Mobile Hardware

A note from the team: It is important to remember that you can only truly have privacy if the devices you use are secure. This includes security against both remote and physical attackers, and passive and active attacks. In the mobile computing space this dramatically limits your available options to devices that many would consider to be unsafe by default. You will need to make both software and lifestyle modifications to make these devices privacy-respecting. If you are unable or unwilling to do so, consider using mobile devices as little as possible, as they are at odds with your privacy almost by design. Please understand that we will never recommend any "privacy-respecting" mobile hardware that sacrifices your security.

Pixel 3 XL

Google Pixel 3

The Google Pixel 3/3 XL and the Google Pixel 3a/3a XL are the only secure Android devices currently on the market that can be made privacy-respecting. They have hardware-backed keystores, verified boot functionality with custom ROMs, attestation support, as well as proper ongoing support for their firmware and proper ongoing support for software specific to the hardware used in the device, which is necessary for complete security updates.

Google OS

Google Pixel devices come with a modified version of Android specific to Pixel devices. This software comes with added functionality specific to Pixel devices, but also is heavily linked with Google and Google Play Services. Using the stock ROM on a Google Pixel device is strongly discouraged. We recommend the use of either GrapheneOS or LineageOS to "de-Google" your device.

GrapheneOS Support

The Google Pixel supports GrapheneOS, the free and open-source mobile operating system we currently recommend for use on mobile devices.

Note that using a custom Android operating system means you have to make the compromise between app availibility and stability, and having decent security and privacy. This operating system does not come with Google Play Services by default, nor is it possible to install Google Play Services or microG. We recommend using F-Droid for app installations as needed, and to avoid third-party apps as much as possible. For this reason, a Pixel with GrapheneOS may not be the best choice for less technical users and users requiring the use of many third-party apps.

Titan M

The Google Pixel 3 has a new hardware security chip, the Titan M, making it more secure than its predecessors or other Android devices. This chip is tasked with protecting your device against boot-time attacks, too many log-in attempts, and secure data storage, among other security-related processes. Unlike other mobile hardware security solutions such as ARM TrustZone, the Titan M is a dedicated chip with physically separate RAM and processing power, preventing sidechannel attacks (a la Spectre, Meltdown, Rowhammer).

iPhone 11 Pro

iPhone 11

The iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 are some of the most secure and tested mobile devices on the market. They support verified boot, strong sandboxing, and strong hardware security (Secure Enclave). They also receive regular and frequent security updates, and they will receive updates far longer than competing Android devices.

An iPhone does not make people compromise between the avalibility of third-party apps and having strong security and privacy from their device. Therefore we believe it is the most suitable option for less technical users, or users looking for a better out-of-the-box experience.

iCloud

It is important to note that iOS comes with numerous iCloud integrations, many of which are enabled by default. We recommend advoiding the use of iCloud whenever possible to avoid your personal information being stored on Apple's servers, and we only recommend the use of an Apple ID for App Store use.

Contrary to popular belief, iCloud device backups are currently not End-to-End Encrypted. You should only backup your device using iTunes.

No Known Exploits

There are no known, major hardware exploits for the iPhone 11 series, making them a safer choice over older iPhone models. All iPhone models up to and including the iPhone X are affected by checkm8, a permanent unpatchable bootrom exploit that may compromise your device's security.

This does not mean an exploit is impossible: unc0ver is an iOS 13 software exploit that affects even the iPhone 11, however it has been patched in iOS 13.3.1. Always keeping your device up-to-date is the most important step to take to keep your devices secure.

Worth Mentioning