This guide explains how to install GrapheneOS on your mobile device. Before we begin, you should understand what GrapheneOS is. It’s a privacy-focused operating system that allows you to create multiple profiles—essentially, virtual phones—within a single hardware device. For instance, you can run a main profile with no Google services or spyware, and dedicate a separate profile for services that might compromise your privacy (such as Google services), giving you the ability to turn them off at will. This effectively gives you multiple secure phones in one.
Requirements
Currently, and for the last several years, GrapheneOS can only be installed on supported Google Pixel devices. This is because Google historically released open-source details about their drivers, which GrapheneOS prefers. The list of supported models is constantly changing, so you’ll find a link to the official GrapheneOS website here. This site is also where you will get all the necessary installation files and the highly automated installer.
In the future, the supported device list may change, as the GrapheneOS team has expressed interest in partnering with a cell phone manufacturer to support non-Pixel devices, but this is still in the very early stages.
The prerequisites for installation are straightforward. You will need a computer running a fully up-to-date operating system (Mac, Linux, or Windows). An up-to-date system is highly recommended to avoid potential installation issues. You will also need your Pixel device. You do not need to log into your Google account for the installation, but you must connect the device to the internet for some required hardware scanning.
Finally, it is essential that your Pixel device is unlocked. If you purchased your phone from a carrier that locks down devices, such as Verizon in the United States, you may unfortunately be unable to proceed with a custom OS installation.
Purchasing the device directly from Google ensures it is unlocked, removing a major installation concern for the user. However, for those with carrier-locked devices, the inability to proceed would typically be discovered during the installation process.
Installing GrapheneOS
The next steps involve preparing the device itself. A crucial prerequisite is the use of the official USB cable that shipped with the Pixel device, which helps guarantee a stable connection and prevent potential installation issues.
The device should be powered on and connected to the internet, but does not need to be logged into a Google account. The first step is to enable Developer Options by navigating to the system settings menu. This is accessed by expanding the notification shade fully (swiping down twice) and tapping the settings gear icon. Scroll down to About phone, and then scroll to the bottom to locate the Build number. Tapping the Build number repeatedly will start a countdown; upon completion, a message will confirm that developer options have been enabled.
The next step is to enable OEM unlocking. The most efficient way to access this setting is to use the search bar within the settings menu. Search for “OEM unlocking” and tap the result. The toggle switch for OEM unlock must be activated. If this option is grayed out, it indicates a lack of internet connectivity (which is required for this step) or that the device is carrier locked. Ensuring OEM unlocking is active is mandatory before proceeding.
The final preparatory step is entering the bootloader menu. To do this, the device must first be powered off. Since holding the power button may activate Google Assistant or Gemini, the recommended method is to access the power menu via the notification shade and select Power off. Once the device is completely shut down, press and hold the Volume Down button and the Power button simultaneously. Continue holding both buttons until the device boots into the special menu, which is the bootloader. A caution warning will be displayed, but the device is now prepared to receive commands from the GrapheneOS installation process.
The device should now display a red warning triangle and be in Fastboot Mode. You must leave the device untouched at this stage; specifically, the power button should not be pressed, as this would select the ‘Start’ option, exiting the process. The device should now be physically connected to the computer using the official Pixel cable. Then navigate to the GrapheneOS installation website.
The website notes that driver compatibility issues may arise, particularly depending on the version of Windows being used. It is strongly advised that both the computer’s operating system and its drivers are fully updated, as this increases the probability of the necessary drivers being pre-installed and simplifies device detection. At this point on the GrapheneOS website, the user should select the option to Unlock Bootloader.
If the device is not detected, which often occurs due to missing or incorrect drivers, particularly on non-standard Windows installations like Windows 11 IoT (which I used), a manual driver installation is required. The GrapheneOS site provides links to the latest Pixel drivers on the Google website. On the Google site you can download the driver ZIP file—avoiding the more complex Android SDK manager method—and extract its contents, for example, to the desktop. The next step is to open the Windows Device Manager on the computer (search for “device manager” in the Windows start search bar).
Since the device is not yet detected correctly, it will typically appear under Other devices (or similar) with the name of the Pixel device. You must right-click this entry and select Update driver. When prompted, instead of searching automatically, select Browse my computer for drivers and navigate to the directory where the driver files were extracted (e.g., the desktop folder). After confirming the installation, the device will no longer appear as an unknown device in the Device Manager.
You should now return to the GrapheneOS website and attempt to detect the device again. If successful, the device name (e.g., Pixel 8 Pro) will be displayed, and you can click Connect. This action will prompt a change on the device screen. The device will flash, displaying a new menu with two options. The volume button is used to toggle the selection from the default “Do not unlock the bootloader” to “Unlock the bootloader.” Once unlocking option is selected using the volume buttons, pressing the power button executes the command.
The device will then soft-reboot. On the GrapheneOS installation page, the device status should now be updated to show the status as unlocked (typically highlighted in red). You can now proceed to the next step on the computer, which is to download the release for the factory image.
