Eternity is an Open Source Android Client to Access Lemmy Instances

Lemmy has emerged as a compelling alternative to Reddit, offering an open-source and decentralized platform that appeals to users seeking to escape the confines of mainstream social media. Over the past few years, it has steadily gained traction, with numerous instances sprouting up and a growing user base dedicated to engaging in meaningful discussions about topics that resonate with them. However, in an era dominated by smartphones, accessing Lemmy instances through a web browser can be cumbersome. This is where open-source Android clients like Eternity come into play.

Eternity: Browse Lemmy Instances Effortlessly

Eternity, a fork of the Infinity For Reddit project, is a Java-based Lemmy client for Android, developed by Balazs Ádám Toldi, a software developer at Ericsson. Although still in development, Eternity has proven to be a reliable option for daily use. My experience on an Android 14 device was seamless, with the app performing admirably despite its early-stage status.

Upon launching Eternity for the first time, I was greeted by an empty “Subscribed” page. After logging into my Lemmy.world account, I navigated to the “All” page, where I found a pinned post from the instance’s admins, followed by a variety of posts from different communities.

One of Eternity’s standout features is its ability to manage multiple accounts, which can be easily added through the sidebar menu. Once logged in, my feeds began to populate, with the “Subscribed” tab displaying my chosen feeds and the “Local” feed highlighting posts relevant to US users.

Interacting with posts is intuitive, featuring buttons for upvoting, downvoting, commenting, bookmarking, and sharing threads. The comment editor mirrors the post editor, ensuring a familiar experience for users. Community pages provide essential information, including subscriber counts, active users, post totals, and comment statistics. Additionally, the feed offers helpful filters such as Active, Hot, New, Old, and Controversial, allowing users to tailor their content discovery.

From the sidebar menu, I could also access details about the Lemmy instance I was using, including key metrics like total users and active communities. The post editing experience is particularly noteworthy, featuring rich text editing capabilities and a preview option to catch any errors before submission.

The profile page serves as a useful hub, showcasing my recent posts and comments, along with a cake day indicator for my Lemmy account. For those who prefer a darker aesthetic, Eternity includes a dark mode, along with a dedicated “Amoled Dark” theme, perfect for AMOLED displays.

The settings menu allows for customization of gestures and buttons, as well as the option to select a preferred web browser for opening links. A particularly intriguing feature is “Lazy Mode,” which automatically scrolls the feed, catering to those moments when one feels less inclined to engage actively.

Having used Eternity for nearly a month, I find it to be a delightful addition to my daily routine, providing a steady stream of engaging content, including my favorite science memes.

Install Eternity

The latest version of Eternity is available on both F-Droid and the Play Store. For those interested in building from source or exploring the code, the project’s Codeberg repository is accessible.

Do you use a Lemmy client for Android? How does Eternity compare to that?

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