Does it do RCS?
No. RCS is still quite hard to actually implement. There's an open issue for it but the effort is mildly herculean. AFAIUI though GOS does intend on providing an RCS impl eventually even if it takes years to do.
GrapheneOS' rewritten Messages app is released
141–150 of 258 posts
Re: GrapheneOS' rewritten Messages app is released
#142Earlier quoted context omitted.
A bunch of the AOSP apps feel like you have to rewrite them for modern standards now and then you can basically have them in maintenance mode for years. The AOSP messaging app has also lasted for 15+ (?) years and has basically had no maintenance from Google for many years. Modernizing these apps seems very high-impact. These are the very first things a new user sees and after the initial modernization, they should b…
> Messaging, high impact. Messaging can be replaced with one of the hundreds decent messaging apps. Unlike the backup app which is utterly unusable, untrustworthy and frankly crap. And CANNOT be replaced by anything else. As it stands it's impossible to have reliable backups in GOS.
If my phone were lost, stolen or destroyed, I would simply revoke its Wireguard key, buy a new Pixel, flash Graphene, and provision a new Wireguard key. Essentially no data of value would be lost, and restoring my apps and settings manually would take an hour tops. Admittedly, I don't use many apps, so YMMV.
Re: GrapheneOS' rewritten Messages app is released
#143Earlier quoted context omitted.
GrapheneOS has made a big push to hire a bunch of experienced, talented app devs, and they have been slowly chipping away at Messaging for a few months. They now have the resources to take on the AOSP apps and resume with the GrapheneOS apps. The rest of the AOSP apps are also planned to be overhauled. They also plan to eventually support RCS in the Messaging app.
> GrapheneOS has made a big push to hire a bunch of experienced, talented app devs That's great. How can a FOSS project afford that? Where does GOS money come from? Did Daniel win the lottery?
They have 14 devs 13 are payed in ETH and 1 in CAD.
Iirc they said something like 2 million in donations in 2025. Vitalik Buterin may have donated at least some time ago.
Proton donates double digits.
Cape has donated around 100k https://www.cape.co/blog/cape-supports-grapheneos and plans to donate 100k this year.
There's estimated 500k users so if 25% donated 10 dollars a year that's 1.25 million.
Re: GrapheneOS' rewritten Messages app is released
#144Earlier quoted context omitted.
I wonder if Meta pays phone manufacturers under the table to keep their size large
The overwhelming majority of consumers just prefer larger screens (myself included). People seem to forget that Apple releasing the Mini was them listening to the minority and the sales numbers if it were poor versus the rest of the lineup. And why would Meta even do that?
For one, the sales were still perfectly respectable. "Versus the rest of the lineup" is doing a ton of work here, because the rest of the iPhone models sell like crazy. For two, it is still bizarre that manufacturers refuse to make small phones even with that in mind. If you wear very small clothes (or very large clothes) that won't sell as many units, your options are limited, you have to pay more, but you aren't forced to go naked. But there's nobody out there doing the equivalent strategy for phones.
Re: GrapheneOS' rewritten Messages app is released
#145Earlier quoted context omitted.
> GrapheneOS has made a big push to hire a bunch of experienced, talented app devs That's great. How can a FOSS project afford that? Where does GOS money come from? Did Daniel win the lottery?
They get most of their donations from cryptocurrency. Mostly small Monero donations but also Bitcoin and Ethereum. They have 14 devs 13 are payed in ETH and 1 in CAD. Iirc they said something like 2 million in donations in 2025. Vitalik Buterin may have donated at least some time ago. Proton donates double digits. Cape has donated around 100k https://www.cape.co/blog/cape-supports-grapheneos and plans to donate 100k…
> Iirc they said something like 2 million in donations in 2025.
That's not enough for 14 devs, plus infrastructure, etc.
> There's estimated 500k users so if 25% donated 10 dollars a year that's 1.25 million.
Unfortunately, 25% would be extraordinary for any project.
They should make their financing public (and maybe they do), being a non-profit and also asking people to trust them with their security. Funding provides influence: if 50% came from adtech or public surveillance companies (e.g., Flock, Palantir, etc.), then people would have questions.
Re: GrapheneOS' rewritten Messages app is released
#146Earlier quoted context omitted.
I wonder if Meta pays phone manufacturers under the table to keep their size large
The overwhelming majority of consumers just prefer larger screens (myself included). People seem to forget that Apple releasing the Mini was them listening to the minority and the sales numbers if it were poor versus the rest of the lineup. And why would Meta even do that?
I really think COVID shutdowns did the mini in. People couldn’t go to the store and try holding a phone where they could use it comfortably one-handed again. And then by the time they could, Apple axed it.
Re: GrapheneOS' rewritten Messages app is released
#147Earlier quoted context omitted.
No. RCS is still quite hard to actually implement. There's an open issue for it but the effort is mildly herculean. AFAIUI though GOS does intend on providing an RCS impl eventually even if it takes years to do.
also I think RCS is way to insecure for Graphene OS - they have no way of making sure the communication is actually 100% secure. In my experience, Graphene OS doesn't make compromises.
Re: GrapheneOS' rewritten Messages app is released
#148Earlier quoted context omitted.
They get most of their donations from cryptocurrency. Mostly small Monero donations but also Bitcoin and Ethereum. They have 14 devs 13 are payed in ETH and 1 in CAD. Iirc they said something like 2 million in donations in 2025. Vitalik Buterin may have donated at least some time ago. Proton donates double digits. Cape has donated around 100k https://www.cape.co/blog/cape-supports-grapheneos and plans to donate 100k…
Thank you! Though I still wonder: > Iirc they said something like 2 million in donations in 2025. That's not enough for 14 devs, plus infrastructure, etc. > There's estimated 500k users so if 25% donated 10 dollars a year that's 1.25 million. Unfortunately, 25% would be extraordinary for any project. They should make their financing public (and maybe they do), being a non-profit and also asking people to trust them w…
>plus infrastructure
A lot must be sponsored. https://xprivate.lol/GrapheneOS/status/2070298479897833725#m
I expect the official account will give you a reply besides my speculation.
They've stated that all money comes from donations.
Re: GrapheneOS' rewritten Messages app is released
#149Earlier quoted context omitted.
GrapheneOS has made a big push to hire a bunch of experienced, talented app devs, and they have been slowly chipping away at Messaging for a few months. They now have the resources to take on the AOSP apps and resume with the GrapheneOS apps. The rest of the AOSP apps are also planned to be overhauled. They also plan to eventually support RCS in the Messaging app.
> GrapheneOS has made a big push to hire a bunch of experienced, talented app devs That's great. How can a FOSS project afford that? Where does GOS money come from? Did Daniel win the lottery?
Re: GrapheneOS' rewritten Messages app is released
#150Earlier quoted context omitted.
They get most of their donations from cryptocurrency. Mostly small Monero donations but also Bitcoin and Ethereum. They have 14 devs 13 are payed in ETH and 1 in CAD. Iirc they said something like 2 million in donations in 2025. Vitalik Buterin may have donated at least some time ago. Proton donates double digits. Cape has donated around 100k https://www.cape.co/blog/cape-supports-grapheneos and plans to donate 100k…
Thank you! Though I still wonder: > Iirc they said something like 2 million in donations in 2025. That's not enough for 14 devs, plus infrastructure, etc. > There's estimated 500k users so if 25% donated 10 dollars a year that's 1.25 million. Unfortunately, 25% would be extraordinary for any project. They should make their financing public (and maybe they do), being a non-profit and also asking people to trust them w…
Most of what they earn is public as a result of the donation method, like crypto. And most donors are completely anonymous.
GrapheneOS does not accept any funding with strings attached.