Google is somehow the only company that is able to completely ruin a calculator app. Even before installing, Google outs themselves with how much data they collect:

  • App info and performance: Crash logs and Diagnostics
  • Personal info: Email address
  • Device or other IDs
  • App activity: App interactions

And of course the encouraging message:

Data can’t be deleted

The developer doesn’t provide a way for you to request that your data be deleted

As soon as you try to install it, the app requests network access. I’m glad to be using GrapheneOS where this can be restricted.

The app doesn’t crash on launch, which is a new concept for Google, since most of their apps won’t even start without Google Play Services installed. Maybe that means the calculator app can calculate 1+1 without requiring installing the most invasive software known to man, right?

Of course it can’t. It crashes the moment you press the plus sign. Thank you, Google, for requiring Google Play Services for your calculator app to do basic addition. You know what calculator doesn’t require Google Play services to do math?

In all seriousness, OpenCalc is a near 1:1 match to Google Calculator, so I suggest anyone use that instead.

The cherry on top is Google’s calculator app is bundled with a privacy policy, which on its own is a treat to read through: https://policies.google.com/privacy

Congratulations, Google, you can spy on math now.

  • ReakDuck@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    They need to spy on math. To see if the User is stupid enough to fall for scam ads, or is a math student which cant fall for numbers.

    • mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      I’ve personally found the behavior of ‘clear’, spacing of buttons, and lack of customization capable of fixing those to be rather annoying. They’re the same complaints I have with Fossify’s calculator app. I’m currently using OpenCalc since they don’t have those issues.

  • kalipixel@reddthat.com
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    2 months ago

    Nowadays even calculators have terms of service and a privacy policy that is longer than many novels. Some probably have forced arbitration also.

  • Xanza@lemm.ee
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    2 months ago

    I’ve been looking for a calculator app for years now that fits what I need I need it for and have yet to find a good one. There was a good one a few years ago called function-something which allowed you to create your own mathematic expressions and it was super awesome, but it’s been discontinued… :(

  • TootSweet@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Congratulations, Google, you can spy on math now.

    5318008

    Clear.

    5318008

    Clear.

    5318008

    etc

  • Zerush@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    Also nice GeoGebra, OpenSource from Austria (EU), online, Android, iPhone

    Not FOSS but great, OmniCalculator from Poland (EU), online, free, a collection of 3718 calculators for every task.

  • kkj@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    2 months ago

    I use this one. It isn’t FOSS, but it’s a one-time purchase to remove ads. It has a lot of added features, like algebra and unit conversions, and requires no permissions.

  • CocaineShrimp@lemm.ee
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    2 months ago

    Welcome to 2025 where we discuss FOSS Calculators that don’t collect your data… how did we get here again?

  • AdrianTheFrog@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Desmos scientific calculator isn’t open source but it is what I end up using most of the time. It just does float stuff though, it can’t handle something like (10100+1)-10100

    It also doesn’t support nearly as many features as the graphing calculator does, for some reason. But it formats everything very nicely and you can copy and paste as latex