Alternative Apps(tores): Living without Google (FP1)

[paulakreuzer]

Simply copy the url of the app from the play store into the input field and tap on “generate download link”. It doesn’t always work though.

[Kristof]

Guide for you:

• Go to the page of the desired app in Google Play Store.
• Copy the Url.
• Goto http://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader/
• There, insert the Url from the Play Store and press “Generate Download Link”.
  Done so, you will be offered a download link or an QR code. The latter is useful if you have undertaken the described steps on your PC and helps you to get the desired app on your smartphone (if you have an QR code app), then.

Hope this helps,

Kristof

[Ruth_FP1]

@Kristof

Guide for you:
… or an QR code.

that was a great tip, thank you!
I got there halfway yesterday with @paulakreuzer’s help but received weird virus-google-message. But no just doing this on the PC and then use the PR code to get it on the FP is super!

[Kristof]

Oh yes, I should have mentioned it. It’s one bad thing with Evozi’s apk downloader: once in a while, they show advertisement that pretends a virus attack on one’s device. It’s really, really a bad thing!! But I don’t think that it is dangerous, just threatening.

Kristof

[Ruth_FP1]

another question
how can I deinstall an app I installed this way?
just found out that the app I took only works if I have google play services (google play dienste), which obviously I don’t have and don’t want.
tnx.

edit: do I simple delete the …xxx.android.apk-file in the file manager?

[paulakreuzer]

You can do an edge swipe, go to all apps hold it as if you’d want to place it on the home screen but release it on top of the screen where the “info” symbol is and there you can uninstall the app.

Alternatively you can get there by going to settings > apps > and find the app there.

Sometimes these kind of messages are not really true though and then you can disable them with the Xposed Module called “This App Will Run Without Google Play Services”.

[Ruth_FP1]

@paulakreuzer thank you! (the app did not run without g p services, but it was not good anyway so I deleted it).

@ all
does anyone know / use the open source app RunnerUp by any chance?
https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=runnerup&fdid=org.runnerup

jonasoreland/runnerup

(I am trying to work out if I can use it without activating GPS, which I have never used until today and when I tried it just now it did not connect).

[paulakreuzer]

@Ruth_FP1

I am trying to work out if I can use it without activating GPS, which I have never used until today and when I tried it just now it did not connect

Did you see this:

A little Guide to ... GPS on the Fairphone (FP1(U) / FP2)

This is a wiki post, please consider improving it by clicking the green pencil symbol on the top right. Since GPS problems are among the most mentioned problems on the forum I thought I’d make a little guide on how to improve GPS performance of your Fairphone. I’m taking my info from other posts on the forum and my own experience. I. How to speed up Time to first GPS fix (TTFF) Faster GPS: Faster GPS is an app that helps you change some parameters of the system so you’ll connect to satellite…

[Stefan]

I updated my first post with my current app list. Happy browsing!
If there are dead links, please let me know. If you find spelling mistakes, you can keep them!

[Ruth_FP1]

The Dutch internet search engine ixquick.com (they also make startpage.com) provides their app for android also directly, i.e. without google play store use
https://ixquick.de/deu/mobile-app-qa.html
(that’s the German link, but it should exist in most languages).
Ixquick is a very privacy-aware search engine, they don’t collect data like IP-address or search terms / history. And they also provide a proxy service for opening the search result pages anonymously.

[Stefan]

Please add it to:

Apps that you can download/buy without app stores at all

This is a Wiki Post. Everybody can edit it. Continuing the discussion from Alternative Apps(tores): Living without Google: The purpose of this thread is to list apps and app developers, who don’t sell and distribute their products through any app store. There are some apps out there, which are very useful, but don’t get an adequate publicity because they don’t support the Google ecosystem. Since this post is wiki-ed, everyone can make their additions (as explained in this topic). Search Duc…

[Ruth_FP1]

s

@Stefan

Please add it to: (WIKI)

ok, will do that. (sorry, didn’t see your post before…)

[Ruth_FP1]

@miromurr

but I also want to use Evernote and Instagram. I have installed F-Droid, without finding either there.

Same question here: I want to start using sth like instagram for photos, but apparently I can only do so from my phone (not from computer), and then I would need the guglplaystore.
It does not have to be instagram, I just need some sort of app, where I can easily upload and manage photos.
And of course without gugl interference.
Any suggestions?
Thank youse!

[Stefan]

My first guess was Owncloud (F-Droid), but there are other apps, which let you upload photos to any server: Search for “Upload Photos” on F-Droid.

[Ruth_FP1]

@Stefan

My first guess was [Owncloud (F-Droid)][1], but there are other apps, which let you upload photos to any server: [Search for “Upload Photos” on F-Droid][2].

Thanks for the tipps. I think though that these apps are just for online storage and not showing of photos (like instagram does).

[deedend]

Quite interesting read: http://www.xda-developers.com/setting-up-android-marshmallow-without-google/

[Amber]

For Evernote, there is Mirakel App in f-droid. It’s actually a task / TODO list app and can synchronize with Taskwarrior and CalDav, but should be quite nicely usable as note app as well.