Cost / License
- Freemium
- Proprietary
Application type
Platforms
- Android
- Android Tablet
- F-Droid



This is a list of all the apps I use on Android. Most of the apps here are open source and many are replacements for stock Android offerings. Almost all are available on F-Droid.
I don't use any social networking apps so you won't find them here - sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are available via browsers! Same thing with shopping sites, Amazon can be accessed via web-browser.
These are the most commonly used apps on my phone. The vast majority are part of the Simple series of apps, which replace most of the stock android apps which have way too many permissions enabled. You have to pay for these apps if you get them from google play but are free if you get them from f-droid. However, I highly recommend you donate money to the developer if you find them useful.



Simple Gallery is a highly customizable offline gallery. Organize & edit your photos, recover deleted files with the recycle bin, protect & hide files and view a huge variety of different photo & video formats including RAW, SVG and much more.



Simple File Manager is a super quick & professional file and folder manager for Android devices.



A simple calendar with optional CalDAV synchronization. You can easily create recurring events and setup reminders, it can also display week numbers.




A simple light app for creating and managing your contacts from any source. The contacts can be stored on your device only, but also synchronized via Google, or other accounts.






It implements Time-based One-time Passwords (TOTP) and HMAC-Based One-Time Passwords (HOTP). Simply scan the QR code and login with the generated 6-digit code.



Android password manager supporting KeePass 1.x and 2.x formats, without needing internet permission for added safety.



Highly versatile PDF and XPS solution offering customizable rendering and viewing with features like digital signatures, redactions, and annotations.




Some important notes about this section:
NetGuard provides simple and advanced ways to block access to the internet - no root required.



Open-source privacy browser that blocks trackers, enforces encryption, and provides Privacy Grade ratings, focusing on control and user data security.




spaRSS DecSync is a fork of spaRSS which adds synchronization using DecSync. To start synchronizing, all you have to do is synchronize the directory DecSync located in the primary external storage, using for example Syncthing.
Lightweight and open-source app for YouTube, PeerTube, SoundCloud, and more. No Google Account needed, supports 4K and background audio streaming with downloads.




Discover and install FOSS Android apps with ease. Privacy-focused, ad-free, and no registration required, F-Droid offers a lightweight alternative.



Yalp Store lets you download apps from Google Play Store as apk files. It can search for updates of installed apps and lets you search for other apps. Yalp saves downloaded apks to your default download folder.



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.



Orfox is the most privacy-enhancing web browser on Android, for visiting any website, even if it's normally censored, monitored, or on the hidden web.



Orbot is a freely licensed open-source application developed for the Android platform. It acts as a front-end to the Tor binary application, and also provides an HTTP Proxy for connecting web browsers and other HTTP client applications into the Tor SOCKS interface.



Optimize your WiFi network using WiFi Analyzer by examining surrounding WiFi networks, measuring their signal strength as well as identifying crowded channels.



A network file-sharing application that makes sending a file to another machine on the local network as easy as dragging-and-dropping.



Signal is available on their respective websites as APKs, but using Yalp or Aurora to get the APK from google play is a far better option.
Current supported android versions have call-blocking, but only Mr. Number has the biggest bank of spam numbers to filter out so I choose to use this.
**edit: removed wire and mr. number. Had too many technical issues where messages sent through Wire never get delivered. Mr. Number has since required payment to continue using its more useful services and from the numerous reviews, even the paid version does not work very well.
An encrypted messaging app focused on privacy, supporting texts, calls, photos, videos, files, and group chats, with no ads or trackers.




Swiss-based VPN that ensures online privacy with a high-speed network, advanced encryption, and no-logs policy, offering a free version. Supports multiple platforms and unblocks content worldwide.




In addition to all these apps, I still use the following stock android functionality
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