The best apps for your Android device
No matter what task you have ahead of you, there is always a suitable app. Whether on Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS, the variety of apps is growing all the time. Even if users of an Android device are currently accessing the Play Store to over 3 million apps the end of the list of applications is far from being reached.
I’m talking about those apps that are created, maintained and optimized by a community and have always had an open source code. These open source apps are primarily characterized by the fact that standard use is always free of charge and, in the regular case, no data protection nightmares such as trackers, advertising, etc. are to be expected.
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App store for convenient use: F-Droid
Since not all open source apps are available or not allowed on the Play Store, other app stores have evolved over time. We want to go into F-Droid here, as this is the most common and in my opinion the simplest.
To install the F-Droid app store, first go to the project website with your device (https://f-droid.org/) and select “Download F-Droid”. Should your browser warn you that .apk files are a security risk, then you can take note of the notice here and allow the download. After completion, click on the downloaded .apk file and open it.
Those who have never manually installed an .apk file should now get a message. Click on Settings and temporarily allow the execution of .apk files (you can do this after installation via “Settings> Apps> Browser”Deactivate again). You should now be able to install the .apk file by clicking “Install”:
After completing the process, you have installed the F-Droid App Store and can start it directly from your app overview. Please note the following: As soon as you install an open source app via F-Droid for the first time, you must allow the execution of .apk files in the settings (as with the browser).
AnySoftKeyboard
Protect your keystrokes
When we think of protecting our data on a smartphone, the keyboard rarely comes to mind. The GBoard delivered by Google, for example, regularly transmits to various web servers in order to personalize content and improve the forecast. I recommend the AnySoftKeyboard to anyone who wants to protect their entered texts. In addition to the many customization options, comfortable and safe typing is made possible.
Download about F-Droid
AnkiDroid
Easy to learn with open source
In distance teaching in particular, we are increasingly using digital tools to learn new content. Index cards have proven to be an effective learning tool for decades and the principle could not be simpler: you write a question on one side, the answer on the other. With AnkiDroid, index cards are now digital. In addition to the desktop version, the Android app offers learning from prepared maps in both directions. So if you want to learn vocabulary, you only have to write a card for each word. Depending on how often we answer a card correctly, Anki asks us again after a few days or weeks.
Download about F-Droid
Blokada
Protection from advertisements and trackers
In the meantime, advertising is bombarded almost everywhere. But also ad-free apps use scripts and special techniques to monitor users and improve software. With Blokada you can now install an ad and tracking blocker for your Android device without root. You only have to go through the setup after installation and select whether and which advertising / tracking methods you still allow. It is also possible to change the DNS server.
Download about F-Droid
Light alternative to Facebook and Twitter
If you have little storage space on your device, you will probably be less happy about the native Facebook app. This has become larger and larger in recent years and now takes up over 200 MB of storage space. If you want a simple and, above all, small alternative for Facebook and Twitter, you should take a look at the two apps “Slim Social for Facebook” and “Slim Social for Twitter”. These represent the network’s web interface in a simple and uncomplicated way and are the perfect alternative for occasional users.
Download “Slim Social for Facebook” via F-Droid
Download “Slim Social for Twitter” via F-Droid
NewPipe
Play and download YouTube videos in the background
One thing that annoys many with the free version of YouTube is the inability to continue listening to a video when the display is off. Downloading content is also only possible with a premium membership. New Pipe offers this missing functionality. You can subscribe to channels (without registration) via the open YouTube client, download videos and play them in the background or via a pop-up player. And it’s all ad-free and with significantly less user tracking than on YouTube.
Download about F-Droid
signal
The really safe messenger
Due to the data scandals on Facebook and Co., which are constantly emerging, secure communication is more important than ever. Messenger like that of Facebook or Google are unencrypted and the most popular service WhatsApp collects metadata on a massive scale. With the changes currently being postponed, Facebook could even pass on WhatsApp data to advertising partners in the future. Signal is a secure, encrypted and open variant. Even Edward Snowden announced in the past that he used the service for his communication. Signal is currently still relatively simple, but other convenience functions will soon be added. Signal is available from the Google Play Store and is also available for iOS.
Fennec F-Droid
Firefox without a tracker
If you rely on data protection when browsing, you are certainly already using Firefox on your smartphone. The advantage is improved tracking protection and the option of installing extensions in the mobile browser. Fennec F-Droid is a Firefox distribution and removes all non-free features from the browser. Please note that the browser collects anonymous usage data by default. This should be deactivated before use under Settings> Privacy.
Download about F-Droid
Feeder
Read feeds in a privacy-friendly way
Dozens of news and other interesting articles appear on various news sites every day. Since Facebook and Co. are now sorting these in the strangest way, feed readers are becoming increasingly popular again. Feeder does not track usage behavior and puts a stop to trackers. In addition, entire articles can (depending on the provider) be read directly in the app.
Download about F-Droid
K9
Powerful mail tool
When it comes to emails, K9 is likely to be the best known and most popular client on Android. The app supports (almost) all email providers and becomes even more powerful with extensions. So can (with Extra app) e-mails encrypted via PGP are sent and many settings can be adjusted. If you have to do a lot with email, then K9 is an absolute must.
Download about F-Droid
Transport no
Good everywhere in public transport
During the current coronavirus pandemic, the number of passengers in local public transport is falling sharply, but there are still many people who are dependent on public transport. If you also travel a lot in Germany, then you theoretically need an extra app for each city in order to get around by train and bus. Transportr bundles transport associations worldwide and is therefore an excellent companion for route planning in many cities. Live departure times and current deviations are displayed to the minute and ensure that you always know where to go.
Download about F-Droid
Open source apps do a lot better
It would go beyond the scope of this recommendation if I wrote down further examples here. As you can see, however, there is now an open, free and privacy-friendly alternative to almost all proprietary apps.
But there is one thing I would like to get rid of at the end. Even if open source apps have the purpose of offering software free of charge, hardworking and collaborative developers are behind the source code. So if you want to support the community, you should either work on the apps yourself or regularly make a small donation using the various options offered in F-Droid.
Please note that the app selection just shown in my opinion includes the best open source alternatives. If you contradict this or find other applications better, please leave us a comment on Twitter, Facebook, …
