While most Android users rely solely on Google Play to install games and apps on their devices, some prefer less-privacy-invasive markets for that.
F-Droid is a small but popular choice when it comes to that. Once installed, it gives users access to hundreds of apps and games that they can install. While it may look like another store on first glance, it offers several advantages over Google Play:
- Strictly free and open source software.
- Apps and games are compiled by F-Droid from public source code with manual source code reviews.
- Trackers, ads and telemetry are removed, if they exist.
- Doesn’t rely on Google Play services.
One of the main downsides is the relatively low number of apps and games offered by F-Droid. Still, it is a good place to look for something before looking elsewhere.
F-Droid 2.0 promises a redesign of the official app, with key components rewritten to integrate better with current Android design patterns.
Existing users will notice that the navigation has been shortened to the three entry points Discover, Search and My Apps. Categories are found in Discover now and My Apps is the place to manage installed apps, updates and such.
Discover, one of the central features of F-Droid, has been redesigned in the new version to improve the experience. From new, smaller, categories to meta categories and a search that works better thanks to the inclusion of app descriptions, categories and translations.
Advanced users find filtering options to better find specific apps or games. Installs are also handled natively now, thanks to the EU’s Digital Market Act and Google’s changed stance on third-party app stores.
Lastly, users who run very old Android devices, Android 6.0 or earlier in particular, can’t use the new version anymore.