15 best open source Android apps

Open source apps have the advantage that everything they do and stop doing is visible, that other people can easily join the development or find bugs, or sometimes it is simply a matter of principle. Whatever your reason, we have selected 15 best open source Android apps of the moment.

Open source applications are everywhere and it is that several of the applications in the download tops of the stores are. In our list we include both well known names like other not so popular open source apps.

F-Droid

Google Play has applications of all kinds: paid, free, open source and closed. F-Droid on the contrary is an app store that only includes open source apps And what’s more, the store itself is also open source.

F-Droid allows you add different repositories as a source for applications and has similar functions to Google Play. The source code of the F-Droid application – and the web, and basically everything – is available on GitHub.

Aurora Store

Like F-Droid, Aurora Store is an alternative app store to Google Play. The difference is that Aurora Store take the data from Google PlaySo the same apps that are in the Google store are there.

That allows you download apps from Google servers Y that Google Play does not allow you to download for various reasons, such as that your mobile is not compatible or that it has not been launched in your country. Source code is available here.

Firefox

Firefox is a Web navigator that needs no introduction. Its version for Android mobiles has been available for many years, although it has suffered numerous renovations to stand as one of the strongest alternatives to Google Chrome.

Like the rest of Mozilla applications, or Firefox on other platforms, the Firefox browser for Android is open source. You can consult and download it from GitHub.

OsmAnd

In the world of open maps, OpenStreetMap is without a doubt the most popular. OsmAnd is an open source mapping application that is based on OpenStreetMaps maps and, therefore, one of the few alternatives to Google Maps that works without Google services.

You will find all the functions expected in a map app, such as routes, offline mode, search for places, public transport, speed limit … Your source code is available on GitHub.

Phonograph

Phonograph is one of the best Music players for the mobile we have on Android. It’s free, works really well, and has a very careful design and updated, with colors that change according to the cover of the song you are listening to.

In addition to all the basics expected of a music player today, Phonograph integrates with Last.fm and allows you to customize the interface color to your liking. Phonograph is available on Google Play, but it is an open source project whose source code you will find on GitHub.

VLC

From one of the best music players we went to one of the best video players– The legendary VLC with its traffic cone icon. It is a player that dares with all kinds of formats, with Chromecast support included.

With VLC you have everything that is expected of a video player and some extra functions that are not so common. Supports videos with multiple audio tracks and subtitles, playback from the network and its source code is available here.

Amaze File Manager

Amaze File Manager is an application of file management open source and that you can download directly from Google Play. It is still a beta, although it works quite well and has almost a 4 mark at the moment.

As a file manager, Amaze is a simple alternative, which means that you won’t find an extensive list of tools like in other apps. In return, it is lightweight, supports themes and serves as a root browser, if you have root. Your source code is available on GitHub.

Openboard

The easiest way to describe OpenBoard that is, it is something like Gboard but without Google. It is an excellent keyboard app that does not depend on Google or share any data with Google.

OpenBoard looks very similar to Gboard and while it lacks some advanced features from Google’s keyboard, it does have support for themes, emoji picker and spell checker. Its source code is on GitHub.

Lawnchair Launcher

Lawnchair is one of the most famous launchers of the inspired by the one that Google includes in its Pixel phones. It is based on the AOSP launcher, but with a ton of additional features on top and more customization options.

With Lawnchair you have a launcher that looks like the Pixel experience, widget included, with categories in the app drawer, dark mode, integration with Discover by Google and much more. Its source code is on GitHub.

Kodi

Kodi is a system with which you can “build your own Netflix” in your image and likeness. It has an application for a multitude of platforms, including Android. In itself it has nothing, it’s just the platform, so it is you who must provide the content.

Kodi is open source and you can find your source code on GitHub. It is, without a doubt, one of the best and more customizable multimedia centers. One of its strengths is the possibility of install plugins to increase the potential of Kodi.

Signal

Signal is a messaging application that has been betting on communication security, but that took special traction this year after changes in WhatsApp policy.

The protocol of end-to-end encryption Signal is open source – it is used, for example, by WhatsApp – but the application is also open source. This is another guarantee for those who seek extreme security, as they can see exactly what the app does and does not do. The source code is on GitHub.

Telegram

Speaking of messaging applications, another widely known application that is committed to open source development is Telegram. At this point, little can be said that is not known about Telegram: it is an alternative to WhatsApp with many extra features and cloud-based.

The source code of the Telegram client for Android is available on GitHub. In it you will find the enormous number of functions of the app such as voice chats, voice calls or the multi-device support, to name a few of them.

NewPipe

NewPipe It has gained some popularity as one of the best applications to view and download YouTube videos, which is to say, there are countless of them. It is something like a unofficial thin client from YouTube.

Best of all, you don’t need Google services and you don’t need to log in. With it you can, among other things, play YouTube videos with the screen off. Your source code is available on GitHub.

Open Camera

Open Camera is one of the best camera apps of third parties that you will find in Google Play. As the name suggests, it is an open source app, so that you can consult and download its source code at SourceForge.

The interface is not the prettiest we have seen, but it has manual controls (if your phone supports Camera2 API), HDR, software image stabilization, noise reduction, night mode and histogram, to name a few of its functions.

Open Radio

Our latest recommendation in the world of open source applications for Android is Open Radio, an app for listen to radios from all over the world.

It has a database with a multitude of stations in all countries. You can add your stations to favorites for faster access and it is totally free and without ads (except those that broadcast on the radio). Its source code is on BitBucket.

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15 best open source Android apps

was originally published in

Xataka Android

by
Ivan Ramirez

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