Hey, there!
To get things going here and also because I’m interested in what kind of fun stuff you’re running on your phones, I’ll post a list of apps that I’m using daily or that are part of my Android experience.
To start it all off, I’d like to emphasize that I try to run FOSS apps almost exclusively and I also don’t use Google Play Services whatsoever (not even MicroG). I do run some very few closed source applications in a separate profile with Insular, but I plain out refuse to run them if they flat out require Google Play Services.
Feel free to tell me what YOU are running in the comments!
My installed Apps
- AdAway | Blocks ads by utilizing root access or by acting as a local VPN**
- Aegis | Provides 2-factor authentication codes, includes a repository of icons for your services
- Aurora Services | Required for background installations with Aurora Store****
- Aurora Store | Alternative client for the Google Play Store**
- AVNC | Remote desktop client
- CIFS Documents Provider | Access shares (SMB Windows Shares, for example) through file manager
- ConnectBot | Access SSH servers
- DAVx⁵ | CalDAV / CardDAV client (synchronizes calenders, contacts and tasks)*
- flutterhole | Adjust Pi-Hole settings quickly and inspect stats
- Fox’s Magisk Module Manager | Can install Magisk modules from several repos and let’s you manage them***
- Geometric Weather | Weather app (with widgets)
- Infinity for Reddit | Feature-rich Reddit client (future uncertain due to Reddit’s API-pocalypse, however, you can compile Infinity with your own API, as described here)
- Insular | Creates a separate (work) profile where you can install “big brother” apps**
- Jerboa for Lemmy | Lemmy client*
- Joplin | Note-taking application with sharing capabilities*
- K-9 Mail | Modern e-mail client with multiple inboxes, etc.*
- KDE Connect | Control your computer from your smartphone and vice-versa (also share files, notifications, clipboard, etc.)
- Kore | Remote for the Kodi media center
- KurobaEx | 4chan client
- LibreSpeed | Tests connection speed*
- LibreTube | Client for Piped, a private YouTube frontend with SponsorBlock support*
- Magisk | Systemless root solution***
- mLauncher | Text-based launcher that looks good and keeps things simple
- MuPDF mini | Opens PDFs quickly and renders them perfectly, nothing else
- Mull | Firefox-based browser, deblobbed and hardened for privacy
- Nekogram X | Client for Telegram with more features
- Neo Backup | Powerful backup and restore solution**
- Neo Store | Alternative client for F-Droid**
- Noice | Create and play back profiles of overlapping noises to drown out environmental noises (use version 1.3.3, version 2.x requires internet access and an optional subscription)
- ProtonVPN | Client for the popular ProtonVPN service
- Raiden Tweaks | Configuration tool for the Raiden Tweaks Magisk module****
- Simple Gallery Pro | Nice gallery app for viewing pictures and videos
- SlimSocial for Facebook | Wrapper for Facebook’s website, so you can interact with people that refuse to use any kind of messenger, but are still present on Facebook
- SuperFreezZ | Freeze applications that you’re not using***
- Tasks | To-do app with recurring tasks support*
- Translate You | Translates texts between languages*
- Tusky | Client for Mastodon / Pleroma and forks*
- VLC | Powerful media player
- Wallme-Wallpaper | Provides a set of nice-looking wallpapers
- WateryDroid | Reminds you to drink water
- WireGuard | Client for the popular and powerful VPN solution WireGuard*
- Yet another Call Blocker | Uses a community blockist to block fraudalent callers
- Öffi (Offi on F-Droid) | Powerful app for checking public transportation schedules and more (Mostly Europe and some other places)
Apps not available on F-Droid
These are apps that aren’t available on F-Droid, due to either containing non-free dependencies or other reasons.
- Bitwarden(GPL-3.0) | Powerful cloud password manager with auto-fill capabilities*
- boum(MPL-2.0) | Client for listening to music on Jellyfin*
- Brave(MPL-2.0) | Web browser based on Chromium with privacy in mind (I use it when Mull breaks something)
- Record You(GPL-3.0) | Record your voice or your screen
Honorable Mentions
These are apps that I wholeheartedly recommend, but don’t use any more, because I replaced them with something else.
- NewPipe for SponsorBlock(GPL-3.0) | Private YouTube client with SponsorBlock support
- Open Camera | Feature rich camera with Camera API v2 support, usually the best FOSS camera on 3rd party ROMs
*CAN be used as a client for self-hosted services
**Offers additional features if root access is present
***Requires root access to be present
****Part of a Magisk module
Edit: Added some links and changed Infinity’s description
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Organic Maps for offline maps based on OpenStreetMap data.
Oh yes, absolutely. I personally use GMaps in Insular, due to traffic prognostic stuff, but Organic Maps and OSMAnd~ are also nice!
Removed by mod
- FFUpdater Updater for privacy friendly browsers
- Voice Audiobook player
- Gmaps WV WebView wrapper for accessing the web version of Google Maps
- Feeder RSS reader
- Omni Notes Note taking app
- Simple Calendar Pro Calendar app and widget, syncs with DAVx⁵
- Simple SMS Messenger SMS app
- Material Files Material design file manager
- Binary Eye Barcode / QR code scanner
- Audio Recorder Record audio files
Not on F-Droid
Thanks for your addition! What does a 3rd party SMS app offer over the regular SMS app that comes with your phone, though?
Is it an american thing to still use SMS broadly? It’s kind of weird to me, because of the inherently non-private and restrictive features of SMS.
Just genuinely asking.
Amazing list. I would also recommend Obtainium for keeping up the updates directly from sources like Github.
Thank you, Obtanium is a great piece of software, too.
For those that are going to use it, though… Keep in mind that only applications that are on F-Droid are sure to be free of proprietary libraries, etc. I personally tend to stretch the rules a bit, so that’s fine with me. But there are some Richard-Stallman-esque people who truly only want FOSS on their phone and I get that.
Also, if you installed something from F-Droid (or sometimes from somewhere else) and then try to update the same app through obtanium, it’ll refuse to work, unless you uninstall the already installed version first. Same goes for updating F-Droid apps through Aurora Store (or Play Store).
Here some not yet mentioned #FOSS #Android apps that I think add value to me:
- Anki-Droid (github) for spaced repetition learning, synced with the Anki desktop app. I create and manage cards in the desktop app, but a mobile client is convenient for review on the go. Makes memory a choice.
- AntennaPod for #podcasts
- #OSM: Organic Maps, and StreetComplete for easy contributing
- Wikipedia
- Orgzly outliner using the org-mode markup format of the #Emacs text editor. I use it to view and edit my org-mode notes created in the Emacs text editor on my phone. That use-case is pretty niche, but the app is also decent by itself.
- Syncthing for syncing directories between several devices (mobile & desktop) without the need for a central “cloud” server.
- Wallabag: Self-hosted pocket alternative. Save websites to read later and sync that list across devices.
Not on F-Droid:
- Medito (IzzyDroid, github): Guided #meditation for beginners and a FOSS alternative to headspace and the like. Though if you’re experienced just a timer app might be sufficient, there are plenty of those. Might do some tracking, there seem to be some problems getting it into FDROID, see this issue
Thank you very much for your list! I forgot Anki-Droid. I use it to learn Japanese. I used to use Syncthing in the past, but it hasn’t been 100% reliable for me. But that was probably a configuration issue on my side.
Gonna check out Medito now.
Removed by mod
Thanks! I’ll look into Image Toolbox and Catima. Regarding Shelter, Insular and Island, here’s a comparsion table between the three!
Removed by mod
I use Syncthing and KDE Connect both. They’re fantastic at what they do- wireless sync specific folders between devices, send/receive files, share a clipboard between devices, remotely operate a device, share notifications etc. Basically you can create your own seamless ecosystem of devices that belong to any platform! If you’re like me and use a lot of offline-only apps, these two will let you sync your data between 2 or more devices. I use it for my offline music library (fully legal of course, no question about it haha lol), logseq notes, books (again, definitely completely legal).
I also use BitWarden, but I might switch to Keypass because it is fully offline.
Does syncing a password vault or app settings work flawlessly like that or do hiccups occur? I usually try to use things that are FOSS and offer a selfhosted backend, but I’m not opposed to the usage of fully offline applications, as well.
Great list - picked up a couple new ones for myself. Thanks.
Adding to your list:
- Paperless Mobile An almost fully-fledged mobile app for my Paperless-ngx server
- Syncthing Helped me (with Photoprism) replace Google Photos, but also syncs backup files made by other apps (Tasker, Signal, calls & texts, etc) from my phone to my computer overnight
- Simple Search Completely configurable search widget, lets me search with my private Whoogle servers from my phone’s home screen
- Shelter A lot like Insular, lets you utilise work profile for your own needs - apps, files, etc.
- Droid-ify Another F-droid alternative
Do you selfhost paperless-ngx? I used to run it for some time, but then took it offline, because I didn’t find it as useful as I thought it’d be.
Also, after looking at this comparison table again, I think I might switch from Insular to Shelter, as it supports auto freeze.
Do you selfhost paperless-ngx?
Indeed I do. It’s not necessarily something I find myself using every single day, but it’s come in handy on so many occasions, I can’t imagine NOT having it now. I’m (slowly) scanning all my existing paper archives in and shredding them, only keeping the physical copies of things that make sense (eg. birth certificates). The more data I put into it, the more useful it is.
Lots of great recommendations and I got a few ideas from here. I came here to mention AFWall+, which blocks apps’ internet connection with iptables for that additional layer of security.
Some stuff that wasn’t mentioned yet and should be on either fdroid or izzy:
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Muzei (wallpaper switcher)
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Earth view for Muzei
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Retro Music
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Simple Time Tracker (used to use it to track my work hours)
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Energize (most feature-packed food tracker on fdroid)
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GymRoutines (Workout tracker)
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Material Files (file manager + seeing network shares)
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Wireguard (allows me to connect to my local network and see my NAS in material files)
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MJ Pdf (mostly because its simple but has printing and text copying)
I did mention wireguard, though. 😜
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Available on Fdroid & IzzyOnDroid:
- Gmaps WV - wrapper for Google Maps
- Aegis - 2 factor authenticator
- Aurora Store - alternative for Play Store
- Thunder - app for Lemmy
- K-9 Mail - e-mail client
- LocalSend - cross platform file sharing app over local wifi ou hotspot
- Fennec Firefox mobile app
- Simple Gallery Pro - gallery app
- VLC - media player
- Record You - voice or screen recorder
- NewPipe - youtube client
- Binary Eye - QR code scanner
- Organic Maps - OpenStreetMap offline maps
- SimpleXChat - messenger
- Markor - text editor
- Activity Manager - activity launcher
Next Player also deserve a mention. It’s still in beta stage though, but quite solid.
I’d like to mention ImgurViewer, can handle quite a lot of image/video links. Particularly useful at the moment with all these new lemmy apps not having the best handle over links.
I’d love to share my recommended apps but I can’t make a post.
Looks like I can comment just fine.
Hey, I just sent you a private message to see what’s going on.
Thanks, yours recommendation it’s like my. It’s seems that have “my phone”. 😂😂😂
Glad you like it!
