Phones & tablets · mobile operating system
/e/OS
Recommended as a privacy-focused, de-Googled Android for phones that works well day to day. Most common caveat: app compatibility, especially apps that need Google Play services.
Summarized from 300 comments.
Recommended as a privacy-focused, de-Googled Android for phones that works well day to day. Most common caveat: app compatibility, especially apps that need Google Play services.
- recommend
- 89
- criticize
- 69
- months recommended
- 13 of 13
- median owned, 14 owners said
- 2 years
Why people love it
Privacy from Google and tracking · 5
If your main concern is protecting your privacy from Google and extending the life of your smartphone without breaking a sweat, /e/OS is probably the best option.
Mar 2026 · commentit just feels like a normal smartphone, except noticeably quieter in terms of tracking and background noise
Mar 2026 · commentit is at least as secure as everything else. Plus it actively helps you preserve your privacy
Apr 2026 · commentWorks on many phones · 6
I also recently switched from an iPhone to a Fairphone with e/OS and can say that I absolutely share that experience.
Mar 2026 · comment/e/ on FP3 has been my daily driver for 1.5 years and my daughters run it on their FP4s with no problems at all
Mar 2026 · commentI've not had any compatibility issues when using /e/OS on a Teracube 2e. It's a smooth experience all along.
Mar 2026 · commentWorks well day to day · 4
/e/ on FP3 has been my daily driver for 1.5 years and my daughters run it on their FP4s with no problems at all
Mar 2026 · commentI've not had any compatibility issues when using /e/OS on a Teracube 2e. It's a smooth experience all along.
Mar 2026 · commentI am using /e/ daily for myself and my family, and it's working like a charm.
Mar 2026 · commentBuilt to serve users · 3
i will trust Gael based on his reputation far above anything coming from google
Sep 2026 · commentThe OS experience is pretty impressive for not being made by an evil megacorp.
May 2026 · commentFeels like a breath of fresh air to have software that's built to serve me
Mar 2026 · comment
What people warn about
Lags on security updates · 5
/e/ lags far behind on standard privacy and security updates everywhere but misleads users with an inaccurate Android security patch level
Feb 2026 · commentWhat makes it worse is that /e/OS also uses ancient kernels and firmware bundles for most devices with many known vulnerabilities.
Apr 2026 · commentIt doesn't provide bare minimum standard privacy and security patches while setting an inaccurate Android security patch level.
Jun 2026 · commentUndisclosed data collection and tracking · 2
/e/ does have services collecting data on their users which isn't disclosed including user tracking via unique identifiers in the update client.
Sep 2026 · commentservices collecting data on their users which isn't disclosed including user tracking via unique identifiers in the update client
Oct 2026 · commentPrivileged microG and Google connections · 2
/e/ makes many connections to Google servers by default and gives highly privileged access to the implementation of those services (microG).
Oct 2026 · comment/e/OS ships with the privileged microG, which means that Android Auto or Google Play Store have privileged access to the phone
May 2026 · commentApp compatibility gaps, banking apps · 2
same here, except for banking apps. the one i am supposed to use now doesn't work.
Mar 2026 · commentThe experience is... fine. Not great. App compatibility is the main pain point.
Mar 2026 · comment
Long-term owners
/e/ on FP3 has been my daily driver for 1.5 years and my daughters run it on their FP4s with no problems at all
Mar 2026 · comment
What hackers pick instead
- AndroidRecommended for openness, sideloading, alternative app stores, customization and fine notification control, but many worry Google is locking it down with developer verification and proprietary services.372recommend
- Apple iOSRecommended for strong security, privacy and years of updates, but critics dislike the iOS 26 Liquid Glass redesign, input lag and bugs, and Apple's restrictions on apps and APIs.308recommend
- LineageOSA free Android distribution that gives old or unsupported phones new life with more control and less Google, though critics cite lagging security patches, unlocked bootloaders and banking-app breakage.186recommend
- Sailfish OSLinux-based phone OS with a gesture UI and Android app support, valued as a real third option. Critics often cite weaker privacy and security than AOSP.80recommend
- Ubuntu TouchPeople recommend its open Linux freedom, root access, clean interface and stable daily use. Common caveat: few apps, and volunteers now maintain it after Canonical defunded it.35recommend
Every quote
The 40 most detailed of 300 comments. Each links to the original.
If your main concern is protecting your privacy from Google and extending the life of your smartphone without breaking a sweat, /e/OS is probably the best option.
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
I also recently switched from an iPhone to a Fairphone with e/OS and can say that I absolutely share that experience.
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
/e/ on FP3 has been my daily driver for 1.5 years and my daughters run it on their FP4s with no problems at all
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
I've not had any compatibility issues when using /e/OS on a Teracube 2e. It's a smooth experience all along.
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
it just feels like a normal smartphone, except noticeably quieter in terms of tracking and background noise
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
I can vouch for your experience as mine has been the same, also on a Fairphone on which I installed /e/OS.
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
it is at least as secure as everything else. Plus it actively helps you preserve your privacy
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Phone is about to stop being yours”
an imperfect software solution for a wider selection of phones does sound quite useful
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
same here, except for banking apps. the one i am supposed to use now doesn't work.
Mixed · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
phones preinstalled with something like /e/ become a viable option for most people
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Phone is about to stop being yours”
It's painless, and fits my threat model of trying to mitigate corporate tracking.
Recommends · Jun 2026 · in “/e/OS 4.0 is here”
The experience is... fine. Not great. App compatibility is the main pain point.
Mixed · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
i will trust Gael based on his reputation far above anything coming from google
Recommends · Sep 2026 · in “Why I'm Not Excited About the Graphene OS and Motorola Partnership”
The OS experience is pretty impressive for not being made by an evil megacorp.
Recommends · May 2026 · in “Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone”
I am using /e/ daily for myself and my family, and it's working like a charm.
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
E/OS is mainly about privacy. And about getting rid of Google. And it works.
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
Nearly everything works out of the box (bank apps, e-identity apps etc ..).
Mixed · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
Feels like a breath of fresh air to have software that's built to serve me
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Android Developer Verification”
/e/ does have services collecting data on their users which isn't disclosed including user tracking via unique identifiers in the update client.
Criticizes · Sep 2026 · in “How Fairphone built the Fairphone Gen 6+”
/e/ makes many connections to Google servers by default and gives highly privileged access to the implementation of those services (microG).
Criticizes · Oct 2026 · in “MicroG: Free-libre re-implementation of Google's proprietary Android user space”
/e/ lags far behind on standard privacy and security updates everywhere but misleads users with an inaccurate Android security patch level
Criticizes · Feb 2026 · in “GrapheneOS – Break Free from Google and Apple”
What makes it worse is that /e/OS also uses ancient kernels and firmware bundles for most devices with many known vulnerabilities.
Criticizes · Apr 2026 · in “E Foundation – deGoogled unGoogled smartphone OS”
services collecting data on their users which isn't disclosed including user tracking via unique identifiers in the update client
Criticizes · Oct 2026 · in “GrapheneOS has fixed the Android 17 QPR1 kernel performance regression”
It doesn't provide bare minimum standard privacy and security patches while setting an inaccurate Android security patch level.
Criticizes · Jun 2026 · in “GrapheneOS has been ported to Android 17 and official releases are coming soon”
/e/OS ships with the privileged microG, which means that Android Auto or Google Play Store have privileged access to the phone
Criticizes · May 2026 · in “Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone”
all the /e/OS systems I have seen don't properly relock the bootloader, meaning that they spoil the Android security model
Criticizes · Jun 2026 · in “Spying on kids to save kids from spying is stupid”
I have personally seen multiple /e/OS phones in a state where they were objectively less secure than Stock Android
Criticizes · Feb 2026 · in “GrapheneOS – Break Free from Google and Apple”
That privileged plug in /e/os makes push notifications work, and you can enable just those and leave Android Auto, G Play Store and whatnot disabled.
Mixed · May 2026 · in “Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone”
I could cope with the little inconveniences of a degoogled phone, but wiping the device myself following a unclear procedure was too much for me.
Mixed · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
A turnkey solution based (almost exclusively, and except the driver blobs) on free software would be to buy a phone running something like /e/.
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Setting up phones is a nightmare”
I regularly receive the latest Android and LineageOS security patches. Much more consistently than I did back then on a stock Android phone.
Recommends · Nov 2026 · in “Smear Campaign Towards GrapheneOS”
Of all the Android distributions I've used, it's the one that does providing a hosted service best and it was honestly refreshing.
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
it feels like it is developing slowly, having issues with outdated software versions - though it does work well in practice
Mixed · Feb 2026 · in “GrapheneOS – Break Free from Google and Apple”
If you want to remove the power of Google over Android, just use one of those alternatives and the problem is solved.
Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Phone is about to stop being yours”
Program names should be between 2 and 9 characters; As a thing to consider. Also, searching for `e` may be weird.
Mixed · Aug 2026 · in “e is a customizable self-aware Emacs-like editor written in Chez Scheme”
That's great! However, when I see "murena unified account" I feel like one thing is replaced with another.
Mixed · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
when your concern is not only moving away from Google but also using sustainable hardware like Fairphone
Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “/e/OS is a complete "deGoogled", mobile ecosystem”
"Google-free" FOSS Android-builds (Graphene, /e/, iodé) are available today and usable for most tasks.
Recommends · Jan 2026 · in “The Post-American Internet”
I definitely recommend trying it out, installing a custom os on my phone gave me the same feeling
Recommends · Feb 2026 · in “F-Droid: "Keep Android Open"”
/e/ OS is now fully open as the only proprietary app was the map one and they just replaced it.
Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “A new Android malware from Google”
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