What it entails:
This feature involves making the Kagi Android mobile app available for download and installation through the Accrescent app store ( https://accrescent.app ), an alternative Android app marketplace focused on privacy, security, and user control. Btw, Accrescent can be downloaded/installed by any Android users but it's also integrated in the GrapheneOS appstore making it very well regarded by privacy conscious users and Accrescent is not only for open source apps. It would require Kagi’s development team to package the app, submit it to Accrescent’s review process, and maintain its presence there with updates as needed. This would complement the app’s existing distribution channels (e.g., Google Play Store or direct APK downloads).
What it is for:
The purpose of this feature is to expand Kagi’s reach to privacy-conscious Android users who prefer alternative app stores over Google Play due to concerns about privacy, telemetry, or reliance on Google’s ecosystem. Accrescent appeals to this audience by offering a curated, transparent platform with verified app builds and no invasive tracking. By adding Kagi to Accrescent, the app becomes more accessible to a niche but growing community that aligns with Kagi’s mission of providing a private, user-first search experience. It also offers an additional, trusted option for users who avoid sideloading APKs manually, providing a smoother installation and update process.
How it will affect existing workflows or user experience:
For existing users who download Kagi from Google Play or sideload the APK, this feature will have no direct impact on their workflow or experience—it’s an optional enhancement, not a replacement. They can continue using Kagi as they always have. For new users or those transitioning to Accrescent, it improves the experience by offering a seamless way to discover, install, and update Kagi without relying on Google Play or manual downloads. The app’s core functionality remains unchanged, but its availability on Accrescent could enhance trust and convenience for privacy-focused users, potentially reducing friction in onboarding. For Kagi’s team, it entails a minor addition to the app distribution workflow (e.g., submitting updates to an extra store), but this aligns with existing processes for maintaining the app on other platforms.
In short, this feature broadens Kagi’s accessibility without disrupting current users, while reinforcing its appeal to a privacy-centric audience through a platform that shares similar values
Users would benefit from this feature in the following ways:
Discovery and Installation:
Scenario: A privacy-focused Android user who avoids Google Play discovers Kagi through a recommendation or web search. They visit Accrescent, a privacy-respecting app store, and find the Kagi app available for download.
Process: The user opens the Accrescent app (or its website), searches for "Kagi," and installs the app directly with a single tap, bypassing the need to sideload an APK or rely on Google’s ecosystem.
Example: Apps like F-Droid, an open-source alternative app store, allow users to install privacy-focused apps (e.g., NewPipe or Signal) in a similar way. Accrescent operates similarly but with a curated approach and modern design, making it an appealing platform for Kagi.
Seamless Updates:
Scenario: An existing Kagi user switches to Accrescent as their primary app store for all Android apps.
Process: With Kagi available on Accrescent, the user receives automatic updates through the store’s built-in update system, ensuring they always have the latest version without manual intervention or reliance on Google Play services.
Example: The browser app Mull (a privacy-focused fork of Firefox) is distributed via F-Droid and provides seamless updates to users, demonstrating how Kagi could integrate into an alternative store’s update mechanism.
Enhanced Trust and Alignment with Kagi’s Values:
Scenario: A potential user skeptical of Big Tech hesitates to install Kagi from Google Play due to privacy concerns about Google’s tracking.
Process: By finding Kagi on Accrescent, which prioritizes verifiable builds and transparency, the user feels confident installing and using the app, knowing it aligns with Kagi’s privacy-first ethos.
Example: The Signal messaging app is available on both Google Play and its own website as an APK, but offering it on Accrescent could further appeal to its privacy-conscious audience—Kagi could follow a similar multi-channel strategy.
Integration with Existing Features:
- This feature doesn’t directly extend an existing in-app feature but enhances Kagi’s distribution strategy. It complements the current availability on Google Play and direct APK downloads by catering to a niche but growing audience of Accrescent users. For users already sideloading the APK, Accrescent offers a more user-friendly alternative with automatic updates, effectively extending the usefulness of Kagi’s Android presence.
Why Accrescent?:
Unlike F-Droid, which focuses heavily on open-source apps, Accrescent supports both open-source and proprietary apps with a focus on security and user control (e.g., no telemetry, verified builds). This aligns with Kagi’s premium, privacy-respecting model, making it a natural fit. Other apps have explored distribution on alternative stores to reach similar audiences, showing this is a viable approach.
Implementation Details:
Kagi’s team would need to submit the app to Accrescent’s review process, ensuring it meets their security and transparency standards ( https://accrescent.app/docs/guide/appendix/requirements.html ).
Users would then see Kagi listed alongside a description (e.g., “A privacy-focused search app with no ads”) and install it like any other app on the store.
For existing users, Kagi could announce this option via a blog post or in-app notification, encouraging them to switch if they prefer Accrescent.
By adding this distribution channel, Kagi would tap into a community that values its mission, potentially increasing adoption among privacy enthusiasts while maintaining its existing user base’s experience unchanged.
