Don't Get Your Apps Mixed Up¶

We recently noticed that the main F-Droid repository, where you normally search for apps to install, contains what appears to be a duplicate of Gadgetbridge.

The app in question (which we won't link to, to avoid adding to the confusion) is listed with the same name and icon as the real Gadgetbridge app, while its author, description and screenshots are different.

We have no reason to believe that this was done with malicious intent. However, we did not review the changes introduced by this app and we think this is a good opportunity to share a few words of caution.

This only affects new installations¶

If you have already installed Gadgetbridge, you won't accidentally switch to this app when an update becomes available. If you are receiving updates from F-Droid, your existing installation will not be replaced by this unrelated app.

If you are using our own signed build, you are even better protected: only the Gadgetbridge core team can create an updated version that your Android device will accept as an update to the existing installation. This has been the case for almost a year now (how quickly time flies!), and you can find more details in our release announcement.

If you already have Gadgetbridge installed¶

There is one slightly confusing detail to be aware of: F-Droid may still show this unrelated app as if Gadgetbridge were not installed on your device.

This happens because it is indeed a different app, even though it is currently displayed with the name and icon of Gadgetbridge. So, when looking at the list of new apps in F-Droid, you may see this app offered as something you don't have installed, even if the official Gadgetbridge is already installed on your device.

This does not mean that your existing Gadgetbridge installation has been replaced, or that F-Droid has found an update for it. It is simply the unrelated app described below being presented as a new app.

If you already have Gadgetbridge installed, do not install this app just because F-Droid shows it as new/uninstalled. If in doubt, check the developer name and make sure you are looking at the official Gadgetbridge app by Freeyourgadget.

What is happening¶

Someone created a fork of Gadgetbridge and submitted it as a new app to the F-Droid metadata repository.

From what we can see in the publicly available resources, the fork has its own description and icon, and the parts that are not visible to users have also been changed appropriately to avoid confusion with the original app.

For some reason, however, when searching for "Gadgetbridge" in the F-Droid app, the fork / unrelated app appears in the results with "Gadgetbridge" as its name and the icon of the real Gadgetbridge app.

This is where things get confusing.

Why this warning?¶

Forking open source projects is not a problem. In fact, it is one of the reasons behind the long history and success of Free and Open Source Software.

What we do find problematic is one particular aspect of this fork: it adds the INTERNET permission to the already extensive set of permissions required by Gadgetbridge. Rather than repeating ourselves here, we recommend reading our take on this matter.

Combined with the fact that users searching for Gadgetbridge will find this app and may reasonably assume that this app is somehow related to the Gadgetbridge project, this is why we are publishing this warning.

What you should do¶

If you want to install Gadgetbridge, check the app details before tapping “Install” and make sure it says “by Freeyourgadget” rather than another developer name.

You can also get the latest release from these direct links: F-Droid, IzzyOnDroid, or our releases page. Our homepage also contains the links above, and you can safely use that as the starting point.

What will happen¶

We have reported the issue to both F-Droid and the developer.

We are approaching this on the assumption that there is no malicious intent involved. At the same time, we don't think there is any good reason for two unrelated apps to appear under the same name and icon, creating unnecessary confusion for users.

We hope this can be resolved promptly. In the meantime, if you are installing Gadgetbridge for the first time, please double-check that you are installing the official Gadgetbridge app.