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F-Droid 2.0 release. The F-Droid project has announced the gradual rollout of F-Droid 2.0, a significant update to its alternative store for Android after about ten years. The new version arrived following over a year of development and fourteen test builds, with a staggered distribution expected within the next two weeks.
Those who do not wish to wait can download the updated version from the dedicated page on the official website, as the default installer has not yet been replaced. The client was completely rewritten in Kotlin with Compose, the current standard for Android apps, resulting in a more responsive application and a codebase that is easier to maintain.
F-Droid 2.0 release: why it matters
Navigation has been simplified into three main sections (Discover, Search, and My Apps), while settings and the Nearby sharing feature remain accessible from the top bar. Optional support for Material You dynamic colors has been added, and the minimum requirement for installation rises to Android 7.
The most significant work concerns app search, as the catalog has since grown to several thousand apps. Search now also analyzes descriptions and translations, filters are combinable, and categories break down into specific niches such as firewalls, password managers, and VPNs; additionally, the most downloaded applications are highlighted.
Unlike the Play Store, F-Droid does not track touches and installations to create advertising suggestions. Installation has also been modified thanks to Google’s pre-approval API: the operation is confirmed before download with two simple taps, compared to the traditional path that involves downloading the APK and a sideloading warning.
Parallel multiple downloads and updates are supported, as are automatic background updates, which can be disabled. The pull-to-refresh feature has been removed, replaced by manual refresh in the three-dot menu, while users are warned of anomalies such as changes to an app’s signing key.
What changes and what are the effects
The release occurs at a particular moment: Google is introducing developer verification, which will make access to apps outside the Play Store more rigid. However, several proven alternatives remain, including Aurora Store (an open-source client that accesses the Play Store catalog even with an anonymous account), Obtainium (which fetches updates directly from release pages on GitHub, GitLab, or other repositories), Droid-ify and Neo Store (lightweight clients for F-Droid and IzzyOnDroid repositories), APKMirror, APKPure, and Uptodown (useful for retrieving specific versions of an app), and manufacturer stores such as Amazon Appstore, Galaxy Store, and AppGallery.
In general, the most balanced approach remains combining a reliable store with an update manager, verifying package permissions and signatures. Note that F-Droid 2.0 no longer uses the F-Droid Privileged Extension, so those who used it for silent updates will need to review their configuration.
Source and further reading on F-Droid 2.0 release: original article.
* Content created with the assistance of artificial intelligence systems.