Obtainium
Android app that installs and updates apps directly from their developers' release pages.
Recommended for installing and updating Android apps straight from developers' GitHub releases or websites,1234 often alongside F-Droid and Aurora on phones without Google services.5678 The main caveat is that it is not very user friendly,9 and one commenter points to missing signature verification for F-Droid repos.10
Why people recommend it
De-Googled Android · 3
Commenters use it to get apps on GrapheneOS, LineageOS and other phones without Google.
“Fdroid and obtainium work flawlessly.”
“Obtainium to install Apps that are not in these stores”
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“grab whatever other utilities I might need from Obtanium or F-Droid”
Direct from developers · 3
It pulls apps and updates straight from GitHub releases or developer sites instead of an app store.
“I switched to Obtanium a year or so ago. I get all my apps from GitHub releases straight from the developers now.”
“I use Obtainium to update directly via signal.org for a very long time now.”
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“I have been using Obtainium [1] to install apps on my Pixel including Emacs.”
F-Droid alternative · 3
Some former F-Droid users switched to it for apps not covered by other stores.
“switched from F-Droid to Obtanium for any apps not yet on Accrescent”
“I switched to Obtanium a year or so ago. I get all my apps from GitHub releases straight from the developers now.”
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“not available on Play Store, but rather through alternative stores (like Zapstore, Obtainium)”
Reliability · 1
One commenter says it works flawlessly on a phone with no Google account.
“Fdroid and obtainium work flawlessly.”
Caveats and dissent
Usability · 1
A GrapheneOS user calls it great but not user friendly.
“Obtainium is great but not user friendly.”
Signature verification · 1
Signature verification for F-Droid repos is an open feature request.
“If you like the Obtanium user experience, I recommend you get involved”
Often compared with
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- F-Droid 2.0 3 mentions
- GrapheneOS – Break Free from Google and Apple 2 mentions
- There's a high chance of devices being sold with GrapheneOS preinstalled in 2027 1 mention
- “It works better in the app” 1 mention
- Signal is working on a paid option to create an account without a phone number 1 mention
- A big win for Android interoperability 1 mention
Data: obtainium.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 12
“If you like the Obtanium user experience, I recommend you get involved”
“I switched to Obtanium a year or so ago. I get all my apps from GitHub releases straight from the developers now.”
“I use a combination of Aurora, Obtainium and F-Droid.”
“Obtainium is great but not user friendly.”
“grab whatever other utilities I might need from Obtanium or F-Droid”
“I use Obtainium to update directly via signal.org for a very long time now.”
“Fdroid and obtainium work flawlessly.”
“not available on Play Store, but rather through alternative stores (like Zapstore, Obtainium)”
“switched from F-Droid to Obtanium for any apps not yet on Accrescent”
“These are all easily installed through Obtainium”
“Obtainium to install Apps that are not in these stores”
“I have been using Obtainium [1] to install apps on my Pixel including Emacs.”