Buying a Pixel for GrapheneOS, Paid in Crypto
GrapheneOS runs only on Google Pixel phones. Which Pixel to buy, why it must be an unlocked model, how installation works and how to pay for it in crypto.
In short: Buy an unlocked Pixel that is on GrapheneOS's current list of supported devices (the Pixel 9a is a common, lower-priced choice), install GrapheneOS yourself with its official web installer, and relock the bootloader at the end. We ship the phone sealed, as Google sells it.
GrapheneOS is a security- and privacy-focused mobile operating system based on Android, built by a non-profit open-source project. It runs on Google Pixel phones only, because the Pixels offer the hardware security features it relies on, including a dedicated security chip and the ability to relock the bootloader with GrapheneOS's own keys. If you want to run it, the phone is the first decision.
1. Pick a supported Pixel
GrapheneOS lists the devices it supports, and how long each one will keep receiving updates, on its own website. Check that list before you buy: support for a newly released Pixel can arrive weeks or months after launch, and older models eventually drop off.
- Pixel 9a: the lower-priced choice many people start with.
- Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro: newer hardware and longer remaining support, once they are on the supported list.
2. It must be an unlocked model
To install GrapheneOS you enable "OEM unlocking" on the phone. Phones sold through some carriers have that option disabled for good, which makes them useless for this. Every Pixel we sell is the unlocked model, bought new and sealed.
3. How installation works
GrapheneOS has an official web installer that runs in a Chromium-based browser on a computer, connected to the phone with a USB cable. In outline:
- Start the phone, skip the setup, and connect to Wi-Fi once: enabling OEM unlocking needs a brief internet connection.
- Turn on developer options and enable OEM unlocking.
- Reboot to the bootloader, unlock it, and let the web installer flash GrapheneOS.
- Relock the bootloader when the installer tells you to. This step is what makes verified boot protect you.
- Start GrapheneOS and disable OEM unlocking again in its settings.
Follow the official instructions on the GrapheneOS website rather than a summary like this one; they are kept current, and the order of the steps matters.
Why we do not install it for you
You could ask a seller to install GrapheneOS before shipping. We think you should not: the point of the system is that you can verify what runs on the phone, and that starts with installing it yourself from the official source. The phone arrives sealed and you install it in about fifteen minutes.
Paying in crypto
Choose the Pixel in the phone shop, pay in any coin we accept within 1 hour, and we buy the phone and ship it in a plain box. If you want the payment itself to stay private, Monero hides the sender, the receiver and the amount. The phone number at checkout is optional.
If you are moving the rest of your setup the same way, a laptop you can open and inspect part by part is built to order and paid for in crypto. And if you keep coins, read how to buy a hardware wallet privately.