New to Graphene. What's the current best appstore and Google app replacements?

HelloThere

Hi all. I've read some app recommendation threads, but a lot of them were 1-2 years old, and a lot has changed in the past year with regard to privacy and security. So I figured I'd ask what the current consensus is on a few apps:

Is there a current best replacement for youtube that doesn't track or tell google all your watch history? Something like Grayjay for android?

And a GoogleMaps replacement, or app that allows downloading offline maps and with direction routing?

Are there any other essential apps you'd recommend installing immediately for someone who just switched? Mainly interested in not having every single second of my browsing analyzed, and used to keep me in a neat little algorithm box.

nandohyphen1

HelloThere Is there a current best replacement for youtube that doesn't track or tell google all your watch history? Something like Grayjay for android?

There sure is! Check out NewPipe. Its literally YouTube Premium but completely free. You can download videos, subscribe to channels, and watch everything ad free without signing into anything.
https://f-droid.org/packages/org.schabi.newpipe

And a GoogleMaps replacement, or app that allows downloading offline maps and with direction routing?

Check out OsmAnd. I love it. You can download maps for offline use and even navigate offline.
https://f-droid.org/packages/net.osmand.plus
Be sure to download RHVoice too so you can get voice instructions when navigating
https://f-droid.org/packages/com.github.olga_yakovleva.rhvoice.android

Are there any other essential apps you'd recommend installing immediately for someone who just switched?

Aves Libre for photos (its really great)
https://f-droid.org/packages/deckers.thibault.aves.libre

AntennaPod for podcasts (if you listen to them)
https://f-droid.org/packages/de.danoeh.antennapod

Jitsi Meet (private and secure video meetings, like Zoom)
https://f-droid.org/packages/org.jitsi.meet

ConverterNow (convert literally anything. All sorts of units. Highly recommend)
https://f-droid.org/packages/com.ferrarid.converterpro

Breezy Weather
https://f-droid.org/packages/org.breezyweather

Gramophone (music player)
https://f-droid.org/packages/org.akanework.gramophone

Aurora Store (100% anonymous access to the Google Play Store. Its really cool!)
https://f-droid.org/packages/com.aurora.store

And there are so many more great FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) apps out there. Just explore. You'll find a privacy friendly app to replace all big tech apps (or most of them anyway). Enjoy using GrapheneOS! Its super great!

c86

HelloThere

For YouTube, NewPipe is pretty good.
https://newpipe.net/

For maps, OpenStreet is good.
https://osmand.net/
For traffic patterns, still just going to want google maps on an anonymous or pseudonymous account.

If you have earbuds, CaPod is great.
https://github.com/d4rken-org/capod

For chats,a Signal alternative is Molly.
https://molly.im
Just a heads up, the Accrescent version doesn't use google and is harder on battery. Their github version uses google for notifications and is easier on battery.
Signal also offers their app without google if downloaded from their GitHub if you desire.
https://signal.org/android/apk/

AntennaPod does a lovely job on podcasts.
https://antennapod.org/

Quantum

HelloThere
Drum1973
I'd recommend LibreTube over Newpipe

KCne

HelloThere

The title asks about the current best App Store, which has been discussed in this topic:
https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/27499-which-is-the-best-and-secure-app-store-in-grapheneos/16

For app recommendations, I like FlorisBoard for my keyboard, AppVerifier to verify apps, and Feeder for news feeds

Drum1973

Thank you both for this list. Didn't know Newpipe exists!

I was playing with GO for a week now, but as an second phone. Today I will swap SIM card and use it as main one for some time.

Since I'm coming from Samsung I would like to replicate few things and maybe you can help.

I'm used to having "double click" power button to turn on Flashlight. In Samsung world that was Bixby button, but they allow opening custom apps. In setting there is only "camera" available for that, no other apps.
This one is hard, and probably not available on GO, but who knows.
I have some routines setup in Samsung routines. Like:
when it detects my car WiFi, turn on BT and connect to car BT
when phone is connected to car BT and Google Maps is opened, turn location ON, when Google Maps is closed, turn location OFF
if it's between 11PM and 7AM and phone is charging, silence all notifications except phonecalls

nandohyphen1

Drum1973 I'm used to having "double click" power button to turn on Flashlight. In Samsung world that was Bixby button, but they allow opening custom apps. In setting there is only "camera" available for that, no other apps.

This can be done with the help of another app called KeyMapper. You can configure keys (buttons) to do basically anything. And you can set restrictions so it can only do it for certain amounts if time or if certain apps are open/closed. For example, I have it set to open a frequently used app if I double press the volume up button. But I have it set not to run if any kind of audio is playing, since I don't want to switch then but I may want to press the up volume button twice or more to adjust the volume.
https://f-droid.org/packages/io.github.sds100.keymapper

This one is hard, and probably not available on GO, but who knows.
I have some routines setup in Samsung routines. Like:
when it detects my car WiFi, turn on BT and connect to car BT
when phone is connected to car BT and Google Maps is opened, turn location ON, when Google Maps is closed, turn location OFF
if it's between 11PM and 7AM and phone is charging, silence all notifications except phonecalls

Yeah sorry, I'm not sure GrapheneOS has any of these features. There are features like automatically turn off Bluetooth or WiFi when not connected after a certain amount of time (set by you).

c86

Drum1973

I see someone already offered an app for one of your questions. Beyond that, you can add a flashlight toggle to your lock screen natively.

Drum1973

Quantum
Thank you. I tested NewPipe, PipePipe and LibreTube which were all suggested here and liked LibreTube most so I kept it.

nandohyphen1
c86
I'll try KeyMapper, thank you!

Pixelated

Personally I use BravePipe. Its been a lot more reliable and updates a lot faster than Newpipe when YouTube compatibility breaks. It also has SponsorBlock and support for Rumble and Bitchute
https://github.com/bravepipeproject/BravePipe

tumbord

its useful to be aware, that some folks advice against f-droid and aurora store.
the former one, due to its central signing key handling (atleast on non-reproducables??), therefore you fully trust the f-droid team and its a single point of failure (think supply chain attack). also recently they came up with some questionable decision
however if f-droid is worse than obtanium (no integrity checks, app verifier sparely used) or acresscent (backend problem, no updates for weeks) is to decide.

regarding aurora, some people dont feel comfortable with using someone elses play store account
its really not too difficult to setup a pseudonymous account as well, though then ofc u might want to use secondary profile to separate play services from daily use

also some general advice: the most secure (and private) app is the one, that you dont install. many timews webapps (via vanadium) will do the trick.

PartyNinja

For keyboard I recommend FUTO and YT would be GrayJay (since its not limited to only YT)