Replaces iOS
European alternatives to iOS
Mobile platforms outside the Apple ecosystem
Browse the category: Mobile operating systems
iOS is Apple's mobile operating system, running only on Apple hardware such as the iPhone. It is a closed platform: apps arrive through the App Store, the system is updated by Apple for years after a device is sold, and features like messaging, payments, photos and device backup are woven into the surrounding Apple services. That consistency is a large part of its appeal.
The trade is that the platform, the app distribution and the account behind it all come from one company outside Europe, and there is no supported way to change that on the device. A European alternative to iOS means choosing different hardware and a different system. /e/OS provides a mobile environment built on the Android base with its own services in place of the usual proprietary layer, and Sailfish OS is an independently developed system with its own interface.
European options 2
Our pick
/e/OS
Google free mobile operating system from France
/e/OS is an open source mobile operating system based on Android, developed by the /e/foundation in France and shipped as the default system on Murena smartphones. It comes without Google apps and services, using the open source microG to stand in for the Google APIs so most Android apps still run, and it installs on over 200 handsets.
FranceOpen source
FinlandQuestions
Can I install these on an iPhone?
No: iPhone hardware only runs iOS, so moving to /e/OS or Sailfish OS means a different device. Both projects publish the hardware they support.
How do I move my data across?
Contacts and calendars export in standard formats, and photos and files can be copied over directly. Messages and app data tied to Apple services usually do not transfer, so export what you need before you switch.
Which European alternative is closest to iOS?
Neither is a like-for-like replacement, since both take a more open approach than Apple's closed platform. /e/OS is the gentler landing for someone used to a mainstream app selection, while Sailfish OS is a more distinct system.