While Android is based off of open source code, the same cannot be said of most of the apps that make the OS worthwhile to use. Most modern day smart functionality of Android is accomplished through closed source, proprietary apps. Considering the amount of data we store in our phones and the permissions we grant to these apps, there is little that can be done to conclusively trust these apps without studying their source codes.
F-Droid serves as an alternative to such scenarios, as it aims to provide Free and Open Source (FOSS) software on the Android platform. Think of it as a Play Store alternative, but with apps that are entirely free and have their up-to-date code up for inspection and even for building directly from the source code.
F-Droid has been around in the Android space since 2010, and the app’s UI has had minimal changes since its initial release. But finally, this changes with the upcoming v0.103 release of the F-Droid client.
The F-Droid team mentions that they have been hard at work bringing a modern UI to F-Droid. The newest update brings with it some long awaited and much appreciated feature additions:
- Screenshot and feature graphics
- Bulk download and install
- Improved notifications for downloads and pending updates
- Ability to translate apps metadata
F-Droid is conducting further field tests to ensure that usability issues with the new design are identified and resolved before the alpha releases for v0.103 is rolled out to the public. The team is also inviting feedback and suggestions to further improve the client. Additionally, the team mentions that this is one of the many improvements happening to the broader F-Droid ecosystem in 2017, and there’s more to come.
Do you use F-Droid? What do you like about it? Have you considered replacing Google Play and its services with FOSS alternatives? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: F-Droid Blog
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