Murena is out with a new major release of its deGoogled and improved version of Android — /e/OS 3.O
On Tuesday, Paris-based Murena announced the release of /e/OS 3.0 as the latest version of its deGoogled and open source mobile operating system. “DeGoogled,” because being based on the open source LineageOS, a clone of Android, it presents the familiar interface of Google’s mobile OS, but without the numerous privacy issues Google always brings to the table.
As Murena puts it in the press literature around this release: “Tech giants may be addicted to citizens’ data, but they should not be able to use smartphones for that.”
That attitude shouldn’t be surprising once you know who’s behind the project. /e/OS is the brainchild of Gael Duval, who started the Mandrake Linux distro which was first released in in 1998 and is considered by many to be the first user-friendly Linux distro. That distro eventually morphed into Mandriva. These days Mandrake/Mandriva live on as the core of OpenMandriva and Mageia, which are both France-based distros.
These days Duval may be a little longer in the tooth, but he’s still the same old open sourcer who decided to look out for the user first all those years ago.
“We believe that technology should serve people, not the other way around,” he said in a statement about this release. “With this new version of /e/OS, we are raising the bar even higher in our powerful proposition for a healthier, more ethical, and user-first digital life.”
The concept of deGoogling Android can be a frightening thought. After all, most of us have come to depend on all of those Google apps that make Android so helpful — even while Google uses them to collect data on us which they turn into profit. Not to worry, /e/’s got us covered. There’s an alternative for just about any Google service you can think of, and /e/ installs those alternatives by default. We’ll discuss those alternatives in more detail later, but for starters there’s /e/OS Mail, a fork of K-9 Mail, for an email client and Magic Earth, a proprietary but privacy-focused Google Maps replacement.
Oh, and if there’s a Google app you absolutely can’t do without? No problem. All of Google’s mobile apps are available in Murena’s app store, because Murena wants you to be in charge of your phone, and will never, ever tell you what software you can or cannot run.
/e/OS in a Nutshell
More good news comes from the fact that if you’d like to have a phone that’s running /e/OS, you don’t necessarily have to go through the rigmarole of unlocking a bootloader, rooting a phone, and the rest — unless that’s what you want to do. That’s because Murena offers both new and refurbished phones with /e/OS preinstalled. Prices for new phones start at €359 (about $410) and refurbished phones are available from €399 (about $456), with all phones coming with a warranty.
That being said, you can keep your old phone and extend its life, while making it more privacy aware, by installing /e/OS on it, if that’s what you want. The OS supports more than 250 models, some of which were manufactured as far back as 2016. You can download the OS, install it yourself following online instructions.
And whether you buy a phone from Murena with /e/OS preinstalled or download the operating system and install it on a phone or tablet you already have, you also get a free Murena Workspace account, which means you have a place to backup your phone, photos, and other files — just like you’d have if you were still stuck running Android. Users get a 1 GB Workspace account for free. When they outgrow that, they can add more storage for a nominal fee.
What’s in Version 3.0? A Quick Guide
- Enhanced Parental Controls
For a long time now, /e/OS has included parental controls. This new version comes with a newly refined screen time management system that gives parents greater ability to guide their children’s device usage. Applications flagged for Parental Guidance now require a security code to install (meaning they can’t be installed in your absence), and parents can opt to enable the code for any app installations (meaning you can hand a child your phone and they can only use apps you want them to use).
- Upgraded Advanced Privacy Tools
/e/OS’s Advanced Privacy feature now offers users a comprehensive overview of how their data is handled. New Weekly Reports provide detailed insights into invasive apps, aggressive trackers, and an overall Privacy Score. Users can even share these reports on social media to raise awareness.
In addition, users can now customize app geolocation access, distinguishing which apps see true vs. fake locations.
- Murena Vault
This is a new, powerful tool for protecting users’ data on Murena Workspace at murena.io. It’s a user-friendly and end-to-end encrypted Online Vault, powered by CryptPad technology, which is currently in beta. The feature allows users to store sensitive files with end-to-end encryption — including for real-time editing and collaboration. Although ready for you to use, it’s technically a test service to explore how ultra-strong encryption can be integrated into the Murena ecosystem with minimal impact on user experience.
- Find My Device via SMS
You’re sure to like this. With this feature, you can locate your device, even when you’re far from it, with no internet connection required. This simple yet effective feature uses standard text messages (SMS) to help you geolocate your device, securely and with ease.
- Tablet Mode
/e/OS 3.0 offers a Tablet Mode, bringing a responsive and user-friendly interface for larger screens while maintaining the core privacy principles of the OS.
- Ethical Search with Murena Find
Murena reinforces its commitment to privacy with a new search engine, Murena Find, powered by Qwant technology (we use Qwant’s browser by default here at FOSS Force on our PCs and laptops). It operates by default in “no-tracking” mode, ensuring that users’ searches remain private and while providing great search results.
- Digital sovereignty and autonomy for everyone
With users all over the world, /e/OS continues to grow as a truly global new proposition. Murena’s open-source nature helps bring digital sovereignty to users around the world — not only for consumers, but increasingly also organizations such as businesses, governments, and non-profits.
- Hands-Free Messaging for Premium Users
OK, this one’s not free, but its a cool feature. Murena Workspace Premium users now benefit from Murena Voice to Text – a feature that allows users to dictate messages easily and privately, meaning even more security, freedom, and flexibility.
/e/OS is an open source mobile operating system that is committed to providing better data privacy and security for individuals and corporations. It provides advanced privacy features, such as apps trackers blocking, while offering a user-friendly experience, and full compatibility with all mobile applications.
Christine Hall has been a journalist since 1971. In 2001, she began writing a weekly consumer computer column and started covering Linux and FOSS in 2002 after making the switch to GNU/Linux. Follow her on Twitter: @BrideOfLinux
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