Murena just made leaving Google a whole lot simpler. The French company behind the privacy-focused /e/OS mobile platform released version 4.0 on Thursday. The update centers on a new one-click tool that pulls contacts, calendars, photos, files from Google Drive, and even Gmail messages into its own services.
Users long complained about the friction. Setting up a de-Googled phone often meant hours of manual exports and imports. Not anymore. The enhanced Gmail Migration Assistant handles the heavy lifting. One tap starts the process. Data flows across. The phone feels like home again, only without the constant background chatter to Mountain View servers.
Android Authority first detailed the launch. Hadlee Simons reported that the migration covers core personal data points many users accumulate over years. The feature arrives as Murena claims it has nearly 100,000 regular users and reached financial break-even in 2025. Those numbers matter. They signal the project has moved beyond hobbyist circles into something sustainable.
Yet the story runs deeper than a single tool. /e/OS builds on LineageOS. It strips out all Google proprietary code and replaces core services with open-source alternatives. MicroG provides the compatibility layer for apps that expect Google Play Services. The App Lounge offers apps without forcing a Google account. And a full suite of first-party cloud tools — email, calendar, contacts, notes, photos — runs on Murena’s European servers.
But. The experience has never been flawless. Some banking apps detect the modified environment and refuse to run. Location services can feel less precise. Battery life varies by device. Earlier versions demanded technical comfort from users who simply wanted their data private. Version 4.0 tries to close that gap.
The company scheduled a live event for June 11, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. CEST. There, executives planned to demonstrate new features and updates to Murena Workspace, the paid cloud environment that offers encrypted storage and backup. A community roadmap posted in late May outlined several long-awaited additions. One stands out. A backup system that lets users restore a fresh device directly from an existing backup. No more starting from scratch when upgrading hardware.
Improved app compatibility topped the list too. The team focused on making /e/OS Official — the version installed on Murena-branded phones — work better with popular applications. They also teased better integration between the operating system and the cloud workspace. Details remain limited until the live stream concludes. Still, the direction feels clear. Make privacy usable for normal people, not just the technically inclined.
Gaël Duval founded the e foundation in 2017. His goal never wavered. Create an alternative to the duopoly of Google and Apple that respects user data. Murena, the commercial arm, sells pre-installed phones and subscriptions. The model resembles what Fairphone and other ethical hardware makers pursue. Sell the device once. Earn recurring revenue from services that don’t monetize personal information.
Recent coverage shows growing interest. A Forbes article from December 2025 examined the Shiftphone 8 running /e/OS. The device pairs sustainable German hardware with the privacy OS. Reviewer Ewan Spence noted the mid-range performance but praised the absence of data harvesting. He described the setup process as still requiring some patience. Version 4.0 appears designed to reduce exactly that friction.
Earlier this year Murena introduced Murena Find, its privacy-first search engine baked into the OS. The company also expanded its hardware lineup with devices like the Teracube 2s. Each move chips away at the idea that privacy comes at the cost of convenience or selection.
Critics remain. Google offers convenience at massive scale. Its services work everywhere because developers optimize for them. Replacing that infrastructure isn’t trivial. Some apps simply won’t run. Notifications can break. And for many consumers, the privacy trade-off feels abstract until a data breach makes headlines.
Murena’s bet is that enough people now care. European regulations like GDPR created a climate friendlier to alternatives. Growing awareness of surveillance capitalism helps too. The company’s claim of reaching break-even suggests the market has reached a tipping point. One hundred thousand users won’t topple Google. But they prove demand exists for phones that don’t report home.
The migration tool itself deserves scrutiny. It connects temporarily to Google accounts to export data. That moment creates a potential risk window. Murena says the process uses secure channels and deletes credentials afterward. Still, security-conscious users will want to review exactly what permissions the assistant requests.
Once complete, the phone operates independently. No Google account required. No Play Services phoning home. Updates come directly from Murena. The company promises several years of support on its devices, though exact timelines vary by model.
Look at the broader picture. Apple built a walled garden that protects user data while extracting premium prices. Google built an open platform funded by advertising and data. /e/OS attempts a third path. Open source code. User-controlled cloud. Revenue from devices and optional subscriptions. Success depends on execution. The software must feel smooth. The services must match or exceed what users leave behind. The price must stay reasonable.
Version 4.0 takes a meaningful step in that direction. The one-click migration removes a major psychological barrier. The backup improvements reduce switching costs. Better compatibility expands the pool of usable apps. These changes won’t satisfy everyone. Power users may still prefer pure LineageOS or GrapheneOS for maximum control. Casual users might find Apple’s privacy features sufficient.
Yet for a specific audience — those frustrated with data collection but unwilling to abandon the Android app library — the appeal grows. Murena has spent years refining the formula. The latest release shows the lessons learned. Focus on pain points. Simplify the hard parts. Deliver tangible improvements that normal humans notice.
The live event should bring more specifics. Expect demonstrations of the migration flow, details on Workspace enhancements, and perhaps new hardware teases. The Q&A session will likely surface remaining limitations. Transparency has been a hallmark of the project. Duval and his team rarely overpromise.
In the end, /e/OS 4.0 won’t free the world from Big Tech. No single OS can. It does, however, lower the barrier for thousands more to try an alternative. That counts. Each user who migrates successfully becomes proof that another path exists. The data stays theirs. The choices remain theirs. And the phone finally works for them, not the other way around.
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