Trust your phone [again].

Pieces of the puzzle

Putting it all together

There are several parts that combine to make open[mobile] + iodeOS the answer you may be looking for. Read on for more about these pieces and how they fit together.

Piece 2: App support

microG makes it all work

Let’s face it, there are too many situations where an app is required for products or services that are important to you. So going back to the days of a “dumb phone”, while initially appealing, would leave you disconnected from the world you are a part of. Whether it is messaging apps, banking apps, healthcare apps, renting a car, or getting a taxi, many of the apps that integrate with various services you aren’t able to easily do without are written assuming Google services are running on your phone.

To this point, much of the Android app ecosystem won’t work correctly without some level of Google integration. But this doesn’t mean that you need the fully closed Google Play Services and its embedded trackers and data loggers continually running in the background.

Instead, iodé relies on microG, an open source reimplementation of Google Play Services, to enable things like passing device attestation (required by many apps and services to ensure your device hasn’t been hacked), receiving messaging app notifications, and navigation integration to still work on your phone without compromising your privacy.

It is true that some apps require such a deep level of Google integration that microG will not work for them, but we can help you evaluate what apps you may need, and if there are alternative services before you purchase. Contact us if you need to check on usability of the apps most important to you.

Piece 4: open[mobile] devices and services

Now to our part in this journey. iodé has created a great software solution, and they even sell phones themselves as a key component of their business, but they only to the European market. Enter Open Mobile. iodé has endorsed us as an independent reseller of refurbished phones preinstalled with iodéOS in the USA.

Hardware setup and support

Our part is to get a mobile phone running iodéOS into your hands and make it as painless as possible. We seek out the best quality and best value used phones on the market. We then ensure their condition and re-flash them with iodeOS. We can also perform this service to your existing device, if it meets our requirements.

About our phones, you may find it ironic that we exclusively sell Google Pixel model phones, but hear us out! Pixels are some of the few phone models that allow the bootloader to be unlocked (to install an alternative system such as iodéOS), and re-locked again after iodeOS install (to ensure the highest level security for you as the end consumer). These facts in addition to their top-tier hardware specs, especially their high-quality cameras, make Pixel phones perfect as a base for a de-Googled phone!

iodé onboarding help

We know that it is a big step to move away from “Big Tech”, and there will be questions and concerns along the way. That is why we are here to help. Each phone sale comes with up to 30 minutes of one-on-one remote support, and also with a “no-questions asked 30 day return policy” if you find it just isn’t a good fit for you.

As the part-time employee working as the iodé community manager, I am here to help facilitate your transition to iodéOS and the iode community. Take back ownership and control of your mobile device so that you can trust your phone again!