TL;DR: GrapheneOS on a Pixel remains the undisputed best privacy phone setup in 2026, offering verified boot, hardened memory allocator, sandboxed Google Play, and the fastest security patches of any mobile OS. /e/OS and iodéOS are solid alternatives with trade-offs. Avoid CalyxOS (paused, unpatched since June 2025) and DivestOS (discontinued December 2024). Everything else falls somewhere in between — read on for the full breakdown.

The Privacy Phone Hierarchy: Every Option Ranked (2026)

The privacy phone landscape has shifted dramatically in the past year. Major projects have died. New hardware has arrived. And the gap between the best option and everything else has only widened.

This is not a “top 10 list” padded with affiliate links. This is an opinionated, evidence-based ranking of every meaningful privacy phone option available in February 2026 — the OSes, the hardware, and the services. We take clear positions because you deserve clear answers.

Let’s get into it.

Methodology: How We Rank

Every option is evaluated against six weighted criteria. These aren’t arbitrary — they reflect what actually determines whether a phone protects you or just feels like it does.

1. Security Hardening (Weight: High)

Does the OS actually harden the attack surface? Verified boot, hardened memory allocator, exploit mitigations, sandboxing — these are the things that stop real-world attacks. A phone that strips Google but doesn’t harden the underlying system is a privacy phone in marketing only.

2. Update Cadence (Weight: High)

How quickly does the project ship security patches after AOSP releases them? Every day of delay is a day you’re running known-vulnerable code. Projects that routinely lag by weeks or months get penalized. Projects that stop updating entirely get a death sentence.

3. Transparency & Auditability (Weight: High)

Is the code open source? Can independent researchers verify claims? Closed-source “privacy” OSes are an inherent contradiction — you’re trusting the vendor’s word instead of Google’s word, which isn’t meaningfully different.

4. App Compatibility (Weight: Medium)

Can you actually use the phone for daily life? The most secure phone in the world is useless if you can’t run your banking app, navigation, or messaging. Sandboxed Google Play compatibility is a massive advantage here.

5. Verified Boot (Weight: Medium)

Can the OS verify its own integrity at boot? This prevents persistent malware from surviving a reboot and is a critical security property that many custom ROMs simply cannot provide.

6. Price-to-Value (Weight: Low but Notable)

Is the hardware worth what you’re paying, or are you subsidizing a brand’s marketing budget? We won’t penalize a good product for costing money, but we will call out products that charge flagship prices for mid-range hardware.

S Tier — Maximum Security

GrapheneOS on Google Pixel

The best. Full stop.

GrapheneOS on a supported Pixel device (currently Pixel 6 through Pixel 10 series) is not just the best privacy phone option — it’s arguably the most secure consumer mobile OS in existence, including stock iOS and Android. That’s not hyperbole. Here’s why:

Verified boot with custom key support. GrapheneOS is one of the only custom Android OSes that properly implements verified boot. When you install GrapheneOS and re-lock the bootloader, your phone cryptographically verifies the OS integrity at every boot. If someone tampers with the OS, the phone won’t start. Most custom ROMs require an unlocked bootloader, which disables this critical security feature.

Hardened memory allocator. GrapheneOS replaces Android’s default memory allocator with a hardened version that makes entire classes of memory corruption exploits significantly harder to pull off. This isn’t a toggle in settings — it’s deep systems engineering that most projects lack the expertise to implement.

Sandboxed Google Play. This is GrapheneOS’s killer feature for daily usability. Instead of baking Google Play Services into the OS with system-level privileges (as stock Android does) or forking it via microG (as /e/OS and iodéOS do), GrapheneOS runs official Google Play Services inside a sandbox with no special privileges. Your banking app works. Google Maps works. But Google Play can only see what you explicitly allow it to see. It’s the best of both worlds — full app compatibility without the surveillance.

Fastest patch delivery. GrapheneOS consistently ships security patches within days — sometimes hours — of AOSP releases. The latest release (2026021200) is already rolling out to all supported devices. No other custom ROM comes close to this cadence.

Network and sensor permissions. GrapheneOS adds granular controls that stock Android doesn’t offer: per-app network permission toggles, sensor permissions, contact and storage scopes. These aren’t gimmicks — they’re meaningful privacy controls.

Non-Pixel hardware coming. In early 2026, the GrapheneOS team confirmed a non-Pixel OEM partnership announcement is imminent, likely expanding device support beyond the Pixel line for the first time. This could be transformative for adoption.

Price: A Pixel 8a with GrapheneOS costs roughly $350–400. A Pixel 9 Pro runs $800–1,000. The OS is free. This is the best value proposition in privacy phones by a wide margin.

Who it’s for: Anyone who takes mobile security seriously. Journalists, activists, security professionals, and everyday people who simply want the most secure phone available.

A Tier — Strong Privacy, Some Trade-offs

/e/OS on Murena Devices

The most user-friendly de-Googled experience — but security hardening lags behind.

Murena’s /e/OS has carved out a genuine niche: it’s the de-Googled Android that your non-technical family member could actually use. The Murena ecosystem includes pre-installed phones (Fairphone Gen 6, various Samsung and Pixel devices), cloud services (email, storage, calendar), and an integrated app store with privacy scores. In early 2026, Murena also launched a de-Googled tablet, expanding the ecosystem further.

/e/OS uses microG instead of sandboxed Google Play, which provides compatibility with many apps but doesn’t offer the same isolation model as GrapheneOS’s sandbox approach. The OS is based on LineageOS, which means it inherits LineageOS’s security properties — functional, but not hardened. There’s no hardened memory allocator, and verified boot support depends on the device.

Where /e/OS shines: Out-of-box experience. The Murena cloud ecosystem. Privacy scores in the app store. Broad device support across many manufacturers.

Where it falls short: Security hardening is minimal compared to GrapheneOS. Patch delivery is slower. microG is a compatibility layer, not a true sandbox — it still has more system access than a sandboxed app would.

Price: Murena phones range from €300–400 for refurbished models to €600+ for the Fairphone Gen 6. Cloud services are free for basic tiers.

Who it’s for: Privacy-conscious users who want a complete, polished ecosystem and are more concerned about data collection than targeted attacks.

iodéOS

A solid LineageOS fork that takes tracker blocking seriously.

iodéOS distinguishes itself with its built-in tracker blocker — a real-time firewall that monitors and blocks tracking attempts from every installed app. The iodé blocker widget gives you a live dashboard of how many trackers your apps are trying to contact, which is both educational and genuinely useful.

The OS launched its iodéOS 7 beta in late 2025, rebasing on Android 16 with support for 34 devices. It uses microG for app compatibility and ships with a clean, stock-like interface.

Like /e/OS, iodéOS inherits LineageOS’s limitations: no hardened allocator, inconsistent verified boot support across devices, and security patches that can arrive days to weeks after AOSP releases. Wikipedia’s own entry on iodéOS notes criticism of delayed security updates and incomplete firmware patches on older devices.

Where it shines: The tracker blocker is genuinely excellent. Clean UX. Broad device support.

Where it falls short: Same LineageOS-inherited security limitations as /e/OS. Update cadence is inconsistent. Verified boot doesn’t work on every supported device.

Price: Free to install on supported devices. iodé also sells pre-installed phones starting around €400.

Who it’s for: Users who want visible, tangible tracker blocking and a clean Android experience, and who prioritize anti-tracking over hardened security.

B Tier — Niche or New, Promising

HIROH Phone (Powered by Murena)

Premium hardware with kill switches, running /e/OS — but completely unproven.

The HIROH Phone, announced in September 2025 and available for pre-order at $999/€999, is the most ambitious privacy phone hardware we’ve seen in years. It features two dedicated hardware kill switches that physically disconnect the cameras and microphones — no software workaround can override them. The specs are genuinely flagship-grade: 16GB RAM, 512GB storage, quad rear cameras, and a premium build quality.

It runs /e/OS exclusively, making it the first device to launch as a Murena-only phone. The partnership is smart — HIROH handles hardware, Murena handles software. It’s expected to begin shipping in March 2026.

The problem: It hasn’t shipped yet — pre-orders are open with delivery expected March 2026. There’s no track record. No independent security audits. No long-term update history. And at $999, you’re paying a significant premium over a Pixel with GrapheneOS for objectively weaker software security. The hardware kill switches are nice, but they’re a physical feature — they don’t compensate for the absence of verified boot, hardened allocator, or sandboxed Play Services.

Who it’s for: Users who specifically want hardware kill switches and a premium build, and who value the /e/OS ecosystem.

Punkt MC03

An interesting dual-environment concept, hampered by a proprietary OS and subscription model.

The Swiss-designed, German-built Punkt MC03 launched at CES 2026 with a genuinely novel approach: AphyOS creates two distinct environments. A locked-down “Vault” runs Proton apps (Mail, VPN, Calendar) in an isolated space, while a “Wild Web” environment allows broader app access. The idea is that your sensitive communications never touch the same environment as your casual browsing.

At $699 with a mandatory $9.99/month subscription after the first year, the MC03 is an expensive proposition. AphyOS is described as “open source” but details on its codebase availability and independent audits are thin. The subscription model — paying monthly for your OS to keep working — is unusual and will alienate many privacy enthusiasts who expect software freedom.

Who it’s for: Users intrigued by the Vault/Wild Web model and willing to pay ongoing costs for a curated privacy experience.

Jolla / Sailfish OS

Europe’s sovereignty play — genuinely independent, genuinely limited.

Jolla released Sailfish OS 5.0 “Tampella” in early 2025 with 300+ improvements, and a new Jolla Phone is expected mid-2026. The company successfully crowdfunded new hardware, showing there’s still a dedicated community.

Sailfish OS is the only viable non-Android, non-iOS mobile OS with any real commercial support. It’s Linux-based, partially open source (key UI components remain proprietary), and has been adopted by several European governments for digital sovereignty reasons.

The hard truth: The app ecosystem is tiny. Android app compatibility exists via an emulation layer, but it’s imperfect. You will make daily compromises. The hardware is mid-range at best. This is a phone for enthusiasts and sovereignty advocates, not for anyone who needs reliable app compatibility.

Who it’s for: European sovereignty advocates, Linux enthusiasts, and people who want to support a genuine third mobile OS ecosystem.

Cape Carrier Service

Not an OS, but the most important privacy development of 2025–2026.

Cape is a category of its own. It’s not a phone or an OS — it’s a privacy-first mobile carrier that launched nationwide consumer service in January 2026 at $99/month. Cape operates its own mobile core and SIMs, meaning your carrier-level data (location, call metadata, traffic patterns) is architecturally protected in ways that no OS can replicate.

Think about it: GrapheneOS can protect your device from app-level tracking, but your carrier still knows every tower you connect to, every call you make, and can be compelled to hand over that data. Cape eliminates this entire attack vector by simply not collecting it.

Cape partnered with Proton and raised $30M in funding. The service runs on nationwide 5G/4G infrastructure. The $99/month price is steep, but for anyone facing network-level threats (journalists, activists, executives), it’s the only solution that addresses a layer of the stack that phone OSes cannot touch.

Who it’s for: Anyone who needs network-level privacy. Pairs exceptionally well with GrapheneOS — together, they cover both the device and network layers.

C Tier — Compromised or Limited

Unplugged UP Phone

Overpriced hardware, closed-source OS, controversial founder. A hard pass.

The UP Phone, relaunched in August 2025, is a $989 device backed by Erik Prince — the founder of Blackwater, the private military contractor. The phone runs UnpluggedOS (previously called LibertOS), a proprietary, closed-source Android fork that claims “maximum encryption” and a “Privacy Mode.”

The problems are numerous. The hardware has been criticized as mid-range specs at flagship prices. The OS is closed-source, meaning every privacy claim is unverifiable. When How-To Geek reviewed it, the headline was literally “Please Don’t Buy This Privacy-First Phone.” The Verge’s coverage led with the Blackwater connection.

In privacy, trust is everything. A closed-source OS from a company with deep ties to military contracting and intelligence is not a credible privacy product. You cannot verify the code. You’re trusting the word of a company whose founder’s career was built on government contracts and private military operations.

Who it’s for: We genuinely struggle to recommend this to anyone.

Light Phone III

A beautiful anti-distraction device that happens to mention privacy. Not a privacy phone.

The Light Phone III shipped in March 2025 and won TIME’s Best Inventions award. It’s a gorgeous, minimalist phone with an AMOLED display, basic GPS, camera, 5G hotspot, and a curated set of tools. No social media. No infinite scroll. No browser (by default).

It’s a fantastic digital wellness device. It is not a privacy phone. LightOS is proprietary. There’s no verified boot, no hardened allocator, no sandboxed services, no tracker blocking. The threat model is “I spend too much time on Instagram,” not “I need to protect my communications from surveillance.”

We include it here because people frequently ask about it in privacy contexts. It deserves clarity: the Light Phone III solves a real problem (smartphone addiction), but that problem is not the same as the privacy problem.

Price: $799.

Who it’s for: People seeking digital minimalism, not privacy.

Purism Librem 5

A noble open-source vision trapped in underpowered hardware.

Purism’s Librem 5 remains the most ideologically pure option on this list. It runs PureOS (Debian-based Linux), has hardware kill switches for cellular, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, and cameras/microphone, uses a separate cellular modem isolated from the main CPU, and is designed with open-source hardware schematics.

In practice, the experience is rough. The NXP i.MX 8M Quad processor was outdated when the phone first shipped, and in 2026 it’s painful. Apps are slow. The browser struggles with modern websites. Battery life is poor. The PureOS app ecosystem is a fraction of what’s available on Android or iOS. Purism’s Trustpilot rating is 2.5/5, with many complaints about multi-year shipping delays — some users report ordering in 2021 and still not receiving their device by late 2025.

The “Liberty Phone” variant (assembled in the USA, slightly more RAM) costs even more for essentially the same hardware.

Purism continues to develop PureOS Crimson and the Phosh shell, and the phone does receive updates. But the hardware gap is insurmountable at this point. The Librem 5 is a development platform and a statement of principles, not a competitive daily driver.

Price: $699–$2,000+ depending on variant.

Who it’s for: Open-source hardware advocates, developers, and people willing to sacrifice daily usability for ideological purity.

Dead — Do Not Use

CalyxOS ☠️

Paused August 2025. No security patches since June 2025. Uninstall immediately.

CalyxOS was once the most commonly recommended GrapheneOS alternative — a more user-friendly option with microG integration and a strong community. That era is over.

On August 1, 2025, the Calyx Institute published a letter announcing that CalyxOS development had been paused. Both founder Nicholas Merrill and tech lead Chirayu Desai left the organization. The project’s own team recommended that users stop installing CalyxOS on new devices.

As of February 2026, CalyxOS is stuck on the June 1, 2025 security patch level — over eight months without security updates. That means eight months of known Android vulnerabilities are unpatched. Running CalyxOS in 2026 is arguably less secure than running stock Android with current patches.

If you’re currently running CalyxOS, migrate to GrapheneOS or return to stock Android immediately. This is not cautious advice — it’s urgent. Every day on an unpatched OS increases your exposure to publicly known exploits.

DivestOS ☠️

Development ceased December 2024. All associated projects (Mull browser, Mulch webview) are also dead.

DivestOS maintainer Tavi announced the discontinuation of the entire project in December 2024, including the ROM itself, the Mull privacy browser, Mulch system webview, and associated XMPP chatrooms. Downloads have been disappearing from the internet.

DivestOS served an important role — it brought security patches to devices that were no longer supported by their manufacturers. With the project dead, those devices are now fully unpatched and should be replaced or moved to another ROM if possible.

Do not install archived DivestOS images. They contain known vulnerabilities and will never be updated.

The Bottom Line

The privacy phone landscape in 2026 is simultaneously better and worse than it’s ever been.

Better because GrapheneOS continues to improve at a remarkable pace, Cape has launched a genuinely novel carrier service, and the HIROH Phone shows that premium hardware with privacy features is commercially viable.

Worse because two major projects (CalyxOS and DivestOS) have died, leaving their users exposed. The graveyard of privacy phone projects grows every year, and it’s a reminder that sustainability matters as much as technical merit.

If you’re reading this and need one answer: get a Pixel and install GrapheneOS. If you want to go further, pair it with Cape carrier service. Everything else is a trade-off — and while some of those trade-offs are reasonable, none of them are better.

This ranking is maintained by The PrivacyPhones Team and updated as the landscape changes. Last updated: February 17, 2026.

Have a correction or disagree with a ranking? We welcome evidence-based arguments. Reach out through our contact page.