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open-source-android-apps

A curated, community-maintained list of open-source Android apps, organized by category.

GitHub Download source
Stars
10.6k
Forks
2.3k
Licence
MIT
Language
Python
Last update
4 days ago
Type
Curated list

What it is

This is a GitHub repository that acts as a directory of open-source Android apps. Each entry links to an app's own project page, with a short description and star count, grouped into categories such as Communication, Games, Productivity, and Tools. It is meant as a discovery starting point rather than an app you install yourself.

  • Browse the categories to find an open-source replacement for a closed-source app
  • Check the Hot Apps table for widely starred projects such as Termux, Joplin, or Signal
  • Find sample code to study, such as the Google sample UniversalMusicPlayer
  • Submit a missing app through the Pull Request process or the Add App Workflow described in the README

Great for

  • Android users looking for free, open-source alternatives to popular apps
  • Developers who want to study real open-source Android projects
  • Students exploring how Android apps are built
  • Anyone browsing for privacy-focused apps

Not ideal for

  • People who want to install a single app directly, since this is a list of other projects (the README does not describe a downloadable app)
  • People who need verified app security reviews, because the README only lists projects and does not audit them
Step-by-step guide: how to use open-source-android-appsInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

How to get it

  1. 1

    Clone and build from source

    Clone the repository to browse it locally

    git clone https://github.com/pcqpcq/open-source-android-apps
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Open the README on GitHub to see the Hot Apps table
    • Open the Categories table and pick a category file to browse
    • Follow an app's link to its own project page to check its license and activity
    • Use the Pull Request or Add App Workflow links to suggest a new app
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Use the category links to narrow down apps by topic
    • Check each linked project's license before using or forking its code
    • Read CONTRIBUTING.md before submitting a new entry
    • Compare star counts in the Hot Apps table as a rough popularity signal, not a quality guarantee

Downloads

Source code (.zip)master branch · straight from GitHub

Strengths

  • Large, organized collection with about 559 apps according to the README badge
  • Each entry links to the original project so you can check its source and license
  • Simple contribution process documented in CONTRIBUTING.md

Trade-offs

  • The README does not say how carefully each listed app is reviewed or kept up to date
  • Being on the list does not confirm an app's quality, security, or license; you must check each project yourself
  • The README is truncated here, so details about the full category contents are not fully visible

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.