I Tried the “Criminal’s” Phone of Choice for a Month

Linus goes deep into GrapheneOS, the privacy-first, open-source Android fork that promises to ditch corporate spyware, bloatware, and pesky performance drains. Over the course of a month he explores side-loading apps, sandboxing features, multiple app stores—and yes, there are more stores than you’d expect—and dives into whether the trade-offs in usability and convenience are worth the airtight security.

From “is that a feature or a bug?” moments to reality checks on everyday tasks, he puts GrapheneOS through its paces, weighing simplicity against hardcore privacy. Spoiler: it’s not your grandma’s phone, but for anyone who cares about data sovereignty, it might just be worth the learning curve.

Watch on YouTube