Background
f-droid is an alternate app store for android devices but it is not just an alternate app store, its apps are FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) - meaning anyone can view the full source to see what the app is doing. You can read more about f-droid on their site.
f-droid also provides an application for your phone/device to manage applications. This app allows you to find (browse/search) applications on f-droid and also notifies you of newer versions of the apps you install. The following guide shows how to install the f-droid.org application as well as how to use it to find apps.
Details
Installing f-droid is not difficult. To begin, we will need to allow installation of applications from “Unknown Sources”. This seems risky due to the name and info google displays about this process; however, it is simply the ability to install applications from unknown (or better put: not from google) sources.
- Go to Settings > Applications
- Ensure “Unknown sources” is checked
One thing to keep in mind, there is nothing inherently risky about sources that are not google but it does mean you need to know and trust the source you install applications from. f-droid maintainers and the community do a good job of checking / verifying apps but you should still be cautious.
Next, we will download the f-droid app and install.
- In your browser on your phone/device, go to: https://f-droid.org/
- Click the “Download F-Droid” link/button and save the file
- When the download is complete, select to open the downloaded file from the notification tray or open a file manager, go to your downloads directory, and open the file
- note: open the downloaded file with the “Application Installer” app not the “Verify and Install” (google) app
Using the App
You should now be ready to use the f-droid, open up the app. The first thing you should see is f-droid’s list of available apps with the “What’s New” category selected. You can browse apps via the list of categories or go to Menu > Search to search for an application.
Notes
On a bit of a side note, I like to change f-droid’s preferences (Menu > Preferences) as follows:
- Automatic update interval: set this to Never as I like to manually install updates
- Notify: ensure this is checked to receive updates on new versions of apps
- Show permissions: ensure this is checked to show the list of permissions for applications
- Compact Layout: ensure this is checked as it uses smaller icons in the app list which seems to look better on large and small devices
- Theme: change to the Light theme vs the default Dark theme
Following is a list of apps I like/use from f-droid:
- ownCloud: the ownCloud client app that connects to an ownCloud server and allows syncing of files to and from your device
- K-9 Mail: the best email client for android
- AFWall+: a firewall for your device, allows you to control what data resources (wifi, mobile, etc.) apps can access
- CSipSimple: a feature packed SIP client for VOIP access/calls
There are many more and the list is growing daily so browse the available apps and try something out!
