SECUSO Android Apps - A type of app I thought being extinct
It was just a few days ago when I learned of the existance of the SECUSO apps. These are apps developed at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) by their Research Group: Security • Usability • Society (SECUSO). The Android apps they develop contain absolutely no tracking, no ads and use only the bare minimum of permissions. A sort of app I thought to be extinct in the current app ecosystem.
They have an informational page about their project goals with a list of all currently supported apps: https://secuso.aifb.kit.edu/english/105.php
The catch? All apps are only available in the alternative Android Appstore F-Droid. You most likely won't find them in the Google PlayStore anymore. As SECUSO had to ditch publishing their Apps in the Google PlayStore in 2025 due to ever increasing effort that is needed in order to publish apps with minimal permission requirements. And while they didn't delete their apps from the PlayStore I at least couldn't find a single one there for my mobile.
They provide a PDF with migration instructions on how to install and use F-Droid, but let's face the reality: Many users won't do this.
Personally I am not surprised by the slightest that it publishing minimal permissions apps on Google Play has become such a burden. After all Google is one of the biggest players in the user tracking, data collecting and ad display business. Published data privacy apps without any ads or tracking is simply against their business model and hence its in no way on their list of feature the want to support.
The source code is, of course, available too via their GitHub repository at https://github.com/secuso.
I am just happy that I finally found a good Sudoku game app for my train rides. Their sketching and note taking apps are useful as well. Oh, and the QR code scanner app even has a history of scanned QR codes. A feature I never encountered before!