Especially for those of us with no coding background, who can’t just build/edit an app.
For example, I like using Gadgetbridge to replace my fitness tracker app: https://gadgetbridge.org/
It’s not nearly as full-featured as a regular fitness app, but it literally can’t connect to the internet so there’s no way anyone can get my health info.
- HeliBoard replaces GBoard
- Firefox replaces Chrome
- Element replaces Discord (with the right server)
- Organic Maps replaces Google Maps
- Waistline replaces MyFitnessPal
- Tasks replaces Microsoft ToDo
- Aegis replaces Google/Microsoft Aurhenticator
- Obtainium replaces the App Store
Here’s a JSON export of my current Obtainium library
I was just looking into Waistline. I wonder if there’s a way to download the Open Food Facts database, keep it locally, and have the phone query that instead of the internet when scanning barcodes.
There’s a PR open for the feature, but doesn’t look like it’s actually been implemented yet.
How does organic maps compare to other OSM frontends like OsmAnd?
Not OP, But for me, it’s just a little bit more intuitive and runs so smooth. I think it has the best interface for directions, viewing maps, and zooming in and out.
OsmAnd has tons of features, and steeper learning curve. Personally, Organic maps is just too simplified for me.
Can anybody else vouch for unobtainium?
It has 6.4k stars on GitHub and a very active repository (also it’s “Obtainium” without the “un”)
Antennapod for podcasts.
Futo keyboard instead of gboard.
Newpipe for YouTube.
Notally for notes.
Firefox browser.
I just downloaded Futo!
How is it?
Not OP, but it’s decent.
If you’re used to swiping to type on Gboard, the predictions aren’t as accurate. 10-25% of the time, manually typing is faster than swiping because the predictions are so wrong, or because there’s no prediction at all.
It’s supposed to train locally in order to improve the predictions, but I don’t know how long it will take for it to “catch up” to the swipe-to-text experience that I’m used to.
Does notally work by syncing online? I haven’t found one that allows me to share notes with family that still is more trustworthy than Google (apart from setting up my own server that I can connect to when I’m out).
Notally does not have any account or syncing capabilities.
How do you feel about using Syncthing? I use it to sync my notes and files between myself, but it could work in a family setting.
Does it work between two cell phones? I thought it required a server.
How do you feel about using Syncthing? I use it to sync my notes and files between myself, but it could work in a family setting.
It may be surprising and it may not be a viable solution for many here but, as much as I can, I try to use… analog tools.
Analog tools have zero tracking, zero spying, zero code. They’re also reliable, sturdy, long lasting, don’t need daily charging, update, upgrade or subscription fees. They work great. There is no one to tell me what I’m allowed to do and to not do with my analog tool or how I must do it.
- Fitness tracking: pen and paper. Next to date of the day I write down in a pocket notebook all the exercises I do, the time I walk (and the approx distance). It’s limited and there is no fancy graphs, sure, but I don’t need more — and it works: I do exercises and walk daily, more than when I was still wasting too much of my time looking for the perfect device and apps ;)
- Agenda: paper agenda. I don’t need sync and certainly not reminders or Notifications. I open my agenda every single day and look at the page to know what’s up, so paper is more than adequate.
- To-do: lists in my notebook.
- reading: I quit reading ebooks because of privacy and long-term ownership concerns and now mostly read printed books. If you’re curious to know more about my motivations to switch back to print, I wrote a couple posts on my blog (check the link in my profile).
- I draft all my writings longhand, using a (fountain) pen and paper… or a good old typewriter. I have yet to find a better/simpler/distraction-free/and less bugged way to write my first drafts, no matter how fast I can type on a computer.
- I take all my notes by hand, personal, research notes using an analog Zettelkasten. Yep I tried (many) apps, nope I don’t want to use them (no hate, just my preference). I’m much more efficient (and happy) using a stack of A6/4x6 sheets of paper even though there is no Search button ;)
- I sketch by hand, using a fountain pen plus a small cheap set of watercolor I can carry everywhere.
- As for computer, beside the Mac and iPhone I still use (for business purpose and because it takes time to change habits, I have been an Apple user since the 80s) my personal computer runs GNU/Linux Mint (and another runs Debian). I would not want to go back to a Mac, and certainly not to a spyware-riddled Windows PC.
- Web: Firefox. I have always used it and I was already using it when it was not yet called Firefox — I started browsing the Web using Mosaic.
- Mail client: Thunderbird.
- YouTube: mpv (+ yt-dlp), or Freetube (this one has a a nice gui if you don’t like the cli)
- Word processing + Spreadsheet: LibreOffice (unlike MS Office, LO has no tracking and no AI crap… and no subscription)
- Illustration: Inkscape, over Illustrator/Affinity Designer
- Photo edit: Gimp, over Photoshop but, here, I can tell I dearly miss the simplicity/ease of use of Apple Photos app and I will often use it on the Mac. Disclaimer: I’m no pro photographer.
- Managing images: Digikam, over Lightroom. Digikam is such a good app (for managing files, less so for editing them but it’s still nice to use) and it is so under-hyped, I’ve always wondered why.
- social media. I have an account here and on reddit, that is all. To be exact, I have accounts on many platforms, I just logged out of them a few years ago — tired of the constant hate and anxiety they promoted and of people seemingly loving to feed upon said hate and anxiety — and never logged back in since then. Don’t miss any.
- Edit: Seach I (happily) pay for the Kagi search engine. It works great, without any tracking or ads and with some really cool features.
I have been drawing with pencil since the 1980s and I have tried and tried and tried to get used to digital, but nothing compares to physical pencil and paper for me.
Yep, as well as for writing I must say. I’m no stranger to high-tech but I have yet to find a digital writing tool tool that makes me consider retiring my fountain pens.
Agreed. I’ve been working with computer tech since I was a kid. I wrote by first program on an Apple in like 1985 or so. But some things don’t have to be teched-up, and although lots of people use it, I personally could never get used to how it feels.
I started browsing the Web using Mosaic.
Some people don’t realize this was the starting point for Netscape that later became Firefox. They wanted to create a browser that would be faster and better than Mosaic. A Mosaic-killer, if you will. So they named it Mozilla.
So they named it Mozilla.
I had no idea about that.
I do remember how much I liked their various logos, be it those of Netscape and how madly I loved the old Mozilla t-rex logo — I still wear their old t-shirt from time to time, just because of that stupid but gorgeous head ;)
FlorisBoard Beta for keyboard
Grayjay for Youtube/Peertube/Twitch, etc.
K-9 Mail for mail
QUIK SMS for SMS
Mull for browser
Self hosted ente photos for cloud image/video storage
InnerTune for downloading/listening music
Taler Wallet for payments in the future
Keyguard for bitwarden password manager
TranslateYou is great! I use it for quick translations. For longer translations and conversations, there’s the less feature-rich, but incredibly powerful on-device translator, RTranslator. It is truly and incredibly impressive.
Also, there is a whole suite of “You” apps. I’ve used the recorder and the calculator and liked them a lot.
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Standardnotes for notes
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Newpipe for Youtube
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Organic maps for maps
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Proton Mail, Calendar, VPN, Drive & Pass
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Voyager for lemmy
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Loop habit tracker for habit tracking
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Breezy weather for weather
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Antennapod for podcasts
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Brave for web browsing
On a Pixel 6 running GrapheneOS
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I use the duck-duck-go browser on my phone. It has kinda private mode enabled all the time.
Some wild websites complain about my adblocker then, which does not exist :)
Forest is a simple step counter that shows you the steps you did today, with a little extra info.
Doable is a tasks/reminders app. It’s not the most feature rich, and notifications are only in beta, but I love the design and it does what I need well.
Data Monitor shows you how much data you’ve used in your current plan, and you can see which apps use the most data (or wifi).
LibreOffice Viewer lets you open word documents and the like.
Squawker lets you open Twitter links more privately, and even follow users to see all of their posts, but requires you log in with an account.
Breezy Weather is a really nice weather app.
