Basic Security Pixel 7 Security config for 2025 (Secondary Phone)

[Vasudev]

Updated to Feb 2024 SP.

 

[Vasudev]

Updated to March Feature Drop 2024 and February Google Play System with size of 800MB and 74MB respectively.

 

[Vasudev]

Updated to April SP 2024 weighing around 26MB on Pixel 7. Installed super quick within 10 mins.
Added youtube channel link in my profile.

 

[JordanMason8]

You could do a major step forward in terms of security and privacy of your Google Pixel device by installing GrapheneOS which significantly hardens many security aspects: GrapheneOS features overview

 

[Vasudev]

You could do a major step forward in terms of security and privacy of your Google Pixel device by installing GrapheneOS which significantly hardens many security aspects: GrapheneOS features overview

Since this thread was 4a and I was thinking of installing GOS but with certain kernel upgrades caused lot more issues and being on latest doesn't mean it's secure.
Pixel 4a ESU GOS
Since Pixel 7 is supported by GOS as long as Google ships updates the experience would be same. I simply don't want to break Banking apps and Google Pay.

 

[Vasudev]

Updated to May SP.

 

[Vasudev]

Updated to May Google Play System Update 71MB.

 

[TuxTalk]

You could do a major step forward in terms of security and privacy of your Google Pixel device by installing GrapheneOS which significantly hardens many security aspects: GrapheneOS features overview

As long as the Pixel receives Security updates i see no reason for him to go to custom Rom, since with a custom Rom, most banking apps will not work anymore because of the unlocked bootloader.

 

[Vasudev]

Updated to June SP and Feature drop. Seeing better LTE/5G idle battery life. Google VPN app is now enabled by default but disabled it since it's not supported in my region (India) and was causing conflicts with Mullvad.
Update size was 770MB and installed in under 10 mins.

 

[Vasudev]

Updated to July SP with OTA size around 24MB for Pixel 7

 

[Vasudev]

Updated to Sept SP update.

 

[Vasudev]

Updated to Android 15 Feature Drop and Security Patch on Pixel 7. Really cool temps just like my earlier Snapdragon Pixel and Oneplus. 28C idle and 40C max temps as opposed to 30-33c idle and 52C max temps.

 

[Vasudev]

Updated to Dec Feature Drop and awaiting QPR2 with Kernel update 6.1.1 from 5.10 on Pixel. Pixel 7 got extra 2 OS updates and feature drops for another 2 years so that 6/7/Fold have full 5 year updates and 8/9 has 7 years of updates.

 

[Vasudev]

Updated To March 2025 with feature drop and kernel upgraded from 5.15 to 6.1.99 even newer than Debian 12 LTS

 

[Vasudev]

Might receive April Security by today or tomorrow according to AOSP release: Android Security Bulletin—April 2025 | Android Open Source Project

 

[Vasudev]

Updated to May 2025 SP update around 16MB

 

[Vasudev]

Updated to June SP and Play System Updates.

 

[Vasudev]

Updated to Aug 2025 SP.

 

[Vasudev]

Updated to September Feature Drop and noticing reduced SOT on Pixel with 650+ battery charge cycles. Awaiting my new phone since Pixel 7 is facing random call dropouts, very heavy crosstalks, no audible voice heard on both sides even on Wifi calling and VoLTE/VoNR after September Expressive update. Pixel 10 was my choice but it didn't feel like upgrade and underwhelmed with same exeprience wrt camera, SoC and nothing groundbreaking so I'm switching to other sides' Phone Garden 17.

 

[Vasudev]

Updated to Oct Patch as well as migrated to iPhone 17 due to missing text/calls after September updates. Oct updates made it worse. Made sense for me to switch to iPhone for better cameras for my content creation for better 4k and slo-mo videos. Battery life and Battery drain were terrible on Pixel until I tried the iPhone. Drains only 20% for the same tasks that Pixel does which is almost empty 15% with 2 charges after BHA enabled at 700 charge cycles.