The 10 open source Android apps I install on every new phone

There are a number of apps I have to set up on any new Android telephone. With out them, utilizing my handset can be fairly difficult. These embody the same old suspects like purchasing and banking apps, browsers, AI search instruments, and WhatsApp. Surprisingly, I additionally rely closely on open-source apps. A fast rely reveals that over a dozen of my apps are open supply, a lot of which improve my telephone expertise.

In honor of those apps, listed below are the ten open-source Android apps I all the time set up with out hesitation:

LocalSend is a free, open-source, cross-platform file-sharing service that makes use of my native community to switch information between units. I’m a comparatively new person, however the app shortly gained me over. I used to wrestle with Fast Share and USB cables for transferring information from my telephone to a different machine or my PC, however not anymore. LocalSend simplifies this course of, utilizing my quick native community for fast transfers.

Its simple setup is a serious benefit; simply set up the app on each the sender and recipient units, and also you’re able to go. It’s suitable with Apple merchandise, Linux, Home windows, and Android, permitting seamless file transfers between Android and iOS.

Kvaesitso is a free, open-source Android launcher targeted on minimalism and search. As a former Nova Launcher person, Kvaesitso has utterly modified how I exploit my telephone since I adopted it over a yr in the past.

As a substitute of a number of screens, Kvaesitso makes use of a vertically-scrolling structure just under the display screen’s edge. This helps a number of widgets and lets me disguise them till wanted.

The launcher closely depends on its search capabilities, which may pull up information past apps and shortcuts, together with information, contacts, calendar occasions, and even Wikipedia outcomes.

Breezy is a free, open-source climate app that totally embraces Google’s Materials Design. Consequently, it’s one among my favourite options to Google’s personal climate platforms. Its GitHub description highlights its proficient use of Materials Design, and consequently, it appears to be like nice on Google Pixel units. Regardless of this, the app nonetheless has its personal persona and affords all of the very important climate metrics at a look, a number of sources, and the choice to delve deeper into every day forecasts if required.

Materials Information is my go-to file supervisor. This free, open-source app is light-weight, makes shifting information simple, and features a helpful breadcrumbs menu for easy navigation. It helps archives, themes, and, importantly for me, my NAS. Principally, it covers each requirement I’ve and extra.

Managing apps from a number of sources and preserving them up to date could be a chore, however Obtanium makes it surprisingly gratifying. The app acts as a central hub for all non-Play Retailer apps, permitting customers to seek for apps on platforms like F-Droid and GitHub and obtain them instantly.

Like Obtanium, Shizuku is among the most essential apps on my telephone, although I don’t actively use it. It permits different apps to entry larger privilege APIs that they often couldn’t.

For instance, Smartspacer, which reinforces my Pixel’s At a Look widget, wants Shizuku to operate. Many different apps additionally depend on it, and it’s the lynchpin for making your Android phone feel more like a Pixel.

URLCheck is a free, open-source link-checking app that could be a middleman between my thumb and browser. It’s indispensable for verifying the vacation spot of obfuscated hyperlinks in emails and social apps.

I wrote a devoted piece on why URLCheck is a everlasting fixture on my telephone. In brief, it lets me take away monitoring snippets, examine hyperlinks for viruses, and open hyperlinks in my app of selection.

I don’t use Twitch as a lot as I used to, however I flip to Xtra once I do. This free, open-source Twitch shopper is much less annoying than the official app, providing entry to third-party emote providers and background playback. It additionally lets me obtain VODs for offline viewing, which is ideal for flights.

The free, open-source mapping app OsmAnd excels the place Google Maps falls quick. It makes use of OpenStreetMap information, which I depend on for navigating again roads. In my space, a number of gravel routes aren’t on Maps. OsmAnd highlights highway high quality and floor, serving to me determine if I can traverse a bumpy farm highway. Consequently, it’s additionally one of many most important Android Auto apps on my machine.

Lastly, RedReader is the one cause I’m nonetheless contemplating utilizing Reddit. It’s exempt from Reddit’s third-party app restrictions and is one of the best app for looking the social community (of the apps that also exist).

It’s quick, easy, and customizable sufficient for my wants. I really like its legibility settings, particularly the power to regulate font sizes exactly.

I’ve shared my favourite apps, and now it’s your flip. Are there any open-source apps you all the time set up in your telephone? Let the neighborhood know within the feedback under.