Probably because 3rd party app stores can’t install apps like the play store can. you need a rooted phone or flash them as a system app to get the same functionality as Play Store. which isn’t something your average Joe will do.
On a normal unmodified phone you have to manually confirm each app you want to install. so no auto-updates in the background etc.
On a normal unmodified phone you have to manually confirm each app you want to install. so no auto-updates in the background etc.
Background app updates are possible since Android 12, Fdroid just took two years to implement the new API (and you have to do a fresh install of the apps - apps already installed using the old API still require confirmation on each update). There is still friction on the initial install though.
On Android 14 and this is not my experience at all, I still have to confirm every single update on my phone, they download in the background alright but then I need to go one by one and confirm it.
https://f-droid.org/2024/02/01/twif.html
"Use Session Installer on both F-Droid and F-Droid Basic, including support for automatic background updates” - yes, this is the big one, the one that everybody wanted since forever. On Android 12 or later, apps will be autoupdated after the first install or first update, no root, no unlocking, no PrivExt needed.
The only app that doesn’t auto-update for me is Fdroid itself (ironically), because it targets an old Android version. Running Android 14 on a Pixel, so with the strongest Google fuckery.
Are you sure your Fdroid client is up to date? The new API was implemented in 1.19, and apparently I even misremembered and all you have to do to enable Fdroid to auto update its apps is to manually update them for one last time (so no fresh installation required).
Another long shot: there’s an option to force the old installation method hidden in expert settings - maybe you could check if that isn’t enabled?
Use a better alternative store like droid-ify, it can do automatic updates for all the apps it installed first
