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There are lots of Fediverse apps on @fdroidorg, the free open alternative to Google Play. Some Fediverse apps are exclusive to F-Droid!

Unlike Google Play, F-Droid apps are all free, open source and privacy-friendly.

F-Droid can be installed on any Android phone. It's slightly tricky to install because Google tries to block any alternative app stores. However, once it's been installed it is just as easy to use as Google Play.

There are some simple step-by-step F-Droid installation instructions here:

https://switching.software/replace/google-play/

You can find out more about F-Droid on its official site at https://f-droid.org

#Fediverse #FediTips #FDroid #Android #GooglePlay #Google #Alternatives

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in reply to FediTips has moved!

can you make a recommendation for an alternative smartphone or operating system for a smartphone other than android/google or iphone/apple that works well?
in reply to Brother West

If you want an alternative "daily driver" phone that does real world everyday tasks, the best option at the moment is probably a degooglised Android device.

@e_mydata , @nitrokey and @iode all sell their own versions of preinstalled degooglised Android phones.

If you are okay with a less reliable, more experimental phone, you can install several different kinds of Linux on the PinePhone from @PINE64

Fitheach reshared this.

in reply to FediTips has moved!

Sailfish OS and ubuntu touch¹ are actually not that experimental… The hardest part is to find compatible hardware.

1. At least, it worked well both in terms of stability and supported (necessary) functionalities (calls, SMS, network/data…) years ago when a I had a compatible device in working conditions. I haven't had a chance to test newer versions on a phone.

@fdroidorg @e_mydata @nitrokey @iode @PINE64
in reply to FediTips has moved!

I'm running iodé on my Xiaomi Mi 9 and really love it. Also, plain old LineageOS is available on quite a lot of devices....
in reply to FediTips has moved!

Ah cool! I was wondering where that was gone! :blobcatgiggle:​ Formerly known as switching.social
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James Richardson
Yeah. I've been with T-Mobile for about a decade. My work phone is a Verizon iPhone. I never turn it on. I used Island to create a segregated Work Profile on my Android phone and installed my company portal/apps in there...
in reply to FediTips has moved!

Can anyone recommend me any F-Droid app where I can use my bank account? My bank is forcing me to download their app through play store or apple store. Only then will I be able to access it through the browser . . . I don't have a google account, I don't use the play store and I don't have an iphone . . .
in reply to FediTips has moved!

> Your phone will warn you that the file is from an untrusted source, but this is nothing to worry about.

I think this should be rephrased to avoid building bad security practices.

My suggestion:

"Your phone will warn you that the file is from an untrusted source, which means that Google cannot stop that application from doing harm to your phone. But we can vouch for F-Droid. It's up to you whether you trust us."
in reply to FediTips has moved!

So, Aurora is the only alternative . . . I will probably try Aurora. Thanks for the info!
in reply to FediTips has moved!

I installed Aurora but when I try to install the app it gives error - "Installer failed INSTALL_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR: Permission denial." How do I fix this?!