Sick of Android? Don't want to be locked to a proprietary ecosystem? Security and privacy are becoming increasingly important for smartphone users, but what is the answer?

Is it possible to abandon Android and iOS for another mobile operating system?

When you want an alternative operating system, Linux is usually the answer. But which Linux phone OSes are available to install today? When you want to replace Android with Linux, here are the Linux mobile distros you should try.

1. Ubuntu Touch

Originally released by Ubuntu developers Canonical, the most famous Linux mobile OS, Ubuntu Touch, is now maintained by ubports.

Ubuntu Touch's approach to smartphones is intelligent, dealing with the lack of apps by providing social, news, and photo tools natively. This is done in the guise of Scopes, different pages of the Home screen that provide customized news, weather, apps, and social networks.

It works well, too, although there is always a time when apps are needed.

Perhaps Ubuntu Touch's greatest strength, however, is Convergence.

This is a system, much like Samsung DeX, in which the mobile device is connected to a wireless HDMI device, keyboard, and mouse, and used as a desktop computer. The only real difference between this and your desktop Linux device is that the phone has an ARM processor.

Currently supported devices include the Google Pixel 3a/3a XL, Fairphone 4, OnePlus One, and the BQ Aquaris tablet. Many other phones can run Ubuntu Touch – check the list of supported phones to find if you can run a Linux mobile phone.

Our guide to installing Ubuntu Touch on a compatible smartphone will help you get started.

2. postmarketOS

Describing itself as "a real Linux distribution for phones" postmarketOS (also known as pmOS) is a version of Alpine Linux for phones.

After years of development, pmOS is currently in beta, to create a sustainable mobile OS, one with long-term support.

At the time of writing, supported devices include the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2015) and A5 (2015) along with the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Value Edition as well as the following:

  • ASUS MeMo Pad 7
  • BQ Aquaris X5
  • Motorola Moto G4 Play
  • Fairphone 4
  • Nokia N900
  • PINE64 PinePhone
  • PINE64 PineTab
  • Purism Librem 5
  • Xiaomi Redmi 2

If you own any of these devices, you can flash postmarketOS and enjoy it as a “Linux for phone” operating system.

3. Sailfish OS, the Android-Compatible Linux OS for Mobile

Jointly developed by Jolla, Mer (a middleware stack developer), the Sailfish Alliance (a group of corporations) and community members, Sailfish OS is a continuation of abandoned operating system MeeGo, itself based on Maemo and Moblin.

The latest version of Sailfish OS is known as Sailfish X, which runs on Sony Xperia X devices. Unfortunately, Sailfish OS is not open source, and the free version is a time-limited trial. Development is focused on Sony Xperia X, Sony Xperia 10, and Gemini PDA devices.

The full version of Sailfish X will set you back around $50, and it's only available within the European Union, Norway, and Switzerland. As noted on the website:

"…the use of our website and services to purchase Sailfish X outside of the Authorized Countries is prohibited."

Sailfish OS has Android app support, along with Microsoft Exchange support, so if that appeals, this mobile Linux OS is worth trying out.

(Older builds of Sailfish are available for many of the usual devices if you don’t mind a slightly out-of-date Linux on smartphone experience.)

4. Mobian

"Debian for Mobile" has been in development since 2020 and is available for phones and tablets. A version of x86-based devices (PCs, laptops, and hybrids) is also available.

This version of Linux for phones is compatible with:

  • Librem 5
  • OnePlus 6/6T
  • PinePhone
  • PinePhone Pro
  • PineTab
  • Xiaomi Pocophone F1

Mobian looks a solid Linux OS for mobile phones, but if you don't have a suitable device, consider an alternative.

5. Manjaro ARM

Also available as a Linux phone OS is Manjaro ARM, a version of the Arch Linux-based distro for ARM devices.

This relies on the Plasma Mobile project for the user interface, a smartphone-focused spin on the popular Plasma desktop environment. Plasma Mobile supports desktop Plasma apps and widgets, along with Ubuntu Touch apps.

Manjaro ARM is available for the Pinephone and Pinephone Pro devices.

6. Arch Linux ARM

Another mobile Linux OS that relies on the Plasma Mobile desktop, Arch Linux ARM is suitable only for the Pinephone and Pinephone Pro phones.

As with Manjaro ARM, once flashed to your device, you have access to Plasma’s apps and tools. These are designed to make your phone as usable as if it was running Android.

Note that Arch Linux ARM requires the Tow-boot tool to aid installation.

7. openSUSE

Using a rolling release system, openSUSE Tumbleweed issues continuous updates and is available for one specific phone, the PinePhone.

Another Linux phone OS that utilizes the Plasma Mobile user interface, openSUSE can run all the apps you need for an open source mobile phone experience.

The accompanying video demonstrates how well it runs on the PinePhone. Hopefully the openSUSE developers can expand support to more phones in the future.

If you're new to this distro, see our introduction to openSUSE to learn more.

Can You Replace Android With Linux on a Tablet?

Some of the devices that these Linux phone distros work on are in fact tablets. Most of these are Android tablets, although you might install Linux on a Windows tablet with Plasma Mobile.

As with the various smartphones, you'll need to check each Linux mobile OS for compatibility. While you can't replace Android OS with Linux on most Android tablets, it is worth investigating, just in case.

One thing you definitely can't do, however, is install Linux on an iPad. Apple keeps its operating system and hardware firmly locked, so there is no avenue for Linux (or Android) here.

Beware also of missing features. Some of these distros don’t work fully on the target device. You may find some buttons, USB functionality, LEDs, or even cameras don’t operate as expected (or at all). As with PCs and laptops, take your time choosing a distro when installing Linux on a phone.

Your Smartphone Deserves It: Replace Android With Linux

Amazingly there are seven different Linux phone OSes you can install on your mobile phone:

  • Ubuntu Touch
  • postmarketOS
  • Sailfish OS
  • Mobian
  • Manjaro ARM
  • Arch Linux ARM
  • openSUSE

As people become more privacy conscious and demand more control of their phones, so Linux for mobile devices will become more popular. Get ahead of the curve—if your phone supports Linux, learn how to replace Android with Linux today.