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How can the Google Play Store not have an app for something when it has every other app imaginable? However, if you phase out of Google’s app ecosystem, some wonderful exclusive apps already exist to discover.
Below is a list of other app stores you may want to look at on your Android phone or tablet.
Why Go Beyond the Play Store
Some excellent apps that Google has either removed from the Play Store or never admitted to can be found in the alternative app stores on Android. I was referring to other clients for well-known apps. For instance, with Newpipe, you get an entirely new YouTube interface replacing the stock one. It is completely privacy-friendly and has many features absent from the original app.
They are worth mentioning Instander. It is just another client with the same view and functionality as the primary one but with some additional features that are simply perfect. Or there is Aliucord, a Discord client with invasive tracking removal and a plugin system that allows you to modify the app to your liking. The list is very long; it can go on for days.
Other relatively unknown browsers include Chromite. The above-given browsers are offshoots of standard Firefox and Google Chrome but designed for privacy. They are also leaner, having been stripped of all that unnecessary fat that can often slow them down.
The NetGuard application has firewall features that deny internet access to some applications. Florisboard and similar applications are private offline keyboards that do not exploit your device or gather your data.
Most of these stores focus only on open-source apps that respect users’ privacy. Of course, you may not dream of completely abandoning the Google Play Store, but an open-source store can be its perfect addition.
The Risks of Leaving Google’s Walled Garden
However, going into the wild to look for animals has its small risks. When downloading from the official store, Google screens apps within the platform by Play Protect. It is far from perfect, yet it does its job rather effectively.
That being said, providing a user access to an official store is quite straightforward, contrary to all the other stores listed above outside the official store. However, you have to do a fair amount of bootstrapping, and you have to vet the apps yourself. The two giant concerns are privacy and security. One should not underestimate the dangers of fake Android apps since they can sit snugly in the Play Store. And you can anally infect your device with a malware more often than not. But if you know what you are doing and have chosen the right sources, you should not have a problem.
While not as potentially dangerous as other issues, you may have to deal with a few auto-update problems. The Google Play store downloads new updates to phones whenever they are out without notifying the user. However, such updates are sometimes delayed when installed from other unauthorized sites. Hold on; there are solutions to that as well; you do not need to panic.
F-Droid
The most visited website for free and open-source Android applications is F-Droid. It is a rather small stand located far from the larger Technological stores. It does not demand such permissions and offers thousands of FOSS (free and open-source software) applications. I use it on a daily/weekly basis, and it is indeed filled with binarily positive side activities. It may not always be WOW shiny, but you can bet your last dime that most are totes, labours of love, not profit.
It has an app in every category, mostly downloaded from the source and analyzed for privacy and security threats. Increased privileges are flagged as “Anti-Features,” meaning that apps that ask for such permissions or would like to follow the user plainly state their requirements.
All the apps in this store are free, and most are not on the Google Play Store. It works on the repository system, which one could liken to the Linux package system. You can add or remove repos from the list to increase or decrease the range of applications. Besides the main f-droid repo, you can search for and add as many third-party repos as you like.
F-droid also automatically updates the apps. However, if you wish to update the installed applications individually, you can initiate it with a click. To begin with, you cannot find and download F-droid from the Play Store; thus, you are supposed to sideload it via the APK file, which can be obtained from its GitHub page.
Aurora Store
Google Play Store is not equal to Android app stores, and the only contender worthy of the title is Aurora. Almost every app available on the Google Play Store can be found there. You may not have expected that, but the Aurora Store is actually freeware and an open-source client for Google Play, similar to how NewPipe is for YouTube or Instander is for Instagram.
It mirrors the entire Google Play catalogue, and using it does not require a Google account. One shared feature that allows MicroG to be used is logging into a Google account on Aurora. Logging in lets users download paid applications they once bought on Google Play. Once installed, you can access any app with a single tap—search and install it. It also explains ‘anti-features’ through which you can point trackers in apps.
Notably, since it is a Google Play client, you can also set it to auto-update installed applications like in the official app. If you plan to exit the Google environment and want to ‘de-google’ your device, Aurora is one of the safe options. Download it from F-Droid.
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Droid-ify
Droid-ify is another free software application shop that is similar to F-Droid. However, it is different in two ways. First, it has a feminine material design. This is quite the opposite of F-Droid, which looks quite ancient and rough regarding interface handling. I also prefer using Droid-ify because it is easier and faster to use.
Two, it has more app choices. That is because, believe it or not, it has many more repositories loaded per default. Third-party repos are everywhere. You don’t have to go physically searching for them; it’s kind of like a wild game. Well, of course, you always have that option.
I was able to locate some really good stuff on Droid-ify. It’s a nice approach to discovering the FOSS world on Android devices.
Again, it can update without any user assistance. You can also set the store to inform you when the next update is available. To create both features, Droid-ify needs background permission. However, the application running in the background may reduce the battery. So, yeah, keep an eye on that. Grab it from F-Droid.
Obtainium
Therefore, Obtainium is a little different from the conventional app store. It does not host any apps; rather, it only updates the packages that have been installed on your device. Suppose you have obtained a specific app by sideloading it through an APK or by getting it from an application retailer apart from the Play Store. In that case, you can configure Obtainium to retrieve steady updates from the official app sources.
Obtainium also allows you to specify how and when you will be notified. When you integrate GetJar with an APK store, you can make an application store that mixes a gadget and a customized store. APKMirror is one of the most trusted sites for APK files, with nearly all sorts of apps. That’s right, but it lacks a proper app, or rather, it includes only an unofficial client that can be found on F-Droid. Obtainium officially supports APKMirror, so all the apps imported from it can be easily set to auto-update.
There is more to the Options than the Google Play Store, Amazon AppStore, and Samsung Galaxy Store options. Thus, you know how to get there without endangering your life.
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