A developer working with a batch of old Android 6.0.1 devices describes turning to lightweight, de-googled software after finding the experience surprisingly enjoyable. When attempting to publish a text editor called Tabby on the Play Store, the app was rejected and Google attached a screenshot from an unrelated app containing explicit content as justification; an appeal was denied without explanation. The developer suspects the issue may stem from Google's automatic listing translations linking to a dubious site, and plans to distribute apps via F-Droid and itch.io instead.
lecaro.me
· 2026-09-28
Kvaesitso is an open-source, search-first Android launcher that is distributed only through GitHub and F-Droid rather than the Play Store. Installing it requires downloading an APK from the project's GitHub releases page and enabling installation from unknown sources, and on some Samsung Galaxy phones users must also disable the Auto Blocker security feature.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-28
F-Droid, the open-source Android app repository, released version 2.0 with automatic update installation and a unified installer that leverages a new pre-approval API enabled by EU Digital Markets Act rulings against Google. The release comes as F-Droid displays a banner warning users about Google's upcoming developer verification requirements, which could restrict distribution of unverified apps on Android devices.
news.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-25
F-Droid, the open-source Android app store, has released version 2.0 with a rebuilt interface using Google's Material Design and a full rewrite of the codebase in Kotlin. The update reorganizes navigation into three sections—Discover, Search, and My Apps—and overhauls search to include app descriptions, tags, and translated terms rather than tracking user behavior.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-25
F-Droid, the open source Android app repository, has released its first major client update in a decade. Version 2.0 was rewritten in Kotlin Compose with a cleaner interface, expanded app categories, and description-based search across its thousands of listed apps.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-24
F-Droid has launched version 2.0 of its official app after more than a year of development and 14 test releases. The update rebuilds the interface using Kotlin Compose and Material Design, reorganizing navigation into three sections—Discover, Search, and My Apps—to improve app browsing, search, and update management. The rollout to users will happen gradually over the coming weeks.
f-droid.org
· 2026-09-24
A hobbyist developer and F-Droid user set out to estimate how much software on the open-source app store F-Droid is written or heavily assisted by LLMs, after spotting an app with an obviously AI-generated icon. The author admits there's no reliable way to definitively detect AI-written code from text alone, but argues that certain behavioral and stylistic patterns in repositories can hint at LLM involvement.
tintotint.eu
· 2026-09-15
Android Authority surveyed nearly 2,200 readers about Google's tougher sideloading measures, which add security checks, a 24-hour delay, and a forced restart before installing apps from outside the Play Store. Roughly 47.5% said the extra friction is always worth it, while another 36.6% said it's worth it for certain apps only, meaning over 80% of respondents remain willing to sideload despite the added steps.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-08
GoKawiil