Give your phone a new lease of life and try a new operating system

A computer, the instructions, a cable and a little patience: That's all it often takes to give an older smartphone a new lease of life with an alternative operating system. — Photo: Christin Klose/dpa

BERLIN: The latest smartphones are increasingly built to endure for several years, despite Apple's insistence that you definitely need the next generation iPhone.

However, we often end up ditching our phones early because the operating system isn't up to the task anymore. An outdated system often means updates aren't available any longer, which can cause some of your apps to stop working and mean serious security problems.

But there is a simple, and free, solution to this problem, at least for Android users: installing an alternative operating system.

There is a range of free and open source software versions to choose from which, different from Android and iOS, are developed by volunteers and non-profits whose main concern isn't making money.

Of course there is always the option to choose a smartphone operating system based on Linux which is an entirely separate organism from the Android ecosystem. One prominent example would be PostmarketOS.

However some of the apps you might be used to might not be available or look different with a Linux-based operating system.

Another option are so-called "custom ROM" systems, which are based on the original Android system.

Again there are many options to choose from, depending on what you are looking for. CalyxOS, an operating system developed by a team of volunteers and staff from New York-based non-profit Calyx Institute, focuses on privacy and security for example.

LineageOS meanwhile has been designed to run on as many devices as possible.

If you are unsure about which system to choose and how to install it on your phone, there are places you can turn to for advice.

A good place to start is the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE), which has compiled a comprehensive overview on how to upcycle an Android phone.

Sometimes, your phone might even work better with a new open source operating system, as they don't come with pre-installed apps, for example, according to the FSFE.

Free software also doesn't use up your battery or computing power for advertisement or trackers.

One you've switched sides, you might also want to try an alternative app store, like the F-Droid store, which only offers free, open-source apps. – dpa