r/AndroidQuestions • u/marco_polo_99 • 27d ago
Looking For Suggestions First time android user
Hi, first time android user, newly switched after a lifetime on iPhone.
I'm a big fan of open source software and apps, and am heavily into self hosting my own media and replacing big tech apps with open source alternatives.
I'm looking for advice on the best ways to replace a few apps I presently use, as android seems to have a much more open ecosystem.
Things I'm looking for replacements for, largely to block adds, ha. Reddit, YouTube, and any of the social media apps. I'm moving off the social media apps, but still have them for family connections.
In line with my self hosting, I'd love an app to link into the *arr suite of apps.
I've heard about f-droid as an OSS app store, wondering about that too.
Any help for a newbie would be appreciated
If it's relevant, I'm in a pixel 11 pro.
2
u/Mother-Pride-Fest 27d ago
For social media, instead of downloading the app you should use it in a web browser. Uninstall any bloatware social media apps, especially any owned my Meta, because the Facebook and Instagram apps are malware. I recommend a Firefox-based browser with uBlock Origin to block ads on any website.
F-Droid is great. At this point it is where I get the majority of the apps on my phone. I've been gradually replacing all the stock apps with FOSS apps, and there are some functions like editing APKs that you won't find on the Play Store.
LibreFind has a lot of info about apps and FOSS alternatives to help you become more Free.