I very much support this!
Following Carl Pei’s comments in the Come to Play event regarding expansion of software development, I believe offering GrapheneOS as an officially supported alternative could be a major step forward for Nothing.
I bought the Nothing Phones (1) and (2), as well as the Nothing Ear (2) as my votes towards Nothing’s success, and recently switched to GrapheneOS as part of my journey towards owning my data, and trying to separate myself from big tech. This is something that is rapidly gaining popularity. Even PewDiePie!?
Having a Nothing-customized version of GrapheneOS that has support for Glyph lights, the cool little display on the Nothing Phone (3), all the notification and ringtone sounds, support for Nothing’s camera app, etc. would all be super cool!
I’m not an expert on the subject, but this doesn’t seem like an impossible feat. Google was mostly hands-off, and the GrapheneOS team handled device support. Having a rich development relationship with the GrapheneOS team would be mutually beneficial for Nothing from my point of view.
The enhanced security model of GrapheneOS, with its robust sandboxing, virtualization, and granular access controls for apps, is the main reason I find it difficult to return to other Android-based systems. It’s not just about security—it’s also about control: preventing background apps from draining battery unnecessarily, limiting access to personal files and metrics, and reducing digital distractions. Stock android has many of these features, but not to the same extent. These principles seem closely aligned with Nothing’s focus on intentional, minimal, and user-respecting design.
The first step could be getting a beta build of stock GrapheneOS running stably on Nothing hardware and beginning the compatibility and security validation process. I would gladly buy a Nothing Phone (3), and/or use my existing Nothing phones to be a beta tester! With active support and development, I—and likely tens of thousands of others—would be excited to invest in the Nothing ecosystem.
Being stuck on my old Pixel 5a isn’t ideal, but I’m unwilling to give up the benefits of GrapheneOS. I’d love to buy a Nothing Phone (3) instead of another Pixel this year.
