I recently learned about Plexus, a compendium of user-generated reports on app compatibility with degoogled and microG-equipped phones.
Plexus user reports are what informs the compatibility information on app download pages within Aurora Store. Maybe you’ve seen those indicators before. I had, but I didn’t know what was driving them.
Here’s an example of the compatibility indicators shown in Aurora Store for the Sensi app which controls my wifi thermostat (and doesn’t work):
You’ll see it is marked as “unsupported: not functional” for phones without google play services.
That’s because this morning, I reviewed the Sensi app on Plexus and gave it that unsupported designation. It refuses login on apps not downloaded directly from Google Play Store. And now already, my review has flipped the designation in Aurora from “unknown” to “unsupported: not functional”.
Plexus allows ratings according to the following categories, plus a brief optional narrative:
Gold - fully functional
Silver - functional but minor features do not work
Bronze - functional but only partial functionality
Broken - doesn’t launch or is otherwise totally not functional
Here’s my review for Sensi:
Here’s the aggregate rating for the app’s functionality on deGoogled devices. My review is the only one so far.
You can download Plexus from F-Droid or directly from GitHub. Their summary ratings are also available on their website, but you can’t see any detailed reviews or leave a review yourself there.
Plexus is an awesome resource for our community (in addition to our very own Community Apps section), and we can make it even better by reviewing apps we’ve tried out on the MK.