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Posted on Oct 10, 2024 by linsui

This Week in F-Droid

TWIF curated on Thursday, 10 Oct 2024, Week 41

F-Droid core

Nothing new to add, just that we hope more users get a chance to test 1.21.0-alpha1, and if you did not already, do peruse the full announcement from last week. The more of you test it, and complain, the faster we can polish it and release it.

If you’re not using F-Droid in English, do test the alpha, and please take a look at your locale translation completion status in the Translation portal. Do try to get your translations to 100% complete and fix the failing checks!

Community News

Do You Have a Moment to Talk about F-Droid? If you’re reading this you might know a thing or two about F-Droid, but maybe you want to help a friend or guide them through a first time installation? While a picture might be worth 1000 words, the people from GNU/Linux.ch have a post and a 7 minute video that explain how to install F-Droid and Fennec, the browser based on Mozilla Firefox. While they’re in German, one does not need to understand the language of wurst, sauerkraut und pretzel to be able to follow the steps. Have fun watching!

PPSSPP, the PSP emulator, was updated to 1.17.1 after 9 years! The changelog would be huge, but you can read the app news page and pickup interesting release notes over the years.

Ruler (Privacy Friendly) was updated to 1.1.1 after 8 years of hibernation. I guess you already measured everything by now, but none the less.

VLC was updated to 3.5.5, but don’t get excited, this is just a targetsdk bump and nothing else. We’re already looking at the next beta version, feel free to lend a hand if you can.

Newly Added Apps

6 apps were newly added

Updated Apps

160 more apps were updated
(expand for the full list)

Autumn Cleaning

Is there a perfect number of apps? Was 4480 that? Is 3850? We say it might not matter.

While devices come year after year with more storage and faster processors, your number of installed apps might be constant by now. Besides the usual calls and SMS apps what do you have? A gallery app, a video player, a couple of file readers (PDF/office type), a notes/todo app, file manager, email, browser, maps app, an encrypted messaging app, maybe a couple of games, audio recorder, a 2FA app, calculator, calendar, audio&video player, keyboard, a step counter, maybe some more niche things. How many are those, 25-30? Even less as some come with your device already?

Two years ago we said: “From the point of the user, the ideal app store would contain exactly what the user wants, and not one thing more. Nobody has millions of apps installed on their device. All those extra apps just get in the way of finding what is important”. And we stand by that. Do we have quirky apps? Of course we do, else life would be boring (just don’t search for “strawberry”or “worm”). But these are just icing on top of good, transparent, free or open-source apps that put their purpose over flashy UIs and care about the user’s wellbeing without trying to sell their lifehood to the highest bidder.

We continue the trend of looking at more apps from the past and moving some to the Archive repo.

You can read week 38th TWIF explanatory section for more details.

Archived Apps

204 apps were archived
(expand for the full list)
  • $HELL: Terminal emulator with integrated script editor
  • 2048: Puzzle game
  • 920 Editor: Text editor
  • A Time Tracker: Easily start/stop time tracking for activities
  • aCalDAV: Synchronize calendar with a CalDAV server
  • Add to calendar: Import .ics files into calendar
  • AiCiA: IRC client
  • aLogcat: View system and app log
  • aLogcat ROOT: View color-coded, Android device (logcat) logs directly from your phone
  • androidVNC: VNC (remote desktop) viewer (Plenty to install)
  • APG: Encrypt email and files
  • APKShare: Extract and share you installed apps’ APK
  • App Tracker: Track your app usage
  • AppBak: Back up list of installed apps
  • Applications Info: Show metadata of installed applications
  • AppOpsX: A front-end for the AppOpsService
  • Arity: Scientific calculator (Get the updated fork)
  • arXiv mobile: Client for arXiv.org
  • arXiv Papers: Search, download and save arXiv scientific papers
  • Battery Charge Limit: Stops charging at a desired level
  • BatteryCalibration: Calibrate your battery
  • BeHe Keyboard: Hacking & programming keyboard with material design
  • BeHe Pro: Browse the web
  • BookList: Unofficial Google Books viewer
  • Booky McBookface eReader: An extremely unfancy and very basic ebook reader
  • Brightness Widget: Change brightness on the homescreen
  • Caffeine Tile: Keep your device from sleeping
  • Calculator: Make calculations
  • Calculator: Stylish calculator
  • CalDAV Sync Adapter: Synchronize calendar with a CalDAV server
  • Calendar ICS adapter: Import and export calendar files
  • Call recorder for Android: Record calls (2 apps shared this name, so much for imagination)
  • CatLog: View the system log
  • Chord Reader: Chords for guitar players
  • Chord Reader: Search for, display, transpose and save chords on your phone
  • Compass: Graphical compass
  • Congress Fahrplan: Overview of all talks of the Chaos Communication Congress
  • Contact Widget: Scroll through your contacts on the home screen
  • Debatekeeper: Time debates
  • Debian Kit: Install Debian alongside your system (Maybe try AnLinux)
  • DeskCon: Integrate mobile devices with a desktop
  • Dialer2: Clean T9-like dialer
  • DroidRec: Record your screen
  • Easy Weather: Easy and quick weather app
  • EasyLight: Flashlight
  • Emerald Launcher: Simple custom home screen
  • Export Contacts: Export contacts to a file
  • Face Slim: Connect to Facebook
  • Faenza ADW Theme: ADW theme
  • Fairphone 1 Launcher: Launcher originally designed for the Fairphone 1
  • Fairphone 2 Launcher: Launcher originally designed for the Fairphone 2
  • Fairphone Clock Widget: Clock widget originally designed for the Fairphone 2
  • FAST App Search Tool: Find apps just by typing
  • FASTer App Search Tool: Find apps just by typing
  • FastHub-Libre: A GitHub client app built from ground up (A great client, greatly missed! OctoDroid appears to be in great shape)
  • FBReader: An e-book reader
  • FBReader TTS+ Plugin: Enhanced TTS plugin for FBReader
  • Fedi Photo: Fedi Photo - quickly post photos to the Fediverse (One of these might be better)
  • File Explorer: File Manager
  • File Manager: CyanogenMod file manager backport
  • File Manager Pro: File manager
  • FindMyPhone: Helps you find a mislaid phone
  • Flashlight: Use camera LED as flashlight
  • Forecast widgets: Weather Widget
  • Frost: Monotone icon pack
  • FrostWire: File-sharing and searching
  • Gasflow: Show network speed in the status bar
  • Gear Shift: Manage Transmission bittorent client
  • GitHub: Official Github client
  • Good Weather: Display weather information
  • Graph 89: Calculator emulator with TI84 support
  • HashPass: Use hashes as passwords
  • HgLauncher: A launcher for a slow day
  • Hydrate: Set targets for water intake
  • Import Contacts: Restore contacts from a file
  • Instant Sound Effects: Make your friends laugh with four great free sound effects
  • Jelly Clock: Simple clock widget
  • JfCupsPrintService: Connect to CUPS/IPP network printers
  • JLyr Lyrics: Get lyrics
  • JumpGo: Browse the web
  • Just Notes: Take notes with import and export features
  • Just Player: Music player
  • Just Player Plugin: Ampache: Ampache plugin for Just Player
  • Just Player Plugin: Podcast: Podcast plugin for Just-Player
  • KanaDrill: Learn the Japanese kana
  • Kernel Adiutor: Manage kernel parameters
  • Kinolog: Search and log watched movies
  • kure Music Player: Music player
  • Launch App Ops: Show a hidden screen
  • Launcher: A distraction-free minimal homescreen for Android
  • LeafPic: View your images and galleries
  • LeafPic Revived: A full-featured gallery app
  • Lexic: Word Game
  • LinConnect: Mirror notifications to desktop
  • Lyrically: A lyrics app which works everywhere
  • MaterialFBook: Browse Facebook
  • Materialistic: Interact with the “Hacker news” site
  • MatLog Libre: Material Design logcat reader based on CatLog
  • Metronome: A light and reliable metronome
  • Metronome: Produces an audible click at a regular interval
  • mGerrit: Gerrit client
  • Midori: lightweight, fast and free web browser for Android
  • Minesweeper: Classic minesweeper game
  • MineSweeper: Clear minefield without detonating a mine
  • miniNoteViewer: Note taker with encryption
  • MobileOrg: TODO list/task management
  • MouseApp: Mastodon multi-instances client
  • Movie DB: Search through movies and series and save them in a local offline database
  • MPDroid: MPD (Music Player Daemon) client
  • My App List: Ex- and import list of installed applications
  • NDKmol: Molecule viewer
  • Network Monitor: Check network connectivity
  • nicoWnnG: Keyboard for JA
  • No-frills CPU Control CLASSIC: Set CPU modes
  • NoLauncher: An extremely lightweight launcher
  • NoteBuddy: Store encrypted notes
  • Notepad: Basic note taking
  • Notepad: Take notes
  • OI File Manager: File manager
  • OI Flashlight: Helps you find your way in the dark
  • OI Notepad: Take notes
  • OI Safe: Password and private data manager
  • Open Aviation Map: Display aviation maps
  • Open Explorer Beta: File manager
  • Open FlashLight: Camera LED toggle
  • Open Manager: A simple file browser and manager
  • OpenAPK: A material design app manager forked from ML Manager
  • OpenCanteen: An unofficial client for the iCanteen food system
  • OpenTimer: Countdown Timer
  • OpenWnn: Japanese Input method
  • OpenWnn Legacy: zh_CN/ja keyboard
  • Password Hash: Create passwords for each website
  • Pedometer: Count your steps
  • Pedometer: Measure your steps (Step up to this app instead)
  • Performance Control: System configuration
  • Petronius: Wardrobe assistant
  • Pixiv for Muzei: Muzei art source extension for Pixiv
  • Plain UPnP - UPnP / DLNA server and browser: UPnP control point application
  • PodListen: Podcast player with lightweight interface
  • Pomodoro: Productivity timer
  • Pomodoro Tasks: Task Manager
  • Power Ampache: A material design player for Ampache (There’s a version two out there)
  • Pretty Good Music Player: Folder-based, no frills music player
  • qBittorrent Client Pro: Companion app for qBittorrent client
  • QuickSnap: Basic camera app
  • Recent Contacts Widget: Access contact info quickly
  • ReLaunch: Launcher for eInk/eBook devices
  • Remote for VLC: Control VLC with your phone
  • Riksdagskollen: Allow users to keep track of the Swedish parliament
  • Scanner For Zotero: Get bibliographic information for ISBN barcodes
  • Scarlet FDroid: Quick and beautiful note-taking
  • Search Based Launcher: Minimalistic home-screen (Yes, you know already, KISS)
  • Search Light: LED Flashlight
  • sesam: Hash based password manager
  • ShoLi: Shopping lists manager
  • Simple IRC: Connect to an IRC server
  • Simple Rss: RSS reader
  • Simple ToDo: To-Do / Task list with beautiful minimalistic design and reminders
  • Simple Weather: Get weather information
  • Simply Do: Simple item list manager
  • Sithakuru: Libre Sinhala Keyboard
  • SlimSocial for Twitter: Access Twitter
  • Smart Receipts: Save Time: Photograph Receipts, Track Mileage, and Create Expense Reports
  • SMS Backup+: Backup SMS, MMS and call history to IMAP
  • SNotepad: Take notes
  • Sound Recorder: Record audio files
  • Sound Recorder: Record your voice
  • STweaks: Kernel configuration
  • Subsonic: Play media across the network
  • Superuser: Manage root access (2 apps shared this name, so much for imagination)
  • SuperUStats Usage stats viewer: View Android “usage stats” (statistics about what apps you are using how often
  • Swiftnotes: Take notes
  • Symphony: A genre and album based music player
  • Talalarmo: Minimal, simple and free alarm clock thoughtfully designed by nap enthusiasts
  • Ted: Lightweight text editor
  • TEdit : A text editor with graphical file browser
  • Tensor: Matrix (chat) client (Spoiler alert! Latest Element X update is building while your read this)
  • Text Fairy: An OCR App (I’d try OCR based on Tesseract 5)
  • TextWarrior: Text editor
  • Tinc: Port of Tinc VPN
  • Tinfoil for Facebook: Facebook browser with privacy
  • Tinfoil for Twitter: Twitter browser with privacy
  • Tint Browser: Web browser
  • Tint Browser Adblock Addon: Ad blocker
  • To Do: TODO lists
  • Toe: Tic Tac Toe game
  • Torch: LED Torch
  • Torchlight: Use the flash of your camera as a light
  • TrebleShot: Send and receive files over available connections (LocalSend works nice)
  • Tricorder: Sci-fi gadget
  • TurtlePlayer: Audio player
  • TV KILL: Turn off TVs
  • Twik: Manage and generate secure passwords
  • UBIC Wallet: Wallet for the Unconditional Basic InCome
  • Urecord: Audio Recorder
  • WateryDroid: WateryDroid is a very a very very simple and small app to remind you to drink water
  • Weather Widget: Add widget to home screen with weather 5 to 7 day weather forecast
  • Wi-Fi Matic: Toggle Wi-Fi based on location
  • WorkTime: Tracks your work time (I heard Track Work Time is fine)
  • Writeily Pro: Edit markdown files
  • XBMC Remote: XBMC Media Center Remote Control
  • Yaaic: IRC (chat) client

Thank you for reading this week’s TWIF and for translating F-Droid Client, specially since 1.21.0 was just tagged, but maybe you still have time to check and polish your locale. We wait, go! 🙂

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