F-Droid, the free and open-source Android app store focused on FOSS software, has released version 2.0 of its official client, delivering what the project describes as its biggest app update in a decade.
The release introduces a redesigned interface built with Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, with simplified navigation around three main sections: Discover, Search, and My Apps.
App discovery has received a substantial overhaul. F-Droid 2.0 adds more detailed categories, including dedicated sections for VPNs, password managers, launchers, navigation tools, and other software types. Games are also split into more specific genres, making it easier to browse the repository without relying entirely on search.
Moreover, search is now more capable. Instead of focusing mainly on app names, it can also search descriptions, categories, and translated content. Recent searches are remembered, and improved handling for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean should make results more useful for users searching in those languages.
Filtering has been expanded as well. Users can combine multiple criteria, including category, device compatibility, and anti-features, allowing more precise searches.
Installing and updating apps should be smoother. F-Droid 2.0 takes advantage of newer Android installation APIs, including pre-approval on supported devices, reducing extra confirmation steps during installs. Background checking, downloading, and installing updates are now supported by default while respecting user preferences.
The privacy settings have been reworked too. Tor VPN is now the recommended approach for routing F-Droid traffic through Tor, while manual proxy options remain available for users who need them.
However, a few notable changes and limitations remain. The F-Droid Privileged Extension is no longer supported in version 2.0, while Android 6 support has been dropped because parts of the modernized app depend on fixes introduced in Android 7. Older F-Droid releases can still be used on older devices.
The Nearby feature, used for sharing apps directly between devices, is also being rebuilt and is not part of the initial F-Droid 2.0 release. The developers say a replacement implementation is already in development.
For additional details, see the official announcement.
