frontpage.
newsnewestaskshowjobs

Open Source @Github

fp.

Open in hackernews

F-Droid 2.0: A New Chapter for Android Freedom

https://f-droid.org/2026/09/24/f-droid-2.0-a-new-chapter-for-android-freedom.html
202•daveoc64•1h ago

Comments

zephiel7•56m ago
This is very good to see. Classic F-Droid always seemed to fail at updating repos at least every week or so.
RicoElectrico•45m ago
Repo timestamp expected blah blah... toast coming out of nowhere is such a bad design. Really, the architecture in which you absolutely have to download the multi-MB index is as well.
Scene_Cast2•54m ago
The official page still downloads 1.23.2. I wonder when this will go live, and if the old app will auto-update.
szszrk•35m ago
Try F-Droid basic, it has this for a few weeks.
cf100clunk•54m ago
That page uses the term ''repository''' singular. Can additional repos be added in the way Neo Store allows?
szszrk•51m ago
Yes. F-droid allows that, you can have multiple repositories and ... a few of those even exist :)

I'm using that with 2.0 (or rather with F-droid Basic, but I noticed Basic was updated to the same that is described in article, but a while ago). It works just fine.

reddalo•50m ago
It's always been possible on F-Droid, I doubt they would change something like that.
outadoc•51m ago
Very cool, the visual redesign was very much needed and I had been using Droid-ify for a while because of this. I'll switch back to the official app, congrats to the contributors!
zb3•50m ago
> All new code in this effort uses modern Android code standards and designs. This gives us a codebase that is easier to maintain, test, and easier to extend with new features in the future.

No, this increases the overall complexity of the system. Android will hopefully eventually collapse under its own weight.

renszarv•49m ago
If only they improve the AndroidTV experience a bit
juiceland•49m ago
For people who are die-hard F Droid users, do you get all your apps from it? I have tried in the past but it seemed like even when I restricted my use to basics it was missing things I needed to make my phone feel useful. Wonder if it has gotten better.
demo4567•45m ago
I do, but then there is aurora store on f-droid for the gplay only apps.
mzajc•45m ago
Yes, essentially. I do have the Guardian Project repository and I get a handful of applications from the Play Store (via Aurora Store), but everything else comes from F-Droid. If you want even more, you can add the IzzyOnDroid repository[0], but bear in mind that unlike F-Droid, applications are built by developers themselves, and the rules on FOSS-only licensing are less strict.

[0]: https://apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/

lanfeust6•32m ago
does Aurora still work? Last few times I tried, I couldn't install anything.
tukunjil•12m ago
Last used yesterday found no problem to install random application.
NoboruWataya•45m ago
mzajc•48m ago
> Also, F-Droid Privileged Extension (FPE) is not currently supported by 2.0. That means even if FPE is installed, F-Droid 2.0 won’t use it. This overhaul focused on full featured support for the Android “session” installer. That lets F-Droid run background updates on any recent Android version without requiring FPE. Like with any of the changes here, we welcome feedback.

This is a shame. Is the privileged extension a large maintenance burden?

NewJazz•39m ago
Are you stuck on an older android version?
silverbluep•44m ago
I have been using droid-ify on GrapheneOS for a few years now; because F-Droid ui is terrible, and the privilege extention has been such a pain to configure and get working without issues on my previous lineageOS phone. Happy to see this major overhaul; and i'm glad the FPE is being phased out.
PorciiVorbesc•35m ago
>I have been using droid-ify

After 10 years of F-droid, I'm bummed I only found droid-ify a couple of months ago. Sooo much better than F-droid.

aorth•42m ago
Cool! Unfortunately I switched to Obtanium a year or so ago. I get all my apps from GitHub releases straight from the developers now.
pkal•38m ago
What do you do for apps that don't have GitHub releases?
asdfqwertzxcv•30m ago
You can use it with non-github releases too, but it's super rare when one isn't available. In the case when Obtanium doesn't work, I just use F-Droid.
szszrk•36m ago
Do you use a lot of apps with that?

I tried it with 3 random apps for a while, but instantly got into issues. Two stopped updating due to Obtanium falling behind how app releases - for instance, developer changed version numbering scheme but Obtanium didn't expect that, so an outdated version was always presented. It wasn't fixed for quite a while.

zeandcode•35m ago
Didnt know this! Thanks for sharing !!
lanfeust6•33m ago
The update turnover is so fast for certain apps that I switched back to Fdroid.
cyberax•36m ago
Dear F-Droud, please stop redirecting me to the Mandarin version automatically without an option to read the original message. Just because I have a Chinese keyboard layout available.
jjice•35m ago
What does the future of something like F-Droid look like once Google does their lock down next year?
pritambaral•21m ago
Since F-Droid (i.e., the repositories, not the app) builds all apps, a practical solution would be for the repositories (i.e., their signing keys) to be recognized by El Goog. Whether and how much help / obstacle the "maybe we do evil" company puts up for / against this is a different question.
OutOfHere•7m ago
Isn't it possible, however complicated, for users to undo the lockdown to install an app? The required 9 steps are noted at https://keepandroidopen.org/ for devices that use Google Play Services.
magnat•35m ago
And still no popularity rating, download count or any user review system whatsoever.
echelon•33m ago
Because nobody uses it except a handful of uber-nerds who can put up with wasting hours of time for "altruism".

The answer to freedom isn't another marketplace. It's legislation that requires Google and Apple to allow web installs without scare walls or deeply hidden permission toggles.

You should be able to just download an app. And Grandma should be able to do it.

There's nothing insecure about it in a world of sandboxing, permissions, scanning, blacklisting, etc. When the tech giants are more than happy to sell ads to malware, you know their "safety" stance is just economic moat protectionism.

---

Edit because of rate limits:

F-droid fans are cheering a small victory, yet losing the entire war.

This f-droid nonsense isn't the point. The point is the app store monopoly. That there are only two platforms and that both are almost completely locked down.

F-droid users don't even see that Google is purposefully allowing this as an antitrust sponge calculus. The minute they can convert more freedoms into dollars, they will.

rpdillon•28m ago
> Because nobody uses it except a handful of uber-nerds who can put up with wasting hours of time for "altruism".

This seems weirdly derogatory towards people that use F-Droid.

nazgulsenpai•26m ago
As an F-Droid user for idk how many years now, I'd say it's spot on!
yjftsjthsd-h•17m ago
rom1v•33m ago
In addition to F-Droid on the device, I'd love an F-Droid "package manager client" on a computer, that allows installing apps on an Android device via adb:

    # update repo lists
    fdr update
    
    # upgrade all apps on the connected device
    fdr upgrade
    
    # search packages
    fdr search vlc  # lists org.videolan.vlc
    
    # install on the device
    fdr install org.mozilla.firefox
    
    # download the apk
    fdr download org.mozilla.firefox
    
    # uninstall
    fdr uninstall org.mozilla.firefox 
Of course, all operations would verify the signatures first.
yjftsjthsd-h•28m ago
Like https://github.com/Hoverth/fdroidcl ? :)
prima-facie•26m ago
Amazing news! I mainly use the F-droid Basic version which does automatic updating of apps. The regular one needs user confirmation for updates if I remember correctly.
imzadi•12m ago
I wish they would add ratings or even just comments
Telaneo•5m ago
It's nice to see F-Droid going places.
What do you find is missing? The main apps I need Google Play for are apps that are tied to a specific company or government service (eg, banking apps, or HMRC). For pretty much all basic functions I think F-Droid does the job.
sandreas•44m ago
No... I use a combination of Aurora, Obtainium and F-Droid.

Unfortunately there are APP providers actively preventing their apps to work on graphene OS, so i own an extra use@home cheap broken glass iphone for these mandatory but non-graphene apps.

It is a pain and it is getting worse... I'm really tempted to get back to the Apple ecosystem for less shens but currently i cannot do this yet... It just feels wrong but the pain is real. I'm Lösung the fight of investing too mich of my time in things that just should work.

drnick1•44m ago
I wouldn't use F-Droid exclusively. Many apps can simply be downloaded from their respective webpages. GrapheneOS also has also its own very basic app store.
rhamzeh•33m ago
FDroid offers the guarantee that the apk was built from source, and at least some marginal safety in terms of having passed their security and analytics/ads checkers.

You lose all that if you go directly to source.

QuantumNomad_•41m ago
I have a slow, crappy tablet I bought on Temu.

It is not my main device, nor even my secondary device. It’s basically just a device I bought for cheap hoping that maybe I was lucky and it was actually pretty snappy. It’s not snappy :(

I occasionally watch a couple of YouTube videos on it and read a couple of HN posts on it, when my phone is out of battery or when I’m doing a backup of my phone and have left the phone on the table for that.

Anyway, aside from YouTube the other apps I have installed on it myself are all from F-Droid, including the DuckDuckGo browser that I use on it. I also have Signal on it, which I don’t remember if I installed from F-Droid or from Google Play.

My main device that I actually use a lot is an iPhone. And like I said I basically only use the tablet like a couple of hours a week and only to watch a couple of YouTube videos and read a couple HN threads, when I am not able to use my phone for those things.

miloignis•40m ago
Most of them, yeah. My main non-F-Droid apps are YT-Music, Google Maps, Duo auth, Bible, and my bank app. Firefox, podcasts, local music player, ebook reader, RSS reader, email client, Matrix client, XMPP client, audiobook player, calendar sync, KeePassDX, SyncThing, Nix terminal, etc are all F-Droid.
silverbluep•40m ago
I use droid-ify as frontend; and it's been fine to use f-droid repos for most of my needs. I try to install my apps from there in general. Biggest issue for me is android auto capability usually requires the app to be installed from play store (CoMaps) and my music player app (GoneMAD) has a companion unlocker that is from paid app store.

I need banking and bunch of vendor related apps. I need play store for them; so not full on f-droid repos. But close-ish when it comes to phone functionality.

vrganj•38m ago
When I need some category of app - say a note app or an audiobook player - I generally check F-Droid first.

If there's a good enough app on there, I generally stick with that as opposed to trying what Google Play has to offer.

I like having that prefiltering, knowing that the app will be open source, not trying to pull anything shady and not have ads or sell my data. On the Play Store, more often than not, at least one of those is not true.

rurp•26m ago
Similar experience for me. I find f-droid a great supplement store but cutting out the default store entirely has felt like more of a commitment than I'm interested in so far.
fghkjlhb•25m ago
No I have Obtainium side by side with F-Droid. There are some closed source apps or apps that are not published on F-Droid (like Wireguard) that unfortunately I need. Obtainium is great for that.
asdfqwertzxcv•31m ago
Same for me. I typically search on F-Droid to find the apps and then add the github to Obtanium.
fghkjlhb•26m ago
I tried Obtainium a while back and didn't like it too much, finding apps seemed difficult.

Then I discovered https://apps.obtainium.imranr.dev/ which makes it very easy. I feel like Obtainium should make this more obvious. It would help adoption a lot.

yjftsjthsd-h•25m ago
I use F-Droid precisely because I don't want that. When https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38505229 happened - and when the same thing happens again in the future, because it will - I explicitly want F-Droid doing some basic due diligence on updates before shipping them to me. Cutting out the middleman is the opposite of what I want.
> Because nobody uses it except a handful of uber-nerds who can put up with wasting hours of time for "altruism".

What? I'm not sure how you would manage to waste hours installing a single app and then using it to install other apps, and I'm not using it because of "altruism" (what does that even mean?), I'm using it because it's the best way to get apps.

> You should be able to just download an app. And Grandma should be able to do it.

> There's nothing insecure about it in a world of sandboxing, permissions, scanning, blacklisting, etc. When the tech giants are more than happy to sell ads to malware, you know their "safety" stance is just economic moat protectionism.

Even if you 100% trust Android's sandboxing and permissions, which is... not a choice I would personally make, I like it when my apps don't have scams or ads internally, either. I'm not worried about Grandma downloading any app off F-Droid; I am a little concerned about what happens if she can download any app being pushed by any random website.

Show HN: LaunchPact – Get support for your Product Hunt launch

https://www.launchpact.io
1•launchpact_io•33s ago•0 comments

My Password Generators Had 53 Bits of Entropy

https://www.sethserver.com/security/password-generator-53-bits-of-entropy.html
1•speckx•2m ago•0 comments

UkisAI Swift Series / 27B, Flash Next and Bonsai 2 with-63.4% thinking, x1.95

1•kisjovan•3m ago•0 comments

Agents.md speaks Unix, and you should too

https://www.fmind.dev/articles/agents-md-speaks-unix/
1•fmind-dev•4m ago•0 comments

Docker and CNCF partner on an open spec for agent permissions

https://www.docker.com/blog/docker-sandbox-kit-spec-cncf/
1•ENOMEM•6m ago•0 comments

Chrome extension YouTube text and Web app

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/cofyt-youtube-to-text/biagdeamimapmocbchojoibllmkinfdl
1•ruibiks•6m ago•1 comments

App that chooses for you what to read

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/topics-curated-reading/id6759892878
1•starlightttt•11m ago•1 comments

Meta puts its AI assistant on a keychain

https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/meta-puts-its-ai-assistant-on-a-keychain/
2•wrxd•11m ago•0 comments

We Built a Data Warehouse Using ClickHouse

https://letsencrypt.org/2026/09/17/clickhouse.html
2•philips•11m ago•0 comments

How to rage bait Americans (with AI) [video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCvPPaIN5Ew
1•NalNezumi•12m ago•0 comments

Why is the human body so crap except for the liver?

https://dynomight.substack.com/p/liver
3•jbotz•13m ago•0 comments

Carrier Alliance Awards Tesla the Largest Electric Truck Order in U.S. History

https://www.mbtmag.com/operations/news/22975057/carrier-alliance-awards-tesla-the-largest-electri...
2•MC995•13m ago•1 comments

AI Models Are Great at Finding Security Bugs. Can They Tell When They're Fixed?

https://medium.com/meetcyber/ai-models-are-great-at-finding-security-bugs-but-can-they-tell-when-...
1•ls1911•18m ago•0 comments

BillFlowr: Simple invoicing and payment tracking for freelancers, small agencies

https://www.billflowr.com
1•jimmy_lee•18m ago•0 comments

Uswds is dead. Long live USWDS

https://matthenry.fyi/posts/long-live-uswds/
3•cdrnsf•19m ago•0 comments

Prediction of Future Strategic Issues/Future Warfare for 2025 (2001)[pdf]

https://archive.org/details/future-strategic-issues-and-warfare_202011
1•smalltorch•20m ago•1 comments

Show HN: Harness.apk – a drop-in on-device agent for Android

https://github.com/nev3rfail/harness.apk
1•nev3rfail•20m ago•0 comments

Federal judge orders Texas to air condition all prisons by the end of 2029

https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/22/texas-prison-air-conditioning-lawsuit-ruling/
9•bonefishgrill•20m ago•0 comments

Welcoming Jürgen Schmidhuber to Sakana AI

https://sakana.ai/schmidhuber/
3•hardmaru•20m ago•0 comments

DentaQuest sued for allegedly exposing 15M patients' private information

https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/dentaquest-sued-for-allegedly-exposi...
2•sans_souse•21m ago•1 comments

Show HN: Cancel Death – What changed in longevity science

https://canceldeath.com
1•kiddz•22m ago•0 comments

Night Shifts: Can technology shape our dreams?

1•momentmaker•23m ago•1 comments

AI doomers may be wrong but the skeptics seem even wronger

https://mathewingramblog.wordpress.com/2026/09/24/ai-doomers-may-be-wrong-but-the-skeptics-seem-e...
3•speckx•24m ago•0 comments

Show HN: Vigil Icons – 111 free icons for what people accuse each other of

https://www.vigilicons.com/
2•vigilantk•24m ago•1 comments

Give every take a kill date

https://firstlastword.substack.com/p/give-every-take-a-kill-date
2•grrrtttt•24m ago•0 comments

A searchable library of forgotten public-domain film clips from 1915 onward

https://www.movingimagearchive.com/
2•momentmaker•24m ago•0 comments

Play is doing its work even if we're not keeping score

https://aeon.co/essays/play-is-doing-its-work-even-if-were-not-keeping-score
2•momentmaker•25m ago•0 comments

NASA's New $4B Space Telescope Just Saw Starlight for the First Time

https://gizmodo.com/nasas-new-4-billion-space-telescope-just-saw-starlight-for-the-first-time-her...
2•gmays•26m ago•0 comments

What Happens When the Model Eats the Stack?

http://muratbuffalo.blogspot.com/2026/09/what-happens-when-model-eats-stack.html
4•mark4•27m ago•0 comments

EU Tech Push Boosts Ultrafast Laser Startups

https://spectrum.ieee.org/ultrafast-lasers-europe
3•maxall4•27m ago•0 comments