#1 2026-04-22 11:21:24

Colonel Panic

Member

Registered: 2018-11-13

Posts: 1,653

Android applications

Hi everyone,

Following on from the last discussion we had that was dedicated to smartphones, I'd be interested to know of any advice people might have to offer regarding applications that are worth installing?

I'm particularly interested in lightweight ones because I have a slightly behind the times 'phone that runs an operating system based on Android 13. I'll start the ball rolling;

One I've used recently and found very impressive is HiPER, a very fully specced scientific calculator which is available either for Android for or iOS. It's available for free if you don't mind adverts at the top of the scereen, but the payment of a nominal fee to the developers will remove them.

It's got a nice feature in that it can display the results of some calculations (i.e. the sin of 75 degrees) in surd form.

https://hiperlabs.eu/

Last edited by Colonel Panic (2026-04-22 13:16:57)

unklar

Back to the roots 1.9

From: #! BL

Registered: 2015-10-31

Posts: 2,942

Re: Android applications

^^List of my apps(alphabetically) 

Apps available exclusively on F-Droid

-F-Droid

-airplanes.live (for aviation enthusiasts)
-Cirrus (Weather)
-Currencies (Currency converter)
-eSpeak (Text-to-speech engine for Android)
-FairMail (Email app)
-FOSS Browser
-Fossify Gallery (gallery with photo editor)
-Image Toolbox (edit, create, and convert images)
-KeePassDX (password manager)
-License Plate (Germany only)
-Compass
-LocalSend (file sharing on home network)
-MJ PDF (PDF viewer)
-monocles translator (translator)
-NetGuard Pro (blocks apps from accessing the internet; PRO-Version paid for by me to the developer)
-OsmAnd~ (navigation)
-Privacy Browser
-OR & Barcode Scanner
-SatStat (GPS, sensor & network status)
-Scrambled Exif (removes metadata from my photos)
-Silence (SMS & MMS encryption)
-Simple Keyboard (keyboard)
-Gas Prices (fuel costs in Germany)
-trale (body weight diary)
-VES-Image and Photo Compare (compares photos and images)
-Weather Master
-WiFiAnalyzer (Wi-Fi network)

Last edited by unklar (2026-04-22 13:31:30)

Colonel Panic

Member

Registered: 2018-11-13

Posts: 1,653

Re: Android applications

Thanks for that very full reply! Just to start with I can see a PDF viewer there so will be looking into that one. and Simple Keyboard too because I struggle with typing anything in. Net Guard Pro looks worth having too because it's so easy to end up in a labyrinth of websites you hadn't intended to access.

unklar

Back to the roots 1.9

From: #! BL

Registered: 2015-10-31

Posts: 2,942

Re: Android applications

and Simple Keyboard

right, this is THE secret weapon against 'Microsift SwiftKey keyboard' 

Net Guard Pro looks worth having too because it's so easy to end up in a labyrinth of websites you hadn't intended to access.

You misunderstand that. NetGuard (you should try the app before you buy the Pro) prevents ALL apps from accessing the Internet independently if you do NOT want them to. Using the browser as an example, it won't be able to load a page for you..., if you haven't allowed him to do that in NetGuard.

mcarni

Member

Registered: 2015-09-29

Posts: 35

Re: Android applications

just to add some options, I would add:

K-9Mail - email client (I haven't tried FairMail suggested by @unklar so i don't know how they compare, but k-9 has been really solid for me)

KISS launcher - i like its simplicity (combined maybe with some Arcticons icons ... )

VLC - not much to add here...

Termux - don't use it too much, but it is reassuring to have it ;-)

Editor - text editor (for note taking)

hope it helps
M

Martin

Member

From: Stockholm, Sweden

Registered: 2015-10-01

Posts: 817

Website

Re: Android applications

Orgzly for note taking and task reminders.

Organic Maps, not as feature rich as Google's offering but I like it and it works in places where Google does not work, like China.

Yr, the Norwegian weather forecast app.

Forcastie, FOSS weather forecast app.

Voice for listening to audio books.

NewPipe for 'youtube' viewing.

Check out https://www.fossify.org/

/Martin

---

"Problems worthy of attack
prove their worth by hitting back."
Piet Hein

Colonel Panic

Member

Registered: 2018-11-13

Posts: 1,653

Re: Android applications

Thanks to all three of you for your replies.

Apologies in advance if any of this seems trivially obvious to you but this is my first experience of owning a smartphone (I've always used dumbphones before this one), so I'm working it out for myself as I go along.

I don't think at this point I want to duplicate what I currently do on my computer, on my 'phone - it's so much easier to type on a computer keyboard, as I'm doing now, than it is on a smartphone that I can't see it ever being replaced by the 'phone for things like e-mail or even messaging on forums such as this one.

Note taking I prefer a pen and paper for anyway (and a Filofax for important ones), and online banking, and anything to with money, I'm much more comfortable doing on my computer and at home.

And of course there are things the 'phone does that my computer doesn't, such as making and receiving calls, map and directional display, and basic photography because the Oppo's got a fairly decent set of cameras.

The things where I see them overlapping are first, calculation (it's really nice to have a good calculator and units converter like the HiPER on my 'phone), browsing the Web (especially up to date news, weather and sports results), and watching (and listening to) videos on Youtube.

I don't want to be one of those people who's glued to their 'phone in public because there are too many of those already, but it would be good to be able to read pdfs and ebooks on the phone too and I know there are programs for this.

Last edited by Colonel Panic (Yesterday 07:02:44)

Sector11

Mod Squid Tpyo Knig

From: Upstairs

Registered: 2015-08-20

Posts: 8,168

Re: Android applications

File Manager:  Cx File Explorer.

Must check out Simple Keyboard
Does it have multi language use?
Anyway, I'll see.

Nice list unklar!

---

Debian 12 Beardog, SoxDog and still a Conky 1.9er

unklar

Back to the roots 1.9

From: #! BL

Registered: 2015-10-31

Posts: 2,942

Re: Android applications

Must check out Simple Keyboard
Does it have multi language use?

^Hello my friend.
Yes, it can. 
https://f-droid.org/de/packages/rkr.sim … putmethod/

There is a “recommendation corner” here (unfortunately only in German)
https://www.kuketz-blog.de/empfehlungsecke/#android

glittersloth

buena piñata

Registered: 2015-09-30

Posts: 1,535

Re: Android applications

Rethink is probably the best firewall I’ve used on Android, but it’s not exactly the most user-friendly. https://rethinkdns.com/app

Sector11

Mod Squid Tpyo Knig

From: Upstairs

Registered: 2015-08-20

Posts: 8,168

Re: Android applications

Must check out Simple Keyboard
Does it have multi language use?

^Hello my friend.
Yes, it can. 
https://f-droid.org/de/packages/rkr.sim … putmethod/

There is a “recommendation corner” here (unfortunately only in German)
https://www.kuketz-blog.de/empfehlungsecke/#android

AWESOME!   Installed.  I like it.

German Language isn't a problem.
Danke!

---

Debian 12 Beardog, SoxDog and still a Conky 1.9er

Sector11

Mod Squid Tpyo Knig

From: Upstairs

Registered: 2015-08-20

Posts: 8,168

Re: Android applications

Rethink is probably the best firewall I’ve used on Android, but it’s not exactly the most user-friendly. https://rethinkdns.com/app

Hard to set up then?

---

Debian 12 Beardog, SoxDog and still a Conky 1.9er