An update released by Volkswagen for its Android app has removed support for the privacy- and security-focused operating system GrapheneOS. Volkswagen is citing security reasons, claiming that its app will continue to run only on software that is “part of the supported application environment of Volkswagen AG for the Volkswagen app.”
According to the requirements section of the Volkswagen app listing on the Google Play Store, the app requires at least Android 10 to run. Android 10 was released in September 2019.
GrapheneOS is an open-source project specifically focused on privacy and security. It offers Android app compatibility and provides users with additional controls over their data.
While GrapheneOS does not include Google apps or services, the operating system allows users to install a sandboxed version of the Google Play Services specifically to run must-have Google apps.
While users are recommended to install alternative solutions that align with the system's privacy and security guidelines, Google Play Services can be installed on GrapheneOS devices to run without special privileges, therefore not being able to collect data and track users.
GrapheneOS is a fully audited operating system, as the code is being inspected by external security researchers regularly.
“We put a lot of work into making our code well documented and easy to review,” the dev team explains.
While the privacy and security focus has long been applauded by organizations in the tech space, GrapheneOS ended up being banned by Volkswagen following a June update.
Photo: Volkswagen
Volkswagen’s justification
The mysterious update, which went live without official release notes announcing the change, logged out users from their apps, making it impossible for them to log back in. Users who turned to social media to complain about the issue claimed the app continued to run on GrapheneOS only for a limited period of time after the update was installed.
Eventually, everybody was logged out.
Since Volkswagen did not announce the change, many users reached out to the company to ask about the GrapheneOS issues.
“The use of the Volkswagen app is only supported on iOS devices and Android devices with supported operating system versions,” a message offered by the Volkswagen Digital Services team explained.
“On devices on which alternative operating systems (so-called custom ROMs, e.g. GrapheneOS, LineageOS, or similar solutions) are installed, limitations or a lack of functionality of the Volkswagen app may occur,” the message continued.
“The reason for this is that the Volkswagen app relies on security-relevant system components and certified Android standards to ensure reliable and secure use of our digital services.”
Photo: Volkswagen
The call for boycott
The GrapheneOS team says this justification doesn’t make any sense.
In a post on X, GrapheneOS developers call on users to leave a 1-star review for Volkswagen’s app on the Play Store and ask the company to reverse its decision. “It’s far more secure than anything they allow,” the message reads.
The system requirements published on the Google Play Store indicate that the Volkswagen app can also run on 7-year-old Android 10.
Photo: Google Play Store
GrapheneOS says users who don’t agree with Volkswagen’s decision can ask for their money back.
“Tell them you want money back for the device due to reduced functionality after the fact and insist on it,” the X post explains. “Just counter template responses and insist on compensation or a fix.”
“I’ll never buy a Volkswagen”
Angry GrapheneOS users have expressed their frustration towards Volkswagen’s decision on social media.
“Never purchasing any Volkswagen product in my life from now on,” someone says on reddit.
The Volkswagen app listing on the Play Store has also been flooded with one-star reviews. Angry users call for Volkswagen to reconsider its decision and add GrapheneOS back to the list of supported operating systems.
“Does not support Graphene OS, but does work on all kinds of out-of-date and unsupported Android versions. Graphene has much higher security and is actively maintained, so why is Volkswagen deliberately choosing not to support it. Makes me never want to buy a Volkswagen again,” one user says in a review.
Volkswagen uses the same response in almost every case, invoking security tech as a reason for not supporting GrapheneOS, ironically a security-obsessed operating system, in its mobile apps. At the same time, Volkswagen does not explain how Android 10, an operating system released in 2019, continues to be considered secure, whereas the actively maintained GrapheneOS, whose latest update landed only a few days ago, is not.
Users continue to press the carmaker using emails and social posts, explaining that they’ve paid thousands of dollars for functionality they can no longer use.
“I have an ID3, and I paid an extra €2000 for a built-in heat pump/AC that I can no longer control remotely,” someone says on reddit.
At the time of writing, all Android apps released by the German group, including mobile apps aimed at Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, and Skoda owners, have stopped working on GrapheneOS.