What are your favorite apps to sideload?
I’m only interested in most basic ones so please nothing too esoteric or user specific.
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@UME_1138 For me it’s
Whatsapp
Signal
Brave Browser
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I’ve decided to limit the total amount of apps to one launcher page which helps to prevent app creep 
I use 6 stock apps and 6 sideloaded ones:
- Molly/Threema
- Antennapod
- Aegis, 2FA app.
- Tasks.org (from F-Droid)
- Home Assistant (so I can scan NFC tags around the house)
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I don’t sideload often to have a preference 
but messaging apps, yeah, a custom keyboard, that’s all what I need most of the time. I’m still struggling whether to alter the launcher or not.
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- Mochi Flashcards
- Reader App
- Spotify Lite
- Here Maps
- Notion
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Personally, I only want to sideload apps that are available as native APK. I don’t want to sideload a third party APK installer or extract APKs myself, but that reduces the amount of compatible apps. I have sideloaded WhatsApp and Opera browser. Both work fine, but maybe there is a more sleek browser available. It has such things like AI assistant on board, but did not try its functions yet. Maybe I will try UC browser next.
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My five sideloaded apps via Obtainium/GitHub:
- Signal
- FUTO Keyboard
- Fossify Messages
- Minimo Launcher
- Obtainium
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My key apps are
- f-droid basic - to install the other apps
- davx5 for contact syncing
- Molly FOSS - signal, but it updates through f-droid
- koreader - better than the built-in e-reader app, and it has wallabag support
- inkos - a more customizable launcher that lets me put all the apps I want on one screen
currently I do have antennapod on the kompakt but I’m thinking about just dropping podcasts entirely from my life, since I think I use them as “background noise” a bit too much.
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Can you say why this one? Also can this app allow me my dream of writing sms horizontally?
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I originally used QUIK-sms, but I feel that there are too many customizations that I don’t use. Fossify Messages is more streamlined with fewer customizations.
No, unfortunately, it’s not possible to write SMS horizontally in Fossify Messages.
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@umalum I also got InkOS and Heliboard so far, now I need some file manager/uninstaller to gett rid of other soft I was testing 
@denguefeber Fossify Messages looks good - I’ll check it out - and keep dreaming 
A lot of homework with all this, next on my shopping list:
- File manager
- Browser (in case of emergency - otherwise not intend to use it).
- Molly FOSS - as unfortunately only non ID required communicator I know of - Element - is to complicated for 90% of ppl I know
And I guess that’s all basics covered, wondering what else is out there that I don’t know I need 
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You can use InkOS to uninstall apps. Just go to App Drawer and long press the app you want to remove, and then select delete.
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Wow, thanks - idk why I assumed it only removes it from App Drawer - now it’s obvious that that’s what “hide” does. 
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-Signal
-K9-mail
-Spotify
-Organic maps
-Brave
-InkOS
-Heliboard
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I have it installed but I haven’t even opened the app yet lol … so idk!
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-Aurora and F-Droid: Just makes installing and updating everything else much easier. Once these are loaded, I think the only other thing I had to sideload was inkOS. F-Droid is always my first go-to because I prefer FOSS apps but sometimes you just need something from the Google Play Store, hence Aurora.
-inkOS: Hands-down the best launcher for MK right now due to at least having some support for notifications. Prior to this, I was using oLauncher with NotificationLog pinned as my first app
-Fossify: I installed the Fossify Messages, Phone, Music, and Contacts apps, which are all better than the stock apps, but I have to keep the MK Phone app enabled because for some reason I can’t get it to let me answer incoming calls on any third party phone app. I can make outgoing calls, though.
-OpenCamera: Much better than the stock camera app.
-Firefox and Brave: I like to have both because some sites work better on one vs the other. Either way, install the e-ink mode browser extension.
-DavX and Etar: DavX to sync contacts and calendar data, Etar so I can have a calendar app that works with DavX.
-KOReader: Much better than the stock e-reader.
-Heliboard: A FOSS keyboard that support gesture/swipe typing.
-Signal: Because I will always have a secure messaging app on my phone and this is better than Whatsapp.
-Beeper: Syncs my other messaging apps so I don’t have to install Facebook and a dozen other apps to read my group messages.
-KeyMapper: I mapped a long press on the volume buttons to change the screen’s brightness. I like to have it off during the day but this allows me to easily turn it on at night.
-Surfshark: Because you should always use a VPN for online activity.
-HereWeGo and SherpaTTS: Sherpa for text to voice so I can get the audio turn-by-turn directions, and I like HereWeGo for maps because it offers navigation and I can choose to be online or offline.
-NexNotes: A simple note-taking app.
-ForceStopApp: I wish I could find a FOSS alternative but this does work pretty well. It closes all the apps I don’t want running in the background since otherwise in the MK you have to check each app individually and force stop it.
-Tor: I don’t use this much on my phone but I like to have the option available.
-Protonmail: I’ve been slowly moving most of my important stuff here since I’m not going to put yahoo or gmail on my MK.
-Other: While not sideloaded, once I installed inkOS I had access to some of the stock apps that are packaged with AOSP but aren’t shown on the MK launcher. So now I can use the files browser, gallery, and the clock apps.
I know it seems like a lot but since most of them were installed through Aurora or F-Droid it wasn’t a lot of work, no more than I do setting up any other new phone. Also, most of them are just replacing MK stock apps so it wasn’t adding as much as it probably seems like to the phone. It’s not the same as installing a ton of games or social media that could become a distracting time sink.
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Thanks for long list and all the explanations, helps a lot as I was fighting tooth and nail for all this years to stay away from learning anything smartphones related, (oh irony). Now I’m super close to finishing this surprise DIY project - and then I can proudly call my phone Mudita Komplit. 
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High5 !
Or rather Mudita Komplex, or Mudita Komplikated.
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Just curious: is there an app that allows to pull audio stream from Youtube/Rumble/etc. without having to pull/display the video stream, without having to log in and whatnot?
Just search, list, play. No comments, no suggestions, no video.
I’m asking because many interviews/podcasts/monologues I’m interested in are only published on video platforms like that.
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newpipe can behave like this. Just play with the settings.
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