It’s just become impossible to de-Google from Volkswagen, say GrapheneOS users
Carmaker Volkswagen is facing criticism from privacy-conscious drivers after GrapheneOS users reported being locked out of the company’s mobile app, leaving some unable to log in, sync vehicle data, or remotely control their cars.
Reports began surfacing on the GrapheneOS forum and Reddit’s r/degoogle community, where users described suddenly losing access to Volkswagen’s app despite using fully updated devices.
The issue appears to affect Volkswagen’s app ecosystem rather than a specific vehicle model, so owners that rely on VW Connect, We Connect, We Connect ID or related services could potentially be affected.
Some posters pointed to the apparent contradiction that Volkswagen’s software continues to support older, end-of-life Android versions while rejecting GrapheneOS installations.
One affected user, Aaron94, said Volkswagen’s app stopped working entirely after a logout.
Despite enabling compatibility settings and trying multiple workarounds, they were unable to log back in.
Another user, XavDub, reported similar problems. “First symptom, sync did not work anymore from the app, so I tried to logout to login again, but it’s since just impossible,” they wrote, adding that testing on a standard Google Pixel running stock Android worked normally.
When XavDub contacted the German car maker, the company responded that GrapheneOS “is not an official Volkswagen offering” and advised them to contact their OS provider instead.
The timing has raised eyebrows because Volkswagen recently changed the APIs used to access vehicle data.
According to German tech title Heise, the change disrupted third-party tools used by owners for smart charging, solar energy integration, and home automation.
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It’s shaping up to be a cruel summer for GrapheneOS users. Earlier this month reports emerged that age-verification provider Yoti, used by Sony, Facebook and TikTok, had allegedly flagged GrapheneOS users during verification processes, prompting widespread backlash in privacy communities.
https://cybernews.com/privacy/volkswagen-grapheneos-app-issues/Open linkView original on infosec.pub
This is kinda a loose fit for this community because it only really concerns cars in the sense that they're an important class of consumer good that can force behavior because they're hard/expensive to replace... but as a GrapheneOS user and owner of a[n old, unconnected] VW, I'll allow it because fuuuuuuck VW.
My reasoning was that it is yet another way that cars are causing harm to our society.
Cars surveil you and sell that data, cars tell you what phone you can own to get features you maybe like because you didn't read the fine print. And this all leads to a worse situation with less personal privacy and more corporate control over regular people that just aren't aware.
It's one thing to say fuck cars and I get that. But we should also be finding ways to convince others why alternatives to cars are better for them, even if they are selfish and uninformed.
Why the fuck everything's now android? TVs, cars, cellphones... fuck it's a spreading cancer!
Wtf do you need to remotely control your car for?
My partner's car doesn't even have central locking, so many of these modern car features just sound like unnecessary expenses.
My VW app does 3 things. Remotely start/stop cooling or heating, stop a charging session, and see if my doors are locked or not. It's main use is turning on the ac, and notifying me if I forgot to lock the doors.
A lot of the features are related to EV functionality. Being able to manage the charging of your car remotely isn't necessarily a bad thing.
It's plugged in, do charging. Does it need to be more complicated than that?
Actually, yes. There's a lot to take into consideration. Solar panels, max peak usage, day/night tarrifs, ...
Sure you can just plug it in, but it's going to cost you.
It does seem like a device between the power source and the plug should handle that.
Like I can't remotely control how my massive battery for my cargo bike charges. But if I had a home assistant enabled power distribution unit (pdu) or something similar i could control that myself using open source software.
Most people don't have day/night tarrifs, though if you did you can get a dumb timer for a few quid. It doesn't need to have internet access to only turn on at night.
They can't remotely control their cars? WTF? Are they terrorists?
oh hang on . . . all car drivers are terrorists! phew, forgot what community this is for a moment.
I love that silly new bus EV I'll never be able to afford, but hey I'd actually consider it if SUSE makes the OS. :)
Why would you sync your car and phone... shmucks data blocker Vdub more like cars for puds... Fuck genocidal germany... these pieces of shit are not made in germany anyways. What a loser ass country