A: By removing the tracking software that comes standard on iPhones and Androids, you unlock four massive benefits:

1. Total Digital Invisibility
Standard phones broadcast your location and activity to Big Tech 24/7. A GhostPixel goes dark. Your location, your messages, and your photos stay on your device. You stop being a product sold to advertisers.

2. Double the Battery Life

Background tracking and data harvesting consume a huge amount of power. By surgically removing the spyware, our devices often last 2–3 days on a single charge. It’s the same battery, just not wasting energy spying on you.

3. Zero Targeted Ads

Sick of talking about a product and seeing an ad for it 5 minutes later? That stops today. Without the advertising ID trackers, your phone becomes a quiet tool for communication, not a billboard for corporations.

4. Flagship Hardware, Unlocked

You keep the world-class Google Pixel Camera, the stunning OLED screen, and the lightning-fast processor. You lose the bloatware. It’s the best of both worlds: Premium Hardware + Private Software.

Yes, absolutely. Just pop your SIM card out of your old phone and into your new GhostPixel and you are ready to make calls, texts and use your data plan. Functions like a normal phone, except privacy is in your own hands.

Yes - you can install virtually all of your required apps.

Just use the included Aurora Store to add your required apps, as per our New User Guide.

The only apps that are more challenging are PAID apps, as you don’t use a credit card with our free, anonymous Aurora App Store. You can still install your paid app if that’s critical for you, by adding your app through the Google Play Store and your account logins.

We pre-load four different options so you can choose the right balance of privacy and convenience for each specific app. Here is the hierarchy of how you should use them:

1. F-Droid (Maximum Privacy)Check here first. F-Droid only hosts Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). These apps have no trackers, no ads, and no spying code.

• Best for: Finding open-source alternatives (e.g., use NewPipe instead of YouTube, Organic Maps instead of Google Maps).
• Privacy Level: Elite.

2. Aurora Store (Anonymous Mainstream Apps)Use this for 90% of your daily apps. It connects to the Google database anonymously so you can download standard apps without signing in.

• Best for: Spotify, WhatsApp, Signal, Social Media, and free mainstream apps.
• Privacy Level: High.

3. Google Play Store (Sandboxed)Use this only when necessary. Some apps (Banking, Uber, Paid Apps) require a license check or official login to work. On GhostPixel, the Play Store is "Sandboxed" (caged), so it cannot see what you are doing in other apps.

• Best for: CommBank, NAB, Uber, and Paid Subscriptions.
• Privacy Level: Medium (Requires a Google Account, but restricted).

4. "Apps" (System Updater)This is a utility tool built into GrapheneOS. You generally don't "shop" here.

• Purpose: It keeps the core operating system tools (Camera, PDF Viewer) and the Google Play Services framework updated.
• Action: Open this once a month and tap "Update All."

Yes. This is the most common question we get.

Thanks to the Sandboxed Google Play compatibility layer, roughly 99% of Australian banking apps (CommBank, NAB, Westpac, ANZ, Up, etc.) work perfectly.

Note: Some banks require you to enable "Exploit Protection Compatibility Mode" in the app settings, which takes 5 seconds. We include a guide in the box.

Yes, our GhostPixel's are local Australian unlocked phones and are based on the latest technology which are compatible with all mobile networks in Australia.

No. That is the beauty of GhostPixel. You can download apps anonymously using the Aurora Store.

However, if you want to use a Google Account for specific apps, you can log in safely knowing that Google is "Sandboxed" (trapped) and cannot see the rest of your phone data.

Yes. A GhostPixel is still an Android phone. It runs almost every app that a standard Samsung or Pixel runs. The difference is that on a GhostPixel, you decide what data those apps can access, not them.

No.

Because the operating system is unlocked to give you control, Google Pay / Google Wallet will not allow NFC payments for security reasons.

You will need to use your physical bank card for tap payments.Note: Your banking apps themselves still work for transfers/checking balances.

Yes. It is the ultimate enforcement tool. Unlike standard parental controls which kids can easily bypass, GhostPixel allows you to set up a device that physically cannot download TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat. By creating a "Restricted User Profile" and not installing an App Store, you can give your teen a phone that has Maps, Spotify, and Uber (for safety), but zero access to algorithmic social media. It is the perfect solution for the new legislation.

Yes, Android Auto is now supported on GrapheneOS, but it requires the installation of the Sandboxed Google Play Services (which we guide you through).

Yes. GPS works perfectly. You can use:

• Google Maps / Waze: (Logged out/Sandboxed) for traffic and navigation.
• Organic Maps / OsmAnd: For completely offline, private navigation.

• Garmin / Withings: Yes, these usually work perfectly via the companion app (Gadgetbridge or official apps).
• Galaxy Watch / Pixel Watch: These are harder to set up as they require deep Google integration. They can work with tinkering, but we recommend Garmin for the best privacy experience.

It is automatic.You do not need to plug it into a computer ever again. GrapheneOS receives Over-The-Air (OTA) security updates faster than standard Android. When an update is ready, the phone will tell you. You just tap "Reboot," and it’s done.