We really need a compelling alternative to the Play Store, both as users and developers.
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Yeah, I have it, but I can’t install 3/4 of the apps I use on a daily basis from there.
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It means 3/4 of the apps you use aren’t free software which is not an issue with F-Droid.
The security model or lack of same concerns me.
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My main issue is everything signed with the same key, and the way updates can go through without review.
Obviously Play store isn’t safe or wonderful, but it does have better review policies.
You can download directly from the repo with Obtainium.
That actually looks useful, particularly since github has a clearer security policy than f-droid.
In what ways do the existing alternatives fall short of compelling?
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Can you elaborate on “limited”? Surely that is what we want. One of the problems with the Play store is certainly not that it does not have a wide enough selection, but rather that it is full of harmful, hostile, dangerous, exploitive software. Any solution to that problem is necessarily going to limit (or one might prefer to say curate) its contents. That is exactly why I use F-Droid. It is limited to software that is not trying to hurt me.
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Those products that you “need” to function as professionals are never going to be available in a way that does not exploit you and put you at risk. You’re always going to be trapped with the incumbent marketplace’s shitty practices until you take steps to meet those needs in some other way.
You do not have to personally audit every application you use. After all, you DON’T audit closed applications, and neither does anyone else. At least with an application with code available under a public license, other people have the ability to review it and raise concerns. I can’t see how you can cast that as a disadvantage, just because you don’t personally want to audit the software yourself.
Personally, I’m not comfortable predicating my very livelihood on closed, commercial software that somebody else owns and leverages with the specific intention of exploiting me. That sounds like fucking madness to me.
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I guess F-Droid is limited in the sense of low user awareness? Similar to lemmy in the sense that its just not that popular atm, but maybe its gaining popularity?
Sure, but that’s not going to be helped by making something new that’s “compelling” – which is the topic at hand
Can I get my banking app on F-Droid? How about my home security system app? How about a dozen other apps that I want or need, and can’t be replaced by loading a website in Firefox?
This is entirely on the companies. There’s no technical reason or requirement for this happening.
Fdroid works great and is the most likely thing to be adopted, in my opinion. It’s easy enough for anyone to spin up their own fdroid server and distribute their own app.
If you’re wanting to use a new store, you’re going to have to wade through the growing pains of adoption. It’s just a fact of life.
I’m still waiting for Linux on desktop to be a big thing like I thought back in 2004. I suspect the third party app stores will be just as quick.
Wait, I assume if you install a banking app through Aurora it still works? Totally fair if that doesn’t work for your needs (you kinda need a google account, even if a blank one, to have it work right now) but I assume installing apps through it doesn’t limit them or make them less functional for having been installed through Aurora?
Works on Calyx! My banks didn’t work on Lineage through aurora. I think it only checks for a locked bootloader?
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There are in fact banking apps and home security apps on F-Droid.
Here’s the ones I looked for:
- Chase
- Bank of America
- NatWest (UK bank)
- HSBC
Not one of them was available on F-Droid. Care to share the ones that you know of?
Cool! I’ll just call my bank and tell them that.
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Accrescent is in early alpha, but it looks like it’s on its way to be a great, modern app store.
checked it out and it needs a lot of time to become a proper competitor
Aurora store worked well but google got their way recently
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It still works, you just need to search for things in the browser then open the links with Aurora
I wish someone would make a companion app that handles this automatically
I’d love to do it but I have no knowledge about kotlin. However, I’m still down if someone has a solid plan
The only hope here is that EU will force google to allow other stores.
Since when are third party apps disallowed?
We’re talking about stock android having 3rd party app store with permissions to install apps in the background. Yes, you can install f-droid but on a stock android it can’t update apps automatically. It’s not an alternative for normal users. And as long as 3rd party stores are not used by normal users app developers will not care about publishing apps there. What needs to happen is that EU needs to force google (and apple) to allow alternative stores, some heavy weights have to support it and developers need to start publishing apps there.
Droid-ify can install apps in background (or at least without the package installer popup. The main f-droid app is still targeting too low of an android version to do it.
f-droid can install app in the background on my iode OS. It’s not a technical problem, it’s a legal issue. Google and apple don’t allow 3rd app stores preinstalled on the phones.
Thats because the fdroid extension is installed. By default it cant do that. Google added the ability for app stores that target android 12 and above to update apps that also target android 12 or above without the package installer.
Ok, I see what you mean.
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Probably not the first degoogled android, but maybe one of the first ‘just works’ degoogled phones Edit: yep I misread but still true
Lineage OS by default comes DeGoogled and works just fine. Both phones I ran it on had absolutely no issues. It must be more niche than I thought though because no one here is talking about it.
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The supported list of devices is a who’s who of 2015. Finding anything more modern is reminiscent of digging through XDA back in the modding day.
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That’s just not true, the latest pixels are officially supported. LineageOS is by far the Android custom ROM with the largest compatibility set.
That good to hear because last time I looked a couple of years ago it was a poor list. The devices supported without issue list was pretty small.
Actually, this isn’t exactly a great list is it:
At no point does the article claim it is “the first degoogled android”.
I see the confusion by op. It says privacy-first, as in privacy is its core function not a first in its class. I think they just misread the title.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
First up, instead of the usual Google gubbins, replete with the adtech giant’s commercial trackers, /e/OS users will find a set of native open source apps and services Murena has developed to replace all that.
Murena also bakes a set of “advanced” private browsing features into the OS, including a tracker blocker; a location faking option; and the ability to hide your IP address.
On the flip side, when all the switches are set to off each one displays a one-word warning — either “Vulnerable” or “Exposed” — giving users a visible nudge to think about how their online activity might be compromising their privacy.
And this tension between locking everything down (to achieve perfect privacy) and opening select hatches (to boost utility) remains the core confounder for such an ambitious against-the-mainstream-grain tech endeavour.
The wider question is how much highly motivated demand there is to put in the small amount of extra effort required (and possibly also shell out some additional cost) to tread an alternative, less feature-rich path — if, at the end of the day, all you get for your effect is a product that won’t look or feel especially thrilling.
So its conviction of where the mobile puck is headed must be that there’s a growing pool of mainstream Android users with an appetite for iOS-style ‘low friction’ privacy delivered outside Apple’s walled ecosystem.
The original article contains 2,593 words, the summary contains 228 words. Saved 91%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
Good bot!
I built that ROM back in june and honestly, i don’t recommend it, the interface and apps are just terrible and they take almost a year to release a new android version.
Do they at least provide regular security updates?
Yeah, as long as Lineage does which is better than other ROMs.
No problem then!
Yes, they do
Ah, well that’s the important thing. Actual new major versions are mainly just bells and whistles these days!
yes, the apps are mediocre, but there are alternatives. (Also, its the only ROM with official support for my device)
Can I install/update my bank apps, and pay with my phone? That’s the bare minimum I need to switch to a deGoogled OS.
Solely depends on your banking app. If it requires Safety Net, you need to flash gapps on any ROM, or have a microg preflashed version.
Btw, i only need to hold my MasterCard on the card read and enter a pin if over 70 CHF. This isn’t common?
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The OS includes microG which has a SafetyNet implementation
So i guess, yes?
Just because contactless exists doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t want the ability to pay with your phone.
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I’ve actually been enjoying OsmAnd / OsmAnd+, which was recently recommended by someone here. It’s open source and runs more fluidly than Google Maps (which is locked to 60 hz). With that said, it doesn’t have live traffic built-in (and while you can add Google live traffic overlays, it doesn’t seem to get used for routing).
Sucks that the one feature that would get me to use (Android auto) is locked behind a paywall.
The fully unlocked OsmAnd+ is available via F-Droid for free (dev welcomes donations though).
Didn’t know that. I’ll check it out. Thanks!
Use magic earth
Checking it out!
I hope more newer phones get supported by them.
I have a samsung galaxy s23 and I need to scratch my de-google / custom rom itch.
I’m pretty sure graphene os has been doing this for a while now, check them out
GrapheneOS only supports modern pixels though. LineageOS is the one with the largest compatibility with both modern and older devices.
Have been using it for a while on my Fairphone 3, just works nicely :)
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Any reason to believe Graphene pings google?
So, someone tested it before and found that issue. I’m sure people will be testing it again. It’s pretty easy to do.
Can you expand on why? I’m not very well versed on Android OS or their firmware.
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Been using it on my Oneplus 6t and been liking it so far
I’m using iode which is very similar and I’m happy with it. It’s a good compromise. It doesn’t have any google apps, have some additional security and privacy protections and ‘it just works’.
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But it does have an app store, one that functions similarly to Aurora. Also nothing is forcing you to use that cloud storage, use whichever you want!
Man they really want to try and sell iPhones here.
Wish I could try it out but couldn’t successfully install it on my device. So I’m sticking with LOS. LOS is already good enough (if not great) as it’s stable and gets update more often.
a modified lineageOS, craaaazy innovation
