The Google ecosystem is known for its continued presence among both those of us who own an Android phone and those who simply browse the Internet, where we find its all-powerful search engine. And Google has apps for pretty much everything that matters, but it’s a company known for being curious enough about our personal information to collect data.
If privacy is important to you and you like open source projectswe found a list that is a real mine of alternative applications to those of Google and completely free.
Awesome Privacy is a wealth of free privacy-focused resources
Its name is “Awesome Privacy” and it is a long list of services and applications created on Github thanks to the work of dozens of independent contributors. You will find applications with functions similar to the applications that we use in our daily life with the particularity that They do not collect our personal data.
The list includes computer programs for the computer, but also many applications for Android devices that are worth considering and downloading to try. Some of the most interesting are:
- Two-factor authentication services: instead of Google Authenticator, it offers apps like Aegis, FreeOTPPlus and Authenticator Pro.
- Bookmarks: Third-party software contains ads and trackers that sometimes abuse permissions, so we recommend using Koler.
- File managers: To avoid advertisements and trackers, its proposal goes through Amaze File Manager, Material Files and Ghost Commander.
- Keyboards: Instead of the classic Gboard from Google or Swiftkey, we offer FlorisBoard, AnySoftKeyboard, Indic Keyboard, Simple Keyboard, OpenBoard and OpenBoard Upgrade.
- Launchers: To avoid ads and trackers from Play Store launchers, offers alternatives like Lawnchair, OpenLauncher, KISS, Olauncher, Posidon Launcher, Pie Launcher, Rootless Pixel Launcher, Bliss Launcher.
- Online storage: The list suggests avoiding Google Drive, Drobox, and OneDrive due to their privacy policies, trackers, and even lack of encryption. Instead, it offers alternatives such as Nextcloud, Seafile, Proton Drive or Skiff Drive.
- Cloud pluginsfor example Cryptomator which encrypts your files so you can then upload them to your favorite storage service or Syncthing for file syncing between devices.
- To call: Instead of Badoo, Grindr or Lovoo, which collect personal information and can then sell it, recommend trying Alovoa.
- Share files: WeTransfer and Sendanywhere do not have end-to-end encryption, so you can use Localsend, Winden or Sharik instead.
- App stores: There is life beyond the Google Play Store and they hold some real gems. So you can try F-Droid, FossDroid, SkyDroid, Accrescent or Aurora Store.
This new application store is Open Source and does not require a user account: it is Accrocent
- Health, Fitness and Training. The list urges not to use services from Google, Fitbit, Huawei, Xiaomi or companies that abuse data collection. You can use Fitotrack, workout.lol or log28.
- Games. The list warns against Nintendo’s data collection and instead offers titles like SuperTuxKart or Sonic Robo Blast 2
- Home help. As an alternative to the general public Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri or Cortana, they offer Home Assistant.
- Instant messaging. It has a classification of the degree of confidentiality of tools such as WhatsApp, Zoom or Skype where these do not fare very well. Instead, it offers Centralized Signal or Decentralized Conversations.
- Device tracking. None of the Google applications to locate our devices are recommended, instead it is recommended to try Nextcloud Phonetrack, Find My Device or GPSlogger.
- Email. Neither Google, Outlook or Yahoo, you can use Forward Email, Tutanota or Skiff and the FairEmail and K9 clients.
- Navigation. After recommending to avoid the famous ones like Google Maps, Waze, Sygics or Here WeGo, opt for Open Street Map (OSM), Qwant Maps or Organic Maps.
- Playing media content. Netflix, Prime Video, Plex or Spotify are left out due to their trackers and privacy policy, instead recommending BlackHole, mucke, Blade Player, Kodi, OSMC or Stremio.
- Alternative operating systems to Androidlike Mobian, GrapheneOS or LineageOS.
- Password managershighlighting the KeepassDX alternative for Android.
- photographic retouchingfor Android you can use Pocket Paint, Scrambled Exif or ImagePipe.
- Video platforms alternatives to YouTube such as Peertube, LibreTube, NewPipe, LibreTube or Clipious.
- Translators– Instead of Google Translate, you can use Mozilla Translate or Libretranslate.
- Internet browsers. After having recommended against Opera, Chrome or Bing, opt for Mull, Brave, Vanadium, Privacy Browser, Tor Browser.
As you can see, the list is long and we have not included all their proposals, only those compatible with Android (or that you can use from the web from a device) which are the most interesting. That is to say, they are not all there, but they all are.
Scope | Bing Image Maker
In Xataka Android | Six open source apps that are alternatives to the ones you use every day and so good it’s hard to believe they’re free
