When the lead developer behind Simple Mobile Tools sold the company to ZipApps last year, many longtime users of this suite of simple, free, open-source Android apps were wary. And, as expected, ZipApps soon began inserting ads and locking features that were once free behind expensive subscriptions.
But a developer who worked on Simple Mobile Tools ago downloads, forked the last free and open versions of the app and created the Fossify suite of apps, which is still completely free to use. Fossify apps are available on GitHub, F-Droid, or the Google Play Store.
The Fossify project actually started almost immediately after Simple Mobile Tools was sold, and I mentioned the project when its GitHub pages went live in December.
But now that the developer has started adding apps to F-Droid and the Play Store, it’s easier for users to download and install apps without the need for sideloading. Distributing these apps through the Play Store also makes it easy for users to automatically receive updates with bug fixes and new features as and when they become available.
Fossify’s suite of apps includes File Manager, Calendar, Contact, Phone and SMS apps, as well as a simple music player and voice recorder. There’s also the Fossify Gallery app for managing images on your Android device, but while that app is available on GitHub and F-Droid, it wasn’t yet in the Play Store at the time of publication.
Personally, I’m most excited about the fact that Fossify Voice Recorder is now available on the Play Store. Simple Voice Recorder was one of my recommendations for people who want to record voice notes for podcast or radio recordings on Android phone. It’s easy to use but offers tons of features including options to change recording format, bitrate and audio source.
But the latest version of Simple Voice recorder available on Google Play includes ads and locks some features (including the ability to set custom colors or custom locations for saved recordings) behind a paywall. How much do you have to pay to unlock these features and remove ads? $15 a week. For a voice recording application.
All these features are unlocked in the ad-free Fossify voice recorder.