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Phones you de-Google yourself · Google · United States

Google Pixel 9a without Google

Out of stock 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" · 8 GB RAM · 128 GB · 5,100 mAh · 185.9 g · 154.7 × 73.3 × 8.9 mm

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

Where to get one and how

The Google Store page for the Pixel 9a still shows $499 (128 GB) and $599 (256 GB), but every color is out of stock as of Oct. 15, 2026, and the store's phone lineup now lists the Pixel 11, Pixel 10a and Pixel 10 models instead. The newer Pixel 10a is on sale there at $599.

If you buy a used Pixel 9a to install a system yourself, avoid carrier versions: carriers can turn off bootloader unlocking, mainly in the US, which blocks the install.

Third-party sellers with GrapheneOS preinstalled, as of Oct. 15, 2026 (no endorsement; GrapheneOS endorses none):

- PrivacyPortal (UK) lists it from £374.99 (preloved) or £609 (new, 128 GB) 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. - ameriDroid, a US seller of refurbished phones, lists the Pixel 9a at $795 but shows it out of stock.

If you buy one preinstalled, GrapheneOS says to check the verified boot key hash and factory reset the phone before use. [1][6][7][10][11][12][13][14]

Specifications

How to de-Google it yourself

A Pixel comes with Google's Android, with Gemini and other Google AI features built in. 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.

Five systems list the Pixel 9a (codename tegu) on their own supported-device lists (checked Oct. 15, 2026):

• GrapheneOS (Pixel 9a): no Google apps built in; you can add Google Play as an ordinary app that runs in the standard app sandbox with no special access. Install it with the official web installer in Chrome, Edge, Brave or Chromium. More under "If you choose GrapheneOS" below.
• CalyxOS (Pixel 9a): 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 guide: Pixel 9a.
• /e/OS (Pixel 9a): comes with microG installed and set up. /e/OS marks the Pixel 9a build community, which it describes as best effort without any guarantee, and says its bootloader can't be locked again. Install guide: Pixel 9a.
• LineageOS (Pixel 9a): 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 guide: Pixel 9a.
• iodéOS (Pixel 9a): 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][9][11][15][16][17][18][19][20]

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. [15][16][17][18][19][21][22]

Will it work in the US?

Google sold the Pixel 9a on its US store from April 2025 and says the unlocked version works with any major carrier. It has a nano SIM slot and eSIM. [6][9][23]

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 April 2032 for the Pixel 9a. 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][8]

If you choose GrapheneOS

GrapheneOS lists the Pixel 9a as officially supported and on its recommended list (Pixel 8 and newer), which it recommends for better security and a long minimum support guarantee (seven years from launch). It says its updates for a Pixel typically end shortly after Google's minimum support ends, and its Oct. 6, 2026 release covers the Pixel 9a.

Adding a new eSIM on GrapheneOS needs Google's eSIM component, which is off by default and can be turned on in Settings. [1][15][24]

Questions people ask