WILL BE UPDATE OFTEN Last update : 8/30/2024
THE GUIDE FOR DE-GOOGLED APPS
(🏆 = just the best app ; ❤️ = a more than excellent app)
REMEMBER : Do not install every apps you find, for your security and privacy only install needed apps.
ANDROID
1- Phone and messaging
Phone --> Fossify Phone 🏆
Messages --> Quik SMS 🏆
Contacts --> Fossify contacts 🏆
Whatsapp --> SimpleX ❤️ Briar (For advanced users, maximum privacy concerns)
2- Networking
Chrome (browser) --> Cromite (must be configured) Mull ❤️(slower but not chromium-based, must be configured)
Discord --> Element (matrix.org client)
Reddit --> Voyager (a Lemmy client)
3- Multimedia
YouTube --> Libretube ❤️ Tubular (a NewPipe fork)
Spotify --> RiMusic ❤️
Google podcasts (podcasts) --> Antenna Pod 🏆
Gallery --> Fossify Galley ❤️ (Basic app) Aves ❤️ (Advanced gallery)
4- Tools
QrScanner --> Binary eye 🏆
Gboard --> HeliBoard ❤️ (OpenBoard fork)
IME keyboard --> Sayboard
Local sharing --> LocalSend ❤️
Google authenticator (2FA) --> Aegis 🏆
Lastpass (password manager) --> Bitwarden 🏆 (Self-hosted) KeePassDX 🏆 (local storage)
Gcam --> Open camera
5- Others
Clock --> Clock You
Google calendar --> Etar ❤️
PDF viewer --> MJ PDF
Office --> LibreOffice Viewer ❤️ (Only for reading)
LINUX
For more convenience, you can download your apps using the command line and flatpak (Flathub.org)
1- OS
Some Linux distributions recommendations :
- Linux Mint and Pop OS (for all levels)
- Arch (mainly for gaming but you can use it as working OS)
- Debian (for productivity (greatest compatibility) )
For most basic users I recommend using Gnome desktop environment
2- Softwares
Browser --> Firefox 🏆 (It’s recommended to tweaks and the settings and use custom user.js (Explanations about user.js)) Librewolf ❤️ (For an out-of-the-box great experience)
Office --> The LibreOffice Suite ❤️
File sharing --> Local Send ❤️
YouTube --> FreeTube
Adobe Illustrator --> Inkscape
Lemmy --> Photon
Matrix --> Element
That’s all, hope you enjoy, do not hesitate to save the post for future updates and comment your recommendations below ⬇️⬇️
KOReader is good for reading not PDF viewing
True, it is a bit wonky indeed when opening some chonky pdf files… I guess I just got familiar with the layout bc I was already accustomed with it on a jailbroken kindle.
Once you get the bells & whistles down, you can pretty much read anything cozily on any screen/orientation. Still, more of an e-reader app than a PDF viewer.
Anyway, thanks for the guide! Lots of apps I didn’t know about and I’ll be sure to try them all out :)
Thank you for your comment, appreciate it! I will slowly expand this guide to became the all in one starting guide, I’m in the degoogling journey since a bit now and I think it can be really helpful for new users who need to have a starting point, keep support this little project I will be here as long as google will stay here ;)