A list of apps I use on GrapheneOS, but most also make sense on other operating systems.
Install "F-Droid Basic" and Obtainium, add a few repos to F-Droid by searching for "F-Droid known repositories"
The minimal client app for the app store that respects freedom and privacy
NOTE: The Basic version of F-Droid Client has a reduced feature set (e.g. no nearby share and no panic feature). It targets Android 13 and can do unattended updates without privileged extension or root.
More up-to-date build of f-droid. Make sure to add some repos!
Get apps directly from source. Only from trusted developers! Useful for apps that are not released on F-Droid or IzzyOnDroid.
Aurora Store enables you to search and download apps from the official Google Play store. You can check app descriptions, screenshots, updates, reviews, and download the APK directly from Google Play to your device.
Use the Blocklist to only update apps that are only on Google Play. Currently broken, they might be able to fix this. Way less invasive than Sandboxed Play
Verify that apps you installed come from the right source. Fork of AppVerifier including user submissions
org.privacyguides.verifiedapps 40:5C:6B:D2:CA:7C:3A:AE:8F:46:3C:6F:8B:55:BC:F0:DD:AC:43:1C:5E:D8:EA:FF:65:D1:06:C9:81:7A:20:7F
Morphe is an Android app modification tool. It allows you to change how apps work, look, and behave beyond their original design. Build new functionality, remove limitations, and tailor apps to your needs.
Patch proprietary or open source apps to change their permissions, increase privacy or crack locked features. Very good patches: https://github.com/Nai64/Nai64Patches
Offline, privacy-first APK extractor with support for split-APKs. Essential to backup and share many Apps from Google Play.
Fantastic and small, split apks, normal apks and icon support
A modern Android app for installing and managing APK packages with split APK support, silent install via Shizuku, and VirusTotal malware scanning.
Install split APK files!
FlorisBoard is an open-source keyboard aimed at providing you with an easy way to type while respecting your privacy.
highly flexible and lightweight keyboard, no autocorrect yet
Less customizable than FlorisBoard but with autocorrect
IronFox is a fork of DivestOS's Mull Browser based on Firefox. Our goal is to continue the legacy of Mull to provide a secure, hardened and privacy-oriented browser for daily use.
Hardened Firefox, supports UBlockOrigin, BypassPaywallsClean and many more addons that make the web more private and endurable. Less secure than Vanadium, but using UBlockOrigin in "expert mode" you can block certain javascript entirely, opt-in.
Privacy and security enhanced releases of Chromium for GrapheneOS. Vanadium provides the WebView and standard user-facing browser on GrapheneOS.
very secure but not very private. good for progressive webapps (PWAs) you can place on the screen. This avoids installing apps which have way more access over private information
Modern and customizable gallery, has nearly all features of Fossify-Gallery and is WAY faster. Can be used as Gallery for "GCam Service Provider"
Private offline photo and video viewer with editing tools, format support, secure locking, EXIF removal, no ads, recycle bin, and material design themes.
Still the most features like mass-renaming images, but pretty old and slow
Calculator with lots of conversions
Enterprise-ready on-premise suite with advanced word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation tools, maximizing interoperability and file compatibility.
Navigation app with offline and online OSM maps, turn-by-turn voice guidance, cycling and driving modes, GPX tracking, POI search, and monthly updates.
OSMAnd~ from F-Droid, log in with your OpenStreetMap account and contribute!
CoMaps is a new community-driven map app project born out of the desire to create a truly open, transparent, and community-focused navigation app.
Fork of OrganicMaps, way faster and simpler than OSMAnd but less features.
Degoogled maps & turn-by-turn navigation for Android - MapLibre + Jetpack Compose, no Google Play Services
Combination of offline and OpenStreetMap-powered maps with Google Maps info, ratings, pictures and traffic data. Slightly more privacy friendly than Google maps but debatable.
KeePassDX is a material design KeePass client for managing keys and passwords in an encrypted database for your Android device.
The best password manager if you synchronise it with syncthing or another method. For "set and forget" use Bitwarden (but keep in mind that it might enshittify any time, this one will not)
Credential provider that allows you to use your USB/Bluetooth/NFC security key for passkeys/fido2/u2f authentication.
for using your secure element or external keys for passkeys/fido2/webauthn/u2f
Open-source pass-handling kernel for the Walt wallet app. PKPASS parsing, signature verification, encrypted storage, and security-critical UI flows. Transparency-for-trust.
Pkpass wallet, will hopefully soon support storing and using your existing credit card digitally. No tokenization, less secure than Google Pay but more secure than a physical card and works on deviced without Google Malware.
Music player for android, in accordance with author's vision of how a music player should look like.
simple music player with support for .m3u playlists which theoretically can be synced to a linux PC with Syncthing. Doesn't work that well in practice, you might want to have a look at Navidrome.
way fancier music player, no support for regular .m3u playlist files.
very simple app, can be used to get lyrics to then embed in song files with your favourite music player
A free and open source podcastmanager for Android, allowing you to subscribe to podcasts (via iTunes database & OPML), automatically download episodes using powerful mechanisms and listen to them the way you like (speed, balance adjustments, etc).
YTDLnis is a free and open source video/audio downloader using yt-dlp for Android 6.0 and above.
You just add your main audiobook folder and every folder in there will be recognised as a single book. That keeps your library simple and tidy.
Next Player is an Android native video player written in Kotlin. It provides a simple and easy-to-use interface for users to play videos on their Android devices
efficient video player
Multi-streaming client for desktop and mobile supporting YouTube, Twitch, other services, universal feed, live chat, playlist import, and offline playback.
cross platform video player, supports Odysee, Peertube, Dailymotion and way more, helps reduce the dependence on YouTube.
A fork of Signal for Android with proprietary Google binary blobs removed. Uses OpenStreetMap for maps and a websocket server connection, instead of Google Maps and Firebase Cloud Messaging.
The most secure and pretty private messenger, without proprietary blobs. Very fast automated updates and a long track record.
Cross-platform email client providing POP/IMAP support, robust filtering, multiple accounts, and chat. Extendable via add-ons with RSS/Atom, etc.
Combine with "OpenKeyChain" for PGP support.
Privacy-focused, open-source email app offering encryption, unlimited accounts, customizable features, unified inbox, and low data usage.
Alternative to Thunderbird Android. Most features are paid for but it has slightly more. For advanced users.
OpenKeychain helps you communicate more privately and securely. It uses high-quality modern encryption to ensure that your messages can be read only by the people you send them to, others can send you messages that only you can read, and these messages can be digitally signed so...
PGP for Android. Not only useful for email end-to-end encryption, but also for using "encrypted inbox" which some providers like mailbox.org offer
Your privacy-aware, open-source calendar with intuitive design and multi-platform syncing.
simple and elegant local calendar. Needs DavX5 and ICSx5 or syncing
sync adapter for calendars, contacts and storage. Can also mount WebDAV storage really well, like a Nextcloud drive.
A privacy-first calendar that works offline and looks beautiful. Connect to iCloud — or don't. Your schedule, your choice.
Fantastic new calendar application with native sync capabilities for most common providers. Use Fossify Calendar if you dont need sync.
Free open-source tool offers secure, end-to-end encrypted file and message sharing over local networks across major desktop and mobile operating systems.
Send files over LAN. Also works if you connect to another phone via hotspot, then it is very fast.
Facilitates device communication, enabling notifications, SMS replies, file sharing, and remote control across multiple operating systems.
connect with a Windows or Linux laptop, remote control, presentations, TV remote and more!
Enhanced file sync tool offering individual sync conditions, Android-focused UI, battery fixes, two-way external SD support, and secure encrypted folders.
The official Syncthing App is not maintained anymore. Works really well to synchronize files between devices, no cloud needed
send stuff to people anywhere in the world.
croc-app is an Android client for croc with a modern, mobile-first UI built in Kotlin and Jetpack Compose.
Better for sharing multiple files
This is a purposefully simple, native App that allows forwarding media and text to another Android User Profile as easily as sharing it with another App.
When using multiple user profiles
Never miss a moment with Google Camera, and take fantastic pictures using features such as Portrait and Night Sight.
offline, best photo quality
This is a modern camera app focused on privacy and security. It includes modes for capturing images, videos and QR / barcode scanning along with additional modes based on CameraX vendor extensions (Portrait, HDR, Night Sight, Face Retouch and Auto) on devices where they're...
good app, nice QR code scanner but worse photos which are also bigger
Breezy Weather is a weather app with a strong focus on design, with a simple, clean UX, smooth animations, and Material Design all over, plus lots of customizability.
good looking weather app with a lot of sources
Unofficial open source app for real-time emergency alerts, supporting over 270 CAP alert feeds worldwide, written in Flutter, and free of ads.
open source emergency alerts
App based on the "Deutscher Wetterdienst", free and open source, beautiful interface. Free alternative to the DWD App.
Best data in Germany
This list will never be complete, but aims at giving you a headstart in a free Android experience!
Comments
I'd like to add DekuSMS and CopySMScode
DekuSMS just showed a black screen for me a while back, but otherwise I agree