Considering the current unfortunate enshittification of mainstream app stores like Google Play, I’ve started to transition to primiarly using F-droid apps whenever possible.
I’m unfortunately still tied to Google Play for specific apps, especially Google Maps. But besides those few dependencies, I’ve been surprised at how much I’ve been able to move over to F-droid.
It’s reassuring to know that all F-droid apps are open source and compiled straight from the source code, so you can trust that the app is not some randomly uploaded apk.
So far, some of my favorite F-droid apps are:
- Syncthing-Fork - dropbox-style file syncing for free
- Librera Reader - awesome e-reader app
- Joplin - open source cross platform notes app
- Localsend - easy wireless file transfer over LAN
- Fennec - Firefox without telemetry
- Saber - handwriting app for notes
- Heliboard - open source keyboard with no telemetry, works completely offline, better for privacy, etc
- Amaze File Manager - open source file manager
- Ankidroid - my favorite flashcards app
- Capy Reader - a simple RSS reader app
- Kanji Dojo - kanji writing practice app
- Package Manager - allows managing packages, and even allows for disabling app permissions that typically aren’t changable (e.g. network permission). Requires Shizuku
There’s still a few open source apps that I use that aren’t on F-droid, such as Lawnchair launcher, Shizuku, and InstallWithOptions, but so far I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much of my device usage can be made independent from Google Play.