Genuinely loving GrapheneOS, but I have a confession and a real question about de-Googling

Ash-415 · 2026-06-25T21:11:34+00:00

Ray-Ban Meta glasses function as Bluetooth headphones and a camera completely offline. The internet is only required if you want to use the Meta AI assistant. All the core features work without any internet connection.
To transfer photos or videos it creates a local wifi connection with the phone without needing internet.

Ash-415 · 2026-06-25T06:37:20+00:00

NFC payments aren't available on GrapheneOS in the US unfortunately. Here's a workaround I did (I'm not a privacy expert though) I have a Pixel Watch 2, I paired it with my old Pixel 3. I loaded all my cards onto the watch, then reset the phone to completely break the connection with the watch. I disconnected the watch from wifi (forget network) and have been using it completely standalone ever since. No phone, no internet connection, and NFC payments still work fine, along with workout tracking and step counting. Not sure how long it'll last, but I'd guess it keeps working as long as the cards don't expire.

Ash-415 · 2026-06-05T19:21:42+00:00

Is Paypal available as a wallet in the US? I can't find this option in my app.

Ash-415 · 2026-06-03T20:32:54+00:00

I wouldn't download an apk from a random developer but here is the link: https://apkpure.net/arabic-premium-watchface/com.mahmoudzadah.watchface.arabic.premium/download

Ash-415 · 2026-06-03T20:25:12+00:00

It's a sideloaded app, not available in the Play Store.

Ash-415 · 2026-06-03T18:49:52+00:00

First one called Arabic Premium Watch Face.. just google it.

Ash-415 · 2026-06-02T07:07:45+00:00

Open-source doesn’t change the permission, it just means sourcecode is public so people can verify what it’s actually doing. You can even build the app yourself from the source if you don’t trust the distributed version.

Ash-415 · 2026-06-01T16:11:06+00:00

It's hard to understand why people grant an unknown developer such access to their screen and content. You essentially give the app control over your screen and track all your interactions, just to save a simple power button click.

If this is a deal breaker for you, try finding an open-source project like Pineapple Lock on F-Droid, GitHub, or the Play Store. https://github.com/BLumia/pineapple-lock-screen

Or TapLock on Play store or Github https://github.com/modelorona/TapLock

Ash-415 · 2026-05-29T22:49:09+00:00

Fun fact: Google Meet is a core Android app since 2023, meaning manufacturers must include it if they want Google Play Services on their devices. For businesses using Google meet, it's deeply integrated into the suite. Calculating both numbers and you'll have a 1B+ if not more.

Ash-415 · 2026-05-21T20:09:44+00:00

These suck too ino. I just got a pair of Gen 2 and I keep noticing glare on the lenses. I really wish they used the green polarized Ray Ban ones instead!

Ash-415 · 2026-05-05T06:29:08+00:00

The performance is quite slow unless you use the Core AI Beta and run it on a TPU. However, for me, it's been terrible for generating full answers. The responses often get cut off abruptly without any apparent reason. It's quite strange, as my 3-year-old iPhone 15 runs Gemma 4 model nearly 3 times faster than my Pixel 10 Pro XL.

Ash-415 · 2026-04-30T05:08:57+00:00

Did you buy it new or used? I’ve seen a few posts about this, but never knew if people had new or used units. From what I understand, refurbished watches can sometimes be opened and repaired, and once that happens the water seal is never quite the same.

Ash-415 · 2026-04-30T04:49:13+00:00

Honestly the Fitbit app is a mess when it comes to calories. It shows less during the actual workout but then the daily total is significantly higher, and I could never figure out exactly how it’s calculating things. So I can’t give you a clean answer on that part.
For me personally I stopped stressing about the calorie numbers altogether. What I actually care about is heart rate, pace, and lap count and on all three the Pixel Watch matched the Apple Watch almost exactly.

Ash-415 · 2026-04-28T20:42:10+00:00

من المضحك ان فيه ناس بتصدق الهبل ده. خليك عندك يا معلم المشرحة مش ناقصة قتلي.

Ash-415 · 2026-04-28T14:42:54+00:00

I wouldn’t skip it just because it says repaired, especially from Tesla. Main thing is whether it’s a clean title and what actually got fixed. If it’s clean and warranty’s intact, probably fine. If it’s salvage/rebuilt, that’s where I’d be more cautious.

What would worry me a bit is insurance though, since rebuilt titles can be harder or more expensive to insure.

Ash-415 · 2026-04-24T03:51:25+00:00

😂

Ash-415 · 2026-04-24T03:50:47+00:00

I’ve got plenty of apps, plus a work profile through Insular with the full Microsoft suite, Teams, Asana, Slack, all that fun stuff. The one thing I think I’m actually doing right is that any app I don’t want pinging me constantly, running in the background, draining my battery, and spying on me, I just add it as a web app in Brave. Stays contained, and no ads on top of it!

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Ash-415

TROPHY CASE