So I’m interested in buying a Pixel 8 to install GrapheneOS in it but I’m also interested in rooting it and from what I’ve read rooting your device with a privacy focused custom ROM like GrapheneOS beats the purpose of installing it, so I don’t know if it’s actually posible to do it or if it actually has any grace, honestly I just want to be able to install some Xposed modules and be able to auto-update my Droid-ify apps in the backgrounds without user interaction.
Excuse my ignorance in the subject, I have never rooted or installed a custom rom before.
Indeed, rooting usually beats the purpose.
Not because it inherently makes you less private, but because having bad security makes it hard to be private, and opening up a way in android to allow apps to do what they want (selective root access) usually requires punching a lot of holes.
Even with AVBRoot, which allows you to setup Magisk or KernelSU with full Verified Boot support, you’re still leaving open the possibility that something abuses the fact you’re rooted against you.
But just so you know, if you insist, you can skip the step of locking your pixel’s bootloader and install Magisk, but do not expect any support from that point onwards.