A writer put GrapheneOS, a privacy-focused Android system, on a Pixel 9 Pro and found it kept Gmail, Maps, banking apps and updates working.
A tech writer installed GrapheneOS on a Google Pixel 9 Pro expecting a painful trade of convenience for privacy. He found most of his fears were wrong. GrapheneOS is a privacy-focused replacement for the software that runs a phone. Sanuj Bhatia described the results in a piece for Android Police, published November 8, 2026.
Bhatia assumed that switching would mean losing the Google Play Store and every Google service. It does not. GrapheneOS lets you install the Play Store and download apps as on a regular Android phone. Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive, Calendar and Maps all remain available.
The difference is in how much power Google gets. Google Play Services, the background software many apps rely on, runs as a regular sandboxed app. That means it is walled off from the rest of the phone instead of having deep system access. This could occasionally cause compatibility problems, though Bhatia says he has not hit any.
Some Pixel-only features are gone, including Pixel Screenshots and Magic Cue.
Bhatia had not flashed a custom phone system in more than a decade and dreaded the process. Instead, GrapheneOS offers a web-based installer that walks you through each step. He calls it easy to follow even for first-timers.
The install wipes the phone completely, so photos, messages and other data need a backup first. You also have to unlock the phone's bootloader, a setting that normally keeps the phone locked to its original software.
Many banking and payment apps check a phone's security through Google's Play Integrity API. GrapheneOS supports it through the sandboxed Play Services. Many of these apps work without major issues, but some may fail stricter checks. Results depend on which apps you use.
Updates also keep flowing. GrapheneOS sends them over the air, like a regular Android phone, and rolls out security patches quickly. It released its Android 17 update a day after Google released it for Pixel phones. Bhatia also expected RCS texting, the modern upgrade to standard text messages, to stop working. In his experience, it did not.
GrapheneOS officially supports only select Google Pixel phones. Samsung Galaxy phones and other Android brands are out. Anyone with a supported Pixel who is uneasy about AI features built on personal data now has a workable option. Check that your exact model is on the supported list before you start.
If you own a supported Pixel and want more privacy, GrapheneOS may be easier than expected, but back up everything first because the install erases the phone.
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