Simple question really! Are any of you running a Custom ROM? Furthermore, are any of you running a De-Googled ROM?
Why do you run your custom ROM, and what are the drawbacks?
I’m running LineageOS for many years now, currently using LineageOS4MicroG on a Motorola because I really need good GPS.
I’m running LineageOS on a Moto G42. I bought this device with LOS in mind (also it is one of the very few devices with headphone jack and MicroSD slot). So far I’m happy. I always rooted/custom flashed every device since 2012. I’m no longer rooting anymore though. Shizuku is sufficient for my needs.
Been running CalyxOS for 3 years. Compile it myself from source with some extra tweaks and such. I’ve even got a nice build server going that automatically compiles builds monthly and pushes updates to my phone via OTAs. It was a little work to get set up, but now it doesn’t feel any different from the stock Android experience.
It started because I was tired of all the unchecked spying Google does, and I wanted to get away from that. But now I can never go back to “regular” Android, because the vendor bloat in “stock” ROMs is incessant, and I am maintaining patches for quite a few features Google has either removed, or never supported in the first place (2-button navigation, AM/PM clock, automatic call recording).
Honestly, there hasn’t been any drawbacks. The phone works perfectly, calls are fine, it runs great, and I haven’t needed Google Play Services for basically anything. My banking app still works. I don’t use Google Pay so I don’t really care that it doesn’t work. Android wearOS doesn’t work, but at this point Google has dropped the ball so severely, I don’t have the motivation to bother with a smartwatch.
Most of my paid apps continue to work without patches, and I get them from Aurora Store. For the ones that don’t work, I just patch them myself to remove the license checks. I paid for them, so I should be able to use them regardless of what ROM I use.
Same here (CalyxOS on Pixel Phone). Except for me not compiling it myself. Its super easy to install and runs super smooth. In my case for two years without a single issue.
Yes, I bought a Pixel 6 specifically to run GrapheneOS. I can proudly say that every single app on my phone is open source, no GSM and no Google. I don’t really mind paying a company like Google for the phone, I just don’t want to hand them my data.
Sounds neat. But what all the services that require proprietary app? Like banking, Uber, reviews on Google Maps etc.?
The only thing I personally use out of all these is online banking and I do that from my PC at home. For reviews on Google maps I could theoretically just use it in my browser.
Yes. I wouldn’t have if it wasn’t that OxygenOS keep killing my background apps.
