What are the best applications (or what you find the best)? List here what you use or recommend!

/e/OS Smartphone Operating System Features & Applications
#1

File Manager:
Gallery app:
Music player:
Video player:
Browser:
Mail app:
App Store:
Weather app:
Calendar app:
Keyboard:
Photo Editor:
Note app:
Something else:

Basic rules:
The application should have no trackers, it must be open source (or FOSS) and very complete in functions, not too basic.

If there is something else, you can add to the list and make it more complete. There is “something else” option for that.

No need to use what is installed by default on /e/, however, if you find that the specific /e/ application is so good and should be mentioned, you can put it in the list as well, but if you consider there is something even better, you can also put in, it’s up to you.

I haven’t done my list yet because I’m still searching for good options, so can’t say what is the best without having enough knowledge testing different options. :upside_down_face:

9 Likes
#2

Browser : Firefox (for PWA) / Firefox Précieux
App Store : Fdroid
Calendar App : Simple Calendar
Note App : Notes
Mastodon/Fediverse App : Tusky
SMS/Messaging App : Signal
Launcher : Lawnchair

2 Likes
#3

@Gregoire. Unfortunately various versions of Firefox have trackers. I don’t know if the specific version you list does or does not track. Also Lawnchair has issues; it logs in to Google; it has non open source code blobs. You could look at Librechair which is working towards an open source version of lawnchair.

3 Likes
#4

Have you tried Lightning Browser? It’s available on F-Droid and based on Firefox. It has 0 trackers according to Exodus report.

#5

I have tried Lightning Browser a while back but development stopped and wasn’t really comfortable using it anymore. However there was a new release just a month or two ago which I haven’t tried yet, but in my experience is very neat and light browser.

Actually I’m a fan of apps that do one thing, and one thing only, without too much fuzz. They keep things simple, organized and lightweight. For instance I use Simple Calendar, Simple Gallery, Simple Music, Simple File Manager, etc.

File Manager: Simple File Manager
Gallery app: Simple Gallery
Music player: Simple Music
Video player: NewPipe, default LOS for offline videos.
Browser: Fennec F-Droid, Bromite
Mail app: ProtonMail edit: app is not foss
App Store: F-Droid
Calendar app: Simple Calendar
Keyboard: Default LOS
Note app: Standard Notes
Maps: Maps F-Droid
Messaging: Silence, Telegram

I left out quite a bit of proprietary apps that I still use, either because of lack of a better alternative that I haven’t found yet or because I simply have to eg: Whatsapp, Gmail, Play Store… In the past I’ve tried using two separate phones but it’s too distracting and annoying to keep swithing between phones for your daily life, it just doesn’t work for me, hopefully I can switch 100% soon

1 Like
#6

Keyboard: Anysoftkey. I discovered it with /e/ and enjoy it ever since. Switches easily between installed languages.
Notes: the /e/ standard app. Just what i need.
Browser: is Vivaldi Beta a valid answer? I use Vivaldi desktop on my pc. They just came up with a mobile version. This mobile version is notably similar to the default /e/ browser. Same base, I suppose?

3 Likes
#7

I highly recommend Joplin as a notes app (https://joplinapp.org - via F-Droid). It syncs via nextcloud, and has nice native clients for the Desktop available.
Another App I like for just collecting and remembering things is Turtl (https://turtlapp.com/ - apk install via this website). You can also host this on your own server.

1 Like
#8

Gallery app: Camera roll
Video player: NewPipe, default LOS for offline videos, vlc.
Browser: Fennec F-Droid
App Store: F-Droid
Calendar app: Etar
Keyboard: Anysoftkey
Messaging: QSMS, Signal

#9

Gallery : Simple Gallery
Calendar : Simple Calendar
File Manager : Amaze
Browser : Bromite
Mail : Fair email (I used to have k9, but it has not been updated for more than a year)
SMS : Silence, QKSMS on my other phone
Scan : Open note
Weather : Geometric weather (but it may have some trackers)
Blokada
Anysoftkeyboard
OsmAnd~
Lawnchair

Any suggestion to improve this is welcome

3 Likes
#10

Good idea of @haknor to create this topic which should be perhaps linked to the “Using/e/” section so it gets more visibility. Certainly new users need recommendations like this list if they are not already familiar with this OS or FOSS apps.
I think all the apps I mention here are open source. One or two like OsmAnd~ have reservations marked on F-droid about them, but nothing that I consider serious breaches of security IMHO.

Worth mentioning perhaps for those wishing more advice about the privacy aspect of apps: G-Droid
It is based on F-droid and uses, I believe, the same repository, but it adds more detailed recommendations, with some user comments as well as a star metrics rating system to indicate how safe an app is, if it is updated regularly, etc. Its methods and classification system (e.g. suggestions for similar apps to those already installed) could be an inspiration for the App manager on /e/

Apps I use regularly:
For increased security,
Netguard
Net Monitor
ClassyShark3xodus (excellent for testing apps for leaks)
AFWall+ (needs rooted phone - I use Magisk for this)
Shelter
SuperFreez

For normal use,
Browsers: Fennec F-Droid, Firefox Klar (the latter for one-off use as it has no bookmarks)
File Manager: Ghost Commander (excellent SFTP plugin for transfer to another server)
Mail App: K-9
App store: F-Droid, G-Droid, Aurora Droid, Aurora (when it works) also see below
Keyboard: AnysoftKeyboard (great plug-ins for changing languages)
Photo Editor: Simple Gallery Pro
Note App: Joplin (excellent tool for cloud synchronisation with encryption)
Text editor: Markor (also useful as it creates files with markup language reusable with Joplin)
Ebook reader app: Book Reader
Navigation: OsmAnd~
RSS reader: Feeder
Podcasts: AntennaPod
Cloud synchronisation: Nextcloud
Messaging: Signal
System info: CPU info
Password manager: KeePassDX
App installer: SAI

Another specialised App store for more security-minded geeky users: Nethunter Store
Many useful tools for testing your LAN & WiFi security and reading system logs. Hash Droid for verifying checksums on downloaded files; the latest Orbot for those who want to use Tor browser proxy system & many more security checking tools, many from the Kali Linux OS.

Hope this list (as well as others listed under this topic) may be useful to new /e/ users.

4 Likes
#11

Do you know www.letspaythebill.com ?

It is a small web site and a PWA application : splitting bills proportionally calculator.
This application has no trackers, and is simple to use and effective…

2 Likes
#12

ClassyShark from f-droid is always essential!
File Manager: MiXplorer from XDA (not oss, but no trackers and has webdav integration, have check for updates disabled) & Amaze File Manager or stock as backup.
Gallery app: Stock
Music player: Stock
Video player: MiXplorer & Stock Gallery… Sometime I have VLC installed.
Browser: Fennec F-droid, Vanadium/Foss browser or jQuarks as a backup.
Mail app: FairEmail (With the bugsnag analytics disabled)
App Store: F-droid & Aurora. Raccoon on desktop for backup
Weather app: Trying out Forcastie at the moment
Calendar app: Stock
Keyboard: Stock
Photo Editor: None at the moment (using gimp & krita on desktop)
Note app: Joplin (App & Desktop)
Maps: Mostly Magic Earth & have Osmand~ and also use AcastusPhoton for advanced address search
Podcasts: AntennaPod
eBook reader: Trying out KOreader
SMS: Silence
Messaging/chat: Telegram FOSS, Jami, Jitsi meet
Youtube replacement: Skytube & Newpipe. (Freetubeapp.io for desktop)
RedReader for reddit.
Testing out AiScore for football scores
Banking apps I’ve swtiched to using inside web browser now due to apps now including google trackers. Maybe time to switch banks soon…
List is always evolving, but never will include apps with google/facebook/amazon trackers.

1 Like
#13

Stock for most apps, except for (no tracker trusting classyShark) :

  • Sound Recorder : Audio Recorder from gitlab.com/axet (FOSS, nice and intuitive GUI, many formats and settings … great),
  • File Manager : Total Commander from C. Ghisler (not FOSS, but free and no ads, nice developer spirit),
  • Music Player : Musicolet (nicer UI than stock Eleven),
  • PDF reader : mu PDF full (easier navigation than with the mini one).
2 Likes
#14
  • Zim launcher, because Lawnchair is not maintained anymore according to its description
  • Open Contacts. “This app saves contacts in its own database seperate from android contacts. This way no other app would be able to access contacts. Can be used in place of your default phone(dialer) app. It can import contacts from vCard files. So we can export Android contacts and import into this app.”
  • Wi-Fi Privacy Police
2 Likes
#15

pretty interesting … any further feedback about this app?

Thanks

#16

It does what it says so far. Export/import works and it has the exact same icon as the default Contacts app but different layout.

#17

Lawnchair v1 isn’t maintained. Version 2 is but not available via F-Droid. Available via Play/Aurora/Yalp stores or direct.
I’ve used Zim in the past and it’s okay but hasn’t been updated since May. Its other base, OpenLauncher, has had a few updates since then so Zim is falling behind.
So far KISS launcher has been my preferred on two /e/OS installations.

OpenContacts does seem cool. Seen it before but never thought to try it until now. The dev seems quite open to various feature/functionality requests. Will be keeping an eye on this one.

#18

Hi, for those (poor) of us still using Windows as a desktop OS. Can anyone recommend a good desktop email client (besides Thunderbird) that respects your privacy and doesn’t read your emails? I was looking at Mailspring which originated as open source, but seems like it is going down a commercial route…
Cheers,
jc

#19

I am happy with the apps that are integrated into /e/ - and I am using almost all of them.

File explorer: Material Files (from the F-Droid repository)
Navigation: HereWeGo
Browser: Firefox
Weather: still waiting for the /e/ replacement…

Others:
App Store: Apps, F-Droid, Aurora (in combination)
Messenger: Signal, Telegram, Wire
Podcast: AndroidPod (from the F-Droid repository)
Radio: Transistor (from the F-Droid repository)
Tracking protection: Blokada (from the F-Droid repository)

Twitter: Twitter Lite PWA
Mastodon: Mastodon PWA
Facebook: Frost for Facebook (from the F-Droid repository)

2 Likes
#20

HereWeGo was unfortunately full with (Google) trackers when I checked it with ClassyShark. Hence I removed it immediately.