Re: What can't you do on Android WITHOUT a Google Account set up in the OS?

On 03/01/2025 06:32, R.Wieser wrote:

I can only hope that Google didn't put its stuff into Androids Linux kernel

All phone manufacturers, including Google (for its Pixel), would probably have to modify the kernel in order for it to work with whatever hardware they've included in the phone. As the kernel would have to interact with the OS, it's probable that Google (and Chinese suppliers who were not allowed to use Google's AndroidOS, and so had to write their own), had to rewrite parts of the kernel so it could do that.
The very first sentence of <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)> starts "Android is a mobile operating system based on a *modified* version of the Linux kernel..." (my emphasis!).

On an unrelated point, I was surprised to see that GrapheneOS uses
automatic updates only. There's no choice - their OS is updated whether
you want it or not. That's not what I would have expected.

 I was thinking of turning off automatic updating*, and would also be
negativily surprised not being able to find it.

<https://grapheneos.org/faq#updates>

* didn't yet look for it, as I consider that phone to be a tool, not a
computer on which I do, to me, important stuff (read: hobby programming).

Most of the general public use a cellphone as their only "computer". Even if they once owned a desktop or laptop, changes to the telephone system mean that they no longer bother with a router and broadband connection.
--
Jeff