Whats on my phone
This is an attempt to document all the apps I have to install on a new android phone to get it up and running. This is currently from memory. I'll update this post when I have to go though the steps for real next time.
- Go through all the steps of new phone wizard. Skip google account creation and opt out of all possible data collection features from google.
- Never sign into the phone with a google account.
- Disable the play store (can't login anyway) and play services.
- App store Download the apk for the F-Droid application store. This only offers FOSS applications. But covers about 90% of everything that I need on my phone. Unless stated otherwise everything below is available from F-Droid.
- Web browser - Firefox Beta (seems pretty stable). Not available directly from F-Droid. There is a dedicated installer though - FFUpdater. This pulls latest firefox builds from Mozilla's repos.
- File syncing - Syncthing - Dropbox replacement. I use it to sync everything to my new phone - Contacts, notes, passwords, TOTP seeds, youtube, podcast and RSS subsctiptions. Add Cryptomator on top if feeling paranoid
- Contacts - DecSync CC uses a file saved in my syncthing directory to store and sync contacts. Completley transparent to the phone's contacts app. I see my contacts there as usual. Just need to choose DecSync as the default location to save new contacts.
- Passwords - KeePassDX for passwords and andOTP for OTPs. Both use a file in syncthing as the store.
- Email - K-9 Mail
- Messengers
- Signal - Not on Fdroid. Get apk direct from signal.org
- Jami - Also includes sip calling functionality using general voip accounts like callcentric.
- Notes/Tasks - Orgzly
- Media
- NewPipe - youtube client
- Kore - remote for kodi, previously called XBMC. Can also take video links from NewPipe and stream them to the TV. Who needs chromecast?
- Escapepod - RSS based podcast subscription manager and player.
- Transistor - Online radio player. I use it to listen to BBC radio.
- VLC - Video player
- Navigation Sygic - Closed source so not available from F-Droid. Get it from apkpure
- Slide - Unofficial Reddit client
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