But I wish f-droid had some kind of rating system so that I could use it more.
Either that, or at least a download count so that I could tell which apps were most popular. (I tend to trust popularity more than ratings as a proxy for quality anyway.)
Here’s a list of my useful ones that I didn’t see used in this thread.
Seal - this is a YouTube downloader. I love this for extracting audio from videos to listen as a podcast, quick and easy.
URLCheck - this when set as a default browser will intercept links to remove trackers, check them against known phishing links, redirect links etc etc. Probably my favourite app!
Transistor - radio app, just simple and works can’t beat it.
Birday - birthday manager so you can check and see who’s birthdays are coming up.
Tasks.org - I love this task manager, took a bit of setting up how I like but it works great. Ticktick became really bloated and sluggish so I switched.
Many apps that are on F-Droid are also on Google Play, but there are exceptions. Gadgetbridge (smart watch connection app) warns that the Google Play version is unofficial and unaffiliated. An unofficial app might be upstream compiled without modifications, but this opens users to potential supply chain attacks from the uploader and Google.
You can do that with both rooted and non-root phones. Just one-click install all apps with the sync button on the top right or the “update all” button.
However, sometimes it fails and I need to install rest them manually if your phone is not rooted.
Simply put, it is normal that it sometimes pops up prompt window when user installing/upgrading some applications (because of having lower target api).
Kvaesitso ia great, but I keep coming back to Kiss. Having your most used/history apps easily accessible from bottom to top (instead of being only at the top of the apps folder) is so convenient and easier accessible. You don’t have to move your hands to the top of the phone.
Edit: I missed a specific setting that allows you to have the search page reversed (bottom to top), so favorites and most used are at the bottom. It’s definitely better, but I still fall back to Kiss.
I have been using Phone app from Google mainly because it has a spam detection and blocker feature are you telling me that I can replace it with Yet another call blocker or how exactly would I make it work?
As you can see, in newer android versions the spam filter app for calls it’s separate from the phone app.
Try using Yet another call blockee + simple dialer (I recommend the entire simple mobile suite actually). If you’re not satisfied you can always go back (contacts are stored in your SIM or on your phone, deleting or changing the dialer app does not make your contacts disappear)
Quick correction: don’t store contacts on your SIM (especially not without backups) this is considered by most phone software these days to be deprecated functionality since it dates back to payphones and flip phones without any writable memory. SIM cards are intended to be entirely disposable, and can fail at random with no warning
I wouldn’t trust that. Play store is filled with ripoffs of foss apps with lots of ads and god only knows what. Also xtra blocks ads, which is a big no-no on the play store.
I always looked at this form of app monetization as “You are tech savvy enough to know the risks of trusting a 3rd party app store therefore we will not charge you” type of tax haha
TrackerControl is an Android app that allows users to monitor and control the widespread, ongoing, hidden data collection in mobile apps about user behaviour (‘tracking’).
Blokada is a VPN based adblocker, but Adaway can work as a hosts file based blocker, if the phone is rooted. Hosts file based blocking uses zero cpu cycles, as it’s a feature of the network stack, it’s just a file containing list of addresses to redirect, so it should use less battery than blokada. By default on all OSes this hosts file is not editable by regular users, that’s why you need root. Wikipedia article about hosts file
Without root it works the same way as blokada, as a local VPN. I always root my phones, so I don’t have experience with that, I guess it’s similar.
But you can just try it, and if you don’t like it you can get back to blokada. Also as both of them are just VPNs, you can just switch between the two, while both are installed. Also on their website there is a good FAQ: https://adaway.org/
FYI you don’t need apps that pretend to be a VPN to block ads anymore, you can just go to Settings > Network and Internet > Private DNS and set it to something like dns.adguard.com to block almost all ads, no install required!
I am afraid the UK isps Virgin, three and Sky have blocked me completely from trying to browse anything at all if I try to enable this setting at all.
IF I enable it on any of them I have no Internet at all. Sucks but in the UK it’s basically turning off you’re Internet. I still have an older version of blokada working but when it updates it kills my Internet like the rest of them so I’m constantly fighting that.
Sorry for the late reply, your link tries to add the . from the end of your sentence to it and breaks so I couldn’t see your screenshot until I removed it. I notice you still have blokada enabled, have you tried switching it off completely and then enabling private DNS? I’m not a network expert but it seems like they could be treading on each others toes maybe.
Your partly right in that bitwarden was interfering but while I can get sky WiFi to work with private dns it still cuts off my mobile network which is 3.
Now that’s not completely as bad as it sounds because I use WiFi calling a lot at home .
Ive seen the same issue in the past with virgin which even cut of my home pcs if I tried to use a dns that wasnt theirs.
Raise hell with your telecomms regulator. Choice of DNS (not to mention how web content is rendered) is solely your business, but it will only remain that way if you get vocal.
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DNS66 is an amazing adblocker
LibreTube is the best youtube client out there
F-droid is great. But I wish f-droid had some kind of rating system so that I could use it more.
NewPipe
Simple calendar
Simple gallery
SD Maid
KeePassDX
MuPDF mini
Open contacts
OsmAnd~
Slight backup
VLC
Jerboa
F-droid
ps: how do you make a list on Jerboa/lemmy?
Either that, or at least a download count so that I could tell which apps were most popular. (I tend to trust popularity more than ratings as a proxy for quality anyway.)
I second the wish for a ratings system!
It’s markdown format, starting a line with - will show a bullet point
Here’s a list of my useful ones that I didn’t see used in this thread.
Tasks.org is there on play store also tho
I did not know that! Cheers
I believe the fdroid version is more feature rich.
Many apps that are on F-Droid are also on Google Play, but there are exceptions. Gadgetbridge (smart watch connection app) warns that the Google Play version is unofficial and unaffiliated. An unofficial app might be upstream compiled without modifications, but this opens users to potential supply chain attacks from the uploader and Google.
Droid-ify it’s, a better F-Droid client
Did you try Neo Store?
Neo feel more complicated for me, so I stick with Droid-ify
I used Droid-ify before, it doesn’t support one-click install for all apps while Neo Store can.
I just tried to figure out how to get a one-click install working with neo store - it seems to prompt me as well.
I tried using a root session installer as well as the regular installer, same issue with both. Am I overlooking something?
Edit: upon further review, I accidentally did this on my unrooted phone… Apparently that won’t work.
So you need root to install with one tap?
For me it only worked with the root installer selected in settings. Still was fairly unreliable though
Huh? Why?
What I have noticed is that the apps installed do not show in my HS, but that should be because Pixel Launchers I guess.
Is this root only?
Not really.
You can do that with both rooted and non-root phones. Just one-click install all apps with the sync button on the top right or the “update all” button.
However, sometimes it fails and I need to install rest them manually if your phone is not rooted.
What is the installer method that you have selected?
Because all but root method will prompt me to install the app.
I’m using default session installer.
Edit: Just found something on their repository, they mentioned that they support one-click install, but in some conditions.
https://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/pm/PackageInstaller.SessionParams#setRequireUserAction(int)
From https://github.com/NeoApplications/Neo-Store/issues/294
Simply put, it is normal that it sometimes pops up prompt window when user installing/upgrading some applications (because of having lower target api).
I used to use it for Bromite since then I’ve used it for Mull Browser and Antennapod.
That said I’ve never found the main app very useful I use foxy droid to browse and update those apps
Kvaesitso, a really great and elegant launcher for Android.
MinCal Widget nice tiny calendar widget
Seal, handsome video downloader
Kvaesitso ia great, but I keep coming back to Kiss. Having your most used/history apps easily accessible from bottom to top (instead of being only at the top of the apps folder) is so convenient and easier accessible. You don’t have to move your hands to the top of the phone.
Edit: I missed a specific setting that allows you to have the search page reversed (bottom to top), so favorites and most used are at the bottom. It’s definitely better, but I still fall back to Kiss.
KISS is nice but to my taste Kvaesitso is more polished and I enjoy the way it handles widgets as a page you slide up very quickly.
Yeah, you have more control on the widgets in Kvaesitso.
Seal is awesome!
Dimmer, Newpipe, Vimusic, Xtra, Aurora Store, Yet another call blocker
I have been using Phone app from Google mainly because it has a spam detection and blocker feature are you telling me that I can replace it with Yet another call blocker or how exactly would I make it work?
Yes you can!
As you can see, in newer android versions the spam filter app for calls it’s separate from the phone app.
Try using Yet another call blockee + simple dialer (I recommend the entire simple mobile suite actually). If you’re not satisfied you can always go back (contacts are stored in your SIM or on your phone, deleting or changing the dialer app does not make your contacts disappear)
This is so nice, thanks so much.
You’re welcome!
Quick correction: don’t store contacts on your SIM (especially not without backups) this is considered by most phone software these days to be deprecated functionality since it dates back to payphones and flip phones without any writable memory. SIM cards are intended to be entirely disposable, and can fail at random with no warning
Thanks for dimmer didn’t know it
It changed my life, I love it
I wouldn’t call Aurora F-Droid only, expecially when the project’s site lists a few different, non F-Droid ways to obtain the APK.
Xtra the only way I can watch Twitch on my Firestick. Fuckin Twitch ads are ridiculous.
Same with youtube. Newpipe is a must nowdays. From desktop I use freetubeapp.io
Xtra works with the firestick? Will have to try that. Only found smarttubenext to be good on firestick and stremio
Check out “S0und”. It’s pretty good too
Literally the best app so far.
Is it avaibable on F-Droid? I don’t find it
https://github.com/S0und/S0undTV
Xtra is on the play store. At least it was
I wouldn’t trust that. Play store is filled with ripoffs of foss apps with lots of ads and god only knows what. Also xtra blocks ads, which is a big no-no on the play store.
Only download from the sources listed on the app’s github/gitlab page https://github.com/crackededed/Xtra
Spoiler: only from F-Droid
Apparently it isn’t anymore
Not that it’s only on Fdroid, but DAVx5 is free on Fdroid and $10 on Play.
Simple Gallery Pro and OsmAnd+ both follow this methodology as well.
Fedilab as well
I always looked at this form of app monetization as “You are tech savvy enough to know the risks of trusting a 3rd party app store therefore we will not charge you” type of tax haha
TrackerControl full version
https://trackercontrol.org/
This looks very similar to what’s built into DuckDuckGo, “App Tracking Protection”, at least on Android.
It also doubles as an ad blocker. That’s what I use it for mostly
yep! it’s excellent for that
yep! it’s excellent for that
This is amazing, thank you
welcome to the rabbit hole lol
Sleep timer: stops media when the timer runs out.
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/fr.smarquis.sleeptimer/
Fennec, Termux, NewPipe, LiberaReader, NeoStore
Minetest + mineclone2 = FOSS legally distinct minecraft
Adaway is an open source ad blocker for Android using the hosts file.
Isn’t it also available on the Play Store?
Google killed VPN-based adblockers on the play store.
Can’t say whether this is true or not, I’ve stopped using google play long ago
Oh okay. I wasn’t aware of this change as Adaway used to be on the store.
Blokada found a way to circumvent this iirc. Not sure about the others
No.
is it better than blokada?
Blokada is a VPN based adblocker, but Adaway can work as a hosts file based blocker, if the phone is rooted. Hosts file based blocking uses zero cpu cycles, as it’s a feature of the network stack, it’s just a file containing list of addresses to redirect, so it should use less battery than blokada. By default on all OSes this hosts file is not editable by regular users, that’s why you need root. Wikipedia article about hosts file
no root means I wouldn’t be able to use adaway, right?
Without root it works the same way as blokada, as a local VPN. I always root my phones, so I don’t have experience with that, I guess it’s similar.
But you can just try it, and if you don’t like it you can get back to blokada. Also as both of them are just VPNs, you can just switch between the two, while both are installed. Also on their website there is a good FAQ: https://adaway.org/
FYI you don’t need apps that pretend to be a VPN to block ads anymore, you can just go to
Settings > Network and Internet > Private DNSand set it to something likedns.adguard.comto block almost all ads, no install required!I am afraid the UK isps Virgin, three and Sky have blocked me completely from trying to browse anything at all if I try to enable this setting at all.
IF I enable it on any of them I have no Internet at all. Sucks but in the UK it’s basically turning off you’re Internet. I still have an older version of blokada working but when it updates it kills my Internet like the rest of them so I’m constantly fighting that.
Also uk, and I’ve never ran into this issue.
That’s odd, it works on GiffGaff and Lebara for me, and for everyone else I’ve set it up for. Maybe an issue with your phone? Does it work over WiFi?
My phone works perfectly until I enable it and I’ve tried a few different dns options with it and yes even use the longer domains designed for it.
Never had my phone work at all while they are On sadly I think it’s been blocked by these isps honestly.
its a nothing phone on Android 13 and here’s proof enabling it takes me immediately offline https://ibb.co/t3mpwNS.
Sorry for the late reply, your link tries to add the . from the end of your sentence to it and breaks so I couldn’t see your screenshot until I removed it. I notice you still have blokada enabled, have you tried switching it off completely and then enabling private DNS? I’m not a network expert but it seems like they could be treading on each others toes maybe.
Your partly right in that bitwarden was interfering but while I can get sky WiFi to work with private dns it still cuts off my mobile network which is 3.
Now that’s not completely as bad as it sounds because I use WiFi calling a lot at home .
Ive seen the same issue in the past with virgin which even cut of my home pcs if I tried to use a dns that wasnt theirs.
I found this fix for Virgin Media, might be worth contacting 3 (or their support forums) to see if they have a similar fix
Raise hell with your telecomms regulator. Choice of DNS (not to mention how web content is rendered) is solely your business, but it will only remain that way if you get vocal.
What other options are there?
several
Awesome, thanks!
what about apps that detect adblockers, will this bypass them or do they just not let you view their content?
I’ve never seen an issue, so it either works or I don’t have any apps like that. Try it out, it’s pretty quick to check!
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