Secure Android without Google: Motorola collaborates with GrapheneOS

Jan Johannsen

2-3-2026

Translation: machine translated

GrapheneOS has found a second manufacturer. Motorola will prepare smartphones for the Google-free Android version.

Motorola announced its collaboration with GrapheneOS at the Mobile World Congress. The team behind the custom ROM with a strong focus on data protection and security now has another hardware supplier as an alternative to Google's Pixel smartphones.

Motorola fulfils the requirements of GrapheneOS

GrapheneOS has been reporting on negotiations with another hardware manufacturer for some time - without naming a name. So far, only Google's Pixel smartphones offer sufficient access to the hardware to block individual functions if necessary. On other Android devices, the manufacturers block this and the custom ROM cannot be installed.

In a press release, Motorola revealed itself as a new hardware partner of GrapheneOS. The manufacturer is effusive about the partnership and GrapheneOS itself is delighted about the new potential reach for its software.

However, Motorola has not yet announced a new smartphone with GrapheneOS. Only the promise that the collaboration will ensure compatibility with GrapheneOS in future devices. The custom ROM will therefore probably only be installed on some and not all future Motorola smartphones.

Devices that are already available, such as the Motorola Signature will not support GrapheneOS retroactively. The Signature is the manufacturer's first smartphone to receive software updates for seven years, thus fulfilling a key requirement of GrapheneOS.

Jan Johannsen

Senior Editor

Jan.Johannsen@galaxus.de

As a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus. more

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