WILL BE UPDATE OFTEN Last update : 8/30/2024

THE GUIDE FOR DE-GOOGLED APPS

(🏆 = just the best app ; ❤️ = a more than excellent app)

REMEMBER : Do not install every apps you find, for your security and privacy only install needed apps.

ANDROID

1- Phone and messaging

Phone --> Fossify Phone 🏆

Messages --> Quik SMS 🏆

Contacts --> Fossify contacts 🏆

Whatsapp --> SimpleX ❤️ Briar (For advanced users, maximum privacy concerns)

2- Networking

Chrome (browser) --> Cromite (must be configured) Mull ❤️(slower but not chromium-based, must be configured)

Discord --> Element (matrix.org client)

Reddit --> Voyager (a Lemmy client)

3- Multimedia

YouTube --> Libretube ❤️ Tubular (a NewPipe fork)

Spotify --> RiMusic ❤️

Google podcasts (podcasts) --> Antenna Pod 🏆

Gallery --> Fossify Galley ❤️ (Basic app) Aves ❤️ (Advanced gallery)

4- Tools

QrScanner --> Binary eye 🏆

Gboard --> HeliBoard ❤️ (OpenBoard fork)

IME keyboard --> Sayboard

Local sharing --> LocalSend ❤️

Google authenticator (2FA) --> Aegis 🏆

Lastpass (password manager) --> Bitwarden 🏆 (Self-hosted) KeePassDX 🏆 (local storage)

Gcam --> Open camera

5- Others

Clock --> Clock You

Google calendar --> Etar ❤️

PDF viewer --> MJ PDF

Office --> LibreOffice Viewer ❤️ (Only for reading)

LINUX

For more convenience, you can download your apps using the command line and flatpak (Flathub.org)

1- OS

Some Linux distributions recommendations :

  • Linux Mint and Pop OS (for all levels)
  • Arch (mainly for gaming but you can use it as working OS)
  • Debian (for productivity (greatest compatibility) )

For most basic users I recommend using Gnome desktop environment

2- Softwares

Browser --> Firefox 🏆 (It’s recommended to tweaks and the settings and use custom user.js (Explanations about user.js)) Librewolf ❤️ (For an out-of-the-box great experience)

Office --> The LibreOffice Suite ❤️

File sharing --> Local Send ❤️

YouTube --> FreeTube

Adobe Illustrator --> Inkscape

Lemmy --> Photon

Matrix --> Element

That’s all, hope you enjoy, do not hesitate to save the post for future updates and comment your recommendations below ⬇️⬇️

      • drengbarazi@lemmy.world
        2·
        10 months ago

        True, it is a bit wonky indeed when opening some chonky pdf files… I guess I just got familiar with the layout bc I was already accustomed with it on a jailbroken kindle.

        Once you get the bells & whistles down, you can pretty much read anything cozily on any screen/orientation. Still, more of an e-reader app than a PDF viewer.

        Anyway, thanks for the guide! Lots of apps I didn’t know about and I’ll be sure to try them all out :)

        • foremanguy@lemmy.mlOP
          2·
          10 months ago

          Thank you for your comment, appreciate it! I will slowly expand this guide to became the all in one starting guide, I’m in the degoogling journey since a bit now and I think it can be really helpful for new users who need to have a starting point, keep support this little project I will be here as long as google will stay here ;)