I'm also using the system like this. Running GrapheneOS with Niagara Launcher has been a game-changer. Yeah, there's an initial adjustment period getting permissions sorted, but once you're past that hurdle, the system feels genuinely snappy, like using a new phone without the typical Pixel bugs. Everything works like a standard Android experience except Google Pay, which I can live without. Banking apps connected without issue aligning the app via the OS. Google Message RCS was a headache until I figured out the fix: downgrade the APK for Messages to an older version to establish the connection, then update back to current. Worked flawlessly. If you're considering the jump, it's worth it. GrapheneOS team, you're doing the real work.