• •GrapheneOS developers are pressuring Volkswagen to lift blocks on their Android app, citing support for Hyundai and Kia as evidence of industry compatibility.
• •The project maintains that its security-hardened OS should not prevent vehicle access, pointing to standard APIs used by other major automotive manufacturers.
• •It remains unclear whether Volkswagen’s restriction stems from specific security policies or a broader, undocumented policy regarding custom Android distributions.

GrapheneOS is lobbying Volkswagen to reverse restrictions that prevent its privacy-hardened Android distribution from running the carmaker’s mobile app. While Hyundai and Kia currently support the software via standard Android API integrations, Volkswagen has maintained a restrictive stance that effectively blacklists the platform. This conflict highlights a growing friction point for security-focused OS projects attempting to function within proprietary automotive ecosystems. Whether Volkswagen will prioritize third-party security or maintain strict manufacturer-controlled hardware locks remains the primary question to watch.