F-Droid Repository

F-Droid is an app store for free and open source Android software. It is a catalog run by F-Droid contributors, with a client app you install from f-droid.org, and it is licensed GPL v3 or later. This page explains how the client works and how to install it safely.

F-Droid Says Your Freedom Comes First

The site describes F-Droid as the app distribution ecosystem for Android where your user freedom comes first. Everything in the catalog is free and open source, so anyone can read the code behind an app before installing it.

The footer credits F-Droid Contributors, and the project says it is powered by donations through Open Collective and Liberapay. There is no company behind it asking for payment.

The numbers on the client page are worth a glance before you tap install. An 11 MiB file is small for a store, which fits an app that mostly lists and fetches other apps. If a file offered under the same name is far larger, or asks for permissions such as reading messages, that is a sign it is not the real client. Compare the size and signature with the f-droid.org page, and delete anything that does not match.

The Client Page Lists What You Download

• Package name org.fdroid.fdroid.
• Version 2.0.2, marked beta and added October 12, 2026.
• An 11 MiB APK that needs Android 7.0 or newer.
• A PGP signature file and a build log next to the APK.

The page recommends installing the F-Droid client over sideloading single APKs, because sideloaded installs miss update notifications.

Why Installing Through A Store Client Matters

Once the client is on your phone, apps you add through it get update alerts without you hunting for new files. That is the same job Google Play does, only with a catalog limited to open source. The client page tells you to verify the downloaded APK, and the signature file makes that possible.

The source code for the client sits on GitLab at fdroid/fdroidclient, so changes are visible to anyone.

Getting The F-Droid APK Without Getting Fooled

F-Droid is not on Google Play, so the safest way to install it is from f-droid.org itself. Type the address yourself, download the file and compare its signature. Be careful with copies on other sites that call themselves F-Droid mirrors or promise paid apps for free, because an edited client could install anything.

For everything else, begin with the official store for the app in question. F-Droid works best as an extra source for open source tools.

A short routine helps. Open the site, read the client page, download the APK, and check the signature before installing. Allow installs from your browser only for that one step, then switch the permission off again. When apps come through the client, it handles later updates, so you rarely need to touch the permission again.

Keep an eye on what the client shows you too: F-Droid labels apps with anti-features such as tracking or non-free services, and reading those labels is part of using it well.