Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.
In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.
[Matrix/Element]Dead
much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)
Something worth noting is that F-Droid is both an app to download other apps but they also maintains a repository of apps. You can use alternative store apps (like Droid-ify) with the F-Droid repository OR you could use the F-Droid app with a different repository (like IzzyOnDroid). You can mix and match to meet your needs.
I use the Droid-ify app with the F-Droid, IzzyOnDroid, microG, NewPipe, and Collabora repositories.
Once you start down this rabbit hole, give Obtanium a look.
Been using Fdroid to the point where my first boot into a new phone is:
Open chrome > download fdroid > open settings > uninstall/disable every single application I can > open fdroid > install all the relevant apps I require for making my phone useful
I'm just waiting for a small life upgrade in order to be able to support some app developers; it will be money better spent than using the standard google apps.
Are they planning on modernizing the app for Material You? It feels out of place in my phone in 2023.
edit: all the people who suggested Droid-ify know what's up. Thanks, guys!
I have a lot of complaints about this too, but namely lack of seamless updates is baffling to me.
Luckily I found Droid-ify and solves both those problems. Also has the common repos frequently added, like IzzyOnDroid, easily pre-available to enabled in the settings.
This definitely replaced the archaeic fdroid client for me, they desperately need an overhaul as it's a terrible first impression.
You can get Droidify and it provides a more pleasant visual experience.
I know this thread is already a little old, but here is the list of my favorite apps from F-Droid/Izzy. I use a lot of these almost daily and just thought I would share these in case someone might find a new app they find useful
Geometric Weather has a more active fork called Breezy Weather.
Quillnote has a more active fork called Quillpad
What kinda good stuff is on F Droid they the average User might want?
Most of the apps of tibor kaputa. I really like the simple gallery. The simple dialer and simple contacts are also really good. Just clean default apps that do what they should.(adfree)
Endless Sky and Mindustry are some good, fun, deep games.
oh and shattered pixel dungeon also...
NewPipe lets you listen to youtube videos without the screen on (and also download them or just the audio).
Probably the main thing I use
Osmand (offline GPS maps)
Same version as the android store but free.
Love F-Droid but be aware of the risks and always try to use a developer repo when possible..
Those are some very strange objections to F-Droid. The outdated signing software on the backend doesn't really affect the end user, for a start. The signing key problem is also present in Google Play, the only other app store people actually use, and it's intentional.
F-Droid builds the sources developers make available, it doesn't accept a developers 's build with the pinky promise that no malware was added when they compiled there code.
The loose requirements are a feature, not a bug; things like a low API target level are why Termux still works on F-Droid but not on GPlay. This does pose some privacy risks because of API compatibility stuff, but because of the requirements for an app to be even listed on there, the impact is minimal.
Should F-Droid improve their technical debt? Definitely. Does any of this pose an actual risk to users? Definitely not.
Fdroid basic allows automatic updates!
The guadian project repos are also preset, albeit not enabled by default.
I have never found anything useful in it. And god I have tried. I end up uninstalling it every time.
I can't use F-Droid without the Play Store but I tend to check there first to see if there is something available there before installing something from the Play Store.
Even better obtanium installs direct from the Devs host. You could use fdroid to find the homepage/where they host and add it to obtanium
I've always had a niggling worry that downloading apps from 3rd party app stores came with a higher risk of getting apps with viruses and spyware.
any truth to this?
Not really.
Fdroid is a secure repositorie and the applications are reviewed before being made available for end users.
The repository is also highly focused on privacy and security and will warn if applications have security flaws or depend on non free services.
As an example, I use NewPipe instead of the standard YT app and it has a warning it depends on non-free services.
One other example I can give is Librera. It's a very feature rich ebook/pdf/etc reader. At some point, a security flaw was discovered and the app was instantly flagged has having such problems and users were advised to not install it.
The benefit of open source apps is anyone can view the code to see if there is malware or other installed.
This is a bit of a fallacious point in this context - it suggests:
F droid is EXCELLENT
I made a website to help finding well-maintained F-Droid apps through Github/Gitlab metrics here: https://dbeley.github.io/fdroid-insights/
Neo store is a nice layout for f-Droid if you want a more modern look
Does anyone have a good foss ebook and pdf reader?
Thanks!
I use Librera every day: the user interface looks a bit outdated but has support for any format known to man and a ton of features (and I mean A TON)