<s>
F-Droid	B-Application
is	O
an	O
app	B-Application
store	I-Application
and	O
software	B-Application
repository	I-Application
for	O
Android	B-Application
,	O
serving	O
a	O
similar	O
function	O
to	O
the	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
repository	O
,	O
hosted	O
by	O
the	O
project	O
,	O
contains	O
only	O
free	B-Application
and	I-Application
open	I-Application
source	I-Application
apps	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Applications	O
can	O
be	O
browsed	O
,	O
downloaded	O
and	O
installed	O
from	O
the	O
F-Droid	B-Application
website	O
or	O
client	O
app	O
without	O
the	O
need	O
to	O
register	O
for	O
an	O
account	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Anti-Features	O
"	O
such	O
as	O
advertising	O
,	O
user	O
tracking	O
,	O
or	O
dependence	O
on	O
non-free	B-Application
software	I-Application
are	O
flagged	O
in	O
app	O
descriptions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
website	O
also	O
offers	O
the	O
source	O
code	O
of	O
applications	O
it	O
hosts	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
software	O
running	O
the	O
F-Droid	B-Application
server	O
,	O
allowing	O
anyone	O
to	O
set	O
up	O
their	O
own	O
app	O
repository	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
F-Droid	B-Application
was	O
founded	O
by	O
Ciaran	O
Gultnieks	O
in	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
client	O
was	O
forked	O
from	O
Aptoide	B-Application
's	O
source	O
code	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
project	O
was	O
initially	O
run	O
by	O
the	O
English	O
nonprofit	O
F-Droid	B-Application
Limited	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
2021	O
,	O
F-Droid	B-Application
Limited	O
was	O
no	O
longer	O
used	O
for	O
donations	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
being	O
shut	O
down	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
spokesman	O
Hans-Cristoph	O
Steiner	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
2014	O
interview	O
for	O
Free	B-Operating_System
Software	I-Operating_System
Foundation	I-Operating_System
,	O
Gultnieks	O
said	O
he	O
was	O
inspired	O
to	O
launch	O
F-Droid	B-Application
because	O
of	O
"	O
lock-down	O
,	O
lock-in	O
and	O
general	O
nefarious	O
behavior	O
from	O
software	O
"	O
on	O
phones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
2010	O
to	O
2015	O
F-Droid	B-Application
used	O
AGPL	B-Application
licensed	O
Gitorious	B-Application
repository	O
system	O
for	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2015	O
it	O
transitioned	O
to	O
proprietary	B-Application
licensed	O
GitLab	B-Application
when	O
Gitorious	B-Application
was	O
acquired	O
by	O
GitLab	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Daniel	O
Marti	O
,	O
Former	O
F-Droid	B-Application
Developer	O
,	O
in	O
2013	O
,	O
removal	O
of	O
AdAway	B-Application
from	O
the	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Store	I-Application
caused	O
a	O
spike	O
in	O
searches	O
and	O
downloads	O
of	O
F-Droid	B-Application
,	O
and	O
he	O
estimated	O
there	O
were	O
30	O
to	O
40	O
thousand	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Replicant	B-Application
,	O
a	O
fully	O
free	B-Application
software	I-Application
Android	B-Application
operating	I-Application
system	I-Application
,	O
previously	O
used	O
F-Droid	B-Application
as	O
its	O
default	O
and	O
recommended	O
app	B-Application
store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2016	O
,	O
the	O
Replicant	B-Application
project	O
determined	O
F-Droid	B-Application
did	O
not	O
comply	O
with	O
GNU	O
Free	B-Application
System	I-Application
Distribution	I-Application
Guidelines	I-Application
,	O
and	O
asked	O
for	O
assistance	O
correcting	O
it	O
,	O
but	O
progress	O
stalled	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2022	O
,	O
Replicant	B-Application
announced	O
they	O
had	O
removed	O
F-Droid	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Guardian	B-Application
Project	I-Application
,	O
a	O
suite	O
of	O
free	O
and	O
secure	O
Android	B-Application
applications	I-Application
,	O
started	O
running	O
their	O
own	O
F-Droid	B-Application
repository	O
in	O
early	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2012	O
,	O
Free	B-Operating_System
Software	I-Operating_System
Foundation	I-Operating_System
Europe	O
featured	O
F-Droid	B-Application
in	O
their	O
Free	O
Your	O
Android	B-Application
!	O
</s>
<s>
campaign	O
to	O
raise	O
awareness	O
of	O
the	O
privacy	O
and	O
security	O
risks	O
of	O
proprietary	B-Application
software	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2014	O
F-Droid	B-Application
was	O
chosen	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	B-Application
GNU	I-Application
Project	I-Application
's	O
GNU	O
a	O
Day	O
initiative	O
during	O
their	O
30th	O
anniversary	O
to	O
encourage	O
more	O
use	O
of	O
free	B-Application
software	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2016	O
Hans-Christoph	O
Steiner	O
,	O
a	O
developer	O
for	O
Calyx	O
Institute	O
,	O
Debian	O
,	O
F-Droid	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Guardian	B-Application
Project	I-Application
,	O
said	O
F-Droid	B-Application
was	O
focusing	O
on	O
issues	O
like	O
security	O
,	O
building	O
with	O
Debian	O
,	O
reproducible	O
builds	O
,	O
software	O
requiring	O
trust	O
of	O
as	O
few	O
people	O
as	O
possible	O
,	O
transparency	O
,	O
user	O
privacy	O
,	O
non-internet	O
distribution	O
of	O
apps	O
,	O
block	O
avoidance	O
,	O
and	O
media	O
distribution	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2016	O
F-Droid	B-Application
partnered	O
with	O
Guardian	B-Application
Project	I-Application
and	O
CopperheadOS	B-Application
with	O
the	O
goal	O
of	O
creating	O
"	O
a	O
solution	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
verifiably	O
trusted	O
from	O
the	O
operating	O
system	O
,	O
through	O
the	O
network	O
and	O
network	O
services	O
,	O
all	O
the	O
way	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
app	B-Application
stores	I-Application
and	O
apps	O
themselves	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Follow-on	O
project	O
GrapheneOS	B-Operating_System
does	O
not	O
include	O
F-Droid	B-Application
,	O
and	O
is	O
developing	O
their	O
own	O
app	O
distribution	O
method	O
for	O
"	O
higher	O
robustness	O
and	O
security	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
16	O
July	O
2019	O
the	O
project	O
published	O
a	O
"	O
Public	O
Statement	O
on	O
Neutrality	O
of	O
Free	B-Application
Software	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
statement	O
was	O
issued	O
to	O
address	O
the	O
project	O
's	O
failure	O
to	O
prevent	O
"	O
oppression	O
or	O
harassment	O
...	O
at	O
its	O
communication	O
channels	O
,	O
including	O
its	O
forum	O
"	O
,	O
controversy	O
surrounding	O
alt-tech	O
social	O
media	O
website	O
Gab	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
explain	O
how	O
Fediverse	B-Application
client	O
Tusky	O
blocking	O
access	O
to	O
it	O
,	O
while	O
client	O
Fedilab	O
allowed	O
its	O
users	O
to	O
choose	O
,	O
was	O
consistent	O
with	O
their	O
principles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Ankush	O
Das	O
writing	O
for	O
ItsFoss.com	O
in	O
2021	O
,	O
F-Droid	B-Application
is	O
known	O
for	O
hosting	O
open-source	O
apps	O
such	O
as	O
Element	B-Protocol
or	O
Tusky	O
that	O
have	O
been	O
removed	O
from	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
F-Droid	B-Application
website	O
lists	O
the	O
apps	O
hosted	O
,	O
over	O
3,800	O
;	O
the	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Store	I-Application
lists	O
about	O
3	O
million	O
apps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
F-Droid	B-Application
builds	O
apps	O
from	O
publicly	O
available	O
and	O
freely	O
licensed	O
source	O
code	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
New	O
apps	O
,	O
which	O
must	O
be	O
free	O
of	O
proprietary	B-Application
software	I-Application
are	O
contributed	O
by	O
user	O
submissions	O
or	O
the	O
developers	O
themselves	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
F-Droid	B-Application
is	O
not	O
available	O
on	O
the	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
install	O
the	O
F-Droid	B-Application
client	O
,	O
the	O
user	O
has	O
to	O
allow	O
installation	O
from	O
"	O
Unknown	O
sources	O
"	O
in	O
Android	B-Application
settings	O
and	O
retrieve	O
the	O
F-Droid	B-Application
Android	B-Application
application	I-Application
package	I-Application
(	O
.apk	B-Application
file	O
)	O
from	O
the	O
official	O
site	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Client	O
devices	O
can	O
function	O
as	O
impromptu	O
"	O
app	B-Application
stores	I-Application
"	O
,	O
distributing	O
downloaded	O
apps	O
to	O
other	O
devices	O
over	O
local	O
Wi-Fi	O
,	O
Bluetooth	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
Android	B-Application
Beam	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
F-Droid	B-Application
client	O
app	O
automatically	O
offers	O
updates	O
for	O
installed	O
F-Droid	B-Application
apps	O
;	O
when	O
the	O
F-Droid	B-Application
Privileged	O
Extension	O
is	O
installed	O
,	O
updates	O
can	O
also	O
be	O
installed	O
by	O
the	O
app	O
itself	O
in	O
the	O
background	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
extension	O
requires	O
the	O
device	O
to	O
have	O
root	B-Application
access	I-Application
,	O
or	O
to	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
flash	O
a	O
zip	B-General_Concept
file	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Android	B-Application
operating	I-Application
system	I-Application
checks	O
that	O
updates	O
are	O
signed	O
with	O
the	O
same	O
key	O
,	O
preventing	O
others	O
from	O
distributing	O
updates	O
that	O
are	O
signed	O
by	O
a	O
different	O
key	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
,	O
the	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
store	I-Application
required	O
applications	O
to	O
be	O
signed	O
by	O
the	O
developer	O
of	O
the	O
application	O
,	O
while	O
F-Droid	B-Application
only	O
allowed	O
its	O
own	O
signing	O
keys	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2017	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
started	O
offering	O
developers	O
a	O
signing	O
key	O
service	O
managed	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
,	O
offering	O
a	O
similar	O
service	O
to	O
what	O
F-Droid	B-Application
offered	O
since	O
2011	O
,	O
and	O
F-Droid	B-Application
now	O
lets	O
developers	O
use	O
their	O
own	O
keys	O
via	O
the	O
reproducible	O
build	O
process	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2012	O
F-Droid	B-Application
announced	O
they	O
had	O
removed	O
an	O
app	O
because	O
of	O
a	O
security	O
flaw	O
that	O
could	O
leak	O
personal	O
information	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2017	O
F-Droid	B-Application
stated	O
"	O
No	O
malware	O
has	O
been	O
found	O
in	O
f-droid.org	O
in	O
its	O
7	O
years	O
of	O
operation.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2022	O
,	O
F-Droid	B-Application
discovered	O
over	O
20	O
distributed	O
applications	O
contained	O
"	O
known	O
vulnerabilities	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
April	O
2022	O
detailed	O
article	O
for	O
HowtoGeek	O
,	O
Joe	O
Fedewa	O
wrote	O
"	O
The	O
selection	O
of	O
apps	O
is	O
much	O
smaller	O
in	O
F-Droid	B-Application
than	O
the	O
Play	O
Store	O
,	O
around	O
3,000	O
compared	O
to	O
around	O
3	O
million	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
’s	O
to	O
be	O
expected	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
you	O
’re	O
looking	O
to	O
de-Google	O
your	O
life	O
a	O
bit	O
,	O
or	O
you	O
just	O
want	O
to	O
try	O
some	O
apps	O
that	O
have	O
better	O
ethics	O
,	O
F-Droid	B-Application
is	O
a	O
great	O
place	O
to	O
go.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
December	O
2022	O
detailed	O
article	O
in	O
Popular	O
Science	O
,	O
Justin	O
Pot	O
wrote	O
"	O
F-Droid	B-Application
is	O
n’t	O
going	O
to	O
replace	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
for	O
most	O
people	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
’s	O
a	O
nice	O
and	O
simple	O
alternative	O
for	O
finding	O
free	O
and	O
safe	O
apps	O
before	O
you	O
dive	O
into	O
the	O
swamp	O
that	O
is	O
Google	O
’s	O
app	O
store.	O
"	O
</s>
