I stopped relying on Google Play for apps, and here’s what I switched to

For most Android users, the Google Play Store is the place you automatically turn to whenever you need a new app.

Every time you hear about a new service, spot an app on a billboard, and scan the QR code to install it, chances are it takes you straight to the Play Store.

For years, I’ve used it the same way, pretty much as the default destination for everything Android.

That said, the Play Store isn’t perfect. There are still plenty of apps that slip through Google’s review process that probably shouldn’t be there.

I’m also not a huge fan of how much AI Google is now pushing throughout the Play Store.

Then there’s the fact that many apps that are available for free elsewhere are often packed with ads on the Play Store.

Over the past few months, I’ve become a big fan of open source Android apps. I’ve switched both my gallery and file manager apps to Fossify’s open source alternatives. But Fossify is just the tip of the iceberg.

There are tons of great open source Android apps out there that never make it to the Play Store. The biggest challenge isn’t finding good apps, it’s discovering them.

That is why SafeHaven caught my attention. This Android app store is quickly gaining popularity because it aims to solve exactly that problem, acting as a storefront not just for Fossify apps, but for open source Android apps as a whole.

The best Android apps aren’t always on the Google Play Store

I find open source apps more reliable and user-friendly

Over the past few months, I’ve started paying more attention to open source apps than the ones I typically find on the Google Play Store.

Search for almost any category on the Play Store, and you’ll usually find dozens of near-identical apps competing for attention. Many are fine, some are great, but most are loaded with ads.

What I’ve realized is that open source apps are often just better. They’re usually lightweight, focused on doing one thing well, and aren’t constantly trying to sell you something.

Plus, because the code is open, anyone can inspect it, which is great if you care about privacy and security.

This app store solves my biggest open source app problem

SafeHaven makes discovering Android apps much easier

The biggest problem with open source Android apps, as I stated above, is discovering them. SafeHaven is trying to solve exactly that.

As the developer describes it, SafeHaven is a privacy-focused Android app store built around helping users discover open source Android apps beyond what you typically find through F-Droid.

Instead of simply asking users to trust an app, SafeHaven highlights where an app comes from, whether the developer has been verified, whether the app has been scanned for malware, and how it performs in automated security checks.

The platform also pulls apps from multiple sources. According to the developer, it regularly tracks popular open source Android projects and syncs with F-Droid repositories, helping keep listings up to date.

I tried SafeHaven on my Oppo Find X9 Ultra, and getting started was surprisingly simple. The app only asked me to set a nickname on first launch. There was no account creation or sign-in process.

The interface feels familiar enough. You get featured apps, categories, charts, and a search tab for browsing available apps.

There are also sections for managing installed apps and tweaking settings like themes, but that’s about it.

The main focus of the app, as it claims, is to let users discover and install apps quickly.

It’s definitely not as polished or intuitive as the Google Play Store, but it does a good job of making open source app discovery feel approachable.

Each listing includes security signals showing whether the source is verified and whether the app has passed security scans. You can also browse screenshots and leave ratings.

Installing apps is straightforward. You simply tap the install button, and the APK begins downloading.

Since these are sideloaded apps, you’ll need to enable Android’s Install for unknown sources permission, but beyond that, the process is pretty painless.

It’s not perfect, but it’s a great starting point

What I like most about SafeHaven is that the developer isn’t just trying to build another F-Droid-style app store. The goal seems to be creating a proper discovery platform for open source Android apps as a whole.

It’s obviously nowhere near as polished as the Play Store, and discovery still isn’t quite at Google’s level. The app is also still fairly early in development. But for what it is, the experience is already surprisingly solid.

I’m not sure what projects like this look like in the long run, especially as Google continues tightening Android’s security and sideloading policies.

But as someone who has been using more open source apps lately, I’m glad to see projects like SafeHaven exist.