F-Droid 2.0

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

F-Droid 2.0, a major overhaul of the open-source Android app store, introduces a modernized UI, improved background update mechanisms using Android’s session installer, and better categorization and discovery features. Users welcome the cleaner design and smoother updates but remain divided over UX choices, the lack of ratings/reviews, and how quickly F-Droid delivers time‑sensitive app updates compared to direct GitHub or Play Store installs. A recurring concern is how Google’s tightening control over sideloading and app verification might affect F-Droid’s future, prompting many to explore alternative clients, additional repositories, and de-Googled Android variants like GrapheneOS.

Update rollout & installation experience

  • Several commenters can’t yet see 2.0 in the official APK link or in‑app updates; some had to manually install via direct APK URL or F-Droid Basic.
  • The old client often still marks 1.23.2 as “Suggested” even after 2.0 is installed, causing confusion; suggestion status is manually set in metadata.
  • Some report longstanding issues with repos failing to update, slow index downloads, and cryptic errors (e.g., repo timestamp mismatches).

UI/UX reception and alternative clients

  • Many welcome the visual redesign and find it smoother and more modern, especially compared to the “dated” 1.x UI.
  • Others dislike the Material-style look, more “dumbed‑down” UX, and progress bars; a few reverted to 1.x.
  • Third‑party frontends (Droid‑ify, Neo Store, Aurora Droid, F-Droid Classic) are widely used and often preferred for cleaner or more detailed UIs, though there are concerns about whether they match F-Droid’s security/privacy hardening.

Repositories, updates, and privileged extension

  • Multiple repos remain supported (Guardian Project, IzzyOnDroid, NewPipe repo, etc.).
  • 2.0 uses Android’s “session” installer for background updates, making F-Droid Privileged Extension (FPE) largely redundant; FPE isn’t currently supported but may be revived for edge cases.
  • Some users are happy FPE is being phased out due to configuration pain; others need better support for older Android versions and Android TV.

Use patterns: F-Droid vs Play Store & other stores

  • A spectrum of usage: some rely almost entirely on F-Droid (+ extra repos), others treat it as a supplement alongside Play Store, Aurora Store, GrapheneOS’ store, Obtainium, APKUpdater, etc.
  • Play Store is still needed for banking, government, payment, vendor, school, ride‑sharing, and many proprietary/DRM apps.
  • Aurora Store works for many but is described as flaky; Obtainium and APKUpdater are popular for pulling from GitHub/other sources.

Security, privacy, and Google’s coming restrictions

  • F-Droid’s reproducible builds and FOSS‑only main repo are viewed as important safety guarantees compared to random APKs or the Play Store.
  • Some dismiss GrapheneOS’ criticisms as mostly unfounded, others ask if 2.0 addressed them.
  • Google’s planned sideloading “lockdown” (24‑hour “advanced flow”) is seen as adding friction but not yet blocking F-Droid; many expect long‑term legal/OS battles and recommend alternative ROMs (GrapheneOS, LineageOS).

Missing features & criticisms

  • Frequent requests for ratings, reviews, and popularity/download counts to distinguish good from bad apps.
  • Mixed feelings about category browsing; most rely on search.
  • Some dislike modern design conventions: minimal separators, ambiguous tappable areas, and horizontally scrollable rows without explicit affordances.

Related tooling & wishlist

  • CLI/desktop package‑manager‑style clients using ADB (e.g., fdroidcl) are mentioned as useful.
  • Users highlight automatic updates (F-Droid Basic), desire better Android TV navigation, and concern over language auto‑detection glitches on the website.

FOSS ebook readers

  • Numerous F-Droid ebook readers are recommended: KOReader, Librera FD, MuPDF, Episteme, Liseur, Storyteller, etc., often combined with Syncthing or Calibre for sync.
  • Opinions differ on usability; KOReader is powerful but “knobby,” Librera considered friendlier once configured.