this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2023
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[–] [email protected] 68 points 1 year ago (14 children)

We really need a compelling alternative to the Play Store, both as users and developers.

[–] [email protected] 85 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yeah, I have it, but I can't install 3/4 of the apps I use on a daily basis from there.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 year ago

Wouldn't that be the same for any other alternative? That's what a monopoly does.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

It means 3/4 of the apps you use aren't free software which is not an issue with F-Droid.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The security model or lack of same concerns me.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's valid. In theory, because you're downloading open source on there, you could audit the apps you download, but don't know anyone who does that unless it's their job.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My main issue is everything signed with the same key, and the way updates can go through without review.

Obviously Play store isn't safe or wonderful, but it does have better review policies.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You can download directly from the repo with Obtainium.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

That actually looks useful, particularly since github has a clearer security policy than f-droid.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I would prefer to see a wider embrace of PWAs.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 year ago (2 children)

This is what really, really pissed me off about the iPhone. When it launched and they gave it a desktop-class web browser engine and told people they were going all-in in PWAs (though I don't think the term existed at the time). Then v2 came out and they went sike! native apps, must be developed on our PCs, must be distributed by us, you must pay us to be allowed to develop, we take a cut of your income, and we're going to cripple the PWA engine to make universal, open apps all but unusable.

Dicks.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Can PWAs perform just like native apps when it comes to smoothness and optimization?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Yes, if the underlying engine is designed to support it. There are standard web APIs for accelerated graphics, compute, offline storage, Bluetooth, push notification, environmental sensors, phone book access, camera, local storage access, and so on... A decent PWA is indistinguishable from a native app.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'd probably agree if I didn't work as an Android developer. :-)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

You can build webapps in kotlin :)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I do love Kotlin, but I work extensively with audio playback on a low level (Oboe, native) so a web app just won't work for me.

Also, I can't really justify rewriting my company's entire app because I don't like Google's monopoly.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Is there any way of "installing" PWAs to the app drawer rather than been limited to a shortcut on the home screen?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Depends on the PWA, if they have the manifest setup properly it should give the option by itself and even the add to desktop button should change to install the app, but very few sites support it (among the ones I use)

[–] YumYum_the_Great 1 points 1 year ago

This is browser dependent, e.g. Samsung Internet adds them to the app drawer. Supposedly Chrome should also do that but never did for me.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (2 children)

In what ways do the existing alternatives fall short of compelling?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Can I get my banking app on F-Droid? How about my home security system app? How about a dozen other apps that I want or need, and can't be replaced by loading a website in Firefox?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is entirely on the companies. There's no technical reason or requirement for this happening.

Fdroid works great and is the most likely thing to be adopted, in my opinion. It's easy enough for anyone to spin up their own fdroid server and distribute their own app.

If you're wanting to use a new store, you're going to have to wade through the growing pains of adoption. It's just a fact of life.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Wait, I assume if you install a banking app through Aurora it still works? Totally fair if that doesn't work for your needs (you kinda need a google account, even if a blank one, to have it work right now) but I assume installing apps through it doesn't limit them or make them less functional for having been installed through Aurora?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Works on Calyx! My banks didn't work on Lineage through aurora. I think it only checks for a locked bootloader?

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Accrescent is in early alpha, but it looks like it's on its way to be a great, modern app store.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

checked it out and it needs a lot of time to become a proper competitor

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Aurora store worked well but google got their way recently

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It still works, you just need to search for things in the browser then open the links with Aurora

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

I wish someone would make a companion app that handles this automatically

I'd love to do it but I have no knowledge about kotlin. However, I'm still down if someone has a solid plan

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

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