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Murena launches ‘deGoogled’ smartphone with a kill switch for privacy

Murena launches ‘deGoogled’ smartphone with a kill switch for privacy


The Murena 2, a “deGoogled” smartphone with a kill switch, has finally launched in Europe.

Billed as a privacy-centric disruptor to the Apple-Google mobile duopoly, the device is the second handset from French startup Murena. 

One new addition to the Murena 2 is a physical privacy button, which instantly disables the microphone and camera. To reactivate them for a video call, users just need to flick the switch again.

On the other side of the handset is another button — a disconnection switch. This disables all network activity and mutes the device, providing a “do not disturb” function that taps into growing demands for digital detoxes.

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The device’s brain, meanwhile, is powered by /e/OS, a privacy-oriented, open-source derivative of Android. Murena built the software to escape the shackles of Google’s operating system.

On /e/OS, every tracker is removed by default. Android, by contrast, sends data back to Google an estimated 40 times an hour on an inactive device — and 90 on an active one.

Side view of the Murena kill switch