BharOS

About BharOS-

• BharOS is an AOSP (Android Open Source Project) based operating system with no Google apps or services. 
• It is developed by JandK Operations Private Limited (JandKops), which is a non-profit organization incubated at IIT Madras.
• The good thing about this mobile operating system is that this one comes with No Default Apps (NDA). This basically means that users will get most of storage space, unlike Android. 
• The OEMs ship phones with default Google apps as well as some native apps. With BharOS, one won’t be forced to use apps that they may not be familiar with or that they may not trust.
• One will also be able to receive ‘Native Over The Air’ (NOTA) updates, similar to Android phones. The developers assert that NOTA updates are automatically downloaded and installed on the device, so users don’t need to manually initiate the process.
• Furthermore, the OS will also offer access to trusted apps from organization-specific Private App Store Services (PASS). 
• A PASS provides access to a curated list of apps that have been thoroughly vetted and have met certain security and privacy standards of organizations. 
• This means users can be confident that the apps they are installing are safe to use and have been checked for any potential security vulnerabilities or privacy concerns.

How is BharOS different from Android?

• Technically, BharOS is not that different from Android’s Google OS. In fact, it is based on the AOSP (Android Open Source Project). 
• The major difference between BharOS and Google’s Android OS is the fact that BharOS does not ship with Google services, and it will be a barebone operating system, which allows users to install apps of their own interest.
• While BharOS is known as an indigenous operating system, it is still based on AOSP, hence, it is not that different from Google’s stock Android in terms of features and UI. 
• Not just that, BharOS also doesn’t come with any pre-built applications. Having no pre-installed applications will allow users to sideload an app of their choice. 
• However, sideloading an APK could compromise the device’s security, and could make the device more vulnerable to hacking.
• It is also interesting to see that the current build of BharOS has third-party apps like DuckDuckGo and Signal as default browsers and messaging apps. 
• It is also interesting to see if the team that has developed BharOS will partner with OEM to launch phones with BharOS.