F-Droid Preps Biggest Update in a Decade Amid Google Sideloading Crackdown
F-Droid preps its biggest update in a decade, version 2.0, with refreshed visuals and search amid Google sideloading limits.
In a recent blog post detailing version 2.0, F-Droid said the new app store experience improves search and offers a "simpler experience that works well," Android Authority reported. The visuals have been refreshed, and the app now supports Google's Material Design, giving it a more modern look that is more cohesive with the rest of Android. The team said the update goes beyond a visual refresh.
The app has been rewritten entirely in Kotlin, according to the team. F-Droid said the rewrite is meant to make the app easier to support in the coming years and to allow more frequent updates in the future. The update also includes improved categories and what the team describes as a seamless update method.
F-Droid has been one of the biggest critics of Google's new sideloading restrictions in Android, Android Authority reported. The project is bracing for that change with a modern interface that makes app discovery feel far less intimidating. F-Droid's role as a leading store for free and open-source Android apps has made it a prominent alternative to mainstream app distribution.
Android Authority said the release is coming despite Google's sideloading crackdown. F-Droid described the update as its biggest in a long time, with the team saying it wanted to make the app easier to maintain in the years ahead.
Editor's Summary
F-Droid is preparing version 2.0, its biggest update in a decade, with refreshed Material Design visuals, better search and categories, and a rewritten Kotlin codebase. The project is releasing the update as it criticizes and prepares for Google's new Android sideloading restrictions. The changes are intended to make F-Droid easier to support and update more frequently.