F-Droid 2.0 launches with full redesign after 14 betas
Original: F-Droid 2.0
Why This Matters
F-Droid is the primary FOSS alternative to Google Play; a major UX overhaul matters as Android sideloading faces new policy pressure.
F-Droid released version 2.0 on September 24, 2026 — its largest update in 10 years. The open-source Android app repository features a complete UI overhaul built with Kotlin Compose and Material Design, restructured navigation, expanded categories, and improved search and discovery, all without user tracking.
F-Droid 2.0 is the product of over a year of development and 14 test releases. The update rewrites key components in Kotlin Compose, aligning the app with modern Android development standards while preserving the core F-Droid experience users know.
Navigation is now consolidated into three sections: Discover, Search, and My Apps. The old category-browsing flow is absorbed into Discover, and Settings along with Nearby Swap moved to the top bar to reduce clutter. My Apps serves as a single hub for managing installed apps, pending updates, and flagged issues.
Discovery received significant attention. The new Discover screen surfaces newly added apps, recently updated titles, and — for the first time — most-downloaded apps in the repository. The category system was expanded from a small set of broad buckets to many narrower, specialized ones, including dedicated categories for VPNs, firewalls, password managers, and navigation tools. A new layer of 'meta' categories groups related subcategories to make entry-point browsing less overwhelming.
F-Droid explicitly notes the redesign includes no tracking or engagement mechanics. The project also flagged an ongoing threat: Google's changes to Android sideloading, pointing users to keepandroidopen.org for context. Rollout to the broader user base begins in the coming weeks.