Which apps actually run on GrapheneOS?
The most common fear about switching to GrapheneOS is losing the apps you use every day. In practice, the vast majority run without trouble, and some behave better on privacy because they execute in an environment where Google Play Services holds no elevated privileges. This guide collects the best apps for GrapheneOS in Spain in 2026, tested and verified by our technicians on real devices.
GrapheneOS is compatible with the standard Android ecosystem (AOSP), which means any app that runs on a Pixel with stock Android runs on GrapheneOS. The difference is how it runs: in a tighter sandbox, with no access to telemetry frameworks, and with granular permissions you control. Some banking apps that depend on Google SafetyNet may need sandboxed Google Play Services, but 95% of popular apps work natively.
Encrypted messaging: Signal, Session and SimpleX
Signal is the messaging app we recommend most for GrapheneOS. It works perfectly, receives push notifications through its own notification system without Google Play Services, and its encryption protocol remains the gold standard. On GrapheneOS, Signal runs in a tighter sandbox, which shrinks the attack surface further. It is the default choice for personal and professional communication in Spain.
Session suits anyone who needs absolute anonymity. It requires no phone number, uses the decentralised Oxen network and runs without trouble on GrapheneOS. Notifications can be slower than Signal because of the layered routing, but for communication where your identity must stay hidden, there is no better option.
SimpleX is the state of the art in messaging privacy. It works with no user identifiers of any kind, uses neither phone numbers nor email addresses, and its servers do not know who is talking to whom. On GrapheneOS, SimpleX benefits from the hardened sandboxing and per-app network control, so you can isolate its traffic completely if you want to.
In Spain, these three apps cover every secure communication need: Signal for daily use, Session for anonymity and SimpleX for maximum opacity. All three are available from the GrapheneOS app store or F-Droid with no Google account.
Private navigation: Organic Maps and Brave
Organic Maps is the most complete offline navigation alternative for GrapheneOS. It uses OpenStreetMap data, needs no internet connection to navigate, and neither tracks your location nor sells data. Map coverage in Spain is excellent: cities, roads, trails and even mountain routes are mapped in detail. It is the app we recommend to every customer who buys an encrypted device and wants to disappear from Google's maps.
For web browsing, Brave strikes the best balance between features and privacy. It blocks trackers by default, includes optional Tor browsing, and runs without trouble on GrapheneOS. More purist alternatives such as Firefox with uBlock Origin or Mull (a Firefox fork with Mozilla telemetry stripped out) are also compatible and work perfectly on the encrypted system.
Productivity and storage: Proton, Nextcloud and Syncthing
For professional use, Proton Mail and Proton Drive are the strongest options. Proton runs on GrapheneOS without Google Play Services, offering encrypted mail, calendar and cloud storage based in Switzerland with European legal protection. The Proton Mail app is built for GrapheneOS sandboxing and requests no unnecessary permissions.
Nextcloud is the answer for companies that want full control of their data. You can host your own Nextcloud server in Spain or hire a local provider, then sync documents, calendars, contacts and tasks from your GrapheneOS device. The Nextcloud app is fully open source and runs without Google services.
Syncthing is the most efficient peer-to-peer file sync tool. It syncs folders between your GrapheneOS device, your computer and other devices with no intermediary, no cloud and no servers. It is built for moving confidential documents, photos or backups without anyone else touching your files.
Banking and service apps in Spain
The main concern for users moving to GrapheneOS is whether their banking apps will work. The answer is that most of them do, though some require Google Play Services in sandboxed mode. In Spain, we have verified that the apps of the major banks — CaixaBank, BBVA, Santander, ING, Revolut and N26 — work correctly on GrapheneOS devices once sandboxed Google Play Services are installed from the GrapheneOS app store.
Public transport apps such as Metro de Madrid and RENFE work without trouble. Food delivery apps, marketplaces and streaming services are compatible too. The only category that can cause problems is apps that depend on Google SafetyNet to verify device integrity, and even those work in most cases with a standard GrapheneOS configuration.
Additional security and encryption apps
Aegis Authenticator is the most protected 2FA code manager for GrapheneOS. It is open source, exports encrypted backups, and needs no internet connection. If you use GrapheneOS, drop Google Authenticator and move to Aegis.
Bitwarden is the password manager that works best on GrapheneOS. The official app is open source, the server can be self-hosted, and it integrates with the system autofill without Google services. Alternatives such as KeePassDX (fully offline) are excellent too.
Orbot is the official Tor client for Android and works perfectly on GrapheneOS. It routes all your device traffic — or the traffic of individual apps — through the Tor network, adding another layer of anonymity. Combined with per-app network control in GrapheneOS, you can build sophisticated privacy setups.
Where to download apps for GrapheneOS
GrapheneOS ships its own store app, Apps, which installs software from several sources:
Google Play Store (anonymous): you can install Play Store apps without signing in to a Google account. GrapheneOS creates a temporary, anonymous account for each download. That covers most banking and service apps.
F-Droid: the largest repository of open source Android apps. This is where you find Aegis, Syncthing, Organic Maps, Orbot and thousands more with no trackers and no ads.
Accrescent: a modern app store focused on security and privacy. Some next-generation privacy apps publish here only.
GitHub and official websites: many privacy apps — Signal, SimpleX and Proton among them — distribute verified APKs straight from their own sites. GrapheneOS installs APKs safely with signature verification.
Conclusion: GrapheneOS does not limit you, it frees you
The idea that GrapheneOS is a system with "no apps" is a myth. You have access to the entire Android catalogue, with one difference: you decide which apps reach which data. The apps you use every day work. The apps you never wanted — telemetry, trackers, advertising — are simply not on the system. To understand in depth how it achieves this, read our complete guide to what GrapheneOS is.
At Securfy we configure every Pixel device with GrapheneOS with a preinstalled app set matched to the customer profile: journalists, lawyers, executives or private users. Every device leaves our store with Signal, Organic Maps, Brave, Aegis and Proton Mail installed and configured — and if you want to compare every encrypted messaging option, see our guide to encrypted messaging apps in 2026. The rest is your call, backed by the certainty that each app runs in an environment where privacy is the norm, not the exception.
