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Phones you de-Google yourself · Google · United States

Google Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL and 9 Pro Fold without Google

Discontinued Sold to US buyers Google services GrapheneOS CalyxOS /e/OS LineageOS iodéOS

Ships with: Google Android; install a non-Google system yourself

Touchscreen · 6.3" · 12 GB RAM · 128 GB · 4,700 mAh · 198 g · 152.8 × 72.0 × 8.5 mm

Checked against the makers' own pages · Last reviewed October 15, 2026

Where to get one and how

The Google Store phone lineup on Oct. 15, 2026 shows the Pixel 11 series, the Pixel 10a and the Pixel 10 models; the Pixel 9 models are no longer listed. To get one now, buy a used or refurbished phone and install a system yourself (see the next section), or buy one from a seller that installs GrapheneOS for you.

If you buy used, avoid carrier versions: carriers can turn off bootloader unlocking, which blocks installing another system. GrapheneOS says this is mainly an issue with US carriers.

Third-party sellers with GrapheneOS preinstalled, as of Oct. 15, 2026 (no endorsement; GrapheneOS says it endorses no seller):

- ameriDroid, a US seller, lists refurbished phones: Pixel 9 (128 GB) $845, 9 Pro (256 GB) $1,045, 9 Pro XL $1,095 or $1,275. - PrivacyPortal (UK) lists the Pixel 9 from £449.99 and the 9 Pro Fold from £975, and ships to the US. Its phones are UK/EU models, and it warns that some carriers block VoLTE (calling over 4G) on imported Pixels by accepting only models sold in their own country.

If you buy one preinstalled, GrapheneOS says to check the verified boot key hash and factory reset the phone before use. [1][6][9][10][11][12][13]

Specifications

How to de-Google it yourself

A Pixel comes with Google's own Android (the Pixel 9 models launched with Android 14). To use one without Google, you unlock its bootloader (the lock that lets the phone start only the maker's software) and install a different system yourself. GrapheneOS's guide, for example, asks for a USB cable and a computer (or another Android phone or tablet), and notes that unlocking the bootloader wipes all data on the phone.

These systems list these models on their own supported-device lists (checked Oct. 15, 2026):

• GrapheneOS (all four models): no Google apps built in; you can add Google Play as an ordinary app that runs in the same sandbox as other apps. Install it with the official web installer in Chrome, Edge, Brave or Chromium. More under "If you choose GrapheneOS" below.
• CalyxOS (all four models): uses microG, an open-source stand-in for Google Play services, which you can switch off when you first set up the phone. CalyxOS asks you to lock the bootloader again after installing. Install guides: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
• /e/OS (all four models): comes with microG installed and set up. /e/OS marks these community builds, which it describes as best effort without any guarantee, and says their bootloader can't be locked again. Install guides: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
• LineageOS (all four models): no Google apps built in. LineageOS says licensing rules keep it from including them; if you want them, you install a Google Apps package right after installing LineageOS. Install guides: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
• iodéOS (Pixel 9, 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL; not the 9 Pro Fold): what iodé calls Google-free Android, built on LineageOS, with microG among its preinstalled apps. Install it with iodé's installer for Windows and Linux.

Buy an unlocked phone. CalyxOS says Pixels from Verizon can't install CalyxOS because Verizon prohibits bootloader unlocking, and GrapheneOS says phones sold through carriers may be locked in a way that prevents installing it, mainly with US carriers. [1][2][3][4][5][8][9][14][15][16][17][18][19]

Apps and Google

Which apps work depends on the system you install:

• On GrapheneOS, you can install Google Play services and the Play Store from the GrapheneOS App Store. They run as ordinary sandboxed apps, which GrapheneOS says works with nearly all apps that need Google Play.
• On CalyxOS, /e/OS and iodéOS, microG lets many apps that expect Google Play services run without them. CalyxOS says most apps run fine with microG; /e/OS says most apps need no Google sign-in.
• On LineageOS, there are no Google apps unless you add a Google Apps package during installation. LineageOS says push notifications need either Google Apps or microG.

Whichever you choose, some banking apps may refuse to run: GrapheneOS calls banking apps a particularly problematic group for alternative systems. Google says Google Wallet tap-to-pay may not work on phones that run a custom ROM (a system other than the factory one) or have an unlocked bootloader. More in our guide to banking apps on a de-Googled phone. [14][15][16][17][18][20][21]

Will it work in the US?

Google sold all four Pixel 9 models on its US store starting in August or September 2024. All four have a nano SIM slot and eSIM. If you buy a phone made for another country, check with your carrier that it will be fully supported. [8][22]

Software support

Google promises seven years of Android and security updates for Pixel 8 and later phones, counted from when each first went on sale on the US Google Store. GrapheneOS's table of Google's minimum support dates lists August 2031 for all four Pixel 9 models. A system you install yourself gets updates from its own project for as long as that project builds it for your model, so check its device page. [1][7]

If you choose GrapheneOS

GrapheneOS lists all four Pixel 9 models as officially supported and on its recommended list, which covers the Pixel 8 and newer because those have seven years of support and hardware memory tagging. It says its updates for a Pixel typically end shortly after Google's minimum support ends, and its Oct. 6, 2026 release covers all four. The 9 Pro Fold is one of three foldables GrapheneOS supports, with the original Pixel Fold and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

Adding a new eSIM on GrapheneOS needs Google's eSIM component, which is off by default and can be turned on in Settings. [1][14][23]

Questions people ask