Observed arrival · 2026-09-22

OBSIDIAN, a phone with almost nothing left to leak

obsidianos.org Visit website

Editorial interest 88/100 Selection signal · not a rating of the site

An open-source Pixel 8 phone project built around encrypted messaging over Tor, private browsing, and an on-device camera.

Landing page captured for the 2026-09-22 issue.

For: Privacy-conscious users testing a stripped-down phone
Worth noticing: The server passes encrypted message blobs but retains no message archive; reproducible builds are still marked planned.

Field notes

The project describes a deliberately reduced Pixel 8 image: encrypted messaging, Tor Browser, and a camera, with no dialler, text messaging, app store, Google account, or side-loading. Its server model is unusually explicit about metadata, including the usernames and public keys it retains and the approximate connection timing it can observe. Reproducible builds remain a planned feature.

Observed signals

Read the marks

Editorial observations of this landing page, not a rating.

○OpenPublic substance visible

✦PrettyNotable craft visible

●ProPolished or operationally mature

◎NicheUnusually specific use

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