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For everyone still using Simple Tools apps, switch to Fossify it’s a fork that has all that crap removed
So far I only see Gallery, File Manager, and Calendar on IzzyOnDroid. Hopefully SMS and Contacts will be added soon.
dialer app is released too.
They are still being worked on
You can use Obtainium instead of F-droid. You can install Izzy, FD, or even better, direct from GitHub and other repos instead.
Not removed, it was just never added.
True
Wait what happened I am lost? Are they bad apps now?
Yea. They got bought by a bad company.
Rather it was sold to a bad company.
The dev will have hard time getting anyone trust him anymore.
Link for others:
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Disable updates has never been a solution. It’s a bandaid to a gaping wound.
True, but in this case it might be a good option until the corresponding Fossify app is available.
Guys.
Dont install FOSS apps from the Playstore. Use F-Droid (F-Droid Basic if you are on an updated OS)
Thanks.
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Droidify can do both: Session Installer and Shizuku: https://github.com/Droid-ify/client
F-Droid basic uses modern Android Libraries and modern Apps can be updated without interaction.
Thats because Android has a Package manager that uses APKSigner signatures to verify the app. That is Private/Public Key authentication, so its pretty sure the App comes from the developers.
Only if the Signature matches the App gets an Update. So there is no danger in using automatic updates.
Making F-Droid Basic “battery unrestricted” will help.
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Yes I hate the name. It makes no sense. I will do another post on multiple Platforms to advertise it.
Yes the unattended upgrades only work on a modern store and modern apps. The original client is extremely outdated.
You’re welcome.
Yeah. I usually go to the Playstore to buy out all the In-App purchases and support development, but this is really discouraging.
True. But F-Droid has Donation links everywhere. I prefer that over buying, idk why.
Oh, found out at least F-Droid Basic doesnt display the links! Thats not niceit hasLess fees taken if you donate instead of buying most likely.
Droidify shows the donation links fine, which is nice!
I agree that F-Droid is great!
What I usually do is to buy the pro version on Google Play and install it later on F-Droid.
On the other hand I don’t see anything wrong for non tech people to install FOSS apps from the Play Store. The apps are still FOSS
Not exactly. When building for play store release - google injects their tracking into the binary.
I think this is a myth. Android Studio or something allows to build it in, but Google doesnt automatically do that. Afaik
They were sold to ZippoApps, who specializes in adding crapware to apps.
What else would we expect anyway…
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No. No it doesn’t. Israel might be a shitty country built on apartheid and illegal settlements, and netanyahoo might be genociding Gaza via IDF, but that doesn’t mean every individual should be regarded with a blanket statement.
But fuck ZippoApps anyway.
How did this get to Israel. How?
This BS about “genociding” Gaza again… do you like HAMAS terrorists?
If we judged citizens based on what their government does, I don’t think many of us would come out clean. As an American, I don’t want the whole world thinking that I agree with what the Feds are up to all the time. I recommend extending that same courtesy to people in countries who’s government you don’t like as well.
Shouldn’t judge their citizens, but should sanction and boycott their companies.
I am German, well…
So true! Ew FDP!
Hmm, this app is also in the F-Droid repository with its old outfit.
Luckily it got forked : https://github.com/FossifyOrg/SMS-Messenger
Damn, how did I even manage to miss that Simple apps have been bought off? I’ve used them for years and am still subscribed to the reddit community…
Some people suggest the action could possibly be deemed illegal, by breaking the licence the project was made under.
https://github.com/SimpleMobileTools/General-Discussion/issues/241#issuecomment-1837452672 - the dev’s explanation, and replies which discuss the legal issues
https://old.reddit.com/r/fossdroid/comments/1893j2p/simple_mobile_tools_is_about_to_be_acquired/
Fossify has many of them, Gallery, Files and Calendar (the main ones) are already on F-Droid!
- sms: deku sms, way better
- phone: GrapheneOSses AOSP dialer, dont know if you get that seperately, or Welefon
- music: so many alternatives, Vanilla Music is nice
- keyboard: florisboard, openboard
- phone: lol Pixel with GrapheneOS
Its sad that the community did not donate enough. People dont care…
To add to this, Fossify just released their phone app. It hasn’t hit the repos yet, but it’s on their github.
deku sms
I haven’t used this, but it seems to do way more than the average person know how to use for an SMS app
Even in the readme, it says:
The technical functionalities of the app are currently not user friendly, which would be updated with the help of PRs and issues. The reason for the lack of user friendliness is solely based on the app aiming to be as customizable as possible. Users should be able to configure the app to their custom cloud servers without being tied into using specific providers.
It just works as an SMS app with possible AES encryption.
fcitx on Android is a pretty good keyboard experience now too.
Can you explain what that is and how it works? Is it a Keyboard with Plugins?
more or less yes, but im not too familiar with the project. I was just looking for a FOSS keyboard with completion support. I know it has good support for plugins to use latin characters to write characters in other writing systems, like pinyín
Provided that the developer can either remove contributed code or seek copyright licences from every contributor it can be done. Whether this did happen or not is unclear, the developer appears a little arrogant about having written the majority of the code, showing little appreciation towards minor contributors. We cannot tell whether the contributors gave permission for their code to be re-licenced or if their code was removed.
Personally, when contributing to GPL projects I would expect that this kind of thing wouldn’t be possible. Using the GPL is a very philosophical choice of licence and is a move to say that you really care about your users
Over the years there have been a few times I tried to communicate with the developer, and he was always arrogant.
yeah tibor was known for that
RIP Simple mobile apps. You were amazing while you lasted.
there are forks of code before the sellout and the releases are already out. use fdroid or obtainium. https://github.com/fossifyorg/
Yeee, I use the F-Droid version, so they’re clean.
Still a shame though…
“have full network access” BIG YIKES
I mean it makes sense for error reporting. Lots of apps automatically report errors so that they can be detected easily, which would require internet access.
that kinda makes me think google should to a log retrieval and storage api which can retrieve and send logs to developers.
That just allows Google full access to all logs from any application you have installed.
That service is not free either per month and those costs will be passed to the consumer in either a subscription or worse software.
i mean google would have it anyway; and the app developer would be collecting the logs any way so the cost would be there already. this would just make it so they wouldn’t need to request full network access; just enough to get the logs.
I’m really curious about the amount of money exchanged. It must have been an enormous amount in order to do a “I’d even sell my mom for that” and don’t feel dirty
the developer, and this isnt exaggeration, does not understand gpl v3. he literally got confused when people told him he had no right to sell contributed code. you can see for yourself in the github discussions
You can sell GPL code. Even if you aren’t the author. What you must do is share the code with those customers though.
you cant sell othwrs ans then close source which is what they did to my knowledge
You perfectly can sell GPL code. And you can double-license yourself (provided that you are the copyright holder) as GPL and a privative license. A lot of companies do that, legally and correctly.
Open source can be sold/commercialised. I think you’re confusing between FOSS and open source.
FOSS and open source is the same thing
I’m pretty sure what he sold was not the code but access to this play store account so that the new owner can push updated version to his current users.
There were multiple reports about sleazy companies reaching out to developers of popular apps and Chrome addons and offering them money for their accounts. The money is really good but there’s still a lot of devs that can say ‘no’. They will just use to track some people, it’s not a completely new business that will grow and earn them money like Instagram or something.
Throwback to when they announced releasing a simple phone. Fun times.
That was amazing. Someone linked to alibaba where you could buy the same 4? Year old phone for something like $120USD. Someone else dredged up a weird eastern European connection for the ‘FOSS’ OS. And they promised support, which ended when you bought the pos.
It has begun
(ps install the fork versions of the simple mobile tools suite, its called fossify)
Wow, the new owners enshittified those apps really fast.
Play store version is already infected. There was a buyout of SMT apps.
Oh, I see. They even stopped sponsoring Linux Mint, which is how I found SMT.
Edit: They used to be a gold sponsor: https://web.archive.org/web/20220201203412/https://linuxmint.com/sponsors.php
Which means $1,000/month.how could smt afford to donaye 1000 a month???
So it begins
i hope these zippo fucks get sued by everyone who contributed. bastards are doing dropshipping but with malware pretty much
sigh. Most people will just accept the new default permissions without blinking an eye. They’re taking advantage of people’s ignorance.
You overestimate most peoples tech skills. They will never know because they have auto-updates activated.
