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Fossify – A suite of open-source, ad-free apps

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Re: Fossify – A suite of open-source, ad-free apps

#101

/e/ OS installed DIY or pre-installed by Murena (especially on a Fairphone) solves many of the issues mentioned in other threads. It's an AOSP fork with a simple decent launcher and near-zero bloatware (I only chose to disable weather and magic earth maps). Built-in access to many simpler and more user-respecting apps in F-Droid. Tracker protection and other privacy features. Works well with Nextcloud if you use that…

/e/OS ranks poorly and is consistently months behind security updates: https://eylenburg.github.io/android_comparison.htm

Also visual voicemail should actually work just fine on select carriers.

Re: Fossify – A suite of open-source, ad-free apps

#102
post #56

Annoyingly brilliant apps, used the old ones before they were sold off, now use these. If only there was other androi apps like this set for other things. Instead the vast majority of the shit (in the truest sense of the word) you get from play store is pretty much akin to malware but definitely spyware.

It's nearly impossible to find good, honest apps on the play store anymore. Everything is loaded with ads, in-app purchases, spyware, and wants way more permissions than it needs. Google is making it more and more attractive to completely sever the ties to the play store. Although there are a few things I still want from there.

> It's nearly impossible to find good, honest apps on the play store anymore.

The process of getting things into the app store can be a faf, an app maker who isn't making money off it is far less likely to bother than an app maker happy to flog your personal data for a few pennies, because the latter might make enough money to make it worth the effort.

Re: Fossify – A suite of open-source, ad-free apps

#103
post #21

I've recently started using several Fossify apps from F-Droid, mostly because it's become impossible to find good non-enshittified apps on Google Play anymore. I don't know if Fossify is the best, but it seems to be a pretty good baseline. Although their launcher and keyboard are lacking. Still looking for something better there.

Have you tried Unexpected Keyboard?

Re: Fossify – A suite of open-source, ad-free apps

#105
post #63

I use them and like them. One thing to be aware of with the dialer (that might not be unique to Fossify): when dialing the number of an emergency service (like 112 in Germany), there is no indication in the app's UI that something is happening and it looks as if the call failed and you will be back looking at the dial pad, even though the call will eventually be connected. The reason is that these types of calls get…

My phone crashing when I dialed 911 after a car accident was the reason I stopped messing around with android roots and custom roms and whatnot. When it comes to my phone being a phone, I need it to Just Work(tm)!

don't know android, but ios does a lot of unspecified things during 911.

For example I have location services turned off, but a picture I took while on hold with 911 showed up in my camera roll with full location information. I suspect every app gets full precise location information during 911 (which sort of makes sense in a life-or-death situation)

I wouldn't be surprised if other stuff is affected, like networking/vpn, microphone, etc

Re: Fossify – A suite of open-source, ad-free apps

#106

/e/ OS installed DIY or pre-installed by Murena (especially on a Fairphone) solves many of the issues mentioned in other threads. It's an AOSP fork with a simple decent launcher and near-zero bloatware (I only chose to disable weather and magic earth maps). Built-in access to many simpler and more user-respecting apps in F-Droid. Tracker protection and other privacy features. Works well with Nextcloud if you use that…

I'd suggest that while /e/ can work at a basic level, the list of cons is larger than you make out when I looked at it. The Murena team seems small and unable to keep up. As an example, look at the hoops users were jumping through for over a year just to attempt to use the camera at the advertised pixel count without the stock OS:

https://forum.fairphone.com/t/for-a-better-camera-on-degoogl...

Re: Fossify – A suite of open-source, ad-free apps

#107
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The default phone and SMS messaging application on all Tier 1 Android OEMs is required to be Google Phone and Google Messages. Also as such, Google stopped maintaining AOSP Dialer and AOSP Messages.

I use a Samsung phone and it has Samsung’s phone and SMS apps.

I use stock Android, and all of the apps I am using are from F-Droid, I do not use Google's apps. I have them uninstalled.

Many of the apps I am using (Gallery, Dialer, Contacts, Camera) are from https://simplemobiletools.com. Source code: https://github.com/SimpleMobileTools. Its Gallery looks similar to Fossify's. Its "About" seems almost identical, so I dunno.

Re: Fossify – A suite of open-source, ad-free apps

#108
post #22
post #20

Genuine question – do Android people get ads in their OS default camera, calculator, calendar, phone, file-manager or SMS messaging applications? Or do have these Fossify application some extra privacy features that do not come with the default ones?

Everything Android seems to be increasingly enshittified these days. I switched to Fossify gallery because I don't want my photos synced with google Photos anymore. When my default Messenger suddenly demanded access to my Google account, I looked for a replacement and all alternatives I could find on Google Play had ads, so again Fossify saved me. Love it so far.

I just use apps (Dialer, Contacts, Gallery, Camera, etc.) from https://simplemobiletools.com. Source code: https://github.com/SimpleMobileTools.

Its Gallery looks similar to Fossify's. Its "About" seems almost identical, so I dunno.

Re: Fossify – A suite of open-source, ad-free apps

#109
post #93
post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just checked, and according to the reviews on the flashlight app the weekly subscription is $14.99 to remove ads. For a flashlight.

That's so unhinged it's almost funny again. I mean someone who pays 60$ a month for a flashlight app almost deserves it. Almost.

I assume they trick people with dark patterns and free trials so that they don't even know they are susbcribing or what's the price
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