Amazon Musicβ β β ββI want to use it to listen to music. Amazon wants to use it to sell me more subscriptions.
Assistant for No Manβs Skyβ β β β β Very useful for looking up crafting recipes and other reference while playing the game on my PC. Updated quickly when the game adds new features.
Buranβ β β β βSimple, fast, intuitive Gemini Protocol client for Android with a clean interface. Supports bookmarks and client certs, but not subscriptions.
Clusterduckβ β β β βFun and weird, good for killing time while youβre waiting in line. Eventually it gets monotonous, but it takes a while to get there.
ConnectBotβ β β β β A no-nonsense SSH client for Android.
CSCPay Mobileβ β βββNow my laundry doesnβt just depend on the washer and dryer, but on a controller box, its internet connection, my internet connection, my phone charge, and an online service.
DAVxβ΅β β β β β Background app that syncs your non-Google cloud accounts with your Android system calendars and contacts.
Deedumβ β β ββA full featured, if awkward, Gemini client for Android and iOS. Handles bookmarks, subscriptions and client identities.
Firefoxβ β β β βI still have a soft spot for Firefox. At times itβs been the best web browser on Windows and Linux. Itβs still good, has a solid extension ecosystem, and serves as an important bulwark against one company dominating browser tech.
Fossify Calendarβ β β β βBasic calendar app that works with your phoneβs local calendars. You can do all the usual things you want to use a calendar for on your phone. Doesnβt clutter up your schedule with ads or vacuum up your personal data.
Fossify Cameraβ β β ββBasic camera app with support for flash, timer and video, optional EXIF. Lacks advanced processing like night sight. Images are slightly noisier than Googleβs camera.
Fossify Contactsβ β β β βBasic, privacy-respecting contacts app for Android that works with all contacts accounts on your phone.
Fossify Galleryβ β β β βBasic on-device gallery that lets you manage your photos without sending them to a cloud service just to deal with whatβs on your phone.
Fossify Keyboardβ β β ββI wanted to like this keyboard, but I canβt seem to type reliably with it just by tapping on my phone, and thereβs no swipe gesture or autosuggest support. It works better at tablet size.
Fossify Launcherβ β β ββWorks fine for launching apps. Widget support needs more work. Does not auto-rotate.
Gmail (Android App)β β β ββWorks well with multiple accounts and display modes, but tracks you more than it should.
Google Chromeβ β β ββThere was a time when Chrome was the fastest web browser available. It isnβt anymore, and over the last few years itβs felt less like a user agent and more like a Google agent.
iNaturalist (App)β β β β β Streamlines the basic use case of posting an observation from your phone and narrowing down the plant or animal youβre looking at.
IronFoxβ β β β βA privacy-hardened Firefox variation for Android, comparable to LibreWolf on desktops. Removes Mozilla tracking and services like Pocket. Locks down features that can leak data, but those changes can break some sites.
Jellyfinβ β β β β Great for playing music across my local network, doesnβt phone home to a cloud or try to upsell subscriptions.
K-9 Emailβ β β β βClassic email app for Android: No frills, no ads, no tracking. Supports multiple accounts, phone-to-tablet layouts, and dark mode.
KeePass Password Managersβ β β β β KeePassXC, its browser extension, and KeePass2Android are a nice, clean set of apps to manage your passwords on your OWN desktop and mobile devices, auto-fill websites and apps, and sync over your own server or cloud provider.
KeePass2Androidβ β β β β Nice, clean interface to a KeePass2 database with auto-fill support for both websites and apps and seamless syncing over your own server or the cloud of your choice.
Lagrangeβ β β β β Lagrange quickly became my favorite Gemini client on the desktop with its clean and convenient UI, stability and speed across platforms. And the mobile version works well too.
Manyverseβ β β β βTakes the pain out of setting up and running SSB. Unfortunately it doesnβt overcome SSBβs inherent challenges of discovery, data size or multiple devices. (So far?)
Mastodon (Mobile App)β β β ββGood for someone new to Mastodon, but lacks advanced features found in other apps like Tusky.
Microsoft Edgeβ β βββOnce you turn off all the Microsoft specials, it feels usable again β but then, itβs just another Chromium skin.
Microsoft Outlook (Android)β β β β βIt works. More stable than the desktop version. Handles mail, calendar and contacts, offers the focused/other inbox view. Tries to keep you in Microsoftβs apps. OK for work, wouldnβt use it for personal mail.
Onyx BOOX Poke3β β β β βIβve been using the Poke3 as my main ebook reader for a couple of years now, mainly because itβs a convenient size, has a clear e-ink display, and can run the Android app for any eBook store.
OpenTasksβ β β β β Simple to-do list that works great with a Nextcloud server or local storage on your phone.
Opera (Web Browser)β β β ββOpera used to be one of my favorite browsers back in the day, but its current incarnation just doesnβt appeal to me. I much prefer Vivaldi, which is a spiritual successor to the original.
Phanpy (Mastodon App)β β β β β An app for Mastodon (and other Fediverse sites) that cuts through the clutter. Runs anywhere in a web browser, or can be installed to your deviceβs home page as a PWA.
PixelDroidβ β β β β Optimized for photo sharing and viewing, works smoothly and integrates well with the system. FOSS, wonβt vacuum up your personal data.
QuickEditβ β β β β Full-featured text editor for Android. Good in a pinch on a phone, better on a tablet.
StreetCompleteβ β β β β StreetComplete is an easy way to contribute to OpenStreetMap on the go, as a beginner, or both from your Android phone.
Target (app)β β β β β Well-designed, runs smoothly, great for ordering items to pick up in-store or for shipping.
Tor Browserβ β β β βWhen you really want (or need) to stay private while using the web, Tor is the way to go. Just keep the drawbacks in mind when you do.
Tusky for Mastodonβ β β β β Impressed at how smoothly the app works, especially with multiple accounts.
Vespucci (App)β β β β β Vespucci is a powerful editor for OpenStreetMap on Android that can handle just about anything, though the learning curve is steep.
Vivaldi (Web Browser)β β β β β Spiritual successor to the original Opera browser, this ultra-customizable web browser can open into a full suite for email, calendar, feeds and more β but only if you want it to.
Watch Dutyβ β β β β More useful than official alerts or the LA Times fire maps for knowing which parts of a wildfire you need to worry about and how soon.
Waterfoxβ β β β βA Firefox fork aimed at improved performance and privacy, without sacrificing usability. Also available on Android.