Graphene OS: Configuration & Operation

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28 Dec 2025

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How to set up your Graphene device for daily operation.

Read the first article in the series

In part one of the Graphene OS series, we took a look at how to procure a secure version of Graphene to flash to your Pixel, as well as the install and post-install checklist. Like most things in life, this only tells us part of the story.

To get the best out of your new, privacy-focused operating system, you’ll want to ensure your system is configured and set up correctly, as well as transfer your older data in the case of an account recovery.

Thankfully, Graphene OS makes this super easy to sort while being relatively pain-free, which means there ain’t no headaches today.

To follow along, you’ll need your newly flashed Pixel with the latest stable version of Graphene OS. And if you’d like to check my work via the official docs, you can do so via this link.

Features Galore!

Graphene OS is based on the Android Open Source Project, so if you’ve used an Android before, you’ll be well placed to deal with the transition to your new operating system. However, there are a few features you’ll want to turn on to ensure your device is properly locked down.

First, we’ll want to turn on Pin Scrambling and set the Duress password. This allows us to reduce the risk of opportunistic shoulder surfing and gives us the means to wipe the device if needed. We can do this via the following menus

Settings > Security & Privacy > Device Unlock > Screen Lock

Scramble PIN input layout: ON


Settings > Security & Privacy > Device Unlock > Duress Password

Set Duress Password: ON

Next, we’ll want to set the auto reboot time, configure the USB port and ensure our Wi-Fi and Bluetooth stay off when not maintaining a connection. To do this, we’ll pop into the exploit protection menu.

Settings > Security & Privacy > Exploit Protection

Set Auto Reboot Time: 18 Hours

Set USB C Port: Charging Only

Turn Of Wi-Fi: 10 Minutes

Turn off Bluetooth: 10 Minutes

Note: If you aren’t going to use a pin, set the Advanced Fingerprint Unlock protection on to reduce the lockout time

Google Play & FDroid

The next step will depend on the type of install you’re planning to do. If the intention is to do a complete de-Google, then you’ll need to get familiar with the F-Droid repository to side-load the apps you’ll need for your device. That’s outside the scope of this article, but something we’ll look at in the next piece.

However, if you’d simply like to obtain a more secure device without having to step away from the convenience of the Play Store, then getting set up is pretty easy, as both Google Play Services and Play Store mirrors are able to be installed from the Graphene OS app store.

One of the biggest complaints that many have with both Google and the Play Store is invasive tracking, and it’s worth mentioning that Graphene allows for this to be significantly reduced, thanks to proper sandboxing.

While it won’t eliminate the issue of tracking entirely, the ability to keep Play Apps properly contained will reduce it, and Graphene’s permission system makes it particularly easy to identify what apps might be snitching on you and via what means.

User Accounts

One of the most beneficial features of Graphene is also the most intriguing. While sandboxing is great, you’re also able to set additional user accounts or profiles.

User accounts in GrapheneOS provide one of the strongest practical security layers on mobile by giving each profile its own hardware-backed encryption keys, ensuring full isolation of data, apps, and permissions. As you’d imagine, this is pretty useful for the privacy-focused crowd. Why though?

They allow users to separate high-risk or privacy-sensitive workflows without compromising the integrity of the primary profile. Inactive profiles are fully suspended to prevent background activity, protecting performance and privacy, while guest and secondary accounts offer safe ways to share the device or contain proprietary apps.

It’s worth taking the time to consider what you might want this to look like. Obviously, setting and configuring individual accounts can take some time, but the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial time penalty. Being able to lock things down at the hardware level gives you far more control over the device overall.

Pro Tip: If you’re intending to install Google Play, consider doing the install on a secondary user account to keep things nice and contained.

Daily Driving

If you’ve gotten this far, you’re almost done! When you’re daily driving your new device, though, here are a few additional points to consider.

Lockdowns: Don’t forget that Graphene allows you to lock down all hardware via the top drop-down menu. Microphone, Camera and GPS can all be locked down when not in use, giving you extra peace of mind.

Camera: Graphene is legitimately cool however, it comes at a cost. The original camera app that’s supplied with the OS is decidedly ordinary. A much better option is installing the Google Pixel camera app to unlock a whole stack of additional features.

Wireless: Don’t forget that earlier in the article, we adjusted both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth activity times. So if you’re regularly roaming between networks, in some instances, it may not connect automatically. This can take a little time to get used to.

Don’t be scared to get your hands dirty. Your new Pixel is just as or even more customisable as any other Android device. So, if the standard settings don’t work for you, feel free to make changes to make the device more user-friendly.

However, if privacy is your goal, it is worth looking at what changes these might make to the security of your system, as convenience can often come with a cost. You can do this by checking the official notes.

Have you used Graphene OS or any of the other privacy-focused operating systems?

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