01:40:35PM
noob here - i've had my phone for a year now, my Aroura Store is unable to install apps. Any reasons why and anywhere you can point me? I've never gone under the hood with this thing, I feel I am qualified to do it but just don't know where to start
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Qzxd [Trusted Brax.Me Resource] 12/22/21 07:57:29PM
[Reply to] Svetne - have you updated it through f-droid?
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Timo Carlier 12/23/21 06:30:35AM
I have been in communication with the Privacy Guides people. I am a long-time user of /e/OS, but they advise against this fork, because they argue that while private, /e/OS is not secure, and that it is therefore a bad recommendation. This discussion was on reddit and on their Github, after reading this recent post by them: www.privacyguides.org/android/ @robbraxman, I wonder if you can address this in a future video.
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Anonymous 2.0 12/23/21 07:52:43PM
[Reply to] Svetne - Try updating/reinstalling it. To see the most recent updates on F-Droid, refresh the homepage by swiping down.
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Томми✨ 12/23/21 09:01:01PM
[Reply to] Timo Carlier - /e/ OS does not support verified boot even on devices that support verified boot with third party OSes. They do not ship firmware updates either, and they are falling behind even for AOSP updates. They don't even implement signature spoofing properly (limiting it to just MicroG spoofing Google Play Services) but rather let it be a free for all situation. They essentially replaced the privileged Play Services with an equally privileged open source reimplementation (which also needs to talk to Google servers for notifications to work) while breaking critical parts of the Android security model.
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Томми✨ 12/23/21 09:10:10PM
They managed to somehow be even worse than Lineage (and Lineage is already not-so-secure with its own security regressions). gitlab.e.foundation/e/backlog/-/issues/3651
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Томми✨ 12/23/21 09:24:47PM
If you are buying a new phone, you should buy the Pixel 6/6 Pro and flash GrapheneOS on it. GrapheneOS is the only distribution with substanial privacy and security improvements with no regression from the stock OS.

For EOL pixels (the pixel 2 and 3 series), then you should go for CalyxOS. CalyxOS has some (not too many) security regressions over the stock OS, but it does have some nice features such as it's firewall and *optional* microg support (with restricted signature spoofing).

If those 2 options are not viable, then you should look at DivestOS, which is a harm reduction project to provide a tiny bit more life to EOL or near EOL devices. It at last attempts to ship firmware updates and do verified boot whenever possible.

If it gets to a point where DivestOS does't work out for you at all, then you should look at LineageOS (the official one, not the MicroG one). It has many, many flaws, including not suporting verified boot, having no tamper or rollback protection, using userdebug builds, weakened selinux policies (to accomodate for whatever weird stuff the they have with the userdebug builds), and so on. They at the very least don't include the signature spoofing patch in their builds.

Only when you have exhausted all of those options should you look at /e/ OS. At which point, your security is so bad that you have to ask yourself whether it is even worth using /e/ over the stock OS if your device has not reached EOL yet.
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Томми✨ 12/23/21 10:39:24PM
[Reply to] Blanec - If you are afraid of Pegasus you should never root your phone.