Android users will be able to bypass Google by downloading Zashi from F-Droid or GitHub! Zcash offers financial privacy and sovereignty, and we want to ensure that Zashi upholds those values, giving users greater control over how and where they access the app.
Why F-Droid?
F-Droid is an independent app store that prioritizes open-source, privacy-respecting software. Unlike traditional app stores, it does not track or profile users, and it allows for completely anonymous downloads. By releasing Zashi on F-Droid, we are giving Zcashers more control over their digital footprint, ensuring they can use their wallet without unnecessary data collection, and without being subject to centralized app store control.
- Privacy First – No tracking and no unnecessary data collection.
- Transparent & Open-Source – F-Droid only allows fully open-source apps, ensuring community oversight.
- Alternative App Distribution – Android users can install and update Zashi without depending on a centralized app store.
The F-Droid build for Zashi is completely reproducible. We encourage the community to build it and verify our work. This helps identify and mitigate potential threats to our infrastructure, processes, and the third-party services we depend on.
F-Droid Release Caveats
Because F-Droid requires that all apps be 100% open-source, the F-Droid version of Zashi does not include Coinbase and Flexa integrations at this time. Although the source for these integrations is available, they depend on API keys that can’t be published, and had to be excluded from this release.
The F-Droid and Google Play Store releases are separate apps and do not share wallet data. You can install and run both at the same time with different seed phrases. If you need to move a wallet from one app to the other, first back up the seed phrase, then restore it in the other app.
Want All Features? Download Zashi from GitHub.
For Android users who want to bypass Google, but want full functionality or simply don’t want to wait for the app to become available on F-Droid, a binary release of Zashi for Android is available on GitHub today.
This is the same release that we publish to the Google Play Store. It includes all of Zashi’s latest features and integrations and is perfect for users who want to opt out of Google but still want the full Zashi experience. To install it you will need to know how to side-load apk files, for which tutorials are available.
Why No GitHub Version for iOS?
Although Apple is now required to allow side-loading of iOS apps for users in the European Union, this comes with significant restrictions—including a minimum of 1 million downloads in the past calendar year for web distribution. While it is technically possible to build versions of Zashi for iOS similar to what we’ve delivered for Android, Apple’s terms still impose limitations on distribution and installs. We are investigating whether Zashi for iOS can be distributed through alternative app marketplaces.
Choose How You Zashi
With these new download options, Zashi will be accessible to Zcashers that want to use the app on their own terms:
Your wallet. Your choice.
Happy transacting.
