BOAR keeps a small AI and a library of knowledge on your phone. It was built for de-Googled phones: there's no Google Play Services, no Firebase and no account anywhere in it, so it has nothing to ask Google for, and it doesn't need sandboxed Google Play.
Questions
Does BOAR work on GrapheneOS?
It should. The release build has no Google Play Services or Firebase, and the app never calls a Google service. Until a real run on GrapheneOS is published, we say "built for de-Googled phones", not "tested on GrapheneOS".
Do I need sandboxed Google Play?
No. Nothing in BOAR uses it, so you can install BOAR in a profile with no Google apps at all.
Can I switch off BOAR's Network permission?
That's how it's meant to be used. BOAR uses the internet in exactly two places, both started by you: downloading the model and knowledge packs, and searching Hugging Face for another model. Chat, the search over your library and the model itself never touch the network (what stays on your phone).
So: let the one-time setup download finish (about 1 GB), then turn off the Network permission for BOAR in GrapheneOS and keep asking. If anything stops working with it off, that's a bug, and we want the report.
Is there a build with no internet permission at all?
It's in the works: an offline build that doesn't declare the internet permission, where models and packs are imported from files. It isn't released yet. Today's APK declares the internet permission only for the downloads above.
Does voice input work on GrapheneOS?
Not out of the box. Voice input uses the phone's speech recognition service, and GrapheneOS doesn't ship one. BOAR detects that and tells you voice is unavailable. Typing always works.
Is what BOAR stores encrypted?
GrapheneOS encrypts the phone's storage. BOAR doesn't add its own encryption on top yet; private, encrypted memory is on the roadmap.
How do I install it?
Download the APK from the GitHub release and check its SHA-256 (install BOAR). There's no account and no store. Updates through Obtainium are planned.
Which phone do I need?
GrapheneOS runs on recent Pixels, and BOAR runs on any 64-bit ARM Android phone. The default setup needs about 1 GB of storage, and on our test phone (Dimensity 8300, 24 September 2026) it peaked at 1.76 GB of memory. Bigger models need more: see models.
Help us test on GrapheneOS
A run on a GrapheneOS Pixel is the result we're missing. If you have one:
- Install the APK and let the setup download finish.
- Turn off BOAR's Network permission and put the phone in airplane mode.
- Ask a few questions, then run the benchmark in the app: Menu → Execution Telemetry → Evaluate (benchmark your phone).
- Share the result: open an issue on GitHub or post it in the Discord, with the exported results.
Found something that breaks? That's just as useful. Say what you did, on which Pixel and which GrapheneOS build.