What are your favourite FOSS mobile apps?
I’m looking for alternatives for everything, from messaging to ebook readers to RSS readers to podcast players and so on.
Particularly interested in music players that can handle m4a files from when I was buying music from Apple not realising how blockheaded that was.
Hopefully apps that care about user privacy.
I’m on Android, but feel free to share iOS options for anyone who might be helped by those tips, too.
Can I get a boost, @opensource?
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Launcher: Neolauncher (with Neofeed for RSS)
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Web browser: Mull (I refuse to use Chromium-based browsers mainly out of spite, but for those inclined I’d recommend Cromite)
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File browser: Material Files
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App manager: Droid-ify for FOSS apps, Aurora Store for stuff on Google Play
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Podcasts: AntennaPod
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Lemmy client: Liftoff for Lemmy
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Weather: Clima
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SMS: QKSMS
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Calendar, Contacts, Clock, Dialer (and other utilities I don’t personally use): Simple Mobile Tools
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Password manager: KeePassDX
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Youtube: Libretube to view videos through Piped
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Notes: Joplin
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Coffee brewing timer: Cofi
- Coffee brewing timer: Cofi
Author here, many thanks! It means a lot to see my app being mentioned in posts like these
My pleasure, thank you for nice little piece of software! I had to try a couple of coffee timers before randomly seeing Cofi while scrolling through F-Droid. It’s simple, lightweight, and does what it says on the tin, which is my favourite kind of app. I’ve been much more diligent in keeping track of my V60 recipes.
This is pretty much my same set up as well, it’s refreshing to see a fellow firefox derivative user standing on principle 🤩. Here’s a few more mentions that are daily drivers for me that I really respect:
- Tasks.org: highly configurable to do list app.
- Doodle: high quality live wallpapers for degoogled devices.
- KDE connect: iOS/MacOS like integration for your mobile and desktop devices. Share files, copy clipboard contents, sync notifications and a ton of other stuff I haven’t gotten in to myself.
- Photok: encrypted vault for your sensitive photos.
- Shattered Pixel Dungeon: a fun top down RPG to kill time with. Very difficult and dynamic.
Lastly, the music app: I would actually suggest an audio converter instead of trying to find something that can play m4a. I’ve used this linux app (soundconverter) and its been great for getting my files changed to either mp3 or ogg. If you’re on Windows I’m sure there are other apps that would do the same thing, but if you happen to be a penguin user definitely check that app out.
Wow that game is really hard. Can’t get very far at all. I guess I’ve never actually played a rogue like lol
Yeah it can be legit frustrating 😅 but all the things that make it that way help to deepen the gameplay. The only class I’ve made it far with is the mage, I can’t get in to the rest of them.
From what I can gather, Cromite seems to have similar goals in terms of privacy to Mull, whereas Mulch focuses on security.
I’m sure Mulch is a great option as well, but for my personal use case I prioritize privacy.
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There are many, but right now it’s definitely “Infinity for Lemmy” ❤ (Available from IzzyOnDroid F-Droid repo).
FairEmail is the best email app I’ve ever used.
It’s one of the few apps on android that support PGP encrypted email
KDE Connect is the best for transferring files imo
Have you tried PairDrop? You don’t need to install anything, it’s web based and can works across different network.
This!
I also like NitroShare.
Notes:Joplin (over webdav)
File manager:material files
Cloud:webdav provider (webdav mount in material files)
Contacts/calendar:davx5-etar
Sms/call log backup:smsIO
Cast:Bubbleupnp (non Foss)
Browser:mull/brave
Password manager:Bitwarden
Office:proprietary
Themes:Substratum
Maps:here (non Foss)
Gsm location provider:MozillaNLP/MicroG
Speetch to text:localstt
Text to speech:Flite/espeak/rhvoice
Keyboard:Anysoftkeyboard
Network scanner:Ning
Find my device:Nulides Findmydevice
Call recorder:BCR(magisk module)
Weather:Geometric Weather
Parental control:Time limit
RSS:read you
App store:obtainium
Bookmarks:wallabag
2fa:aegis
Location history:traccar/owntracks
Email:tutanota
Image2text:OCR
Translate:deepl
Photos:uhuruphotos/photoprism android gallery/Aves/image toolbox
Appops:app manager
Addblocker:addaway
Files encryption:droidfs
Downloader:download navi
Filesync:folder sync(non Foss/paid but best)
Logs:logcat reader
Launcher:nova(non Foss/paid but best)
Doc scan:open scan
Kernel manager:smart pack
VPN/tunnels:wireguard
Nice list, thanks! About file sync, have you tried Syncthing? If yes, why didn’t you stick with it? About the app store, are you relying only on Obtanium? What about those apps that don’t provide the apk?
Aurora store with a google account for playsrtore apps. Fdroid is also installed and I do regullar visits on their website and also on izzyondroid site for new apps. I’ve tried syncthing but sync got corrupted and lost files while trying to figure out what went wrong (maybe a missconfiguration from my side I’m not sure).I never used it again
Anysoftkeyboard
I’m a bit frustrated with them. They don’t seem to be very committed to deGoogling, which is their prerogative I guess, but if not, why bother making an open keyboard? Basically if you want to use a version of the app that actually works relatively well, especially with swiping, you need to download the beta or alpha version, which require joining a Google Group and using Google Play to download.
Their release scheme is questianable yes as you said alpha and beta released in play store only then comes the fdroid release As long as there is an fdroid release I cant blame them really but you got a fait point
Feature wise they developed their own open autofill and swipe libs plus I love the layouts. Actually builded my own layout but I like the over logic with bottom / top rows, gesture navigations etc
Their swipe needs a lot of work. You must start on the correct letter. It will base the rest of the word off of the first letter, so if you fat-finger it at all, it will get the wrong word. Sometimes it also just doesn’t give you any suggestions and you have to swipe/type it over again. It really needs some fuzzy searching algorithm to help with thumb typing/swiping.
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Sounds like you may be on iOS, and while it’s no music app, Memmy. Licensed AGPL3. It’s the app I’m using to send this message :)
Memmy is the best iOS app I have found. We shall see if Voyager beats it out when the actual app releases!
I’m really liking Memmy a lot so far, but thanks for the Voyager tip. It’s always good to have backups.
Using voyager through TestFlight right now and it’s the closest to Apollo I have come across it’s also got a web app version that I use while at the computer. I used Memmy before, and it is also a great choice if you don’t feel like going through TestFlight. 😌
If you feel brave and want to try voyager:
@leo@lemmy.linuxuserspace.sh
Thanks! I’m on Android; I should have specified.
I updated the initial post, but I’m sure there are iOS users who are looking for tips, too, so thanks for sharing!
No worries!
A friend uses Android. His pick was Jerboa for the same purpose. Also FOSS under AGPL3.
Tier list on what I’m using
- tier-S Arcticons, Droidi-fy, KeePassDX, KISS Launcher, Mull, SimpleX Chat, Syncthing
- tier-A Element, OpenBoard, Organic Maps, Quillpad, LibreTube, Simple suite, Tusky
- tier-B Librera Reader, Obtainium, OpenFoodFacts, SeriesGuide, ViMusic
- tier-C Liftoff, Metro, Read You, Translate You
I use several of the Simple Mobile Tools apps, e.g. the file manager, gallery, and voice recorder: https://github.com/SimpleMobileTools
AntennaPod for pod casts: https://github.com/AntennaPod/AntennaPod
Pass for password management: https://www.passwordstore.org/
Exercise Reminders is new, but I like it so far: https://github.com/ChristopherRogers1991/ExerciseReminders
And of course Liftoff for lemmy: https://github.com/liftoff-app/liftoff
I would like to second the Simple Mobile Tools suite, as well as AntennaPod and Liftoff (although I now use Infinity for Lemmy)
- Launcher Kvaesitso https://kvaesitso.mm20.de/
- Syncthing
- Wireguard
- AntennaPod
Are the ones I use the most I think
I’m using Read You, a material design RSS reader for Android (I get it through Obtainium, it’s a pretty rad app too!)
Tachiyomi for manga reading
Antennapod and Organic Maps to keep it simple. They are great for daily use.
Is Organic Maps better than OsmAnd? I’ve started liking OsmAnd, now that I’ve added some imported maps that were merged with OpenAddresses. They are still backward to local address formats, though.
Does Organic Maps have address data for the USA?
I’d suggest that you try it. It’s less advanced but nicer looking. Not sure about the condition of the adreaa data in the US.
- Lemmy: Thunder
- Maps: Organic Maps
- Weather: Breezy
- Tuner: Noteworthy Tuner
- Matrix: Element Android (it’s got a lot of issues, but, as far as I can tell, it’s the best that there currently is)
Fluffy Chat works great for me!
@theendismeh @opensource FlorisBoard, NewPipe, AntennaPod, BitWarden, Tachiyomi. Might have left out few, but these are favs and I use them everyday.
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not FOSS, but doesn’t have internet permission
The free software definition is about whether users have the freedom to use, share, and modify software. “No internet access” is irrelevant.
Poweramp for music also. Worth the price, you can also skip the Play Store by buying it on the dev’s website if you prefer