While Google is gradually tightening the rules for installing Android applications outside the Play Store, one of the main independent stores is preparing for the next decade. F-Droid has released version 2.0, which the developers call the largest update of the project in 10 years, although the future of such independent stores is becoming less predictable.
Over F-Droid 2.0 worked for more than a year and managed to release 14 test versions. The interface was rewritten from scratch and divided into three main areas: the search for new programs, separate search and management of already installed applications. The categories were transferred to the Discover section, the search was taught to take into account descriptions and translations, and the filters allow you to simultaneously consider the type of application, compatibility with the device and unwanted functions.
The most noticeable change concerns the installation of programs. F-Droid now uses a new Android pre-confirmation mechanism, thanks to which the user on the supported devices allows installation immediately after pressing the button, and not after fully downloading the APK. The store also learned to automatically check and install updates in the background. In convenience, this process is noticeably closer to the built-in Android stores, although F-Droid still works independently of Google Play.
The developers have seriously updated the inside of the client. The new code is written using Kotlin, the interface is built on Jetpack Compose and better matches modern Material Design. Due to the technical requirements of F-Droid 2.0 no longer supports Android 6, so the new version will require Android 7 or fresh. The old issues of the client will continue to work on the previous devices. A detailed review of alternative stores for Android, including F-Droid, has previously dealt with the differences between such catalogs.
The update comes out just a few days before the first stage of the new Google system. From September 30, 2026, the company will begin checking the registration of developers when installing applications from seven participating stores in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. Google Play, Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, Honor, vivo and Transsion are already connected to the system. In 2027, Google is going to expand the test to other ways to distribute programs on certified Android devices.
For the usual distribution of the application outside the Play Store, the developer is offered to pass identity verification, register packages and use Android Developer Console. A full account costs $25 and involves identity verification, and a free limited version allows you to install programs for a maximum of 20 pre-added devices. The complete installation of unverified applications does not disappear: Google leaves a special mode for experienced users and ADB, so it is not yet possible to speak about a complete ban on APK. The company itself made the company deliberately complex, including daily delay.
For F-Droid, the problem is deeper than the usual inconvenience when installing. The repository collects free applications from the source code, and part of the packages signs with its own keys, although the reproducible builds allow you to distribute APKs with the signature of the original developer. Google’s centralized application registration is poorly combined with a model in which free software can be collected, modified and distributed through independent channels without mandatory registration with the owner of the mobile platform.
The F-Droid team therefore considers the new version not just as a cosmetic update, but as a technical basis for years to come. In the official announcement of F-Droid 2.0, the developers emphasize a simpler search, automatic updates, a new installer and the transition to modern Android development tools. Distribution of version 2.0 among users will take several weeks.
The dispute over Google's control began long before the current release. Back in 2025, F-Droid warned that mandatory developer registration could radically change the independent distribution of Android applications and jeopardize the usual open repository model.
In the summer of 2026, the conflict escalated after the details of the new mechanism were published. F-Droid and proponents of the open Android ecosystem opposed a situation in which one company will be able to determine the conditions for launching programs even outside of its own store. SecurityLab detailed why the new verification system caused Android comparisons with the more closed iOS model.
The strengthening of control has affected not only the installation of APK. In early 2026, Google also reduced the frequency of publishing Android source code in AOSP from four issues a year to two, sparking new controversy about the future of open Android and the capabilities of independent developers.
Over F-Droid 2.0 worked for more than a year and managed to release 14 test versions. The interface was rewritten from scratch and divided into three main areas: the search for new programs, separate search and management of already installed applications. The categories were transferred to the Discover section, the search was taught to take into account descriptions and translations, and the filters allow you to simultaneously consider the type of application, compatibility with the device and unwanted functions.
The most noticeable change concerns the installation of programs. F-Droid now uses a new Android pre-confirmation mechanism, thanks to which the user on the supported devices allows installation immediately after pressing the button, and not after fully downloading the APK. The store also learned to automatically check and install updates in the background. In convenience, this process is noticeably closer to the built-in Android stores, although F-Droid still works independently of Google Play.
The developers have seriously updated the inside of the client. The new code is written using Kotlin, the interface is built on Jetpack Compose and better matches modern Material Design. Due to the technical requirements of F-Droid 2.0 no longer supports Android 6, so the new version will require Android 7 or fresh. The old issues of the client will continue to work on the previous devices. A detailed review of alternative stores for Android, including F-Droid, has previously dealt with the differences between such catalogs.
The update comes out just a few days before the first stage of the new Google system. From September 30, 2026, the company will begin checking the registration of developers when installing applications from seven participating stores in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. Google Play, Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, Honor, vivo and Transsion are already connected to the system. In 2027, Google is going to expand the test to other ways to distribute programs on certified Android devices.
For the usual distribution of the application outside the Play Store, the developer is offered to pass identity verification, register packages and use Android Developer Console. A full account costs $25 and involves identity verification, and a free limited version allows you to install programs for a maximum of 20 pre-added devices. The complete installation of unverified applications does not disappear: Google leaves a special mode for experienced users and ADB, so it is not yet possible to speak about a complete ban on APK. The company itself made the company deliberately complex, including daily delay.
For F-Droid, the problem is deeper than the usual inconvenience when installing. The repository collects free applications from the source code, and part of the packages signs with its own keys, although the reproducible builds allow you to distribute APKs with the signature of the original developer. Google’s centralized application registration is poorly combined with a model in which free software can be collected, modified and distributed through independent channels without mandatory registration with the owner of the mobile platform.
The F-Droid team therefore considers the new version not just as a cosmetic update, but as a technical basis for years to come. In the official announcement of F-Droid 2.0, the developers emphasize a simpler search, automatic updates, a new installer and the transition to modern Android development tools. Distribution of version 2.0 among users will take several weeks.
The dispute over Google's control began long before the current release. Back in 2025, F-Droid warned that mandatory developer registration could radically change the independent distribution of Android applications and jeopardize the usual open repository model.
In the summer of 2026, the conflict escalated after the details of the new mechanism were published. F-Droid and proponents of the open Android ecosystem opposed a situation in which one company will be able to determine the conditions for launching programs even outside of its own store. SecurityLab detailed why the new verification system caused Android comparisons with the more closed iOS model.
The strengthening of control has affected not only the installation of APK. In early 2026, Google also reduced the frequency of publishing Android source code in AOSP from four issues a year to two, sparking new controversy about the future of open Android and the capabilities of independent developers.
