Hey gang, I posted this in the relevant community but I figured it won’t hurt to cast a larger net. I haven’t done the custom ROM biz since around 2013 and I’m looking to degoogle my family on the cheap. I’ve spent the last 3 weeks getting dicked around by google pixels so if I can avoid those entirely I’d like to.

My plan is to go with CRDroid, curate the apps myself using mostly FOSS. Here’s where I’m in need of an adult:

  1. Oneplus 9 is in my price range and looks like it will last but I can only find it t-mobile locked. I can carrier unlock it myself, but will I be able to access the boot loader. I know I can’t at all for Verizon, I wanna make sure i don’t accidentally get trapped again.

  2. I can’t find many options outside of GrapheneOS, lineage, and crdroid, is that really the whole list? I like the options in crdroid but I’ll take other suggestions.

  3. I’ve been using Blu phones for ages, they don’t come with any of the headache to get them unlocked and I’ve been using this one for nearly 8 years so I know they last. Is there a ROM that runs on Blu? I hate that all the compatible devices are name brand, high dollar, nonsense.

  4. Are there any parental control apps that aren’t just data harvesters? I want to give me kid a phone for emergencies, but he’s 11 with ADHD that gives him the impulse control of a toddler surrounded by candy. It’d be safer for everyone if I didn’t make is easy for him to repeat the mistakes I made at his age.

Any help whatsoever would be amazing, I’ve been coming apart at the seams over this for 3 weeks now and all I really want is to be able to take all the crap off my next phone and not wake up with new crap installed.