5 open-source privacy apps for Android that actually deserve your attention

As someone who spent years reviewing gadgets and testing different new apps, I’ve come to realise how easy it is to get your privacy compromised on Android phones. If you use an Android device, there are a multitude of hacks and exploits emerging daily to breach privacy and steal data.

So, it is very important to stay vigilant all the time when using Android phones. Thankfully, there are open-source privacy apps that you can trust to help you keep your data safe. I have curated a list of 5 of my favourite privacy open source apps for Android devices that you should have on your Android phones all the time.

Exodus

Exodus is an app that reveals all the trackers embedded within your installed apps, a very useful app to tell you which apps on your phone are spying on you. It scans your phone for all the installed apps and identifies surveillance tools integrated by developers. First-time install and scan takes some time; it depends on thenumber of installed apps. Once scanned, you can see all the trackers in the respective tab.

Valv

Valv is an encrypted gallery app which stores your private photos, videos and documents securely. The files you store will be encrypted using ChaCha20 with PBKDF2 key derivation, ensuring maximum security. The app requires absolutely no information apart from the files that you want to save inside the vault. It supports multiple password-protected vaults for an organisation, and it works completely offline.

AFWall+

This is a powerful firewall app for rooted Android devices which gives you granular control over which apps can use the internet. It operates at thekernel level, and it blocks every connection, even if the app has internet permission. You can set different rules, like which apps can use Wi-Fi but not cellular data, to save data. It monitors which apps attempt to contact the internet, which is essential for preventing background data collection and phoning it back home.

SafeSpace

SafeSpace is another encrypted storage area for your smartphone. If you don’t have a private storage feature on your phone, then you can use this app to lock your important data, including photos, videos, documents, text notes and more. It uses Android’s built-in encryption and supports PIN and biometric authentication. It is an offline-only app, requires no permissions and perfect app for safeguarding sensitive information on your Android device.

AirGuard

Apple AirTags are being used to track people by hiding a tag in their belongings and then tracking the tag, revealing the location. While Android phones are built in with an AirTag detection feature but it doesn’t always work. AirGuard is an app which gives you way more features and better detection by continuously scanning for tracking devices. If an AirTag is found in the vicinity, it can play a sound to alert you.