Privacy-focused mobile OS /e/OS 3.0 released with tablet mode, parental control, and more

French company Murena has released version 3.0 of /e/OS, a privacy-centric mobile operating system built on LineageOS (itself a successor to CyanogenMod). Designed as a fully de-Googled alternative to Android, /e/OS is based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and integrates the open-source microG suite instead of Google Play Services. It comes preinstalled on select Murena smartphones — including refurbished Pixel devices and the Fairphone 5 — and offers a proprietary Bliss launcher and a suite of cloud services via Murena Cloud. This new release is a continuation of the OS's core mission: protecting user privacy.

Version 3.0 brings major technical and usability improvements. It updates the system to the foundations of Android 14 (though migration timelines are still unclear) and enhances privacy features. A key new tool is the privacy dashboard, which generates weekly reports on tracking behavior, assigns a global privacy score, and identifies invasive apps. Users can also now assign fake or real location data to individual apps. The update also introduces a new encrypted file storage feature called Vault (based on CryptPad), currently in beta, which supports collaborative documents and is tied to Murena’s cloud subscription plans.

Additional features include a true tablet mode for a better experience on larger screens, and upgraded parental controls that require a PIN for installing restricted apps. Parents can even enforce PIN-based installation across the system. There's also a new SMS-based phone-locator function, although details remain scarce. Finally, the default search engine has been changed to Qwant, a privacy-focused service that partially relies on Bing. Some specifics — like Android versioning, device compatibility, and how new services like Vault or voice dictation work — are still pending further announcements.