15+ Open Source Android Apps to sharpen your Coding skills
They say to be a better developer you need to learn how to read code and write code. As simple it may sound, programmers often underestimate it or just don’t care. What’s even better if you have open-source android apps that you can check out about how it’s coded, it’s architecture and other aspects of making an app. So, let’s check out the 15+ Open Source Android App which will surely help you to sharpen your coding skills.
But first, let’s talk about Open Source
What is Open Source?
According to OpenSource.com, the term open source refers to something people can modify and share because its design is publicly accessible.
Basically, its something which is given for free which people can modify and use.
What is Open Source Software?
Again according to OpenSource.com, Open source software is software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance.
“Source code” is the part of software that most computer users don’t ever see; it’s the code computer programmers can manipulate to change how a piece of software—a “program” or “application”—works. Programmers who have access to a computer program’s source code can improve that program by adding features to it or fixing parts that don’t always work correctly.
Is Android OS Open Source?
Believe it or not, android is actually an Open Source Operating System which is led by Google.
Can you get the Source Code of the Android Operating System? Yes.
You can learn more about the Android Open Source Project here.
So let’s check out the Top 7 Open source Android Apps!
TL;DR
Open Source Android Apps:
- SuperCleanMaster (Deprecated)
- FreeOTP Authenticator
- Easy Sound Recorder
- 2048
- K-9 Mail
- plaid
- CoCoin
- Amaze File Manager
- ML Manager
- AntennaPod
- Keepass2Android Password Safe
- Orbot Tor
- LeafPic
- TimberX Music Player
- VLC
- Open Camera
- Lawnchair Launcher
- DuckDuckGo
- Kickstarter
- Telegram
20. SuperCleanMaster (Deprecated):
Ever heard of Clean Master? Most of you must have even had on their phone. Yes, the spammy one.
Except this one is the open-source version of it. As of writing this post it has 1.8k stars on Github.
Github: SuperCleanMaster
Playstore: Not Available
19. FreeOTP Authenticator
FreeOTP adds a second layer of security for your online accounts. This works by generating one-time passwords on your mobile devices which can be used in conjunction with your normal password to make your login nearly impossible to hack. These passwords can be generated even when your phone is in airplane mode.
FreeOTP works with many of the great online services you already use, including Google, Facebook, Evernote, GitHub and many more!
FreeOTP also may work for your private corporate security if they implement the standardized TOTP or HOTP protocols. This includes great enterprise solutions like FreeIPA.
FreeOTP is a two-factor authentication application for systems utilizing one-time password protocols. Tokens can be added easily by scanning a QR code.
As of writing this post it has 686 stars on Github.
It even has an IOS version which is also open source. You can find the Github link here
Github: FreeOTP Authenticator
Playstore: FreeOTP Authenticator
18. Easy Sound Recorder
It is a simple sound recording app that implements Material Design. As of writing this post it has 1.3k stars on Github.
Github: Easy Sound Recorder
Playstore: Easy Sound Recorder
17. 2048
This simple yet elegant game took the world in an unexpected way.
In this game, you move tiles on a 4×4 board. When two tiles with the same number touch, they merge and their value doubles. To win, you need to reach the coveted “2048” tile. However, one can continue to play the game after reaching the goal, creating tiles with larger numbers
As of writing this post it has 864 stars on Github.
Github: 2048
Playstore: 2048
16. K-9 Mail
K-9 Mail is an open-source email client with support for multiple accounts, search, IMAP push email, multi-folder sync, flagging, filing, signatures, BCC-self, PGP/MIME & more!
K-9 supports IMAP, POP3, and Exchange 2003/2007 (with WebDAV).
As of writing this post it has 4.8k stars on Github and 5M+ downloads and 90k+ reviews on Playstore.
Github: K-9 Mail
Playstore: K-9 Mail
15. Plaid
An Android app that provides design news & inspiration as well as being an example of implementing material design.
Plaid was written with one big goal: showcase material design in Android in a real application.
While Plaid successfully achieved its goal, from an architecture point of view, it lacks all features that would make it a modular, scalable, testable and maintainable app: with UI logic in Android classes, no tests, and only one module.
Plaid represents a great real-world app example: it provides a fairly complex set of functionalities, it has technical debt, it has features that have to be dealt with as APIs are being removed.
All of these problems are encountered by many projects in the Android community and therefore, make Plaid a suitable showcase for all the advantages that architecture components bring.
Plaid 2.0 is in working now with rewriting Plaid using Android Architecture Component using Kotlin. As of writing this post it has 15.1k stars on Github.
Github: Plaid
Playstore: Plaid
14. CoCoin
It is a multi-view accounting application. As of writing this post it has 2.6k stars on Github.
Github: Plaid
Playstore: Not Available
But you can download it from Github
13. Amaze File Manager
It is a material design file manager for Android. Let’s take an Overview of it:
– Open Source, light and smooth
– Based on Material Design guidelines
– Basic features like cut, copy, delete, compress, extract etc. easily accessible
– Work on multiple tabs at same time
– Multiple themes with cool icons
– Navigation drawer for quick navigation
– App Manager to open, backup, or directly uninstall any app
– Quickly access history, access bookmarks or search for any file
– Root explorer for advanced users
– All features freely available without any ads
As of writing this post it has 2.8k stars on Github. It has 1M+ download and 10k+ reviews on Playstore.
Github: Amaze File Manager
Playstore: Amaze File Manager
12. ML Manager
A modern, easy and customizable app manager for Android with Material Design.
ML Manager is a customizable APK manager for Android: extract any installed app, mark them as favorite, share .apk files easily and much more.
As of writing this post it has 1.1k stars on Github.
Github: ML Manager
Playstore: ML Manager
11. AntennaPod
AntennaPod is a podcast manager and player that gives you instant access to millions of free and paid podcasts, from independent podcasters to large publishing houses such as the BBC, NPR, and CNN. Add, import and export their feeds hassle-free using the iTunes podcast database, OPML files or simple RSS URLs.
You can download, stream or queue episodes and enjoy them the way you like with adjustable playback speeds, chapter support, and a sleep timer.
Save effort, battery power and mobile data usage with powerful automation controls for downloading episodes (specify times, intervals and WiFi networks) and deleting episodes (based on your favorites and delay settings).
Made by podcast-enthusiasts, AntennaPod is free in all senses of the word: open source, no costs, no ads.
As of writing this post it has 2.7k stars on Github. It has 1M+ download and 27k+ reviews on Playstore.
Github: AntennaPod
Playstore: AntennaPod
Feeling interested in learning Android App Development? You can check out the Free Android Courses and Tutorials from all over the web at a click away.
10. Keepass2Android Password Safe
Keepass2Android is a password manager app. It allows to store and retrieve passwords and other sensitive information in a file called “database”.
This database is secured with a so-called master password. The master password typically is a strong password and can be complemented with a second factor for additional security. The password database file can be synchronized across different devices.
This works best using one of the built-in cloud storage options, but can also be performed with third-party apps. Keepass2Android is compatible with Keepass 1 and Keepass 2 on Windows and KeepassX on Linux.
As of writing this post it has 1.6k stars on Github. It has 1M+ download and 25k+ reviews on Playstore.
Github: Keepass2Android Password Safe
Playstore: Keepass2Android Password Safe
9. Orbot Tor
Orbot is a free proxy app that empowers other apps to use the internet more securely. Orbot uses Tor to encrypt your Internet traffic and then hides it by bouncing through a series of computers around the world.
Tor is free software and an open network that helps you defend against a form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential business activities and relationships, and state security known as traffic analysis.
As of writing this post it has 458 stars on Github. It has 10M+ download and 163k+ reviews on Playstore.
Github: Orbot Tor
Playstore: Orbot Tor
8. LeafPic
LeafPic is a fluid, material-designed alternative gallery, it also is ad-free and open source under GPLv3 license. It doesn’t miss any of the main features of a stock gallery
LeafPic offers 50 main colors, 9 accent colors, and 3 base themes: light, dark and AMOLED black, all surrounded by an immersive user experience which means that there are over 1,800 theme combinations to customize the app as you prefer!
You can easily manage your files with features like copy, move, rename and affix with a very nice user experience and a beautiful design. There is also a lightweight photo editor able to crop and rotate images.
They respect your privacy since the project is open source you can check what they do with your media.
You can hide folders and access them with a password.
As of writing this post it has 3k stars on Github.
Github: LeafPic
Unfortunately, the project has been abandoned. But the copy of the app can be downloaded from the link below.
Playstore: LeafPic Revived
7. TimberX Music Player
Material theme music player that works across all form factors (phones, wear, auto, cast, assistant) and uses the latest tools (Kotlin, Architecture Components, Room, Databinding)
Features –
– Material theme design
– Browse songs, albums, artists, genres and playlists
– Lyrics
– Device folders
– LastFM artist images
– Create and edit playlists
You should out this guy’s other apps too! Must!
As of writing this post it has 827 stars on Github. It has 10M+ download and 163k+ reviews on Playstore.
Github: TimberX
Playstore: TimberX Music Player
6. VLC
VLC on Android plays all the same files as the classical version of VLC and features a media database for Audio and Video files and stream.
As of writing this post it has 635 stars on Github. With 100M+ download and 1.1M+ reviews on Playstore, the app stands strong!
Github: VLC
Playstore: VLC
5. Open Camera
Open Camera is a fully-featured and completely free Camera app. Features:
* Option to auto-stabilize so your pictures are perfectly level no matter what (see example image).
* Expose your camera’s functionality: support for scene modes, color effects, white balance, ISO, exposure compensation/lock, selfie with “screen flash”, HD video and more.
* Handy remote controls: timer (with optional voice countdown), auto-repeat mode (with configurable delay).
With 10M+ Downloads and 150k+ reviews on Playstore.
SourceForge: Open Camera
Playstore: Open Camera
4. Lawnchair Launcher
Lawnchair is a customizable home app for Android. Taking AOSP’s Launcher3 as a starting point, it introduces rich personalization settings while maintaining high standards in performance and accessibility.
Key Features
— Support for Adaptive Icons.
— Flexible Desktop, Dock, and Drawer.
— Drawer Categories (Tabs & Folders).
— Integration with Android Recents.¹
— Automatic Dark Mode.
— Contextual data in At a Glance.
— Notification Dots.
— Integration with Google Feed and Homefeeder.²
As of writing this post it has 3.3k stars on Github. With 100M+ download and 1.1M+ reviews on Playstore, the app stands strong!
Github: Lawnchair
Playstore: Lawnchair
3. DuckDuckGo
They believe the Internet shouldn’t feel so creepy and having the privacy you deserve online should be as simple as closing the blinds.
We provide the privacy essentials you need to seamlessly take control of your personal information as you search and browse the web, no matter where the Internet takes you:
- Escape Advertising Tracker Networks — Our Privacy Protection will block all the hidden third-party trackers we can find, exposing the major advertising networks tracking you over time, so that you can track who’s trying to track you.
- Increase Encryption Protection — We force sites to use an encrypted connection where available, protecting your data from prying eyes, like Internet Service Providers.
- Search Privately — You share your most personal information with your search engine, like your financial, medical, and political questions. What you search for is your own business, which is why DuckDuckGo search doesn’t track you. Ever.
- Decode Privacy Policies — We’ve partnered with Terms of Service Didn’t Read to include their scores and labels of website terms of service and privacy policies, where available.
As you search and browse, DuckDuckGo shows you a Privacy Grade rating when you visit a website (A-F). This rating lets you see how protected you are at a glance, dig into the details to see who we caught trying to track you, and learn how we enhanced the underlying site’s privacy measures.
The Privacy Grade is scored automatically based on the prevalence of hidden tracker networks, encryption availability, and website privacy practices.
As of writing this post it has 1.2k stars on Github. With 10M+ download and 390k+ reviews on Playstore.
Github: DuckDuckGo
Playstore: DuckDuckGo
2. Kickstarter
Kickstarter is a place where independent creators and passionate backers come together to bring new ideas to life. Explore creative projects in art, design, film, games, music, and more, and pledge to your favorites right from the app.
As of writing this post it has 5.4k stars on Github. With 1M+ download and 24k+ reviews on Playstore.
Github: Kickstarter
Playstore: Kickstarter
1. Telegram
Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security. It’s superfast, simple and free.
Telegram is the fastest messaging app on the market, connecting people via a unique, distributed network of data centers around the globe.
You can access your messages from all your devices at once. Start typing on your phone and finish the message from your tablet or laptop. Never lose your data again.
You can send media and files, without any limits on their type and size. Your entire chat history will require no disk space on your device and will be securely stored in the Telegram cloud for as long as you need it.
As of writing this post it has 13.5k stars on Github. With 100M+ download and 4.6M+ reviews on Playstore, this app is giving tough competition to the likes of Whatsapp, WeChat.
Github: Telegram
Playstore: Telegram
Tell us which app shocked you the most?
If you want to learn Android App Development you can check out the Free Android Courses and Tutorials from all over the web at a click away.
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