Excerpt
If you are looking for an alternative operating system (OS) for your phone to use Bitcoin in a secure and private way, I can recommend these two options:
GrapheneOS is an open source, privacy-focused mobile operating system. It is centered on the research and development of privacy and security technologies. GrapheneOS supports Android app compatibility, so you can install it on devices like Google Pixel phones.
CalyxOS is another Android-based OS that emphasizes privacy and security. While it supports only a limited number of devices, it’s one of the best options for a Google-free experience, with regular system updates.
- Open Source Apps
You can get free and open-source apps for your phone from F-Droid.
To anonymously install apps from the Google Play Store, it’s recommended to use the Aurora Store.
For more options, check out this article: Open Source Alternatives for Android – It’s FOSS
Transcript
What is the cheapest and secure phone to buy – not iOS, not Android? A phone primarily for holding Lightning funds, so we don’t need a bunch of cameras, thanks.
Alternative Operating Systems
So to be honest, I can’t tell you which device to buy exactly, so which one is the best or the cheapest or a device without cameras or bad cameras. I don’t know about that. But what I can tell you is that there are two operating systems for mobile phones which are different than Android and iOS. So you can basically be independent from the big two providers of mobile phone operating systems. One system is called GrapheneOS and the other one is called CalyxOS and both are operating with Google Pixel phones. So I think you can start with a Google Pixel 4 or 5.
Compatible Devices
You would need to check the website of CalyxOS and GrapheneOS which devices can be used for their operating system but actually it’s a great way to use your phone. The only thing is you need to keep in mind that it might not be as convenient as Google Android or iOS is. I mean but on the other hand it’s security and privacy over convenience which is actually a good thing.
Features and App Access
So you can install GrapheneOS or CalyxOS instead of Android on the Pixel and it’s an open-source, privacy focused mobile operating system. And you can also use Android apps on these devices and the same goes for CalyxOS. And so there’s nothing striking about it except that it’s not Android. And you can use the Android apps but you will need to go to a different store where you can download it. So you can’t go to the Google Store of course and you can get the apps from F-Droid. This is an app store for CalyxOS and GrapheneOS or you can go to Aurora store to install from the Google Play catalog anonymously.
Personal Experience
So these are two options. To be honest, I always wanted to try GrapheneOS because I see several Bitcoiners are using it already on their phones but I haven’t done it until now because I always thought it might be problematic if you’re not very well with devices and technology, so it might be complicated, but I guess I will try maybe next year.
