Graphene OS: an Android version with enhanced security features

GrapheneOS is a security and privacy focused rebuild of Android that the article describes as a practical daily alternative to standard Android, though it has trade-offs. Daniel Micay carried on the project after CopperheadOS collapsed following a dispute between its two founders, and it is built on the Android Open Source Project with hardening changes such as hardware memory tagging on Pixel 8 and 9 devices. The article's author tested it on a Pixel 9, finding that the web installer worked where the command-line script did not, that Google Play runs in a sandbox, and that some apps refuse to run because the device fails the integrity API's second check. It also notes that a Canada-based foundation founded in 2023 supports the project, though little public information about it is available.