Yes, you install the Google Play store via the GrapheneOS App Store. The OS comes with like 5 apps out of the box. The rest is up to you.
Biggest caveats that I've encountered: tap to pay via Google Wallet is a no go, Android Auto can be flaky, MDM managed work profiles don't work at the moment, and some apps that use the Google Play integrity API fail to validate and refuse to work (I've only encountered one app that fails, and plenty others that work.)
In general, I'm moving towards a de-Googled life and GrapheneOS is a great entrypoint towards that.
Android Auto is fully supported and shouldn't be any more flaky than it is on the stock OS. It's often flaky due to a bad USB connection or problematic implementation in the car. That's just how it is everywhere.
Google Wallet bans using anything other than an unmodified Google Mobile Services stock OS but there are alternatives in certain regions. In Europe, there are a lot of banking apps with tap-to-pay compatible with GrapheneOS and also Curve Pay. PayPal also has a limited tap-to-pay launch in Germany.
> MDM managed work profiles
Do you mean actual employer-spyware MDM work profiles? I suppose I never expected those to work.
Or do you mean things like Shelter, which uses work profiles and which I use to quarantine certain less-trusted apps?
Yes, I mean MDM work profiles. I play an IT guy at work and am a Google Workspace admin. We have it running in BYOD mode and it's actually not intrusive at all. The most sensitive data you can see as an admin is what apps are installed in the work profile, the phone's make + model, and the version of Android. Nothing like location, charge level, or anything outside of the work profile. I'm fine with running it on my personal device (I actually really like the way it functions), but it's borked on current versions of GOS.
How to say "I work for a company too cheapass to provide work devices".
Its all fun and games until the company gets hit with a lawsuit and discovery hits your phone and ALL your accounts, corporate and personal.
Some people don’t want to carry two devices and prefer BYOD, even if the company offers a work phone.
My end-run around Google's absurd unwillingness to certify GOS for Google Pay has been Garmin Pay, which has worked virtually everywhere I've ever tried it.
I'm hopeful that an OEM Motorola device will get certified for Google Pay.
Depends as bit on the country and bank. I also use Garmin Pay, but my bank only supports adding their credit card (not debit card) and a substantial portion of shops here only supports contactless payment through debit cards (credit cards have historically not been popular here).
So I get to use contactless payment at maybe 50% of the stores, which is annoying, because it's sometimes hard tot tell ahead of time.
Tap to pay is mostly NFC? So is there an alternative app?
Garmin Pay, Samsung pay if you have a compatible bank and card, PayPal in Germany and sometimes banks' own systems.
I had a very weird (bad) experience with Curve support so I couldn't recommend it.
NFC payments work, it's only Google who claims a phone not patched for 8 years is safe and secure, but phone with working hardware attestation and patched 6 months ahead of everyone else is insecure.
Curve Pay has worked well for me. Only good alternative as it doesn't depend on Google Play Services too
I extracted a chip (by dissolving the plastic in acetone) from my card and glued it to the wriststrap of my Pebble watch :)
When using contactless payment with my card, about 10% of the time the payment terminal tells me to insert the card to the reader slot instead and enter my PIN. I assumed this is a general security feature, but I guess it depends on the issuing bank then. This in Europe.
Well, I still have a backup physical card. It just is annoying to get it out of my wallet.
[dead]
Nice hack but sounds quite unsafe, I like having to unblock de phone in order to use it.
Paypay works as well (at least in Germany)
Yes you can use Curve pay.
Edit: Apparently that's Europe only? I'm in Europe so yeah. I didn't know that.
There's Curve Pay in Europe. In the US, I'm not sure.