Most of what makes GrapheneOS secure is set up by default. Many of the features are simply additions for people with greater needs and are described on the site page.
Advanced Data Protection is related to iCloud, not the iPhone device or iOS. If you aren't storing data on iCloud it is mostly irrelevant but still useful to enable. Keep in mind your iCloud emails are not encrypted with ADP too. iCloud data is also not all Apple Account data.
Some countries have also blocked ADP, including the United Kingdom.
GrapheneOS doesn't have a cloud service like that, so it is moot. A new GrapheneOS device only connects to update servers (to deliver device updates), a network time service and a blank connectivity check page for captive portals, most of which are configurable.
A better and fairer comparison would be Lockdown Mode, which is a feature in iOS that lightly hardens the OS against exploits. Most of what iOS does in Lockdown Mode is also what GrapheneOS does but better:
- Lockdown Mode disables JS JIT (Just in Time compilation) for web browsing. Vanadium in GrapheneOS does too.
- Lockdown Mode prevents wired USB connections when locked, GrapheneOS does and also via hardware, including turning the USB port off in OS mode.
- FaceTime and iMessage improvements are moot as GrapheneOS doesn't bundle a messaging service. This would be dependent on the service you used. Most messaging apps give options to block unknown contacts, link previews and more.
Most iPhones are also behind on exploit protections except for the iPhone 17 and later which introduced memory tagging (which they affectionately call Memory Integrity Enforcement). Pixel 8 and later provided memory tagging for GrapheneOS years prior. iPhone 17 with Lockdown Mode and ADP is the best choice for anyone not willing to use GrapheneOS.
A great real world example of the security difference is capabilities provided by Cellebrite, a digital forensics company that leverages zero-days to extract data from devices.
Cellebrite can extract data from most unlocked iPhones and stock OS Pixels, but they can't touch Pixel 6 and later with GrapheneOS right now.
(Note, this iOS extraction slide is old and has newer devices / OS version support by now)
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/10/leaker-reveals-which-pixels-are-vulnerable-to-cellebrite-phone-hacking/
Advanced Data Protection is related to iCloud, not the iPhone device or iOS. If you aren't storing data on iCloud it is mostly irrelevant but still useful to enable. Keep in mind your iCloud emails are not encrypted with ADP too. iCloud data is also not all Apple Account data.
Some countries have also blocked ADP, including the United Kingdom.
GrapheneOS doesn't have a cloud service like that, so it is moot. A new GrapheneOS device only connects to update servers (to deliver device updates), a network time service and a blank connectivity check page for captive portals, most of which are configurable.
A better and fairer comparison would be Lockdown Mode, which is a feature in iOS that lightly hardens the OS against exploits. Most of what iOS does in Lockdown Mode is also what GrapheneOS does but better:
- Lockdown Mode disables JS JIT (Just in Time compilation) for web browsing. Vanadium in GrapheneOS does too.
- Lockdown Mode prevents wired USB connections when locked, GrapheneOS does and also via hardware, including turning the USB port off in OS mode.
- FaceTime and iMessage improvements are moot as GrapheneOS doesn't bundle a messaging service. This would be dependent on the service you used. Most messaging apps give options to block unknown contacts, link previews and more.
Most iPhones are also behind on exploit protections except for the iPhone 17 and later which introduced memory tagging (which they affectionately call Memory Integrity Enforcement). Pixel 8 and later provided memory tagging for GrapheneOS years prior. iPhone 17 with Lockdown Mode and ADP is the best choice for anyone not willing to use GrapheneOS.
A great real world example of the security difference is capabilities provided by Cellebrite, a digital forensics company that leverages zero-days to extract data from devices.
Cellebrite can extract data from most unlocked iPhones and stock OS Pixels, but they can't touch Pixel 6 and later with GrapheneOS right now.
(Note, this iOS extraction slide is old and has newer devices / OS version support by now)
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/10/leaker-reveals-which-pixels-are-vulnerable-to-cellebrite-phone-hacking/