The Fairphone 4 will be launching across the pond. It will sport the /e/OS “deGoogled” ROM.
The past few days, I’ve seen more and more users mentioning flashing their devices or changing ROMs because they may have fallen down the rabbit hole.
Here is a quick list of different custom ROMs for Android phones. I don’t use any, so don’t take anything written here as endorsement or suggestion.
Alternative/Custom ROMS
In no particular order, these ROMs usually change the UX/UI and maybe add some security enhancements.
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LineageOS – LineageOS Android Distribution: successor to CyanogenMod, a good place to start
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BlissRoms: Close to stock with “some” added privacy
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OmniROM: Android with custom enhancements
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ArrowOS: An AOSP project that is light and promises longer battery life
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Evolution X: Android 13 with the Pixel UI
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Paranoid Android: Android with custom enhancements
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PixelExperience: Another Android 13 with the Pixel UI
Privacy|Hardened ROMS
Security-wise, LineageOS is a start but (correct me if I am wrong) you need to unlock the bootloader, which is not great. These ROMs purport heightened privacy or “hardened” security.
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iodéOS: “deGoogled” LineageOS fork, uses lots of blacklists for ad- and tracker-blocking. Sells pre-installed devices.
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CalyxOS: Provides a fair amount of privacy. Limited device support. microG is optional. Uses F-Droid and Aurora Store.
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DivestOS: Soft fork of LineageOS. “Hardened” with things like the Mulch WebView, uses F-Droid repositories for updates. Comes loaded with a tracker blocker, Mull browser, removal of proprietary blobs to reduce attack surface. ROMs available for many devices.
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/e/OS: A “deGoogled” Android experience. Uses microG, no telemetry sent to Google, modified NTP and DNS servers, modified GPS service. Uses the “App Lounge” which combines the Aurora Store with F-Droid and PWAs. Has a tracker blocker. Requires you to have an
@murena.ioaccount for some functionalities. -
Replicant: Android distribution with an emphasis on freedom and privacy/security.
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GrapheneOS: Private, secure, hardened… has a long list of features. Updates are fast, exploitations are quickly mitigated, non-profit. Probably the most recommended, but Pixel-only.
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If you are just getting started, perhaps an introductory guide to digital provacy would be something you’re interested in. Let me know if you see mistakes, or want to propose updates for me to include.
You should buy devices based on custom rom availability. mostly popular devices will have and maintained for many years.
search for your device in xda forums
Potentially for my next device, I’ll look for it (and I’ll keep my eyes peeled for builds for my current device in the meantime). I already have this one so with diminishing returns, I’m gonna use the phone I have with the stock OS if that’s what I have to use (with as much de-googling and privacy-mindful configuration as possible). Potentially when I do get a new device, I might end up working on a build for the one I currently have.
But yeah, I’m not presently in the market for a new phone and I needed a cheap one quickly when I bought this one as at the time I was transitioning out of a phone my roommate had lent me at the time. It works and I’m trying to learn as much as I can about privacy-proofing this thing as much as is feasible.