--- title: 'Android without Google System Apps' url: 'https://samisdat.in/blog/android-no-google-apps' markdown: 'https://samisdat.in/blog/android-no-google-apps.md' lang: en date: '2019-08-21' description: 'Android without Google System Apps One should be able to install whatever apps one wants on their device, rather than be locked-in to gatekeepers. With this in-mind, here is some information on uninstalling Google Apps on Android devices and some recommended Apps. Alternative App Stores F-Droid …' taxonomy: category: - blog tag: - geek - nerd - android - 'android apps' - 'google play' - f-droid - 'amazon app store' --- # [Android without Google System Apps](https://samisdat.in/blog/android-no-google-apps) 21st Aug 2019 [geek](https://samisdat.in/blog/tag:geek#body-wrapper) [nerd](https://samisdat.in/blog/tag:nerd#body-wrapper) [android](https://samisdat.in/blog/tag:android#body-wrapper) [android apps](https://samisdat.in/blog/tag:android%20apps#body-wrapper) [google play](https://samisdat.in/blog/tag:google%20play#body-wrapper) [f-droid](https://samisdat.in/blog/tag:f-droid#body-wrapper) [amazon app store](https://samisdat.in/blog/tag:amazon%20app%20store#body-wrapper) # Android without Google System Apps One should be able to install whatever apps one wants on their device, rather than be locked-in to gatekeepers. With this in-mind, here is some information on uninstalling Google Apps on Android devices and some recommended Apps. ## Alternative App Stores - [F-Droid](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [Foxy Droid](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=nya.kitsunyan.foxydroid) - Alternative to F-Droid - [Amazon Appstore](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) Best to find, install and try out the Apps below BEFORE disabling Google Apps. - [/d/gapps](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=org.droidtr.deletegapps) - disables/deletes Google Apps. This will require that your [Android phone is ROOTed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooting_(Android)) first. - As an alternative Android Operating System, you may want to try [LineageOS](https://lineageos.org/) The list of apps here was made using [List My Apps](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) ## Apps ### App Tools - [List My Apps](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - List all apps installed on device, with option to export in various formats. - [ApkTrack](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Search for and update installed apps - [App Manager](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=io.github.muntashirakon.AppManager) - [LTE Cleaner](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - App cleaner ### Alternative Apps - [OpenLauncher](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=com.benny.openlauncher) - Alternative Homescreen Launcher - [AnySoftKeyboard](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=com.menny.android.anysoftkeyboard) - Replacement Keyboard - [Clock](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [Suntimes](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=com.forrestguice.suntimeswidget) - Solar tracking and clock application - [Weather](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) ### File Utilities/Management - [File Manager](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=com.github.axet.filemanager) - [OI File Manager](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [USB Media Explorer](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Handle plugged-in USB file storage - [DiskUsage](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Display how device storage is used - [Hash Droid](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=com.hobbyone.HashDroid) - Calculate hash checksums of files - [EtchDroid](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=eu.depau.etchdroid) - Write disk images to USB keys ### File Sharing - [lWS](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Webserver to share files on phone on the local network - [lWS QR](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - QR Code generator to share above webserver URL - [NitroShare](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Send files to any other devices running the same software on the local network (Mac/Linux/Android/iOS etc) - [MEGA](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - A popular Dropbox alternative - [LibreTorrent](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=org.proninyaroslav.libretorrent) - Torrent downloader ### Communication - [QKSMS](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=com.moez.QKSMS) - SMS App - [SMS Backup & Restore](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [K-9 Mail](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=com.fsck.k9) - Email ### Graphics - [Open Camera](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Advanced Camera Replacement #### Gallery - [F-Stop](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [Gallery](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=com.simplemobiletools.gallery.pro) ### Image Editing - [ObscuraCam](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Blurs out faces in images - [Exif Eraser](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Remove EXIF metadata information from image, e.g. for sharing on social media - [Exiftool](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Edit EXIF metadata - [LLCrop (lossless)](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=de.k3b.android.lossless_jpg_crop) - Crop a JPEG image without losing quality - [Snapseed](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - General-purpose image manipulation tool - [Autodesk SketchBook](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Drawing Tool ### Audio - [Audio Recorder](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [Binaural Beats](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Ambient Sound Creaor - [MP3 Merger Mp3 Cutter](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [Simple tone generator](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [Pronounce](https://www.google.com/search?q=com.beehive.pronounce) - Text-to-speech - [Tonality](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=net.currit.tonality) - Piano #### Music - [Musicolet](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Music player - [MusicPiped](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Youtube Music player - [Mixcloud](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [SoundCloud](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) #### Podcast - [AntennaPod](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=de.danoeh.antennapod) - [Podkicker Pro](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) ### Web Browsers - [Brave](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [Opera](http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=com.opera.browser) - [Wayback Machine](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - View old versions of archived web pages ### Network Tools - [Network Monitor](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [Port Authority](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=com.aaronjwood.portauthority) - [PingTools](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [ConnectBot](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - SSH app - [JuiceSSH](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) ### System - [Termux](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Terminal App - [CPU Info](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Display device CPU information - [BusyBox Free](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Command-line tools for ROOTed phones - [Kernel Adiutor](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=com.nhellfire.kerneladiutor) - [Official TWRP App](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Backup/install/reset phone software for ROOTed phones ### NFC - [NFC Tools Plugin : Reuse Tag](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Program NFC tags - [ReadID - NFC Passport Reader](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Read the NFC chip in a passport to extract the photo and details ### Location/Tracking - [Compass](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [I am here!](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Display current geographic location address - [Fake Traveler](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Simulate/fake current device location - [OpenTracks](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=de.dennisguse.opentracks) - Track your journey ### Maps - [OsmAnd+](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [MAPS.ME](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) ### Video - [NewPipe](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=org.schabi.newpipe) - YouTube player - [VLC](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Video Player - [Video Transcoder](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) ### Books/Reading - [ReadEra](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Ebook reader, best for non-PDFs - [PocketBook](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Ebook reader, best for PDFs - [Librera PRO](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=com.foobnix.pro.pdf.reader) - Ebook reader - [Feeder](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [GuteBooks](https://www.google.com/search?q=biz.bookdesign.gutebooks) - Project Gutenberg free books app - [LibriVox](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Audio books - [Audio Book Librivox](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [Bible Hub](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Display passages from multiple bible translations ### Dictionary - [QuickDic](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=de.reimardoeffinger.quickdic) - [Simple Dic](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [English](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) ### Writing/Notes - [Joplin](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Markdown text notes application, synchronizes to various plaforms - [Turbo Editor](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Text editor - [Textie](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Markdown editor ### Misc Apps - [Mi Remote](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Infra-Red Remote Control - [Level](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Spirit Level - [ConvertPad - Unit Converter](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Unit Conversion - [Share to Clipboard](https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=com.tengu.sharetoclipboard) - [Cardiograph](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Use phone camera/flash to measure your pulse ### Games/Emulation - [Magic DosBox Free](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - DOS emulator - [ScummVM](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - DOS emulator for various games using the Scumm engine (e.g. Secret of Monkey Island) - [Dig](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Emulator front-end - [RetroArch](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Emulator front-end and installer - [MAME4droid (0.139u1)](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Arcade machine Emulaor - [openMSX](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - MSX computer emulator - [Uae4all2](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Commodore Amiga computer emulator ### Commerce - [Parcel Tracker](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [Amazon Shopping](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [CurrenC](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Currency Exchange Rates - [Credit Card Reader](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - Read a credit card by its NFC chip #### Barcodes - [Barcode Scanner](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [QR Droid](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - [Barcode Generator](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) ### Programming - [SQLiteViewer](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details) - View database used by most apps --- ## Navigation - Parent: [Blog](https://samisdat.in/blog.md) - Previous: [America's 60 Families](https://samisdat.in/blog/americas-60-families.md) - Next: [Apotheosis of the Jew](https://samisdat.in/blog/apotheosis-of-the-jew.md)