Android smartphones are loaded with lots of modern features to improve functionality and get the most out of your smartphone. Sometimes these apps can’t be found on the playstore and are created by independent developers that are open source and are sometimes much better in functionalities compared to their counterparts (and this Open-Source Vs Closed Source can be a topic for another day) which are Free and Open Source or mostly recognised as FOSS.
Today we’ll dive into some of the apps for our daily use, these will provide a hefty number of features to improve our smartphone experience, boost productivity etc. Let’s jump to the list of the Best FOSS Apps of this month.
- Bitwarden
- Cloudstream
- Infinity for Reddit
- Tap, Tap
- Aurora Droid
- ReVanced
Bitwarden
Nowadays, we’re in contact with numerous accounts on different platforms for different purposes, and remembering all those passwords is a hassle. What if we have a solution or a workaround for this i.e. Password Managers? Many of the free services lack various features such as restrictions on a certain number of entries or syncing across other devices and the other services like LastPass etc are costly to burden your wallet.
The answer to all the questions comes in the form of Bitwarden – the open-source password manager. Its free tier handles all the expected tasks with astonishingly few limitations, whereas its paid tier adds security and storage tools at an extremely low price. The manager can easily sync across devices and browsers, has a built-in password generator, autofill passwords and a variety of other features.
Pro tip try it once and you’ll get glued to it😉.
Cloudstream
After the pandemic, we saw a rise in streaming services and OTT series and movies. What if there was a solution to get all those for free on your mobile (not recommending piracy, just an alternative for the FREE lovers)? The best part of the app is that it is totally ad-free and open-sourced unlike your other options such as Pikashow, Tea TV etc. it means the app is not having any trackers or adware in it.
The app is easy to use and all you’ve to do is install the extensions in it cook your popcorn, choose your favourite movie/series and start binging. To all anime lovers, yes, the app has all your favourite sites for anime hosting too.
Infinity for Reddit
Reddit, the app used widely for sharing thoughts and information is best at what it does but what about the application which is meh but average at best if we surf the net or even Reddit itself the users have long complained about the pace of the updates and features. And this is where the third-party devs and apps come in to save the day.
Infinity offers many customisation options to change the look and feel of the app and to all the goofy nerds asking for the material you or monet theming of android 12, the app has it all. Customisation is the key the app revolves around, think of an aspect to customise and you have an option for it let it be posts, hamburger menu, tabs etc you can customise them all.
There is one nifty feature for all you lazy people out there the ‘Lazy Mode’, it will let the app scroll the feed for you without your interaction. The default timer is set for 2.5s and it can go up to 10s, so go ahead and try it. The default options might not be everyone’s cup of coffee (lol I like coffee and I’ll say it like that) so get your time and paint it your own style.
Tap, Tap
Tap, Tap as the name suggests tap and let the app perform the designated task. This app lets you port the iPhone Or Android 12 feature of back-tapping screenshots. But not only screenshots, the app lets you fully change and assign a new task to it. The gesture is fully controlled to run under certain environmental conditions or run certain tasks/actions in the assigned scenario.
The sensitivity of the app can be adjusted to your liking and can be trained on your device’s height. Don’t worry the app is not a battery-hungry app it’s lightweight and has a low-power mode for the devices in need of it. Personally, I use it to pause/play my music, podcasts, videos or any other media, share your ideas on how you played with it.
ReVanced
Many of you might have heard this name in one way or another if you were aware of the existence of YouTube Vanced. Yes, you all read it right the almighty Vanced app that was shut down by Google for providing a modified and better version of YouTube unofficially for free. The news of Vanced being takedown hurt the FOSS community but when one soldier is taken down another takes place of the fallen one.
That’s where ReVanced comes into fil in the big boots of one of the best FOSS apps of all time. It includes all the functionalities of vanced in the latest versions of the YouTube app but the twist here is you can patch your own version of the app with your desirable patches and the app weighs similar to that of the original YouTube with an ad-free experience.
Pro tip – If you want better and a bug-free experience with ReVanced after patching, try using Inotia’s patch for an enjoyable experience and it has material you included too for devices above android 12.
Aurora Droid
Most of the above-mentioned apps can be easily downloaded from the F-Droid client a free and open-source alternative to the Google Playstore. But let us say we have an alternative version of F-Droid itself that serves the same purpose as it does but is similar to what infinity is to Reddit, yes we are discussing the Aurora Store.
Aurora is an unofficial FOSS client of F-Droid with similar functionalities and better UI. Not only the app works fluently like the official one but gives users a taste of better features like a download manager, an inbuilt repository list, free/libre software and many more. If you’re used to the official client and are fed up with it try switching to this flavour of the app.
So, this was our list of the best FOSS apps of this month and I hope you like the list and try these apps. And I guess a few of these apps will take shelter in your phone. If you have any more apps for recommendation don’t forget to share them in the comments with us. These apps can be easily downloaded from the F-Droid or GitHub sources.