F-Droid Archives

AppWizard

February 24, 2025

One Play Store rival fewer: Amazon shutters its Android app store

Amazon will close its app store for Android devices on August 20, after which users will not be able to access the platform or guarantee the functionality of previously downloaded apps. The app store will remain operational for devices running on Fire OS, such as Fire TV and Fire tablets. Additionally, Amazon's Appstore will be removed from the Microsoft Store on March 5, coinciding with the discontinuation of support for the Windows Subsystem for Android. Users are advised to cancel app subscriptions and seek alternatives like Google's Play Store and others. Amazon Coins will also be discontinued on August 20, but users can use existing Coins until then, with refunds for any unused Coins to be provided later.

AppWizard

February 23, 2025

These apps aren’t on the Play Store, but I always sideload them on my Pixel

Google Pixel users are increasingly sideloading applications from third-party repositories, enhancing their devices' functionality. The Smartspacer app improves the At a Glance widget by integrating with third-party apps and Google services, offering advanced control and enhancing the Always-On Display. Smartspacer is available on GitHub, along with various plugins. Obtanium helps users manage and update sideloaded apps, providing a centralized hub for tracking updates, and is accessible on GitHub and F-Droid. Breezy Weather is a highly regarded weather app that offers customizable features and integrates well with Pixel's design, available on F-Droid and GitHub, and can also be updated using Obtanium.

AppWizard

February 19, 2025

The Play Store sucks, so here’s what I use instead

As of early February 2025, there are nearly 2.1 million apps available on the Play Store, with over 1,100 new apps introduced daily, resulting in an average of almost 42,000 new options each month. The search function on the Play Store is often ineffective for broader queries, and users face challenges due to the lack of sorting options and transparency regarding app updates. F-Droid is a platform for free and open-source software (FOSS) applications, requiring sideloading or the use of clients like Neo Store or Droid-ify. Obtainium is a tool that allows users to access open-source applications and updates directly from their sources, supporting over a dozen repositories including GitHub and GitLab, and enables users to export curated app lists and track updates without downloading them.

AppWizard

February 8, 2025

NewPipe Is an Ad-Free, Privacy-Respecting YouTube App for Android

YouTube's Android app is criticized for its cluttered interface, sluggish performance, and excessive ads, while also raising privacy concerns due to tracking user activity. NewPipe is a free, open-source alternative that prioritizes user privacy and removes ads. It allows background audio playback, picture-in-picture mode, and offline video downloads without requiring a YouTube Premium subscription. However, users cannot sign in with a Google account, limiting access to existing subscriptions and personalized recommendations. NewPipe enables manual subscription additions, bookmarking, and supports exporting/importing subscriptions and playlists. It is not available on the Google Play Store, requiring users to download the .apk file or use F-Droid for installation.

AppWizard

December 26, 2024

Essential apps for hardcore Android users [Video]

Seal is a minimalist downloader app for Android that allows users to download videos from platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram in various formats and qualities. Zerocam is a camera replacement app that focuses on a natural photographic experience without excessive image processing, offering a free version with a limit of five photos per day and a subscription for additional features. Openvibe aggregates multiple social media platforms into one app, allowing users to post to Bluesky, Threads, Nostr, and Mastodon simultaneously. Twine is an RSS app that consolidates favorite feeds into one location and allows users to import collections via OPML files. AI Screenshot Finder helps users search and categorize their screenshots, processing data locally while leveraging cloud AI systems. Crate organizes links, recipes, and videos into custom sections and uses AI to assist in finding saved content. Sponge gamifies file management, allowing users to swipe to delete or tag files, organized by the month they were saved. Tooly is a versatile toolbox app that includes various tools for unit conversions and text formatting.

AppWizard

December 20, 2024

freeDictionaryApp: Open Source Android App That Helps You Get Information on a Word

freeDictionaryApp is a free and open-source dictionary application for Android, developed by Yamin Siahmargooei using Kotlin. It is based on the Free Dictionary API, which has not been updated in two years. The app features an intuitive user interface with a search bar, providing word types, definitions, examples, and a text-to-speech function. Users can save favorite words, access search history, generate random words, and share word details easily. However, it only supports single-word searches. The app can be installed via F-Droid or downloaded from its GitHub repository.

AppWizard

December 10, 2024

App archiving in One UI 7 helps you free up space on your Samsung phone

Samsung's One UI 7 update will introduce app archiving, a feature from Android 15 that allows users to free up storage by removing an app's installation files while retaining its data. This feature has been seen in the One UI 7 beta, where Galaxy S24 devices include an "archive" button in the Settings menu. Activating this button replaces the app icon with an archived version and changes the "archive" button to a "restore" option. Users can restore the app from supported app stores like Google Play Store or F-Droid. Samsung has updated its Galaxy Store to support app archiving, and unlike some manufacturers such as Xiaomi and OnePlus, Samsung is implementing this feature.

AppWizard

December 6, 2024

Linkora: The Ultimate Open Source Tool to Organize Links on Android

Linkora is a FOSS Android application developed using Kotlin that helps users manage and organize links in one accessible location. It allows users to add links easily, categorize them into folders, and offers features such as archiving, copying, sharing, and searching for links. Users can create new panels for specific topics and customize their viewing experience with different layout options. The app supports data migration in JSON and HTML formats and is available for installation on F-Droid, with its source code hosted on GitHub.

AppWizard

November 29, 2024

Without Android’s new Private Space, here’s how I hide my sensitive apps in plain sight

In the digital age, smartphones store a vast amount of personal and sensitive information, raising concerns about data security in case of loss or theft. Users can enhance app concealment by downloading a third-party icon pack from the Google Play Store or F-Droid. To hide Android apps, users should long-press the app icon, select Customize from the menu, rename the app to a generic title, and change its icon accordingly. Additionally, apps can be removed from the app grid or search results using specific launcher options. This method is easy to reverse by following the same steps to restore the original app identity. While this technique does not provide the same level of security as Private Space or Secure Folder, it can serve as a temporary smokescreen to protect sensitive information. Users should be cautious about forgetting the new names and icons assigned to apps and should group them by category for easier recall.

AppWizard

November 15, 2024

Seal: A Nifty Open Source Android App to Download YouTube Video and Audio

The landscape of video consumption has shifted towards online streaming platforms like YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu, making local storage of videos less common. Users often prefer to download practical videos such as DIY guides and educational content for offline access, especially with creator consent. Seal is an Android application designed for downloading YouTube videos, built on the yt-dlp framework. Users can paste a video link, customize download settings, and track download progress. Seal supports features like downloading entire playlists and subtitles, but it can only run one download at a time. The app is available for download on F-Droid, with its APK and source code on GitHub.