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Can you use GrapheneOS with your bank app? With a digital wallet for NFC cards? With Uber or Lyft? (Asking seriously, not rhetorically.)

by nine_k 1y ago

octo888 1y ago
Contactless payments is the the big one that doesn't work and probably won't. You can do in app payments via Google pay though Many banking apps work fine though not all.
- amaccuish 1y ago
  Luckily my German bank (Volksbank) has its own NFC app on Android. Much maligned years ago when it was announced (why can't they just let me use Google Pay??), I at least have come to the conclusion that it has granted me a freedom that Google does not.
  - wkat4242 1y ago
    And it doesn't let Google snoop on your every transaction. I don't understand how so many people are ok with this. Unfortunately every EU bank card uses Mastercard or visa so the Americans still get to snoop. Time for that to be changed too.
    - codethief 1y ago
      Agreed. Fingers crossed that Wero will change that.
callahad 1y ago
My understanding from looking into this two years ago is that it's hit or miss for banks (depending on if they opt into device attestation stuff), no for NFC / Google Wallet, and yes for Uber / Lyft. Apparently the common workaround for the Google Wallet stuff is to pair a GrapheneOS phone with a stock Android smartwatch. Edit: Here's some additional information on banking apps: https://privsec.dev/posts/android/banking-applications-compatibility-with-grapheneos/ https://privsec.dev/posts/android/banking-applications-compa... Apparently the common recommendation these days is to use Curve Pay as a virtual card provider on GrapheneOS, which can then route to arbitrary underlying cards. And evidently Google Wallet does work for things that aren't payment cards (airline tickets, transit passes, etc.) on GrapheneOS.
BeetleB 1y ago
Yes, these would be my concerns as well. In the past, I would install custom ROMs. Then I stopped doing that and would only root my device. But of late, way, way too many apps refuse to work if rooted (apps that used to be fine with it before). Now I just accept life as it is.
- palata 1y ago
  Using GrapheneOS is not the same thing as rooting, though.
jackthetab 1y ago
This is a question that I rarely see answered but would love to know as well.
- palata 1y ago
  Nice answer (not by me) here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44990889 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44990889
litmus-pit-git 1y ago
My friend uses a pretty hardened (as per him; I didn't indulge him when he wanted to give me the gory details) Graphene setup on his few years old Pixel. Bank apps - as per him none work. Uber (no Lyft here; other taxi apps) work flawless. Payment apps, he said is a coin toss. On his phone even WhatsApp doesn't work. He anyway prefers Signal (which prob. nobody else uses in his circle except maybe me who has it installed on a secondary phone) or plain SMS. Basically most of the "normal" apps that add integrity checks don't work but he is fine with that.
- hexfish 1y ago
  Re: the bank apps: that really depends on the bank and the country. I live in a eu-west country and there are afaik no apps that do not run on Graphene (which did suprise me I must admit). Whatsapp can work if you use sandboxed Google Play (I still use a Google account, I just don't want gplay to have effectively root on my device). Depending on the level of integrity check your app might just work. Gory details: https://grapheneos.org/articles/attestation-compatibility-guide https://grapheneos.org/articles/attestation-compatibility-gu... And like others said: no contactless payment, but I dont use that personally anyway.
mlry 1y ago
I use Graphene but with Google play store app. Here in Europe my banking apps and 2fa apps (SecureGo) work flawlessly. NFC cards work with PassAndroid and FOSSwallet, both from Fdroid. I've had issues installing rather new games via the play store, but most often it takes a couple of tries or a waiting period to work in the end.
snapplebobapple 1y ago
I use it with my bank app ymmv
fak3r 1y ago
I've been running GrapheneOS for over a year and have had zero issues with 3 different banks, and all credit cards. I'm sure there are issues with some banks, but I've never seen them. I don't use Google Wallet, and never wanted to so if that's a consideration...

Can you use GrapheneOS with your bank app? With a digital wallet for NFC cards? With Uber or Lyft? (Asking seriously, not rhetorically.)

by nine_k 1y ago

Can you use GrapheneOS with your bank app? With a digital wallet for NFC cards? With Uber or Lyft? (Asking seriously, not rhetorically.)

octo888 1y ago

Contactless payments is the the big one that doesn't work and probably won't. You can do in app payments via Google pay though Many banking apps work fine though not all.

amaccuish 1y ago
Luckily my German bank (Volksbank) has its own NFC app on Android. Much maligned years ago when it was announced (why can't they just let me use Google Pay??), I at least have come to the conclusion that it has granted me a freedom that Google does not.
- wkat4242 1y ago
  And it doesn't let Google snoop on your every transaction. I don't understand how so many people are ok with this. Unfortunately every EU bank card uses Mastercard or visa so the Americans still get to snoop. Time for that to be changed too.
  - codethief 1y ago
    Agreed. Fingers crossed that Wero will change that.

callahad 1y ago

My understanding from looking into this two years ago is that it's hit or miss for banks (depending on if they opt into device attestation stuff), no for NFC / Google Wallet, and yes for Uber / Lyft. Apparently the common workaround for the Google Wallet stuff is to pair a GrapheneOS phone with a stock Android smartwatch. Edit: Here's some additional information on banking apps: https://privsec.dev/posts/android/banking-applications-compatibility-with-grapheneos/ https://privsec.dev/posts/android/banking-applications-compa... Apparently the common recommendation these days is to use Curve Pay as a virtual card provider on GrapheneOS, which can then route to arbitrary underlying cards. And evidently Google Wallet does work for things that aren't payment cards (airline tickets, transit passes, etc.) on GrapheneOS.

BeetleB 1y ago

Yes, these would be my concerns as well. In the past, I would install custom ROMs. Then I stopped doing that and would only root my device. But of late, way, way too many apps refuse to work if rooted (apps that used to be fine with it before). Now I just accept life as it is.

palata 1y ago
Using GrapheneOS is not the same thing as rooting, though.

jackthetab 1y ago

This is a question that I rarely see answered but would love to know as well.

palata 1y ago
Nice answer (not by me) here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44990889 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44990889

litmus-pit-git 1y ago

My friend uses a pretty hardened (as per him; I didn't indulge him when he wanted to give me the gory details) Graphene setup on his few years old Pixel. Bank apps - as per him none work. Uber (no Lyft here; other taxi apps) work flawless. Payment apps, he said is a coin toss. On his phone even WhatsApp doesn't work. He anyway prefers Signal (which prob. nobody else uses in his circle except maybe me who has it installed on a secondary phone) or plain SMS. Basically most of the "normal" apps that add integrity checks don't work but he is fine with that.

hexfish 1y ago
Re: the bank apps: that really depends on the bank and the country. I live in a eu-west country and there are afaik no apps that do not run on Graphene (which did suprise me I must admit). Whatsapp can work if you use sandboxed Google Play (I still use a Google account, I just don't want gplay to have effectively root on my device). Depending on the level of integrity check your app might just work. Gory details: https://grapheneos.org/articles/attestation-compatibility-guide https://grapheneos.org/articles/attestation-compatibility-gu... And like others said: no contactless payment, but I dont use that personally anyway.

mlry 1y ago

I use Graphene but with Google play store app. Here in Europe my banking apps and 2fa apps (SecureGo) work flawlessly. NFC cards work with PassAndroid and FOSSwallet, both from Fdroid. I've had issues installing rather new games via the play store, but most often it takes a couple of tries or a waiting period to work in the end.

snapplebobapple 1y ago

I use it with my bank app ymmv

fak3r 1y ago

I've been running GrapheneOS for over a year and have had zero issues with 3 different banks, and all credit cards. I'm sure there are issues with some banks, but I've never seen them. I don't use Google Wallet, and never wanted to so if that's a consideration...