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
It’s very interesting that OP doesn’t use microG. How do you deal with no notifications? Do you use apps with custom (non-google) notification support? What are the disadvantages?
Here’s a list of apps I use that are not on OP’s list:
- ACCA (root required) | Custom charge cycle
- Antenna Pod | Podcasts
- Birthday Adapter | Pulls birthdays out of contacts and pushes them to your calendar
- Catima | For cupon card and stuff with barcodes
- DuckDuckGo browser | very minimal browser
- GadgetBridge | FOSS client for smart watches (I used it for a MiBand 6)
- Glider for HackerNews | Hackernews mobile client
- LibreOffice viewer | for viewing non-pdf documents
- Mullvad VPN | Privacy respecting VPN with a flat monthly fee
- Notally | Local only note taking app
- OctoDroid | github client
- OpenBoard | keyboard
- OrganicMaps | Ligheweight maps based on OSM
- PDF doc scan | Document Scanner
- QuickWeather | Simple Light weather app (GadgetBridge compatible)
- RadioDroid | Internet radio player
- RH voice | TTS engine
- Signal | Privacy respecting chatting app
- Simple Text Editor | mainly for viewing files
- Usage Direct | Phone usage monitor
Compared to OP, I do use MicroG with LineageOS. I also use quite a few closed source apps (banking apps, uber-like, car/bike sharing, some local apps for public transport, chatting apps, navigation, etc) but I do try my best to avoid them if I can. From time to time I log into Facebook / Instagram or use Google Maps in the browser, but don’t have the apps installed.
Hey, thanks for your list! Very interesting. I used to use ACCA, too. But due to me not using that many apps (especially only very few closed source apps) and therefore not having many background processes, my batteries are always very healthy. My phones usually last around 4 years and never once has a battery failed on me, despite me regularly charging and discharging my phones almost completely every 1 1/2-2 days. ACCA is a good piece of software, but I feel that I don’t need it. Funny enough, my old phone (Xiaomi Mi MIX 2) still works the whole day when charging it during the night, but what made me ultimately get a new phone is that the screen had burn in issues and the volume and power buttons acted up from me using it so much.
I also used to use GadgetBride for my Mi Band, but after some weeks, I usually take my band off and then it collects dust for months. Don’t know why that is, though.
I wish I could use OpenBoard or any other keyboard. I need Japanese input and I want to have it in one single application. Right now, only Microsoft SwiftKey is able to do that for me in a convenient way, which means, I have it installed and completely cut off from the internet, due to it being closed source. Another thing is that I use Insular for closed source apps in a work profile and a second installation of SwiftKey there has native support for syncing settings and dictionaries with the one on mainland.
I personally don’t care for Signal at all. I know, Telegram isn’t private, but I’m making a compromise here. I really like the UI / UX of Telegram. Something where Signal lacks. It’s all a matter of taste, but I just don’t like it. Also, all my friends and family are either on Telegram or on WhatsApp.
Regarding me using no Google Services Framework or MicroG at all: I don’t need them. No truly FOSS app will utilize that. They all handle notifications on their own. The few closed source apps I use (including banking, etc.) are on my Insular space and they don’t need GSF also. If I try to use a closed source app that straight out requires it or crashes when no GSF is present, I uninstall it immediately. Simple as that.
very interesting. I honestly never considered going without microG. I wonder if it’s viable for my usecase.
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.
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.
Amazing list. I would also recommend Obtainium for keeping up the updates directly from sources like Github.
