Kia ora!

I’ve been an ios user for 100 years at this point, but used to be deep in the android scene before then. I’ve just got an android for a work phone and am wondering what’s changed in the last 10 years - what are your essential apps, settings, customisations? I’ve had a hunt around xda but can’t seem to find much in the way of roms for my model (Samsung A04) - back in the day it seemed there was a thread for every device!

What do I need to know?

  • Andy ( Andy@programming.dev ) English
    16·
    3 years ago

    Some of my favorites:

    • Launcher: Niagara
    • Rom: LineageOS
    • Browser: Firefox (with DarkReader and uBlock Origin)
    • Reddit: Relay (is this ending?)
    • HackerNews: Harmonic
    • Lemmy: Jerboa (haven’t tried alternatives)
    • Podcasts: AntennaPod (haven’t tried much else)
    • Identify stuff: LeafSnap (plants), SoundHound, Merlin (birds!)
    • Books: Moon+ Reader Pro
    • Barcodes: Catima
    • Computer stuff: KDE Connect
    • File stuff: Material Files and ZArchiver
    • TTS: @Voice Aloud Reader
    • Passwords: Bitwarden
    • Icons: Crayon or Viral
    • Keyboards: MS SwiftKey, maybe someday FlorisBoard, sometimes Hacker’s Keyboard
    • Scrobbles: Simple Scrobbler
    • Video: VLC and NewPipe
    • Weather: Weawow

    EDITS:

    • Lemmy: Liftoff
    • Chat: Telegram
    • Email: Delta Chat?
    • Voodoo ( Voodoo@beehaw.org ) English
      3·
      3 years ago

      So many great apps and I see several familiar friends. Have you found a way to have Jerboa send youtube links to NewPipe rather than default to the native youtube app? I am sure there is a easy way that I just don’t know.

    • agegamon ( agegamon@beehaw.org ) English
      2·
      3 years ago

      Plant.Net is also good for plant id, though I like leafsnap as well. Better than trying to use Google lens on them.

      Relay I think is still up in the air. It’s either shutting down OR going paid subscription, which, despite how good Relay is, would be a deal-killer for me - but I don’t blame DBrady (the dev) for that, I blame reddit

    • azenyr ( azenyr@lemmy.pt ) English
      1·
      3 years ago

      Well for Lemmy I just made my home instance a web app with my browser and use it as if it was any normal app. I find Jerboa a bit too empty looking. Needs more color and more icons. I hope more lemmy apps emerge with time.

      For keyboards I really think that Samsung Keyboard is too underrated. It’s amazingly integrated with the rest of OneUI, the clipboard is amazing, all the theeming with good lock on it is also amazing. And I hate how heavy swiftkey is and probably has MS spyware anyway

  • J_C___ ( J_C___@lemmy.place ) English
    16·
    3 years ago

    I’m interested to hear what others say but I’ll throw in my two cents

    • Nova launcher is still king
    • Fdroid store for open source apks
    • Newpipe app -> disable YouTube
  • okiloki ( okiloki@feddit.de ) English
    15·
    3 years ago

    You can add a private DNS in the settings. It’ll allow you to have a dns level ad blocking experience without having to use any of the dubious ad blocking apps. You also don’t need root or a VPN.

    I’m using my own dns server, but keep in mind that it needs to support DoT. You can’t just enter any IP, because of the certificate check (the dns requests are encrypted using TLS).

    dns.adguard.com works, but as is the case with all dns services, they will be able to see every domain you access. So keep that in mind.

    • dan ( dan@upvote.au ) English
      2·
      3 years ago

      they will be able to see every domain you access

      A lot of people would trust their DNS providers far more than their ISPs, especially if the DNS provider has a no-log (or short log) policy. Using DoH or DoT prevents your ISP from collecting your DNS requests for analytical purposes (building an ad profile based on the sites you go to)

  • Helvedeshunden ( Helvedeshunden@beehaw.org ) English
    15·
    3 years ago

    Niagara Launcher is the coolest thing I’ve seen happen for mobile interfaces since the first touch interface. It is so clean and well-designed, it makes everything else in iOS and Android look like a cluttery mess - all while adapting to what you need and offering quick access to everything on the phone.

    • Skyline ( Skyline@lemmy.cafe ) 
      5·
      3 years ago

      F-Droid is great! The official client is not the most user-friendly, but Droidify is a great alternative.

      You can also look at Obtanium to download binaries straight from the applications’ developers instead of those built by F-Droid.

  • VirtualBriefcase ( VirtualBriefcase@lemmy.fmhy.ml ) English
    10·
    3 years ago

    Google’s a much bigger part of the ecosystem by default. Used to be the Google app store was a selling feature, now Google is integrated into pretty much every device (and has contracts with manufacturers to force that).

    It’s also, like Shortwavefilter mentioned, much harder to root or flash a devices.

    Though the AOSP has gotten better in ways too. It’s gotten a lot better hardening, and still is fairly open (e.g custom app stores added one click).

    Last, there’s still plenty of bloat pre-installed on some brands, but I think that was the case a decade ago as well if my memory is correct.

    Honestly I can’t think of too many essential settings or apps that’d be a necessity for everyone. Usually I’d say change privacy settings and disabled as much bloat if you’re not using a ROM; but that might not be applicable if you’re on a work phone. Apps wise, I’d say stick to open source if you can for the basic offline utilities -F-Droid is great for that if you’re allowed to install it.

    • jennifilm ( jennifilm@beehaw.org ) OPEnglish
      3·
      3 years ago

      Thank you, that’s super helpful! I’ll have a hunt to disable bloat and have a play with adb if need be. I’m the one in charge so I can basically do what I like 😅

    • WiggyJiggyJed ( WiggyJiggyJed@kbin.social ) 
      3·
      3 years ago

      F-droid and aurora store our great! I’d add xManager for Spotify, Wavelet, RethinkDNS, Mull, Bromite, Openboard, Frost, Aves. I like Insular as well so I can keep spammy apps kind of siloed off in a work profile. I keep my banking apps and shopping apps in Insular. I remember rooting android phones back in the day but I don’t do that much tinkering anymore. The aforementioned apps do the trick!

  • 00 ( 00@kbin.social ) 
    6·
    3 years ago

    For some privacy/security features: “Warden” allows you to block Trackers and Loggers on individual apps, if you have root. “TrackerControl” or “Rethink: DNS + Firewall” basically allow you to customize a Firewall and in the case of Rethink also offer a good DNS service. I basically see no ads anymore, even in other apps.

    Edit: and definitely check out OSMAnd+. Theres a paid full version on the Playstore but the exact same version is for free on FDroid. I suggest the paid version to support them. Its by far the best Map+Navigation app i’ve used, although the public transport navigation doesnt work that well for me. In those cases i use Transportr.

    • oshitwaddup ( oshitwaddup@lemmy.antemeridiem.xyz ) 
      2·
      3 years ago

      If osmand is the best nav/map app you’ve used, how many have you used?

      I think organic maps is better for navigation, or if you’re willing to use a closed source app magic earth uses openstreetmap data but also has traffic data and makes it really easy to flag closed roads and other hazards while you’re enroute

      • 00 ( 00@kbin.social ) 
        2·
        3 years ago

        Google Maps, Apple Maps, Organic Maps and OSMAnd+. Although Im very willing to admit that “best” is highly dependent on my rather specific personal preferences. Being FOSS gives OSMAnd+ a big plus (hehe), but I also have an interest in GIS, which it is quite good in, since its a rather information dense app. From the sometimes absurd categories that you can search for (e.g. “abandoned”, which is great to search for Urbex targets). I also love the bonkers level of personalization you can achieve with OSMAnd+, considering that the alternatives have very little options on mobile phones.

        • oshitwaddup ( oshitwaddup@lemmy.antemeridiem.xyz ) 
          1·
          3 years ago

          That’s true, if you want as much info and/or customization osmand is the best, especially factoring in that it’s open source. It’s definitely a power users dream, but i think most people would not like it nearly as much for standard navigation as e.g. organic maps

  • Communist ( communist@beehaw.org ) English
    4·
    3 years ago

    You need good lock, it changes the game for customization, it’s the reason I no longer feel the need to do custom roms

    You also need to use adb to remove all the bloat.

    • Skyline ( Skyline@lemmy.cafe ) English
      2·
      3 years ago

      I don’t like it because it has become very iPhone-like in the bad ways, meaning it takes several clicks to do simple, common tasks. I much prefer Samsung’s OneUI for how easily accessible everything is.

      • Kresten ( kresten@feddit.dk ) English
        2·
        3 years ago

        Yes! This trend towards reducing the UI because they assume their user can’t comprehend more “complex” words like “Customization”, “System settings”, “Advanced system settings”, instead just opting to remove the settings entirely, or hide them behind categories and stupid drag menus 🤷‍♀️

        • mihnt ( mihnt@kbin.social ) 
          1·
          3 years ago

          I’m on a pixel 7 pro and, what? That’s been the least of my annoyances on this thing. The app switcher is bonkers if you use gestures to control the phone. That’s my main gripe.

          Best thing is almost zero bloat apps. Depends on what you define as bloat though. When I first got my pixel 5 going it had zero AT&T apps on it. No forced facebook, or anything that I couldn’t uninstall.