I have a google pixel, and I know I could install grapheneOS on it. But I’m very, very hesitant, since I depend so much on my phone.

This isn’t like distro hopping, where I feel more comfortable hot swapping ssds, or making partitions, or using my desktop while I tinker with my laptop. My phone has a SIM and the service I depend on can’t be emulated off this phone.

So what do you recommend I do? Should I move my SIM (my phone service, really) to a new phone while I tinker with this one? Can I just blow up the current OS and wing it? Or maybe theres another option that would allow me to bail back to stock android in case something goes wrong. What do you think?

EDIT: how I use my phone: about everything I use is from fdroid, with the occassional app from aurora. I do use my banking app to cash checks, but I don’t use whatsapp, google pay, which I know arent compatible. So as far as app compatibility I dont think it’ll be a problem, Im mostly worried about my phone number not working. I dont know how SIMs work like I should, I just know Ive had the strangest issues in the past with it, so Im hesitant. Thanks for the replies so far.

  • smeg@feddit.ukEnglish
    2·
    10 months ago

    Is having contactless payments in your phone really that critical though? If you have one of those wallet-style phone cases with the slots for cards then you can just put your card in there and basically achieve the same effect!

    • huginnEnglish
      6·
      10 months ago

      It’s a virtual card, they don’t offer a physical tap card.

      • smeg@feddit.ukEnglish
        5·
        10 months ago

        Oh weird, never heard of any bank not providing a card before. Open another account with a bank that gives you one if you can be bothered, but I completely understand if most people can’t be!

        • huginnEnglish
          5·
          10 months ago

          Yeah this isn’t a bank it’s a pre-tax commuter card offered through some work service.

          The website is awful and sketchy looking but officially endorsed by Large Company and I get my $100 pretax dollars, so I don’t complain.

          • smeg@feddit.ukEnglish
            3·
            10 months ago

            Oh weird, so it only works via Google/Apple Pay? What do they do if you say you don’t have a smartphone?

            • huginnEnglish
              3·
              10 months ago

              You can pay normally and then submit reimbursement. Which sucks majorly.

              NYC only recently added tap to pay and it’s a godsend.

              • smeg@feddit.ukEnglish
                2·
                10 months ago

                Ah that’s a bit shit, if you want convenience it’s on their terms, hard to argue with that really