Collection:Replicant

⚠ Replicant currently requires a Samsung Galaxy S III equipped with a SIP app and 4G access to make regular phone calls

Unfortunately, Replicant phones can no longer make standard calls over mobile networks in most parts of the world. Replicant-supported devices rely on 2G and 3G networks for voice calls, and these networks have been shut down in most regions. Until new Replicant devices with VoLTE support (voice over 4G), including VoLTE Emergency Calling as required by most mobile operators, or VoNR support (voice over 5G) are introduced, users in affected areas will need to use the LTE (4G)-capable Replicant model Samsung Galaxy S III. It is the only 4G-capable model, enabling mobile internet access where 4G networks are available—required to run SIP apps like Jami or Linphone for traditional PSTN calls. Both mobile data (needed for portable calling) and SIP credits typically require monthly fees.

GNU/Linux

Install GNU/Linux on Android

A frequently asked question is how to run GNU/Linux on Android, and an easy way to achieve this is to

• 1. Install Termux
• 2. Install proot-distro in Termux: "pkg install proot-distro"
• 3. Install Trisquel distribution: proot-distro install trisquel

Manage Replicant from GNU/Linux

• adb
• scrcpy
  • Aurynk

Replicant software

Note that these apps have not been reviewed by the Replicant developers (yet).

Type	Free program[1]	Replacement for
Free software repository client	Aurora Store F-Droid GitHub Store Obtainium Termux	Google Play Store
Accessibility
Anonymous P2P download utility	Aria2App
App locker	App Lock
BitTorrent client	LibreTorrent	BitTorrent
Camera and video camera (2 in 1)	Fossify Camera Beta Open Camera
		Google Camera
		VSCO
		Photoshop Camera
Wearable device manager (supported smartwatches, etc)	Gadgetbridge
Calendar	Etar Fossify Calendar
Calendar tools	Birthday Adapter DAVx5	Google Calendar Microsoft Mail and Calendar fruux Proton Calendar
Compiler	clang ("pkg install clang" via Termux)
Desktop publishing
Device locator	Find My Device (FMD)	Google's Find Hub
Diagramming software	Techahashi	DrawExpress Diagram Lite
Document viewer	Librera Reader MuPDF mini MuPDF viewer Orion Viewer PDF Wallet	Adobe Acrobat Reader
		Google Drive's built-in PDF viewer
		Foxit PDF Reader
Email client, news aggregator	FairEmail Inbox Pager K-9 Mail mail SimpleEmail	Gmail
		Microsoft Outlook
File manager	Amaze Fluffy Fossify File Manager
Google Play Services replacement	microG Services	Google Play Services
Global emergency alerts	Foss Warn
GPG manager	OpenKeychain	Boxcryptor KeyRing Tresorit
Integrated Development Environment (IDE)	TermuC
Maps	CoMaps OsmAnd~ Organic Maps	Google Maps
		Google Earth
		Here WeGo
		Maps.me
Multimedia communication	aTox Jami Linphone SimpleX Chat Wire	Apple FaceTime
		Google Hangouts
		Facebook Messenger
		Line
		Microsoft Skype
		Paltalk Video Chat App
		Element
		Signal
		Snapchat
		Viber
		WeChat
		WhatsApp
Instant messaging client	ArcaneChat Bitchat Briar Delta Chat Deku SMS (for encrypted SMS) nospeak	ICQ
		Google Messenger
		Telegram
		Trillian
		Yahoo! Messenger
Media player	Fossify Music Player RadioDroid Spotube VLC
		Foobar2000
		MX Player
		RealPlayer
Microphone recorder	Rehearsal Assistant
Office suite	Collabora Office[4] LibreOffice Viewer[3] OpenDocument Reader - view ODT	Microsoft Office Mobile
Online storage	Nextcloud (client) ownCloud (client only)	Dropbox
		MediaFire
		MEGA
		pCloud
Password manager (.kdbx compatible)[9]	AuthPass KeePassDroid KeePassDX KeePassVault PassVault Vault	1Password Bitwarden Google autofill service (default in Android) LastPass
Privacy management	Privacy Flip
Privileged API service	Shizuku
Privilege elevation	Geto Hail
Proxy server
Raster graphics editor	Krita	Adobe Photoshop Express
Screenshot utility	Screenshot Tile (NoRoot)[5]
Systemless root framework	Magisk
Text editor	Amaze Text Editor (part of Amaze) Markor Simple Text Editor
Tor client	Orbot
Time management	WorkTimer	Toggl Track
Vector graphics editor	FreePaint
Visual macro recorder	Klick'r
VPN client	Bitmask NymVPN OpenVPN for Android URnetwork	Tailscale
Web browser	Fennec F-Droid[2] Privacy Browser Tor Browser for Android[4]	Chromium
		Google Chrome
Weather widgets	AF Weather Widget Cirrus Forecastie Pimi Weather Widget	AccuWeather
		Windy

Software metadata

Application name	Description	Availability			License	API	GNU/Linux
		F-Droid	GitHub repository (Obtainium URL)[8]	Aurora Store
AF Weather Widget		Yes
Amaze	An free file manager following the Material Design guidelines	Yes	AmazeFileManager
App Lock	Locks apps using fingerprint or PIN	Yes	AppLock
ArcaneChat		Yes		Yes
Aria2App		Yes	Aria2App
Aurora Store		Yes	-	-
aTox		Yes	aTox
AuthPass		Yes	authpass	Yes
Birthday Adapter	VPN client	Yes	birthday-calendar
Bitmask	VPN client	Yes	-
Bitchat	A decentralized peer to peer messaging app that works entirely over Bluetooth mesh networks.		bitchat-android	Yes
Briar	Censorship-resistant peer-to-peer messaging that bypasses centralized servers. Connect via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or Tor, with privacy built-in.	Yes	-	Yes
Cirrus		Yes		-
Collabora Office	Office suite	Repository	-
CoMaps		Yes	-	Yes
DAVx5		Yes	davx5-ose	Yes
Deku SMS		Yes	DekuSMS-Android	Yes
Delta Chat		Yes	deltachat-android	Yes
Etar		Yes	Etar-Calendar	Yes
F-Droid		Yes	fdroidclient	-
Forecastie		Yes
Fennec F-Droid	Free web browser based on the latest Mozilla Firefox release	Yes	-
FairEmail		Yes	FairEmail
Find My Device (FMD)		Yes	-
Fluffy		Yes	Fluffy
Foss Warn		Yes	foss_warn	-
Fossify Music Player		Yes	FossifyOrg / Music-Player
Fossify Calendar		Yes	FossifyOrg / Calendar	Yes
Fossify Camera Beta		Yes	FossifyOrg / Camera
Fossify File Manager		Yes	FossifyOrg / File-Manager
FreePaint		Yes	FreePaint
Gadgetbridge		Yes	-	Yes
Geto		Yes		No
GitHub Store		Yes	Github-Store	-
Hail		Yes		No
Inbox Pager		Yes	InboxPager
Jami		Yes	jami-client-android				Jami
K-9 Mail	Mail client that supports POP3 and IMAP mailboxes	Yes	-
KeePassDroid		Yes	keepassdroid	Yes
KeePassDX		Yes	KeePassDX				KeePassXC
KeePassVault		Yes		Yes			KeePassXC
Klick'r		Yes	Smart-AutoClicker	Yes
Krita		Yes		Yes			Krita
LibreOffice Viewer	Reads documents similarly to LibreOffice desktop	Yes	OpenDocument.droid
Librera Reader		Yes	LibreraReader
LibreTorrent		Yes	libretorrent
Linphone		Yes	linphone-android				Linphone
Magisk		Yes	Magisk
Mail		Yes	-
Markor		Yes	markor
microG Services		Repository	GmsCore	No
MuPDF mini		Yes	mupdf-android-viewer-mini				MuPDF
MuPDF viewer		Yes	mupdf-android-viewer				MuPDF
Nextcloud		Yes	nextcloud / android				Nextcloud
OpenKeychain		Yes	open-keychain	Yes
NymVPN		Yes	nym-vpn-client	Yes
Pimi Weather Widget		Yes
Obtainium		Yes	Obtainium	-
Open Camera		Yes	-
OpenDocument Reader - view ODT	ODF: ODT, ODS +more	Yes	-	Yes			LibreOffice
Orion Viewer		Yes	orion-viewer
nospeak		Yes		No
OpenVPN for Android		Yes	ics-openvpn				OpenVPN
Orbot		Repository[6]		Yes
Organic Maps		Yes	organicmaps	Yes
OsmAnd~		Yes		Yes
ownCloud		Yes	owncloud / android	Yes			ownCloud
PassVault		Yes	PassVault
Privacy Browser		Yes	-
Privacy Flip		Yes		No
PDF Wallet		Yes	pdfwallet-android
RadioDroid		Yes	RadioDroid
Rehearsal Assistant		Yes	-
Shizuku		No	Shizuku	Yes
Screenshot Tile (NoRoot)	Quickly take customized screenshots	Yes	ScreenshotTile	Yes
Simple Text Editor	Simple Text Editor	Yes	TextPad
SimpleEmail		Yes	-
SimpleX Chat		Yes	simplex-chat	Yes
Spotube		Yes		No
Techahashi		Yes	-
TermuC		Yes	TermuC	Yes
Termux		Yes	termux-app	Yes
Tor Browser for Android		Repository	tor-android				Tor Browser
URnetwork		Yes	urnetwork / android	Yes
Vault		Yes					KeePassXC
VLC		Yes					VLC
Wire	wire-android	Yes	vlc-android				Wire
WorkTimer		Yes	-

1. 1: The future of K-9 Mail is closely tied to the release of Thunderbird for Android. Based on the information provided:
   1. Mozilla's Thunderbird email app was officially released for Android on October 31, 2024.
   2. "We plan to continue maintaining and releasing K-9 Mail for approximately one year after the release of Thunderbird for Android." - https://blog.thunderbird.net/2022/06/faq-thunderbird-mobile-and-k-9-mail/
   3. Accounting for potential extensions to this timeline, K-9 Mail is expected to reach its end-of-life around January 2026.
   4. Users of K-9 Mail should anticipate transitioning to Thunderbird for Android as their primary email client on the platform by early 2026.

About the project

Android is a mostly free operating system developed mainly by Google. Unfortunately, the drivers for most devices and most applications from the "market" are not free (as in free speech, not as in no cost). They frequently work against the interest of the users, spy on them, and sometimes cannot even be removed. We urge all Android users to switch to a free Replicant as soon as possible.'

Here is a list of popular free software applications that run on Android — along with the proprietary applications they replace. If you are still a Android user, you can take a first step towards free software by installing these applications.

When we say these application programs are free software, we're talking about freedom, not price. It means that you are free to use these programs constructively, either alone or in a community, while respecting the freedom of others. The source code is available, so that you can study the software, adapt it to your needs, fix bugs, and release versions with new features. You can also convince or pay others to do these things for you. You are also free to give away and free to sell copies, under the terms of the applicable free software license. These programs are free software because you have freedom in using them. Free software develops under the control of its users.

Using free software on Android (or any nonfree operating system) is the first step towards freedom, but it does not get you all the way there. You're still under Google power as long as you use Android.

However, on this page we're concerned with the first step.

References

1. This is a selection of the more common free software applications available for Replicant, and is nothing like a comprehensive list. You may want to check the Runs-on/Android category for more software. Replicant-only programs may be listed here as well but has external links since the Directory only includes program entries for GNU systems.
2. Mozilla branded programs such as Firefox and Thunderbird are not free software unless their names are changed. This is due to Mozilla's trademark policy that forbids selling copies of unmodified executables.
3. Some popular apps from F-Droid do not work with Replicant without enabling llvmpipe as software renderer but it is slow. - https://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/Graphics This is not a problem on Android but it's not entirely free either.
4. To add a repository in F-Droid, copy the repository URL (https://www.collaboraoffice.com/downloads/fdroid/repo/), go to Settings -> Repositories, tap the "+" button, and paste the repository URL.
5. The software supports cropped screenshots that exclude the status bar and navigation bar. This feature enhances privacy by concealing sensitive information while emphasizing content-focused captures.
6. To list the app in F-Drod, go to Settings -> Repositories, and toggle the "Guardian Project" button.
7. To add a repository in F-Droid, copy the repository URL (https://repo.microg.org/fdroid/repo/), go to Settings -> Repositories, tap the "+" button, and paste the repository URL.
8. "Obtainium allows you to install and update apps directly from their releases pages, and receive notifications when new releases are made available." - https://github.com/ImranR98/Obtainium
9. Because all apps support .kdbx files, the password database remains accessible if one app becomes obsolete and stops working on future Replicant versions. This prevents lockout from your passwords.

See also

• Collection:Replicant-expanded
• Collection:Replicant-blacklist

External links

• F-Droid FSDG-compliant review by the Replicant project
• Fossify
• Keep Android Open