FAQ
GrapheneOS device management, answered.
The questions we hear most from security teams, operators and individuals evaluating a deGoogled mobile fleet.
The basics
Can you MDM a GrapheneOS phone?
Yes. GrapheneOS is based on AOSP and supports the native Android device-owner framework, so a self-contained management agent can enforce policy, manage apps and trigger remote actions — all without Google Play services. GemiGuard MDM is built specifically around this.
Does GrapheneOS support MDM out of the box?
GrapheneOS provides the underlying AOSP device-management interfaces; it does not ship a management service of its own. GemiGuard supplies and hosts that layer — the back end, the admin panel and the device-side configuration — so you don’t have to build or run anything.
Do devices need a Google account or Google Play?
No. Enrolment, configuration, policy and app delivery all function with no Google account, no Google Play services and no Managed Google Play. Apps are delivered from sources you trust instead.
How are devices enrolled?
Pixel devices are provisioned into device-owner (fully-managed) mode over the open AOSP framework — by QR code or local provisioning — and bound to your tenant. We can also ship pre-enrolled, pre-configured devices.
Security & control
Can you remotely lock or wipe a device?
Yes — remote lock, remote reboot and full cryptographic wipe are all supported. GrapheneOS additionally offers a duress PIN that irreversibly wipes the device, and its eSIMs, the moment it is entered.
How do you know a device hasn’t been tampered with?
Through hardware-backed remote attestation. Each device cryptographically proves it is running genuine, untampered GrapheneOS with the expected verified-boot state, anchored in the Pixel secure element. We run these checks on a schedule and alert on any failure — no Google Play Integrity involved.
What can you control that a normal MDM can’t?
GrapheneOS-specific controls: per-app Network and Sensors permissions, duress PIN, auto-reboot timers, USB-C data-blocking, disable-2G, and camera/microphone/sensor lockdown — on top of the usual kiosk, app and policy controls.
Is any data sent to Google — or to you?
None to Google: there are no Google services in the stack. From the device to us, we keep telemetry deliberately minimal — enough for inventory, compliance and integrity, and no more. We’ll walk you through exactly what is and isn’t collected.
Platform & comparisons
Why only Google Pixel devices?
Because GrapheneOS only supports Pixel hardware — Pixels provide the secure element, hardware-backed verified boot, memory tagging and long update guarantees the OS relies on. Restricting to one hardened stack is what lets us manage it this deeply. See Pixel & GrapheneOS.
How is this different from Android Enterprise or Intune?
Android Enterprise, Intune, Workspace ONE and similar lean on Google Play services and the Android Management API — which a deGoogled device doesn’t run. GemiGuard manages the open AOSP device-owner layer instead, so you get comparable control with no Google dependency and stronger, hardware-backed integrity checks.
Can you manage a whole fleet, or just one phone?
Both. The platform scales from a single executive’s phone to a managed fleet across a team, and we scope the controls to any level you want.
Do you host everything, or do we run servers?
We host and operate the entire back end — no servers to stand up, no certificates to rotate, no infrastructure to maintain. You log in to a clean admin panel; we keep the lights on.
Still have a question?
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