As we reported in August, Revolut had begun to introduce controls which in some cases prevented the authentication of the users they used GrapheneOS. The project team had contested the decision, arguing that the operating system was capable of meeting high security requirements and questioning the rationale for protecting accounts.
Now Revolut’s position is also made clear in the new Terms of Service. The company stipulates that in order to use the app and receive related communications, the device must be complies with certain technical and software requirements. Among these, the use of the original operating system supported by the manufactureralong with installing official software and security updates and using the latest version of the Revolut app.
The company motivates these conditions with the need to protect your account and user information. The new terms also state that attempts to bypass the device’s standard security features or the installation of unofficial operating systems pose a greater risk to your personal information.
Revolut also states that, in case of alteration of the standard operating system or device security permissions, will not be responsible for any breach of device security or losses suffered by the user in relation to this circumstance.
The company’s supporting documentation then goes into more detail. To comply with device integrity requirements, you must use the official Revolut application, downloaded from a store considered reliable, have the latest operating system and security updates installed, maintain the bootloader is blockeduse official and certified firmware and do not have root access.
The most significant element for GrapheneOS users is precisely the reference to the official firmware and the exclusion of Custom ROMs. GrapheneOS, in fact, is an alternative operating system based on the Android Open Source Project and can be installed on compatible devices instead of the software provided by the manufacturer.
However, the issue takes on a different dimension compared to August because in the meantime GrapheneOS is preparing to significantly expand its range of supported devices. The project has in fact confirmed that the Motorola Signature 27 will be the first smartphone not belonging to the Pixel family to receive official support. The device should represent the first step in a collaboration destined to expand to other Motorola models.
This therefore raises a concrete question for the future. If GrapheneOS arrives on an increasing number of smartphones and can be used on devices officially supported by the manufacturer, Will Revolut continue to consider it an operating system that is not compatible with its app or will it review its requirements?
