What is ScylarOS?

What is ScylarOS in short?

ScylarOS is the smartphone operating system by Alpha Management GmbH from Iserlohn, Germany. It runs on SCYLAR One: a new Fairphone 5 that we set up with ScylarOS and send to you ready to use. The system is not Android and not iOS – it is the third choice alongside iOS and Android.

The interface, more than twenty apps of our own, your AI, the store and the services behind them come from us. The services for account, backup, store and updates run on our servers in Germany, hosted by Hetzner. There is no ad tracking, and we do not pass data to ad networks.

ScylarOS is in beta. A lot works, some things do not yet. What is still missing is listed further down this page and in detail in the beta notes (in German). We are this open about it because you should know what you are getting before you buy. If you depend on particular well-known apps, please read the section on the app extension and the list of limits before anything else. For a side-by-side look, see ScylarOS compared with Android and iOS.

What did ScylarOS build itself – and what comes from open-source projects?

We built what you see and use: the interface, more than twenty apps of our own – phone, messages, calendar, camera, gallery, calculator, search, settings, store, device transfer, shopping, routines and more – plus the AI you name yourself, the store and our services for account, backup and updates.

Underneath sit building blocks that nobody needs to reinvent for a phone: the kernel, the innermost core of the system, and the device drivers that run things like the camera, radio and screen. These building blocks come from open-source projects. We say so openly.

Exactly which building blocks they are, which licences apply and how to get the source code is listed in the legal notices on the device. Your AI also uses two open AI models with their own licences; they are named on the page about your AI. In short: the foundation comes from open projects, the system on top of it is ours.

What is the Scylar app extension?

ScylarOS comes with its own apps. If you want additional apps, you can switch on the Scylar app extension. Additional apps from a free app catalogue then run in a separate, sealed-off area.

Good to know: the app extension is off by default. It is a separate add-on, not part of the core system. You decide whether to switch it on – ScylarOS works without it.

To be honest: far from every app you know from other phones runs this way. Many well-known apps rely on services from the large platform makers – especially banking, payment and copy-protected streaming apps. They do not run, or only with limitations. If you depend on a specific app, ask us before you buy: support@scylaros.com. We would rather tell you “that won’t work” up front than have you disappointed later.

Do I need a Scylar ID for ScylarOS?

Yes. The Scylar ID is part of ScylarOS and not optional. You need it to set up your phone.

The Scylar ID connects three things: setting up your phone, backing up your data and moving to your next device. Behind it are our own services for account, backup, store and updates. These services run on servers in Germany, hosted by Hetzner. There is no ad tracking and no data for ad networks.

We say this clearly so you know before you buy: there is no ScylarOS without a Scylar ID. If you want a phone with no account at the provider at all, SCYLAR One is not the right choice for you. We are happy to answer questions in advance at support@scylaros.com.

How does ScylarOS get updates – and for how long?

Updates for ScylarOS arrive as a download from our own update server. An update is only installed once you agree. So you decide when it happens – in the evening, for example, when you don’t need the phone. The download needs a connection, such as Wi-Fi.

For SCYLAR One, as stated in the shop: we provide updates for ScylarOS for 5 years from delivery, as a download on the device.

Worth knowing: with ScylarOS, the Fairphone 5 no longer receives system updates from Fairphone. We deliver the ScylarOS updates ourselves. Fairphone makes the device and has nothing to do with ScylarOS – for questions about ScylarOS and its updates, talk to us, not Fairphone: support@scylaros.com.

How does ScylarOS protect the data on my phone?

Your data on the device sits in an encrypted data vault. Technically this is LUKS2, a method for encrypting entire storage areas. The key to the vault depends on two things: your PIN and a device secret. The key is derived from your PIN with Argon2id, a method designed specifically for deriving keys from passwords.

On top of that comes secure boot: at start-up, ScylarOS checks whether the system is unchanged.

What your AI knows about you – contacts, appointments, history – is also stored encrypted on your device. There is no ad tracking and no data for ad networks. We are open about when data leaves the device: the services for account, backup, store and updates run on our servers in Germany. And if you agree, your AI can ask a larger AI via our servers for difficult tasks. How that works is explained on the page about your AI.

What can’t ScylarOS do yet?

ScylarOS is in beta. You should know these points before you buy:

• Many well-known apps do not run, or only with limitations. This affects apps that rely on services from the large platform makers – especially banking, payments and copy-protected streaming.
• Calls over 4G (VoLTE) are not guaranteed with every mobile network.
• NFC and contactless payment cannot be used yet.
• Emergency calls: your location is not yet sent automatically to the emergency centre. In an emergency call, you need to give your location yourself.
• No more system updates from Fairphone. We deliver the updates for ScylarOS.

If you depend on any of these points, SCYLAR One is not the right choice for you today. The full list with all details is in the beta notes (German). We are glad to answer questions before you buy: support@scylaros.com.