Thanks to a vibrant developer community, Android users have access to a fantastic selection of open-source apps. Whether you seek transparency, trust, or freedom from locked-down ecosystems, open-source alternatives exist for almost all the essentials most folks need.
Here’s our handpicked selection of the must-have open-source apps for your Android phone or tablet.
1
F-Droid
F-Droid is arguably the best starting point for your FOSS journey on Android. It’s an alternate app store to the Google Play Store that solely houses open-source apps. It’ll act as your one-stop shop, allowing you to download, install, and update the open-source apps you want. You’ll also discover hidden gems and apps for your niche use case that guides like ours typically do not cover.
Remember that to install F-Droid (as it’s not available via the Google Play Store) and any apps from it, you’ll need to enable installation of “unknown apps” in Android settings. If you stick to trusted sources for your app needs, you don’t have to worry about enabling the option.
2
Thunderbird
Developed by Mozilla Foundation, the non-profit behind the Firefox web browser, Thunderbird is a feature-rich email client that supports multiple accounts in one app. It offers an option for a unified inbox for quick access to all your emails. It also works with POP3 and IMAP protocols, supporting all popular email service providers, including Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and iCloud.
Another open-source email client to consider is FairEmail. It has a minimal design and supports unlimited email accounts.
3
Bitwarden
Everyone should use a password manager, and the best open-source password manager for most people is Bitwarden. Besides its Android app, Bitwarden has clients for all major operating systems and browsers, so you can access your saved credentials everywhere. Its free tier supports unlimited devices, accounts, passkeys, credit cards, identities, secure notes, sharing with one user, and more.
If you want, you can even host Bitwarden on your own network or server for complete independence.
4
Aegis Authenticator
It’s a mistake to ignore two-factor authentication when dealing with online security. It can greatly help you avoid malicious parties from breaking into your online accounts. While there are tons of 2FA apps to choose from, the Aegis Authenticator is an impressive open-source option.
Aegis is easy to use, with a clean interface and multiple themes and view modes. It also lets you import or export your 2FA codes, allowing for a seamless migration to and from another 2FA app.
Unfortunately, Aegis is only available on Android for now. Ente Auth is a good alternative if you want an open-source 2FA app with an iOS, desktop, or web version.
5
VLC
VLC has long been an easy recommendation for anyone looking for an open-source media player to play pretty much any format you want, and that’s not changing anytime soon. It may not have the fanciest interface, but it does what it’s supposed to do without any hassle.
VLC for Android supports local files, network streams, NAS, and shared drives. It also works on Android TV devices and Chromebooks capable of running Android apps. Additionally, you get hardware decoding and support for secondary displays.
6
Signal
If you prioritize privacy and security, Signal Messenger is a no-brainer. This open-source free messaging app works on multiple platforms, including Android, and doesn’t have ads, trackers, or anything to snoop on your communication.
Everything from text chats to video calls is encrypted, and Signal offers all the essential messaging app features. There is also support for group calls with up to 50 people and group chats with up to 1,000 people. The only issue you’ll face is getting all friends and family on the platform, particularly if they are fond of another chat app.
7
Lawnchair
Lawnchair is a popular open-source home-screen replacement app or launcher for Android that offers an experience similar to the Pixel Launcher. However, it’s quite customizable and allows you to personalize things as per your taste. It supports icon packs, themed icons, and gestures.
You can also hide apps, customize the dock and folders, and search locally directly from the home screen. Moreover, the launcher allows you to back up your settings and restore them in the future or on another device.
If Lawnchair doesn’t appeal to you, KISS Launcher is an excellent alternative for a clean, minimalist look.
8
BinaryEye
BinaryEye is a no-nonsense barcode reader for your Android device. It lacks any ads and supports inverted codes. The app can even generate barcodes for you. Most of the common barcode formats are supported, including UPC-A, EAN-13, Code 128, and QR. It’s also easy to use and has a clean UI.
Another app worth considering is simply called “Barcode Scanner.” It has pretty much all the features you get with BinaryEye but with some extras. It can also grab information about various products associated with the barcodes, such as food items, cosmetics, pet food, books, and music.
9
Feeder
RSS readers may not be in fashion these days, but plenty of folks prefer a good feed reader over getting their content from social media. Feeder is the app for such people. It’s a minimal RSS reader that’s free to use and uses the Material Design language.
You can ask it to open full articles by default or import your selection of feeds from an OPML file. However, manually adding a new feed isn’t as intuitive as it could be, as you need to put the full feed URL.
If you want more features, including support for feed services such as Feedly and FreshRSS, you can consider FeedMe. It’s rough around the edges but includes a ton of features.
These are just some of the open-source Android apps on F-Droid and the Google Play Store. If you want more open-source software in your life, here are some great options for Mac and Windows.
