OpenAPK – open-source Apps for Android, updated weekly
31 comments
·March 9, 2025PhilippGille
notpushkin
Also, IzzyOnDroid – an F-Droid repo with official APKs: https://apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/
fulafel
The obvious question: There's F-droid, why use this instead?
mary-ext
See this issue talking about WireGuard and F-Droid. https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroiddata/-/issues/3110
OpenAPK here seems to be linking directly to official binary downloads, whereas F-Droid insists on building the APKs for the apps.
blendergeek
> F-Droid insists on building the APKs for the apps.
You could say that OpenAPK blindly redistributes whatever APK upstream is peddling whereas F-Droid builds from source. I see the merits of both systems but prefer reproducible builds so that we can have the best of both worlds
jqpabc123
Maybe it's just me but I'm kinda struggling to see much merit in blind distribution.
maxloh
> OpenAPK here seems to be linking directly to official binary downloads, whereas F-Droid insists on building the APKs for the apps.
F-Droid guarantees that the binaries it distributes always match the corresponding source, which adds another layer of security.
To ensure transparency, it also provides an archive of the source code used to compile different versions.
cosmic_cheese
I haven’t taken more than a glance at the linked site so I don’t know if it’s better in this way, but I’ve always found F-droid difficult to navigate. It’s got a lot of junk, too. The bulk of its utility for me has been for installing apps that I’ve become aware of elsewhere.
preisschild
There are alternative clients to F-Droid. Personally I use Droid-ify, which works quite well.
naranyala
always bet on apkmirror[1]
kopirgan
Problem is this requires turning off protection for unknown origin apks and these days many banking apps etc stop working once you do that.
Could be useful for a spare phone for secure but non critical work.
vekatimest
I thought that was just for unlocked bootloaders, I've never encountered issues having sideloading enabled.
kopirgan
Depends on where you are
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/uob-dbs-introduce-new...
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genewitch
Okay, what are all of you doing on these banking apps? I've never used one. My interaction with my bank is nearly nonexistent.
Is this like, to send money, zelle, CashApp sort of things you all keep talking about?
Can't you just use the browser on your phone to interact with the bank? The browser doesn't know its rooted, does it?
You could set a clock by the "but my banking apps" every time Firefox or F-Droid or Sideloading comes up.
orthoxerox
The big difference between a dedicated banking app and the one in the browser is permissions.
It sends me notifications when money arrives or is spent. Scanning a QR code to pay for something is much less clunky than doing the same in a browser. And it integrates into my phone authentication system so I only need to scan my fingerprint to open the app instead of remembering a password and waiting for a one-time code.
What do I do on the app? I check the balance on my accounts, I move money between my accounts to get more interest, I pay for my kid's remedial classes, I pay my trainer, I scan QR codes to pay online when the shop provides this payment option so I don't have to type in my card details, I check my virtual card details when I do have to enter them, I buy and sell stocks.
notpushkin
> It sends me notifications when money arrives or is spent. Scanning a QR code to pay for something is much less clunky than doing the same in a browser. And it integrates into my phone authentication system so I only need to scan my fingerprint to open the app instead of remembering a password and waiting for a one-time code.
All this is possible in browser nowadays. And scanning QR codes doesn’t have to be clunky – it’s just that developers are sloppy.
sunaookami
In the EU you are more and more required to use a phone to use your bank account. SMS TANs and TAN lists are deprecated, photoTAN is often unsupported (and clunky of course) and going to the bank is still possible, but cumbersome (and there are fewer and fewer bank branches every year).
lukan
FOr 20€ I got a TAN generator from my bank, a small device with a simple camera that scans QR codes on the banking website and presents me TANs to verify. So no matter PC or smartphone, I like that solution.
kopirgan
Just pointed out a issue that may help deciding.. Didn't know it's a controversial point to make going by the negative points :-(
To each his own.
Semaphor
Probably because you said "many", when it's just those in one relatively small country
oguz-ismail
> what are all of you doing on these banking apps?
I don't carry a wallet, my banking app supports NFC payments.
notpushkin
There’s also Google Wallet, née Google Pay, née Google Wallet. It doesn’t like rooted devices either, but seems to be okay with apps installed from third party stores.
p0w3n3d
We sell them our asses, don't you? But seriously, I have both - other sources AND banking apps on my phone.
xbmcuser
Not true for any banking app I use.
notpushkin
Same here. (Of course, this could be because we just don’t use banks that try to pull this bullshit.)
Sounds similar to Obtainium:
- https://github.com/ImranR98/Obtainium
- https://obtainium.imranr.dev/