PDA personal use app list
Last updated : 1/5/2022
Introduction
This article is to list out the Android apps that I use. It's just as nutshelled as the ROM list, since it uses the same format.
All apps I've mentioned here will run without internet and/or Goolag Play dis-services, unless mentioned otherwise.
For the past archive, here's the link.
Gallery
No other mentions, as Simple Gallery Pro is pretty much the only gallery app worth installing & using.
Simple Gallery Pro
Simple, open source & straightforward gallery app. Can exclude folders, hiding its media from curious eyes (but not the file manager and/or any other gallery apps you may have installed). Lacks subtitle support for videos though, so I end up pairing this with another video app.
As this is one of the Simple Mobile Tools apps, it features customizable themes which extends to the app icon (the app icon customization is for Pro variants) & is written in Kotlin. Unfortunately, they're hosted in GitHub.
Links:
Video
Dishonorable mentions :
- VLC : I'm not cool with combining music & video. In addition, blocking microphone permission using AppOps may prevent the app from functioning (why does a media player need microphone access?).
MPV Android
A port of MPV, for Android. While its file browser interface leaves much to be desired (I use Simple Gallery to browse the gallery anyway, so it can be ignored), it has the subtitle support Simple Gallery lacks. MPV also supports music playback, although its interface is too ill-suited for it.
Links:
Music
Theoretically, I could combine Music & Video if I were using VLC and/or MPV. However, I'm not a fan of such approach.
Dishonorable mentions :
- VLC : See the video section for the reason.
- PowerAmp : Basically a Goolag-only paid music player, free version tied to 15-day trial before expiration. I used to enjoy this back when I am still fully invested in the Goolag ecosystem.
- MPV : Video-focused interface combined with a rather lackluster file browser. Sorry, but a dedicated music player is better than video/audio players (including MPV) at all fronts (at least for music).
Honorable mentions :
- Simple Music Player : SimpleMobileTools' music player. Interface is not as practical as AIMP & there's less options (no control over how headphone buttons interact with the music player, for example), but at least it's open source (which is a step up over the closed-source AIMP).
AIMP
Short for (maybe?) Artem Izmaylov Music Player, or as I've enjoyed calling it, Artyom Is Music Player, this is the best music player on Android IMO. It has enough great features for me to rely on it, including theme customizations & manual playlist creation. Unfortunately, it is closed source.
For those who dislike Scoped Storage, 3.10.1052 is the last version without it.
Links:
Camera
No dishonorable mentions (Except for AOSP Camera2 which has a terrible UI), since I don't use my cameras that much to the point of needing GCam in my daily life. However, I occasionally use GCam Go if it's prebuilt in the ROM.
Snap
The inbuilt camera app for LineageOS & some other ROMs, mainly Lineage-based ones.
No links can be provided, as it's prebuilt.
OpenCamera
An alternative camera app in case I don't like a prebuilt camera (AOSP Camera2 immediately comes to mind). Interestingly enough, this is made & hosted at SourceForge (a rarity considering most Android developers are GitHub users).
A fork of OpenCamera is prebuilt in /e/.
Links:
GCam Go
A lite GCam that could be inbuilt in some ROMs. I personally dislike its lack of interface customizations & the fact that none of the GCam ports are open source.
I won't provide links for GCam mods (except for GCam Go by Greatness as I have decent luck with it & it doesn't have any Play Services dependency). Most GCam builds requires Play Services (or at least Gcam Services Provider) to start working, & there is too much versions for GCam mods that finding the one that works the best for you can be a frustating challenge (maybe try OpenCamera / Graphene Camera, it might not be the best but at least there's only one (or two if counting F-Droid build of OpenCamera) variant available).
Links to proven variants by Greatness:
Note : Don't install another GCam port if you have one installed.
Graphene Camera
A camera app based on Android CameraX library, made by GrapheneOS.
Links:
Notepad
Honorable mentions :
- Simple Notes : SimpleMobileTools' notepad app.
- Leaflet : POSP's official notepad app, also with online note syncing.
- Markor : A text editor with support for Markdown, todo.txt, and online syncing. However, its interface seems more cumbersome to me.
SimpleTextEditor (maxistar)
Highly simple text editor, with support only for plaintext. Interface seems easier to use than Simple Notes IMO.
Links:
Document reader
Librera Reader (Pro)
A feature-rich document reader that supports various formats, including PDF.
Links:
Drawing
Simple Draw Pro
Simple Mobile Tools' drawing app. Simple & straightforward, though you may want to use some sort of stylus.
Links:
Calculator
Honorable mentions :
Default prebuilt
Actually, the prebuilt calculator on every ROM is usable enough, save for the lack of theme customizations (depending on what's inbuilt).
No links can be provided, as they're a prebuilt system app.
OnePlus Calculator
A calculator app made by OnePlus. As an OEM-made app, it's interestingly nice that it works without Goolag dis-services. Otherwise, it's just like the default prebuilt calculator, complete with its lack of theme modifications.
For the record, I used the 2/9/2020 build, & also blocked internet access for it, just in case.
Links:
Calendar
Dishonorable mentions :
- AOSP calendar : Looks irredeemably terrible. Also, it demands Goolag sign-in (without sign-in & internet access, at best it's a view-only app).
- Google calendar : While it looks better than AOSP calendar (which isn't that high of a bar to pass), it still demands Goolag sign-in.
Simple Calendar Pro
Simple Mobile Tools' calendar app.
Links:
Etar
A calendar app prebuilt in some custom ROMs, such as LineageOS & crDroid. In a nutshell, it's AOSP calendar without Goolag sign-in demand on opening, & after getting used to how it looks, I'd say that it isn't as bad as I thought it would be. However, one ugly side of this calendar is that it's not available on GitHub releases - F-Droid & Play Store only.
Compared to Simple Calendar, Etar is unable to set events without a calendar account.
Links:
Clock
Honorable mentions :
Default prebuilt
The prebuilt clock app is usable enough, ignoring the lack of theme customizations. On Pie, Graphene-A12, and A10/A11 (with disabled dark theme); it looks like shit, with its all blue theme (it's not as bad in A10 & A11 with dark theme enabled, but still, it doesn't have theme customizations).
No links can be provided, as they're prebuilt in every ROMs.
Keyboard
I prefer to disable any kind of swipe typing, autocorrect, autocapitalization, word suggestions, & all other BS cruft (including sound) built into a keyboard app. Vibration stays enabled as I ended up getting a bit too used to it after trying it out in early 2020.
Dishonorable mentions :
- SwiftKey : Trash keyboard, nothing more. Swipe typing enabled by default but can be disabled, word suggestions that can't be disabled at all, & Microsoft unsolicited connections are just examples of the bad stuff on this one.
- GBoard : What the AOSP keyboard was supposed to be, but with added Go-ogle unsolicited connections & other kinds of bloat, such as swipe typing. At least there's more themes, I suppose?
Honorable mentions :
- AnySoftKeyboard : Highly customizable, but with plenty of offensive cruft enabled by default.
- FlorisBoard : AnySoftKeyboard, but with a different settings interface.
- OpenBoard : AOSP keyboard, but with more customizations. Only reason I don't use it for long-term prebuilt keyboard replacement is because it's not as light as Simple Keyboard (rkkr).
- Simple Keyboard (SimpleMobileTools) : SimpleMobileTools' keyboard app, not to be confused with rkkr's one, found below. Initial build impressions are disappointing, as there is no keyboard customizations.
Default prebuilt
The prebuilt AOSP keyboard is fine enough, though it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of customizability.
Some ROMs inbuilt GBoard, & while it's better than AOSP keyboard (more themes, adjustable length), it also comes with Go-ogle telemetry, & swipe typing is enabled by default. As a result, I tend to block this app from ever connecting to the internet.
No links can be provided for AOSP keyboard, as they're prebuilt in most ROMs. As for GBoard, I won't be linking any download links.
Simple Keyboard (rkkr)
Similar to OpenBoard, it's basically AOSP keyboard with more customizations. However, it's lighter than the former & packs in less offensive cruft than both OpenBoard & AOSP keyboard (no spellcheck, swipe typing, word prediction bar, emoji BS). Thanks to these factors, it's now my prebuilt keyboard replacement of choice.
Simple Keyboard is not a part of SimpleMobileTools' app suite, despite the name.
Links:
Launcher
No dishonorable mentions for now, aside from Nova requiring Prime unlocker for full features & Lawnchair denying icon pack installation when a "piracy tool" is installed.
Nova Launcher (Prime, 7.0.57)
The best launcher for me, with lots of customizations. It's unfortunately closed source, but that's what you get with permissive (read : cuck) licenses like Apache License - you may fork an open-source software & close-source it. Also, it has some sort of telemetry that can be disabled in Nova Settings > Advanced > Error & usage reporting (and/or disable internet access for Nova Launcher).
To get the Prime unlocker, you might want to collaborate with someone with a Goolag account & extract the APK from their PDA. Just keep in mind that you will need a Goolag ID that "paid" for the Prime unlocker if you're running a GApps-infested ROM.
As for the Nova Launcher itself, I'll link the version I'm currently using to APKMirror.
File Manager
Default prebuilt
Prebuilt & available in the ROM from the get go. Enough for regular uses, but couldn't read anything else outside /storage (SD Maid handles everything else outside /storage). As of A11, the default file manager is unable to write to /Android/obb.
No links can be provided, as they're prebuilt in every ROMs.
Console emulators
Unless mentioned otherwise, BIOS files are required.
Dishonorable mentions :
- DamonPS2 : Play Store exclusive, ads on both regular & "Pro" version, online-only, blatant & unpunished GPL violation, and coercive demands for purchases at all times inside the app.
- DraStic : Play Store exclusive, designed to break on purpose if cracked (latest version seem to remove the offending DRM, but I cannot personally confirm it). Considering the latter, I doubt it'll run on degoogled environments (vanilla / microG). However, at the very least, this emulator is no longer updated (16/3/2022 update : It's been removed from the Goolag Play Store for a while. Not that it mattered at the time of writing as testings are still paused).
- RetroArch : Emulator modules (cores) cannot be obtained without using the app & connecting it to the internet. This alone disqualifies what could be the one-app-for-all-consoles emulator.
Honorable mentions (as far as ones I haven't personally used yet) :
- NooDS : A (hopefully, following the developer's goal) speedy DS emulator, also with GBA backwards compatibility.
AetherSX2
A new (and actually pretty stable despite being in Alpha stage) PS2 emulator for Android, it has made waves on the internet (probably thanks to a terrible alternative being terrible). However, at the moment of writing (24/1/2022), it's closed source (planned to go open source after stable release). The developer also seem to dislike using APK installations, as he doesn't recommend it (he recommends Play Store instead) & refuses to provide community support for it (ok for anything too weak for PS2 emulation, not so much for those who refuse Goolag walled garden but would like to ask for issue fixes).
5/2/2022 update : The site has cuckflare "protection" (not present when I last checked it in 26/2/2022). Combined with the Discord usage (which is a not ideal for FOSS app development) & the developer's preference for anti-FOSS Play Store (not to mention AetherSX2 source code isn't up yet), I doubt AetherSX2 will be released as FOSS. But still, if AetherSX2 is released as FOSS despite all of those flaws, I'd be personally grateful.
16/3/2022 update : r/AetherSX2 is downed, and the redditors commenting there actually supported the developer's decision in taking it down (not that I can actually agree with them). I personally don't care much about the subreddit since it seems inactive the last time I opened it before it went down (and I see little (if any) evidence of demands there).
Links:
PPSSPP
The only PSP emulator anyone should use. No BIOS files required.
For those who dislike forced Scoped Storage, 1.11.3 is the last version without it.
Links:
Root managers
This covers root solutions & root managing apps.
Mentions :
- Shizuku : Allows direct usage of system APIs through either ADB / root. Generally faster than directly using Magisk, but there's not much things I use that require elevated system APIs (AFWall+ & AdAway explicitly requires root to function, for 2 examples) that I am currently not using it for now.
Magisk
The de-facto root solution, with the added ability to hide root from apps.
Flaws I want to mention :
- Internet access required to hide Magisk Manager (7.4.0 & beyond) (or Magisk app starting with 22.0)
- Automatic update checking cannot be disabled, only prevented from checking in the background. You could disable internet access for Magisk Manager (or Magisk app starting with 22.0), but you'll be unable to hide Magisk Manager and/or find Magisk modules from the app.
Links:
SD Maid
SD Maid is a category upon itself due to the things it do.
On first run, will search & ask for root permission before requesting storage & usage access.
List of root-dependent features I'm using :
- App controls - freeze system apps that can't be disabled in the Settings
- File manager - access system files & such.
As a root file manager, it has issues regaining root access after tampering with any kind of file in /system. (Pie; may also apply to A10. For A11 on X3(N/P), it works fine for /system.)
And yes, SD Maid can also be used to copy obb files to /Android/obb (with root access). Another removal of user choice that a 3rd-party app (and root access) brought back.
Links:
Firewall
Mentions :
AFWall+
A firewall client for Android using iptables. Requires root access.
Links:
Hosts manager / ad-blocker
Mentions :
- Blokada : VPN-only ad-blocker, with several prebuilt providers such as StevenBlack & Energized. Blokada 5 doesn't seem to allow additional providers.
- Netguard : See the firewall section above. For more clarifications : While NetGuard allows ad-blocking, you only get one provider, but you get to pick them.
AdAway
Internet access is needed to update hosts file.
Since 5.1.0, AdAway has a setup wizard that allows you to pick between root / VPN, and persists until either mode is selected. AdAway can also automatically check for updates, which could be disabled in Preferences > Automatic updates.
Links:
App Ops
Starting with A10, the AppOps feature is replaced with AOSP's new Permission Manager. These App Ops apps generally requires root access, & can be considered a replacement for the missing AppOps feature. Also, starting with A11, some apps now take AppOps into account, making AppOps apps usage not as practical as it used to be.
Rikka AppOps
On first run, it will launch a setup tool to determine which enhanced privilege it will use (root / Shizuku / ADB). From 4.0.0 & onwards however, it uses Shizuku.
Has ads that can't be turned off without buying the "Pro" version, though it could be mitigated if AppOps doesn't have internet access.
Permission tuning : Allow; Allow in Foregorund; Deny.
Links:
Kernel Manager
Requires root access.
Dishonorable mentions :
- Franco Kernel Manager (FKM) : Available only as a paid app in Goolag Play Store, & has license checking.
- EX Kernel Manager (EXKM) : Similar to FKM, but I didn't even bothered touching it.
- Kernel Adiutor : No longer in development.
- No Gravity App : Limited PDA compatibility, update checking once the app is opened, & not open source. At least it's gratis, I suppose?
SmartPack
The sane choice for kernel managers. Fork of the now-discontinued Kernel Adiutor. I no longer used this for some time as I no longer find any purpose in doing so.
Advantages compared to common kernel managers such as Franco (FKM) & EX:
- Open source
- Unlike FKM & EX, it doesn't have any Goolag license checking BS. It probably doesn't apply to its donation apk though.
- Paid, as in paid in a few megabytes of your internet quota, instead of paid in Goolag Play cash & the aforementioned quota. In other words, it's gratis.
- Also available in Github Releases & F-Droid, unlike FKM & EX's Goolag exclusivity. However, with 16.2 exclusively released in Play Store, I'm concerned that this advantage might disappear, especially if future versions aren't available in GitHub / F-Droid.
6/9/2021 Update : Fortunately 16.3 & further are available in GitHub releases.
Flaws that I see & could be removed if you fork and/or self-compile SmartPack:
- On the GitHub Releases variant, auto-updates are enabled by default, which can be disabled in Settings. Alternatively, you could also simply block SmartPack from accessing the internet.
The last stable GitHub release, 13.4 also has ads, which can be disabled in the Settings, but update checking toggle is buried in About.
- Interface customizations locked behind a paywall, which requires a donation apk.
- SELinux switcher in Misc (can be hidden in Settings)
Links:
No Gravity App
The recommended kernel manager for No Gravity Kernel. Not included with the kernel, so it has to be installed separately, if required.
Advantages compared to common kernel managers such as Franco (FKM) & EX:
- Unlike FKM & EX, it doesn't have any Goolag license checking BS.
- Paid, as in paid in a few megabytes of your internet quota, instead of paid in Goolag Play cash & the aforementioned quota. In other words, it's gratis.
Flaws :
- No source code available
- SELinux switcher that can't be hidden (best chance of "hiding" it is to make sure you're the only one who can open the app)
- Limited compatibility - supports only devices with available NGK builds
- Update checking that ties app opening with internet speed when the app has access to the internet.
Links:
Backup App
Apps that backup your app data. Requires root access.
Mentions :
- Migrate : An alternative to Titanium Backup, it backs up data in a TWRP-flashable zip.
- Titanium Backup : The ye olde backup app that just works. However, it's closed source, has questionable permissions such as phone & contacts, & locks some features behind a "Pro" paywall with Goolag license checking (license key without Goolag is available, though it requires PayPal).
- Seedvault : An open source backup tool made by Calyx, it has made its way to various ROMs, though mostly Lineage-based ones. Haven't used this one yet, so I can't say how reliable this is yet.
Neo Backup
A fork of the open-source and inactive OAndBackup, aimed at keeping it alive beyond 202x. After trying out release 7.0.0 (when it was OAndBackupX), I can conclude that it's currently shaping up to be my backup tool of choice, even if it has some imperfections.
OAndBackupX was renamed to Neo Backup in 27/3/2022, but no "Neo Backup" apk is up yet as of now.
Links:
App Manager
Requires root access.
Honorable mentions :
- MyAndroidTools : Former app manager of choice, until I tried out Warden. Simple & intuitive interface, but closed source, has opt-out telemetry, & no longer maintained / updated past 2019. No longer works with A11 per November 2021 security patch.
Warden
My current personal app manager of choice. Not updated past 2020 & has an update checker that can't be disabled, but works just fine without internet access. In addition, its interface is clunkier than MyAndroidTools & it is a rather inactive one-dev-show.
Links:
YouTube client / downloader
Requires internet access. I can no longer recommend any YouTube clients (other than Invidious for Android, if it even exists) as they rely on Google not randomly breaking things with backend updates. This recent issue on NewPipe (archive.org) should explain as a decent example.
Dishonorable mentions :
- Official YouTube client : Too much BS I can't be bothered to mention, including ads.
- YouTube Vanced : Fixes many issue the official client has except for one : Goolag account still required to view subscription & comment.
- NewPipe >= version 0.20.0 : Video player went from "usable enough" to "annoying shit", but became tolerable since 0.21.6. At least it could still download videos though.
21/2/2021 Update : In a questionable move, Newpipe's devs pulls a SJW move & reject BitChute with SJW reasoning.
NewPipe
An open source YouTube front-end that used to be decent, and still has some advantages compared to both official YouTube & YouTube Vanced, such as support for some platforms like Peertube & ability to download videos. However, starting with 0.20.x, it has gone too far to be an alternative to anything.
Advantages compared to other YouTube clients (such as Goolag's official YouTube client & YouTube Vanced):
- Open source
- Can download YouTube videos
This is the only reason I'm using NewPipe right now - I consider NewPipe as a "mobile YouTube media downloader that apparently also plays YouTube videos".
- No Goolag account required whatsoever
- Has its own F-Droid repository, allowing NewPipe to receive updates via F-Droid clients without its official repo's general delays.
- Support for various platforms such as Peertube, Bandcamp, Soundcloud.
Flaws I can see:
- The inherent flaw of being an alternative client - it has to keep up with upstream, especially if it introduces breaking changes; and NewPipe's rather inconsistent release schedule hurts it, especially when it couldn't do what it was supposed to do, as seen in issue #8502 (archive.org) and/or any similar issues.
- Cannot be configured to connect to invidious instances instead of YouTube (not that either would help against upstream YouTube throttling).
- Relies on YouTube's API. As said in the first point; anytime Goolag changes YouTube API (which they're bound to do), issues in NewPipe will start popping up.
- Starting with version 0.20.0, Newpipe went from being a decent YouTube client to a shitty one. Here are my problems :
- Correct Video Orientation feature (unified player BS) (redacted by 24/7/2021 update, seen below)
1 tap to play & unlock fullscreen, 1 tap to switch to landscape (if watching landscape video & Autoplay is disabled) & be stuck there if you started on portrait mode (& vice versa), & 1 tap to finally go to fullscreen. As someone who don't enable auto rotate unless it's absolutely necessary (I don't see Newpipe as an app that needs auto-rotation), this sucks.
For some smaller devices (such as Xperia XZ1 set to 432 dp), at least it's a 1 tap straight to landscape fullscreen & 1 tap back to portrait, which should be the default for all. Unfortunately, the tap back to portrait refers to tapping the back button on the navbar, but at least it's back to portrait.
24/7/2021 Update : Newpipe 0.21.6 added a toggle to disable forced tablet mode in Settings > Appearance > Tablet mode. Sure, it's opt-out & it only works if the back / minimize video button is pressed, but at least it's there.
- Back in version 19.8, the progress bar were easier to tap. Now, it's annoyingly harder for no reason whatsoever.
- Autoplay enabled by default when using Wi-Fi connection. It can be disabled in Settings > Video and audio > Autoplay.
- The unified player feature ensures that the video keeps on playing even when I exit NewPipe, albeit on the background. It stops when I close Newpipe, but the notification stays for a bit.
- Technically, these issues aren't present in a contributor's build, but you'll also have to trust per on not putting any additional tracking.
- Confrontational contributors that may act like they're the developer. An example can be found here (archive.org)
Is it just me, or does this avently guy seem like someone who enters a project & (forcefully) "contributes" a change that nobody aside from avently perself even wants (and prevents this "contribution" from ever getting removed / made optional)?
- Newpipe will give YouTube their user's IP, after being somewhat anonymized. 10/4/2021 Update : Linking the Privacy Policy.
- Auto-update check enabled by default, can be disabled in Settings > Updates.
- With the rejection of BitChute (and how they handled the backlash) (archive), NewPipe has finally degraded to the point I can't recommend it anymore. Don't get me wrong, I think it's ok for them to block it (I mean, it's primarily a YouTube client that could also view Peertube), I'm just not fine with how the devs handled this.
At the very least, they could have added it (but made sure it's disabled by default & has to be enabled by choice). By completely rejecting BitChute & even censoring some comments for being "disruptive", I believe that NewPipe has sunk too far from being the good YouTube client alternative it used to be.
Another good alternative that could keep NewPipe a recommended YouTube client alternative is to ignore all other platforms, including BitChute & PeerTube, & leaving support for them to other developers.
All Newpipe links (other than the issues) removed, I can't recommend this app as a YouTube client alternative anymore (or any YouTube client for that matter). Besides, even if I could recommend Newpipe again (as either a YouTube OR PeerTube client), I still wouldn't since it's still relying on the big G (unless support for YouTube is removed and NewPipe becomes a PeerTube client for Android).
Other apps I can't categorize here
Split APK Installer
An useful asset for installing split APKs, which has became more common in the Play Store, no thanks to some app soydevs making it popular (and Goolag forcing all new Play Store apps to use this accursed format). No longer maintained.
Links:
What I don't use & will never use
Kernel "optimizers" / "tweakers"
The likes of FDE.AI, LSpeed, NFS Injector, MAGNETAR, & LKT. In short - questionable benefits (I dunno, 3 more FPS in the "latest" excessively bloated AAA game you're playing that you won't normally detect?) with loads of issues (random reboots, stuff randomly turning off, unfixable Redmi K20 "Pro" bricking after FDE.AI is installed, etc.).
KTweak is better in every regards compared to the crapshoots above (there's an actual thought & purpose for the tweaks, for example), but I can't justify installing this when I don't have any need for kernel optimizers / tweakers.
Patcher apps
The likes of Lucky Patcher & Uret Patcher. Here's a short list explaining why I don't bother with them (at least for myself).
- Closed source - even if you know what the patcher is supposed to do, you won't know how it does what it's meant to do. In addition, there is no proper documentation to explain how the patcher works.
- There's no official site for either AFAIK - luckypatchers.com, LP's alleged official site, has the same feel as one of those ad-ridden copypaste sites with Android-related content. This, compounded with the lack of documentation, makes the patchers themselves a questionable thing to use.
- For whatever purpose these apps are made, they just don't work. Case example - back in February 2020, I tried LP just to deal with a cousin's Minecraft PE license checking issue (using LP was his idea, & he's running a rooted Pixel Experience at that time). Simply said, it doesn't work & Minecraft PE force-closes itself as soon as it's opened, so I advised him to stop playing Minecraft (which he did, fortunately).
- Even if LP (or any of these "magical" patchers) somehow works, chances are I am already using something that didn't require me to constantly rely on a patcher that might not always work. For example, why should I bother patching PowerAmp Trial just to make it usable for longer than 14 days when AIMP perfectly covers my music app needs?
In addition, I never have faced a situation where I have a paid app that I must patch away just so it could work, at least for now... (even Animus: Stand Alone & Nova Prime doesn't need LP to make it work on Vanilla / microG AOSP)
Cloud Storage
Why should I bother relying on a storage controlled by someone else & can only be accessed via internet, when I have microSD & USB drive (maybe add in an external hard drive as well) ready to be drawn out at all times?
DRM media streamers (or screamers according to RMS)
The likes of Netflix & Spotify. Just as I don't want to rely on internet-only storage, I would also like my media to run on whatever app I want to, not just an online-only, DRM-laden, snowflake dis-service.
Also, keep in mind the "DRM" word here refers to Digital Rights / Restriction Management, not Direct Rendering Manager.
Apps that I'm still conflicted about
App Store
These require internet access to work.
Dishonorable mentions :
- Goolag Play Store : It's so bad I have to list this one out:
- Goolag account is demanded to even view the store when using the app
- There's no way to save APK files for future usage
- App availability limitations - Fate/GO USA, as an example, is only available in US, Singapore, Canada, Australia, & UK. You can't get them from the Play Store if you're living anywhere else. However, the game works even in other countries where it's not supposed to be released, such as Indonesia.
- May not work if it's not a system app (Doesn't apply if running anything with GrapheneOS' Play services compatibility layer, such as ProtonAOSP & the aforementioned GrapheneOS; but may suffer from issues)
- Auto updates enabled by default. The only auto update you can disable is for the apps that aren't Play Store & Play Services.
- Unneccesary permissions such as location, SMS, & telephone access. Why would an app store need any of those?
- Random & unexplainable takedowns
A recent example is Simple Keyboard (rkkr) (archive.org). The developer's Play Developer account is terminated without any warning whatsoever (aside from some violation emails from at least 3 years ago).
- There are more issues than these, but the things I'm listing might be just a dust in a dusty room.
- Amazon App Store : Fuck the unethical monopolist whose name caused the rainforest & tribe with a similar name to hardly pop up on search engines unless directly searched.
- Aurora Store : An open source front-end to the Play Store. While I like its added features (no account required & ability to save split APKs in addition to regular APKs), I don't like the fact that it relies on the Play Store API not changing & fucking it up. Moreover, the ability to save APKs requires internet access, forcing the user to be online to get their app installers (in comparison, SD Maid is only good for non-split APKs, but doesn't need internet to do so). In addition, Aurora apps are a one-dev show & with the developer busy on real-life stuff, any guarantees that Aurora Store (or any Aurora apps, unless forked by another developer) will receive any update after Google breaks the API it relies on is questionable at best.
Moreover, any usage of Aurora using an actual Google account violates Google's terms of service, which may lead to the account getting banned.
Honorable mentions (not so bad, but still problematic) :
- F-Droid
Before I start with F-Droid's issues, let me list some advantages it has :
- F-Droid is open source.
- F-Droid supports additional repositories in addition to its own.
A good example is Bromite, NewPipe, Ungoogled Chromium, & DivestOS.
- In the likely case anyone doesn't like F-Droid's interface, they can use other clients, such as M-Droid or Aurora Droid.
And, here are (some of) the issues it has :
- Thanks to different signatures, any apps installed from the F-Droid repo (or other repositories from other users) cannot be updated with the ones released by the developer (and vice versa) without a re-install.
- F-Droid builds arrive later than their developer-released counterparts, as they need to recognize any changes, build the APK, sign it, & release it to the repository. This is a general flaw of F-Droid repo builds.
- F-Droid builds require you to trust F-Droid in addition to the original developer, as they don't accept prebulit APKs.
NewPipe somewhat sidesteps this issue (and the 2nd issue) by having their own F-Droid repo, allowing you to bypass F-Droid builds as long as you explicitly install the Newpipe repo build and not the F-Droid build (or install Newpipe using the APK from GitHub releases).
- Without a priviledge extension, F-Droid will not work as seamlessly as Play Store, requiring manual input for installations. Not a major issue for me who's used to instaling APKs, but still an issue nonetheless
- More issues on F-Droid security by Wonderfall
Browsers
Let's be frank here; all browsers in Android suck, and do not match the level of quality provided by Pale Moon in the desktop. Until there is a browser that meets my (admittedly arbitrary) standards, I will keep this section in the "conflicted" category.
What I look for in a browser (alternatively, Luke Smith has a good article here, which I mostly copied):
- Add-on support (or at least include uMatrix-like functionality by default - adblocking alone is not good enough)
- Option to not store history at all without Incognito mode (like Pale Moon and/or Firefox in desktop)
- Free & open source (paid is probably ok, as long as there are no DRMs & it's still open source)
- No unsolicited connections by default (so far only Ungoogled Chromium does this)
- Can be downloaded from other sources (F-Droid, direct download) aside from Play Store & its unofficial "mirrors" (APKPure, APKMirror, etc.)
- Clean, uncluttered, and neutral user experience by default
- Works on the modern web
- Works with alternative protocols such as Gemini (optional)
Dishonorable mentions (don't use these, seriously) :
- Google Chrome
Also known as the overly popular data collector disguised as a browser with too much bloat & not enough essential features (such as having to rely on arbitrarily selected search engines without being able to add your own preferred engine). Imagine getting a Mi A2 (or any weak PDAs generally) to completely choke to a halt on deleting a history loaded with a week's worth of reading various recipes (mostly based.cooking, sometimes seriouseats.com) & visiting wiki pages.
- Chromium (Bromite's build is a good example of this)
Chromium to Chrome is what Fennec is to Firefox Android.
- Brave Browser
Chromium, but with plenty of shady stuff.
- Firefox Android (and every other Firefox-based browsers; but some will receive special notes)
Before the Fenix release, Firefox was an OK browser despite not being privacy-friendly out of the box, thanks to its support for essential extensions like uMatrix & extensive moddability (including about.config). However, with the Fenix release, uMatrix is no longer compatible with all Firefox Android builds (including the old IceCat) (and several features including about:config removed). Combined with Mozilla's undeniable hypocrisy & concerns on Mozilla's future, there's no way I'd recommend using any Firefox-based browsers.
26/2/2022 Update : Tried out Mull & IceRaven, and hated the Fenix UX. No add-ons can be installed without going through Mozilla's add-on page (meaning the user is subject to Mozilla's artificially limited add-on compatibility), clunky interface that somewhat tries to prevent the user from reaching the settings (especially when the address bar is pressed once), and loss of options compared to desktop Firefox (no options to not keep history, for one that applies to all Firefox Android forks AFAIK) are just examples of why I hated the Fenix UX.
- Fennec
Firefox Android, but without a good portion of Mozilla's telemetry & proprietary bits. But still, it's just Firefox Android with a bit less spyware.
- IceCat Android
Once the best Android browser IMO, I once used it extensively as my main browser of choice, until Mozilla released Fenix & made uMatrix (the one mandatory add-on) incompatible with all Firefox releases. At least IceCat Android is dead.
- IceRaven
Firefox Android, with some features such as about:config added back & less telemetry. Unfortunately, it's also less well-maintained than Firefox Android, and still suffers from Firefox Android's flaws.
- Klar / Firefox Focus
Essentially Firefox with "private" browsing enabled at all times, & even less features (including removal of add-on support & about.config).
- Mull
DivestOS' take on Firefox Android, with some features upstreamed by Tor uplift project, added preferences from arkenfox-user.js, about:config support, and some proprietary blobs removed. However, it still keeps in Firefox Android's fatal flaws.
- Pale Moon for Android
Dead & unmaintained. A shame, as this could be the best (assuming all add-ons are supported; especially eMatrix) Android browser (for desktop, I nominate Pale Moon as the best browser I've ever used despite their issues).
- TOR Browser
Firefox Android with TOR integrations. Unfortunately, TOR Project thinks embracing CF is a right thing to do (which isn't, despite various attempts at silencing any & all who'd speak out against CF).
Mentions for the ones not yet used :
- Mulch
DivestOS' take on Chromium. Features patches from Vanadium & Bromite. Available only in DivestOS F-Droid repo.
Honorable mentions (imperfect, but alright to use. Listed from worst to best) :
- Vanadium
Chromium with security enhancements, made exclusively for GrapheneOS. Not tested outside Graphene as there is no APK to get.
- Bromite
Not the worst Chromium-based browsers you'll ever find, but lacks any kind of extension support, has auto-update checking for the browser enabled by default. and still has Chrome's arbitrary search engine limitations, in addition to Go-ogle being default search engine. Also, since this is a Chromium-based browser, you might want to re-read the part where the A2 is completely stopped in an attempt to clear a week's worth of history loaded with reading wikis & recipes from both seriouseats.com & based.cooking.
I personally use Bromite's SystemWebView.
- Kiwi Browser
Chromium, but with extension support. Extensions may also be installed via .crx file, which is a very major advantage compared to Firefox Android. However, Kiwi has various unwanted connections.
- Privacy Browser by Stoutner
A not so bad browser with inbuilt ability to block either some 3rd-party connections, none of them, or all of them - no in-betweens like uMatrix / eMatrix. Also features a Klar-esque feature where everything (except for bookmarks) is deleted if the app's closed. Uses the system's inbuilt WebView.
- Ungoogled Chromium
Bromite with some more additions, but isn't as well-maintained (1/5/2022 Update : The developer seems unsure of which Git repository to update, between Droidware's Gitea repo & the Ungoogled Software repo. In addition, there are no new builds since March 2022.). Used to have builds with extension support, but it's no longer developed (the build with extensions, not the whole project). The WebView from its own F-Droid repo (which uses build from Droidware) will also clash with repos providing their own Chromium & Webview forks (such as Bromite & Mulch).
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