What friction? It's easier to use than the Play Store.

It also doesn't come preinstalled on any devices I'm aware of, which adds a significant amount of friction.

Even once you've installed it, it can't auto-update apps.

So? Netflix didn't come preinstalled on my phone, but I still use it.

Installing F-Droid is easy, and installing and managing apps through it is also easy. I prefer it when I can find a suitable app.

> Installing F-Droid is easy

but nevertheless harder than installing Netflix

> installing and managing apps through it is also easy

but updates are not automatic (unless you root)

I don't dispute that F-Droid is not terribly difficult to use, but the original statement that "It's easier to use than the Play Store" is obviously false as soon as you take into account the mechanics of getting it installed.

Yes it can, though it needs to be installed as a privileged app.

I need to look up what it is, if it's serious, how to install it, how to use it