What features would you lose going back to stock android?

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1

The only android experience i’ve ever had has been with calyxos, and honestly its been mostly very positive.

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But there are a few life specific circumstances that are making me consider moving to stock android.

What would i be losing feature wise? Other then the obvious privacy benefits.

I’m talking the stuff you experience like UI, profiles etc.

2

Datura Firewall, Ability to turn-off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when not being used, Scramble lockscreen PIN, Ability to block cleartext traffic etc.

3

The only android experience i’ve ever had has been with calyxos, and honestly its been mostly very positive.

So have you been an iOS user for all this time and then you switched to CalyxOS as your first Android experience?

But there are a few life specific circumstances that are making me consider moving to stock android.

What would i be losing feature wise? Other then the obvious privacy benefits.

I’m talking the stuff you experience like UI, profiles etc.

Well, the multiple users profiles is an Android specific feature. You’ll find that on stock Android, CalyxOS, LineageOS, GrapheneOS, etc.

The UI uses a launcher/home app that’s common between CalyxOS and Other ROMs. It’s highly functional and gets the job done. I think Google’s stock Android user interface on the Pixel is just a smidge better and slightly more polished as different wallpaper backgrounds can be used. The custom wallpaper images don’t get skewed like it does on stock Android. But that’s never been a deal breaker for me. You might be able to install a different launcher or home app for CalyxOS for a different UI experience, as CalyxOS is still Android, but I have no idea if that’s supported (or encouraged) or not.

As for CalyxOS specific features, you’d be missing out on:

  • Global VPN. CalyxOS allows their users to force all traffic across all user profiles through a single VPN like CalyxVPN, Proton/Mullvad, or force all traffic over the Tor network with Orbot. Very cool feature and very useful.
  • Datura Firewall. Other ROMs include a firewall, but they’re limited to just Allow/Deny all traffic on a per app basis. Currently, I haven’t seen another custom Android ROM try to give the user such fine-grained control over exactly, exactly, exactly HOW their apps connect to the Internet. Datura lets you choose if any particular app can connect via: (1) WiFi, (2) Mobile Data, (3) VPN Only, (4) ???, (5) a mixture of any setting, or (6) No Network Access.
  • CalyxOS Hotspot. CalyxOS is the only Android ROM I know that allows Android Hotspot clients (like your laptop) to use your phone’s VPN so your laptop’s IP address looks like it’s coming from somewhere else.
  • Calyx/RiseUp VPN are pretty good free VPN services.
  • MAC Randomization. I don’t know if this is in stock Android or not. It might be and i just can’t remember. Randomizing your MAC address helps you protect your privacy every time you connect to a public Wi-Fi network.

I am away from my CalyxOS phone right now, but those are the things that I can remember off the top of my head.

4

In addition to what others wrote:

Out of the box easy to set up workprofile.

I put all the untrusted apps in the workprofile.

5

You can turn off wifi and Bluetooth on stock android

6

privacy.

OP: “What would i be losing feature wise? Other then the obvious privacy benefits.”

Lazy commenter! Actually put some effort into your comment or don’t respond at all.

7

What would i be losing feature wise? Other then the obvious privacy benefits.

OP’s original comments.

I encourage you to put a little bit more effort into your comment. This post has the potential to be a very interesting conversation.

8

Yes but not.automatically

9

So you don’t loose that when you come back from CalyxOS, /e/OS, Ubuntu Touch or other ROM to Android stock ?

10

Look, all I’m saying is that OP asked a question seeking a detailed answer with specifics of CalyxOS features VS. stock Android features, and what they’d miss by going back to stock.

Replying to a question like this with just one-liners like saying “Privacy” or “Liberty or freedom” is obvious at best, but lazy writing at worst.

I wholeheartly agree with you: OP will probably experience less FOSS freedom and less user privacy by going back to stock Android. But that’s an obvious given!

If you really want to contribute to this conversation, then I encourage and challenge you to come up with something more original.

By all means, comment away! But just remember that your comment has the potential to bless somebody in the future who might be considering the same debate choosing between CalyxOS and stock Android.