Consider A More Secure Smartphone

All Standard Smartphones Offer Minimal Security And No Privacy

All the popular smartphones on the market today have very serious issues with regard to both security and privacy. If you wish to understand the scope of the problem, check out these previous articles.

• Mobile Phones – Spying Made Easy
• Stalkerware, The Master Key Into All Corporate Databases

While security is reasonably good on modern smartphone, privacy is not. Your privacy is compromised as soon as you “activate” your new smartphone with the manufacturer when you first unpack them. While the amount of your personal data and activity tracking varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, it is still largely out of your control to stop. (This is despite what Apple marketing tell you!)

As for security, cybercriminals have a lot of incentive to find weaknesses in both Apple iOS and Google Android OS (installed on most other phones), as they are so common. Furthermore, security is also not a priority design criteria in both of these major operating systems and consequently, it is relatively easy for criminals to devise an attack strategy to break into these systems today.

Are More Secure Phones Available?

Yes. There are a number of manufacturers that design smartphones with a better focus on security. A quick Internet search will direct you to sites which review various offerings currently available.

In this article, however, I will direct you to an even better option that consists of using a commonly available standard smartphone, but with an entirely different operating system, designed from the ground-up with security in mind. It is arguably the best available solution for 2024.

Since privacy is also an ever increasing issue in 2024, the solution described, will show you that it is also possible to improve smartphone privacy, once you isolate the phone from any standard “activation” or “subscription” services.

Google Pixel – Most Secure Hardware Available Today

Let’s start with some a smartphone that has one of the best security focused hardware design on the market today.

The Google Pixel is currently fits the bill, as this YouTube video explains.

In summary, Google hardware developers have designed a smartphone that has strict hardware security built-in to the electronics. Additionally, this hardware is designed to operate with the Android operating system which is in turn developed to work on top of a very secure Linux core. The video describes an operating system called GrapheneOS, designed as a replacement to the stock “Android” one supplied by Google. This configuration of hardware and software makes it one of the most secure smartphones available in 2024. GrapheneOS supports Google Pixel 5 or later. (Pixel 8 Pro at the time of writing).

This article elaborates on what is shown in the video, by directing you to detailed instructions on how to create this configuration, or alternatively, buying a professionally pre-configured one ready to go.

GrapheneOS Features

Here are the key features of GrapheneOS. These features are on top the ones offered by the Pixel phone’s hardware core security components:

• Automatically verifying the integrity of the operating system on every power-on operation via the phone’s hardware Titan M2 Secure Element Chip and Verified Boot.
• Commercial grade, cutting edge, software, built from the ground up with security and privacy in mind.
• No requirement to use the Google Play store. If you require an app from the Google Play store, then you are able to obtain it anonymously, within GrapheneOS.
• Open source development. You know exactly what is on your phone. Development is not owned by any company or business. This makes it the most attractive, future-proof solution today. This software is well supported by community developers.
• Regular software releases and the ability to update the operating system automatically.
• Access to other non-Google app stores.
• Kill switches on all your sensors including: cellular modem, microphone, camera, GPS, etc. Stricter than AIRPLANE MODE and able to be enabled and disabled individually by sensor.
• Application to application data exchange requires your permission.
• Usability very similar to the standard Google Android but with enhancements in relation to your ability to make choices regarding the apps you wish to use and their access to your smartphone functionality and sensors. All settings default to the highest level of security.

How Do You Get One?

The GrapheneOS developers have a very clear, detailed instructions on their website so there is no need to repeat them here.

Note that the instructions on their website work on the assumption that you start off with a current model Google Pixel smartphone which contains no existing personal data, for example, a recently purchased new phone, or one that you are happy to erase all of the existing data on.

Need Somebody To Help You?

If you do not feel confident in taking on this task, using the instructions on the GrapheneOS website, then there are a number of companies that provide the Pixel smartphones pre-configured with GrapheneOS. This list below is not exhaustive. They are Australian suppliers but many ship the configured phones internationally. I recommend that you contact the supplier you with to do business with and talk about the proposed purchase as they can help you with supply and technical support that comes with their product.

Can You Be Tracked When You Use Your New Phone?

Yes. The Google Pixel smartphone with GrapheneOS simply allows you to own and operate a private and secure smartphone. Even though it is a Google manufactured phone, Google cannot track you, as you do not need a Google account to setup GrapheneOS and use the phone. This is a massive improvement on standard smartphones, however, there are other things to consider.

Your mobile phone carrier knows who you are, in order to supply their mobile phone service to you and they are able to track your position based on your relative position to mobile phone towers with relative ease. Furthermore, governments can track your location by accessing communication carrier data, so you will still have “public” visibility when your mobile service is enabled. This is a limitation of the mobile phone network, not the smartphone.

If you install any Google, Microsoft or Social Media app, you will be readily tracked again. In fact, given the information that these companies collect from your smartphone using their apps, you will simply be defeating most of the benefits gained from GrapheneOS, once you install any of their apps. So now it is time to consider alternatives to services offered by these companies.

To use your smartphone for other “smart” functions (such as social media, email, etc.), there are other great applications available that focus on maintaining your privacy. Some of these apps are installed when you buy a pre-configured smartphone from the companies listed above. Look at the Three Cats Technology Studio website to explore what they suggest. Remember that you can install the apps yourself using your new GrapheneOS, but with a smarter choice that what Google offers.

In summary, the Google Pixel phone with GrapheneOS significantly increases your mobile security and with a careful choice of apps, will also significantly increase your privacy. This is arguably the best thing to invest in when considering a new smartphone in 2024.

Other Resources

Daniel Krohn, a cybersecurity researcher wrote an article “Android’s Complete Guide to Protecting Online Privacy in 2024”, which will further help you to understand the steps that you can take to protect your privacy on your new phone.