The Ghost Phone: A Step-by-Step Guide to a Successful Start

Here you will find a step-by-step guide that will walk you through the process of successfully getting started on your new Ghost Phone.

Note: in addition to everything below, we also have a longer “Getting Started Guide” that provides details and specifics on some of the topics mentioned here, and many more. This document should come printed within the box that your phone arrived/arrives in, but can also be downloaded directly below:

LONG FORM GETTING STARTED GUIDE

The Table of Contents for Long Form Guide is as follows:

What is GrapheneOS?
Alternative App Stores
What to do on Startup
- Basic Setup
- Navigating the Phone
- System Tweaks
Installing Apps
Internet & Browser
VPN Services
Apps Installed
- Navigation & Maps
- Installing & setup of Signal App
- Installing & Setup of Telegram App
Backups
Sandboxed Google Play Services

The time it will take to get you up and running on your new device is entirely dependent on: how many accounts and applications you currently use, how much data you want/need to migrate from your current device to this new device, and how quickly you can learn some of the core privacy/security concepts as well as the functionality of the device itself.

Although this may seem complicated at first, I can promise you, YOU GOT THIS! … and even if things get tough, we’ll be here to help!

Table of Contents

Step 1) Audit Your Current Service Provider and the Applications You Use

(For comprehensive audit instructions click here: Starting Your Privacy Journey in 3 Simple Steps)

Which Service Provider Can and Should I Use?

The good news is all Ghost Phones are carrier agnostic… meaning they will work with any carrier who delivers services in the USA. With this in mind, you have a few options:

Option 1) Keep your existing phone # and service provider

Simply swap your existing SIM card into the new device while it’s powered down, and then power it back on. Your carrier will activate the new device and likely give you a notification that a new device is using your SIM card. This is a good thing, as this means no one can try and steal your SIM card without you getting a notification. If you do NOT get a notification, this, in fact, is worrisome and you should contact your provider and ask why you didn’t get one!

If for any reason your phone number does NOT activate on the new device, reach out to your provider and they should be able to get you up and running relatively quickly.

If you are an iPhone user transitioning over to the Ghost Phone, you will need to remove your phone number that is tied to your iCloud / iMessage account or some of your text messages may still route to your old phone! This has been an issue for some, but not all, iPhone users who have made the transition.

When you are ready to ditch your Apple and iCloud devices and services for good, we highly recommend reading and following the steps outlined within this excellent article -> https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/delete-deactivate-apple-id/

Option 2) Pick up a new phone number from your current provider or a new service provider

Our customers are fans of the following Mobile Virtual Network Operator’s (MVNOs… aka resellers of AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon):

PureTalk (inexpensive, nationwide coverage)
efani (Great if you need advanced SIM card protection)
Patriot Mobile (reseller of all 3 major carriers)

To learn more about what a MVNO is, and why this is important, please read our article on “Can We Really Go Ghost w/ Our Devices?”.

Option 3) Pick up a new phone number from a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider

This requires you either purchase a data only plan from a MVNO or only make phone calls when you are connected to Wi-Fi. Using this method, however, you can get a phone number through Burnerapp.com, OpenPhone.com, MySudo.com or any related service. This will limit your ability to make calls or send messages when your data connection is out of reach, or when there is no Wi-Fi network available, but this is a solid option to prevent the carriers from tracking your calls and messages.

What are the Essential Applications I Need to Use on The Ghost Phone?

Do you know what applications you will need to provide login/password information for when getting the new application up and running on the new device? Do you have this information readily accessible? ARE YOU SURE?

Did you know most of the applications we use on a regular basis on our phones (Social Media, Banking, Weather, etc.) do not REQUIRE we download an app onto the phone to use them? With this in mind, you should find out if you NEED to access the application via the “app” or if you can simply use your browser to interact with the service. Learn how to bookmark a website on your phone home screen below in Step 2.

Did you know there are thousands of free and open source (FOSS) alternatives to applications that are notorious for harvesting your information without your knowledge? Our friend and partner @GrapheneGoat provides a video tutorial of an alternative weather app that we have pre-installed on The Ghost Phone called Breezy Weather.

To see the complete list of the 20+ apps we have pre-installed on The Ghost Phone, check HERE.

Ghost Phone Break Free

Step 2) Learn the Basics of The Ghost Phone

We’ve created a few videos to help you learn some of the basic functionality and settings of The Ghost Phone. If you are familiar with navigating through the Android operating system already, this should make a lot of sense, as GrapheneOS is based on the same core open source Android (AOSP) that Google’s Android system is also based on.

Step 3) Migrating Your Contacts, Files, SIM, etc.

A tutorial on how to migrate all your data from your current Google Android or iOS device to the Ghost Phone can be found HERE.

Step 4) Most Common Customer Questions About The Ghost Phone

A complete updated list of the most common asked questions and answers related to The Ghost Phone can be found HERE.

A complete updated list of the most common trouble shooting questions for those who have already gotten up and running on the device can be found HERE.

Step 5) Mobile Device Hygiene Basics

If you do not have one already, get a case for your phone and possibly a screen protector
Treat your device like the expensive mini-computer, technology and tool that it is! This means throwing it around and not paying attention to where it is at all times is not a good idea. In fact, leaving your phone in 1, 2 or 3 fixed locations throughout the day is a great idea. Do you really NEED it on your person and in your pocket at ALL times?Likely not. Break free from the addiction. Remember when phones were attached to the wall all the time? Didn’t we get by just fine then?
Backup your data regularly. How regularly depends on how often you accumulate new contacts, pictures, videos, emails, etc.
Update the device and the applications you use regularly
Do not download the app if you can use a service via your browser instead (see above for a tutorial)
Create shortcuts/bookmarks to the websites you visit often on your home screen (see above for a tutorial)
Learn how to search your settings for the things you need/want to change
Learn how to search for answers to your issues online! More often than not, this is what tech support does when you talk to them anyway! Brave’s Leo and Summarizer are powerful tools that will help you find answers to most questions you have about the device… or pretty much anything!
Purge and uninstall the apps you do not use. Purge the photos and videos on your device that you don’t want/need regularly as well!
Keep the phone away from your body throughout the day, when on calls (use speakerphone when possible), use air tube headphones and leave the device 12+ feet away from your head at night!
Keep questionable or known nefarious data stealing applications (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Weather apps, etc.) that require access to your data off your main user account or only use them via your browser
Use a trusted VPN provider, such as Brave or Mullvad, if you truly NEED to visit questionable websites that you definitely do not want to know that you and your device are visiting them. If you’re a basic internet user, Brave browser in and of itself is an extremely powerful tool to help you stay safe and secure online. Often times a VPN is overkill for many people and adds unneeded complexity to your life!

Step 6) Where to Find Additional Help and Support for Your Ghost Phone

Free Options

In addition to everything above, we also have a longer “Getting Started Guide” that dives into details and specifics on some of the topics mentioned above, and many more. This should come printed within the box that your phone arrives in, but can also be downloaded directly below:

Long Form Getting Started Guide

First and foremost, I can assure you that whatever question you may have has likely already been asked and answered over the past few years. Many are questions you may not have now but are likely those that you would ask if you knew to ask them! With this in mind, we have compiled and categorized all of these questions and answers within the post below, which is updated as new solutions are found or new questions come in over time.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

If, after reading through everything above, you STILL have a question that has not been addressed… great! We love solving for new problem sets!

Use LiveChat

The LiveChat function on the website should be active 24/7/365 and we should be available to Chat between 9am – 5pm Mon-Fri. If no one responds, you will have the ability to send us a message directly through the LiveChat tool and we will get back to you within 1-2 business days. 9 times out of 10 we end up simply directing customers to the various reference pages and documents mentioned above, so please do take the time to review them before reaching out, if possible.

Email us at support@MARK37.com

Same as LiveChat, if we aren’t immediately available to answer your email we will likely respond within 1-2 business days.

Join our Telegram channel, then join our Chat channel.

We have a few hundred customers on these channels who are on the same journey as you and can jump in when we are not immediately available to answer a question they likely have also had at some point in the past. We also spend time on the channel (clearly) and will jump in with support when appropriate to guide you in the right direction or simply direct you to reach out directly.

Even More “HELP!” + Migration Support

If, for whatever reason, you still think you want/need additional help from a live human to coach you through the process of using your new phone or migrating your existing information from iCloud/Google/MSFT over to the new device, you can sign up for Migration Support or simply General IT Support. We will reach out to schedule a time for either a virtual 1-on-1 session or, depending on where you are located in the country, potentially a live in-person session.