Picture: Scott Gilbertson
Whereas I like the privateness options of /e/OS and even spoof my geodata very often, the true killer function for me is the /e/OS app retailer referred to as App Lounge. Once I used LineageOS, I put in apps from a number of completely different app shops. There’s F-Droid, which hosts open supply apps, and Uptodown, which helps a number of apps I exploit (Vivaldi being the primary one), and I’ve had a number of that I may solely get by way of the Google Play Retailer . As anybody who’s used LineageOS can let you know, that is rather a lot to maintain monitor of.
The /e/OS App Lounge aggregates apps from varied sources, together with the Play Retailer and F-Droid, amongst others, making all of them obtainable in a single place. (It’s also possible to select to point out solely open supply software program.)
It is also good to have the ability to keep nameless when connecting to any of the app shops, though you may have to register to get the apps you’ve got paid for since they’re tied to your person ID. I’ve additionally had nameless logins fail a number of instances, inflicting token errors. This is likely one of the few locations I’ve had issues with /e/OS.
App Lounge makes use of a well-recognized design that appears like Google Play, however provides a number of options. First, App Lounge gives info on the privateness of every app, score it on a scale of 1 to 10, the place 1 is horrible for privateness and 10 often means no trackers. App Lounge additionally charges apps primarily based on what permissions they want. The less permissions (similar to entry to your pictures or geodata), the upper the score. This can be a great way of offering advanced info that anybody can simply perceive.
In a win for the bigger group of Android options, /e/OS says it is working to make App Lounge obtainable as an app that may be put in wherever. (In the meantime, the Aurora retailer is a detailed different.)
What does not work
As a lot as I like /e/OS, it is not good. I had slightly bother with the geodata. I dwell on the highway so my location modifications each couple of weeks. Typically /e/OS is gradual to choose up on this, and the Maps app will present me search outcomes primarily based on the place I have been previously week. The included Maps app itself remains to be patchy (and makes use of some proprietary code). It is higher and extra correct than every other map app I’ve tried, however it’s inferior to Google Maps. I do not care what you concentrate on Google; its Maps app is second to none. I nonetheless use it as a backup if the default /e/OS program does not discover what I would like.
One other function I miss is speech to textual content. At present, /e/OS ships with out speech-to-text in any respect. The /e/OS boards have a great abstract of the choices. Neither is ideal, however I managed to get by with a mix of Sayboard and the usual /e/OS keyboard. The excellent news is that in-built speech-to-text performance is on the roadmap for /e/OS in 2024. It might additionally open the door to an /e/OS helper, which is at the moment unavailable. It isn’t clear to the challenge what kind this may take, given the privateness implications of interacting with the server to answer requests, however one risk is a big language mannequin that runs domestically.
