Tired of Google's Tracking? Motorola's GrapheneOS-Powered Phones Are Coming

Motorola just partnered with the GrapheneOS Foundation, and it was announced at MWC 2026. The two plan to collaborate on research, software improvements, and new security features in the coming months.

If you were not familiar, GrapheneOS is an open source OS built on the Android Open Source Project. It ditches Google's data collection layer entirely and has long been the go-to for anyone serious about privacy.

But, it has been out of reach for most people as it only officially supports Google's Pixel line of smartphones.

Following this news, a spokesperson at GrapheneOS stated that:

We are thrilled to be partnering with Motorola to bring GrapheneOS’s industry‑leading privacy and security‑focused mobile operating system to their next-generation smartphone.

This collaboration marks a significant milestone in expanding the reach of GrapheneOS, and we applaud Motorola for taking this meaningful step towards advancing mobile security.

What to Expect?

The obvious outcome is a Motorola phone shipping with GrapheneOS pre-installed. The spokesperson's reference to "next-generation smartphone" suggests a specific device is already being worked on, even if Motorola isn't ready to show it yet.

Official GrapheneOS support for existing Motorola devices is a separate question. Expanding beyond Pixel hardware will take some significant developmental effort, and nothing has been confirmed there. The mention of "software enhancements" in the announcement language might be a hint, but a vague one.

What this partnership does more immediately is break the Pixel monopoly on GrapheneOS-compatible hardware. More device options means more people can actually use it, which is good for the project and good for the wider push toward privacy-respecting smartphones.

If this proves commercially viable, other manufacturers have little excuse not to follow. A privacy-focused phone is a real need right now, and it beats being in the business of trading user data.

Alongside this, Motorola also announced a new enterprise-grade analytics platform and new feature for its Moto Secure app that, when enabled, automatically strips metadata from camera images.

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Concerned about your privacy or want to give another life to your smartphone? You could consider these Android distributions and custom ROMs.

It's FOSSPratham Patel