We really need a compelling alternative to the Play Store, both as users and developers.
this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2023
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Android
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F-Droid
Yeah, I have it, but I can't install 3/4 of the apps I use on a daily basis from there.
Wouldn't that be the same for any other alternative? That's what a monopoly does.
It means 3/4 of the apps you use aren't free software which is not an issue with F-Droid.
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I would prefer to see a wider embrace of PWAs.
This is what really, really pissed me off about the iPhone. When it launched and they gave it a desktop-class web browser engine and told people they were going all-in in PWAs (though I don't think the term existed at the time). Then v2 came out and they went sike! native apps, must be developed on our PCs, must be distributed by us, you must pay us to be allowed to develop, we take a cut of your income, and we're going to cripple the PWA engine to make universal, open apps all but unusable.
Dicks.
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In what ways do the existing alternatives fall short of compelling?
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.
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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.
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Aurora store worked well but google got their way recently
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
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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.
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.
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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.
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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!
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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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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.
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Have been using it for a while on my Fairphone 3, just works nicely :)
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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