F-Droid (Android)

F-Droid (Android)

Objective

In this guide I will show you how to install F-Droid app store on your Android phone.

Using F-Droid, you can download and use free & open source mobile applications. With it, you can install, update and remove your local applications.

In this guide CalyxOS 5.2.0 (which runs Android 14) is used for demonstration.

Setup

Get the software

On your Android phone, start your internet browser. Enter fdroid as a search term for the internet search engine. From the resulting list, tap on the link which directs you to https://f-droid.org address.

Start web browser

Search for fdroid

On the webpage, make sure the address bar reads https://f-droid.org, and then tap on the DOWNLOAD F-DROID button. Android will warn you against unknown files. Here, tap on Download anyway button.

Download fdroid

Allow download

Your web browser will start downloading the F-Droid file. In order to see the download process, tap on the Details button.

Tap on details

Download progress

Install the software

Once the download completes, tap on the F-Droid.apk file. Android will warn you against unknown files. In order to install F-Droid we will temporarily give permission to the internet browser app. For this, tap on the SETTINGS button on the warning pop-up.

Tap on apk file

Tap on Settings

On the settings page, activate the Allow from this source slider.

Allow from this source

Enable it

Next, tap on the back navigation button. This time, Android will ask you if you want to open the F-Droid file. On the pop-up, tap on the INSTALL button. Once the install process completes, tap on the OPEN button.

Tap on Install

Installing

Open fdroid

Run the software

When F-Droid starts the first time, it will be seen like below. On the upper side of the screen, there will be Updating repositories message. Wait for this process to complete.

After the updating finishes, F-Droid is ready for use. You can check the Updates tab within the app in order to verify this. Then, you can check your default settings on the Settings tab.

Updating repositories

Check the Updates

Up to date

Inspect the basic settings

Lastly, we will revoke the temporary permission we gave to the internet browser in the beginning of this guide. And then, we will give that permission to F-Droid app. For this, navigate to the Settings menu of your Android phone. On the search bar for the settings menu, enter some search term like "install app". You should see Install unknown apps settings being recommended to you. Tap on that option.

Search settings

Install unknown apps permissions

Install unknown apps permissions

Here, on the settings for F-Droid activate the Allow from this source slider. And then, de-activate the same setting for your internet browser.

Tap on F-Droid

Allow fdroid

Allow fdroid

Tap on Web Browser

Disallow web browser

Disallow web browser

Conclusion

In this guide I showed you how to install F-Droid app store on your Android phone. For this, first we downloaded the F-Droid app file. Then, we installed it on the Android phone. And lastly, we started the F-Droid app and took a brief look inside.

In the upcoming guides, we will use F-Droid to download and install different mobile apps belonging to the Monero and Tor ecosystem.

If you find this guide useful you can send some Monero (XMR) to this address:

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