Related
Most of the app now require acces to the phone calls..even a news app requires it, sms app such as go sms also requires it. So I want to know after knowing that an app will be able to acces your phone call you still download it? And does anyone in what way the developers use such info?
Sent from my E10i using XDA App
Excellent topic, I'm really troubled by this. The business world makes a whole lot of money based on the average persons inertia - their lack of information or willingness when it comes to the products and services they use and the money they use to pay for them. Particular mobile phone network providers come to mind, who are happy to charge the most expensive prices because people don't know or don't care.
This lazy attitude is seeping into the Android app world. It will be a small per centage of us who will realize this threat and do something about it - exactly like cookies and public wifi privacy etc.
For those of us already interested, are there websites or apps which can guide us on this?
I had thought about it before but it seemed to be all apps out there at least need to access your internet, calls, phonebook and etc.. Not sure really if some of these nasty apps has the evil purpose to steal our vital informations in the phone... say if we're checking our bank account or something similar..
What I practice:
1) Installed AVG pro and do scan regularly, and set to scan every newly installed apps.
2) Use both cache cleaner and history eraser to clean up all traces once a day.
3) Hope they don't see me as a target.
Don't worry.
I think access to the phone calls is just to minimize the running app in case you receive a call. In other case you would not even realize an incoming call?!
Deehee3 said:
Don't worry.
I think access to the phone calls is just to minimize the running app in case you receive a call. In other case you would not even realize an incoming call?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about data? When you install an app in most cases you allow data access to it.
Searching for updates or viewing developers homepage maybe?
Sent from my U20i using XDA App
Deehee3 said:
Searching for updates or viewing developers homepage maybe?
Sent from my U20i using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What if not? What if app you´ve installed is spying on you and sending info to hackers. How would you know?
On android we have the luck that there are a lot of applications that are open source. When I have to choose an application, I always choose and support the open projects!
You will notice that most of those applications don't need all that personal information! Makes you wonder...
On other systems, apps usually have an user/administrator scheme, where the 'user' has access to some things and 'administrator' has access to everything.
There is no such thing on Android (except if you have a rooted phone and some app asks for superuser access, but you get a requester asking for permissions as well).
Each app has to specifically ask for permissions or the system will deny it. A spyware has to ask for those permissions or it won't work.
Some permission requests to look out for:
- "Call phone"
can be used by the application to silently dial some "premium" numbers
- "Send SMS"
can be used to send SMS to special "premium" numbers
- "Record phone calls"
can be harmful if associated with "internet access" permission
- "Access fine location"/"access coarse location" and "internet access"
can be used for tracking purposes
Many apps ask for:
- "Phone identity" / "internet access"
they use it for "statistics purposes" (flurry.com mostly) but it is bad. The developer should always inform the user about those.
BTW, that an app is open source makes no difference. Someone can always (willingly or not) tamper with the final build. And not everyone reviews open source apps.
zapek666 said:
A spyware has to ask for those permissions or it won't work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure. But if an app legitimately ask for data transmission and file system access, AND you grant it, how would you know it is not using the granted rights for something else?
ppirate said:
On android we have the luck that there are a lot of applications that are open source. When I have to choose an application, I always choose and support the open projects!
You will notice that most of those applications don't need all that personal information! Makes you wonder...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don´t tell me that you evaluate the source code of each application you load from the market. And even so, how would you know the difference between what is shown to you and the final build, available on the market?
vlissine said:
Sure. But if an app legitimately ask for data transmission and file system access, AND you grant it, how would you know it is not using the granted rights for something else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Filesystem access are limited to the external memory card. An app with such permission cannot access other apps' private data (which are stored on the phone).
Android apps are all sandboxed into their own homes.
A good example of a suspicious application is HTML5 Reference.
"This HTML5 reference lists all tags supported in the HTML5 specification.", fine. Let's look at the permissions:
Network communication: full Internet access
Phone calls: read phone state and identity
While the first 2 could be produced as a side effect of the developer implementing some "statistics library" (flurry.com or so), the next 2:
Your location: fine (GPS) location
Your personal information: read sensitive log data
Are a giveaway that this app does a bit more than just listing HTML reference tags
zapek666 said:
Filesystem access are limited to the external memory card. An app with such permission cannot access other apps' private data (which are stored on the phone).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, how about a picture viewer, which usually picks pictures from each and every
directory, no matter if you want it (and not only from memory card).
Hey vlissine and zapek666. You both have a point.
One individual cannot review every code he or she uses. And also one does not only uses his or her own builds of the projects. But every now and then, I have to go into a project, mostly to add functionality. During that time, I usually have to go over a lot of code to understand the program. It is no guarantee, but you can imagine that some strange code will stand out.
I'm surely not the only person. So while one individual is not capable of such an endeavor. A lot are.
Your other point is as valid as can be. But here again, builds are comparable.
Surely, one does not have to find himself or herself obliged to use certain kind of projects. But to me, when I have the change, I use and support the open source project. One important reason is because of the concern raised by the original poster!
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2011/03/update-on-android-market-security.html
Apparently we were not that paranoid, thinking of spying apps
Two options:
1) To avoid being spy and get super paranoid about it... ditch your smartphone and get those early 2000 phones with only calls and sms capable.
2) Use the smart phone eg: X10 mini/pro or any android phones and ignore these spying scene and live with it like nothing ever going to happen since this new technologies really live up our life nowadays..
farsight73 said:
Two options:
1) To avoid being spy and get super paranoid about it... ditch your smartphone and get those early 2000 phones with only calls and sms capable.
2) Use the smart phone eg: X10 mini/pro or any android phones and ignore these spying scene and live with it like nothing ever going to happen since this new technologies really live up our life nowadays..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One more option - stop giving stupid advises when you have nothing to say.
maybe apps need to call functions or need it to run?
write them your self if your that bothered?
...
Sent from my E10i using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
Many of you have probably already read the news:
Apple, Google Receive Phone Users' Locations
I must say, they're doing it to a degree beyond what most of us may have assumed was taking place.
How can we stop this? Do we know if cooked ROMs also do it?
Update 4/25/2011 5:00PM ET:
- Here's how I stop Android from phoning home.
- I dont' use this, but here's a sweet google removal script.
- A seperate thread for discussion: Why the data Android sends to Google is less anonymous than Apple's implementation
Update 4/26/2011 9:25PM ET:
- [Q] How do we protect our Android device from the CelleBrite UFED?
Update 6/8/2011 5:24PM ET:
- Use Autostarts to stop apps from opening behind your back!
Its not that they care where you are personally, you're more of an anonomous statistic to them. They use these huge mountains of collected data to decide which markets are the most potentially lucrative fir them to invest their zillions of dollars of advertising and marketing money into. You and I will likely never be directly affected by our locations being disclosed, save for more accurate search suggestions from our google search widgets.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
I'll ask again to try and keep this thread on topic. Anyone who wants to discuss why the companies do it is free to start another thread and discuss that there.
How can we stop this? Do we know if cooked ROMs also do it?
Droidwall...
I was so mad when I heard what they were doing, I wanted to throw my phone out the window. How is it even legal for them to do this, regardless of where its anonymous or not its still bs and I want that crap off my phone. I am a newb to the whole android and software thing and I wish I could help.
There out to find your house and steal your prized poodle. Honestly if its for marketing then it what it is. Honestly if you want to get mad at something, get mad at T-Mobile for throttling 4G speeds. I see what your saying but I would like them putting the right ads for my area and know quickest way to the quickie-e-mart.
Also we are using their OS.
Every other OS is monitored also.
Sent from my UD Glacier
What's with the useless comments defending these companies?
Can anyone answer the question - DO cooked ROMs also track your location?
According to this article, Android tracks the last 50 mobile masts and last 200 WiFi networks.
This is a problem, anyone have the solution?
I found this comment on one of the articles, does this explain it?
All mobile phones keep a record of the locations and unique IDs of the most recent mobile masts that it has communicated with. It's called the neighbour cell list and normally it enables the phone to connect to the network more quickly than it otherwise would. GSM mobile phones have done this since about 1992.
To see the benefits storing the neighbour cell list compare the time it takes a mobile to find a network after it is switched on in a new location, e.g., after a long flight, with the time it takes to find a network when the phone is switched on in the location where it was switched off.
The difference in the iPhone case is that the iPhone is keeping this information for such a long period of time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wrapper said:
I found this comment on one of the articles, does this explain it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is about the iPhone storing, not about a device sending GPS location data day and night.
So far, the only mentioned potential solution is Droidwall.
I'm going to play around with that.
There's a related app named HiSurfing, but one reviewer says that does not work as well as DroidWall. Seems DroidWall does a better job of keeping things from slipping out when they've been blocked.
Darnell_Chat_TN said:
So far, the only mentioned potential solution is Droidwall.
I'm going to play around with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only viable option I can see to block is "10052: Network Location, Google Calendar Sync, Google Services Framework, Google Contacts Sync."
Problem is, I use some of these.
I have ultimate juice defender it has a section in it where you can control how and when apps connect to the network, but I don't know if it will stop the Droid from phoning home.
wrapper said:
The only viable option I can see to block is "10052: Network Location, Google Calendar Sync, Google Services Framework, Google Contacts Sync."
Problem is, I use some of these.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, it uses a different listing number on my device, but "Network Location, Google Calendar Sync, Google Services Framework, Google Contacts Sync" may be the one to disable to stop the device from phoning home. I sync my data locally (via MyPhoneExplorer), so I can't think of any personal need for those, I've disabled that from all network and WiFi connectivity.
I've done some testing (blocking an app I could test with) and the firewall continues to work even after exiting DroidWall and even after killing DroidWall with a task killer. That's good to see so it won't be any burden on the battery.
I'm not any expert that can test for "certain" whether my device has really stopped phoning Google with my location data, but this seems to be the best shot for now.
Darnell_Chat_TN said:
I've done some testing (blocking an app I could test with) and the firewall continues to work even after exiting DroidWall and even after killing DroidWall with a task killer. That's good to see so it won't be any burden on the battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's because DroidWall is just an interface for iptables, the built-in firewall. So your battery life will not change at all, that's correct.
I'm not any expert that can test for "certain" whether my device has really stopped phoning Google with my location data, but this seems to be the best shot for now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could connect to your wireless network, run a sniffer like Wireshark on your PC and check whether any packets are transmitted to Google servers.
frosty_ice said:
You could connect to your wireless network, run a sniffer like Wireshark on your PC and check whether any packets are transmitted to Google servers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or turn on my router's logging and check there, yea either of those would work.
Not sure if/when I'll get around to it .
droidhell said:
I have ultimate juice defender it has a section in it where you can control how and when apps connect to the network, but I don't know if it will stop the Droid from phoning home.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that seems like the best app if it works, any way to verify?
slapshot136 said:
that seems like the best app if it works, any way to verify?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm new to Droid, I really don't know how to test and see, it does stop other app really well, as far as a OS I don't know.
From what i here it's all stored in a location history file.
One simple solution might be to routinely delete this file.
Doesn't exactly solve the problem.
Might we consider expanding the subject to protecting our privacy? If not, I apologize in advance, as I think it is all connected.
It is probably Darnell's call, as he started the thread.
In the meantime, please consider this article: http://bit.ly/gCynrh
So let me understand this. I buy access to a network for my phone, which I also paid for. My location information, which is the result of my purchases is being used to generate income. So I'm allowing my spent cash to generate data and be leveraged to generate income. My information wouldn't exist with out my investment in the technology, so I own it.
I'm paying to be stalked !!!
Reduce my bill, provide remuneration for my investment in this technology, prove that it's anonymous, remember since I paid for the means to generate the data- the data belongs to me.
BTW for $1.50 I'll wire the battery to switch off, try getting data then.
I'd rather have an app which monitors my relevant info and bills the users for access to it.
http://digitizor.com/2011/07/21/android-malware/
Android has had its fair share of malware problems. Whenever malware are detected, Google reacts swiftly and remove them. However, according to security researcher Neil Daswani, around 8% of the apps on the Android market are leaking private user data.
Neil Daswani, who is also the CTO of security firm Dasient, says that they have studied around 10,000 Android apps and have found that 800 of them are leaking private information of the user to an unauthorized server. Neil Daswani is scheduled to present the full findings at the Black Hat Conference in Las Vegas which starts on July 30th.
The Dasient researchers also found out that 11 of the apps they have examined are sending unwanted SMS messages.
Google needs to take charge
This malware problem on Android has become too much. One of the main reason that we see malicious apps in the market is because of the lack of regulation in the apps that get into the Android Market.
Sure, the lack of regulation can be good. It means that developers can make their apps without worrying if Google will accept their apps or not. It fits into the pre-existing application distribution model where anyone can develop and publish their own apps.
However, this comes at a price - the malware problem. Yes, most of the problems with these malicious apps can be avoided if only users read the permission requirements of the apps. But, what percentage of the users actually read the permission requirements of all the apps they download?
I think that it is time that Google make approval of the apps a requirement before it gets into the Market. They do not need to do it like Apple, but a basic security check before an app gets on the market will be nice.
If nothing is done about and this problem is allowed to grow, it will end up killing the platform.
Ur a good man
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA Premium App
Get an iPhone then.
Don't know if apple should approve or disaproove since that can slow down the release of new apps, but they need to check, that's for sure.
Yeah, just read permissions when installing applications. A lot of them will state access to personal data (such as contacts, browser history, etc.)
Such apps like MP3 downloaders contain ALOT of this malware.
if you're that paranoid.....LBE Privacy Guard + Droidwall = #winning
This article is very true in sense of lacking of control on big G part. My friend developed an app and he was able to get it into market almost instantly. I was very shocked to find that no scanning or checking was done.
Therefore, it's a risk that we take everyday to use these apps, specially, custom ROMs because who knows what it installed really. Users just need to be aware of their action, and don't use bank apps on rooted devices, or corporate email on rooted devices, or email yourself passwords to your online banking from your rooted devices. My thought is that, if it's out there then somebody can get it these days with all the technologies.
A little bit of common sense when installing apps can go a long way. You stifle the market too much when you cater to the lowest common denominator but then if you don't you get stuff like this.
+1 on Droidwall too, great app. Just don't turn it on and then forget about it before getting it set up properly, it's a pain figuring out why you can't use the internet on anything lol
xHausx said:
A little bit of common sense when installing apps can go a long way. You stifle the market too much when you cater to the lowest common denominator but then if you don't you get stuff like this.
+1 on Droidwall too, great app. Just don't turn it on and then forget about it before getting it set up properly, it's a pain figuring out why you can't use the internet on anything lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hahaha, was tryna to download a new app and wondering why it just stalled kept on saying, downloading..... downloading paused....blah blah!!! lol
turns out it was droidwall (even with market enabled) lol
Yea when a simple clock widget wants to read your contact, data and location but has no ads or settings, I avoided that one.
I prefer the risk of an open system to the purgatory that is a closed system ruled by a draconian company any day.
Oh look iOS does this too.
/troll
DoctorComrade said:
Oh look iOS does this too.
/troll
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hah, they're at almost 50%
GO Launcher seems to be the "go to" launcher of choice for many people, including well read, influential online publications, like lifehacker. I can't bring myself to trust GO Launcher EX though. Outside of the eye candy and polished interface, its aggressive pushing of its own storefronts, apps, libraries, and widgets, many of which request unusual permissions like log file access and root, leaves me feeling that it's very liberal with what it does with any information it collects or tries to collect.
To confirm my suspicions, I whitelisted the launcher in Droidwall and monitored the connections and packets it sent out using Android Network Log .
What I found wasn't all too surprising and honestly not that different from most of the fun "free" apps on the marketplace that phone home and monetize user data. It's just that GO Launcher is phoning home to servers in Bejing, as well as a Chinese operated personalized content delivery network (ChinaCache) with servers in the US (essentially the Chinese counterpart to our Akamai). Many of the packets were directed to 69.28.54.217, which is a ChinaCache Los Angeles CDN server. I'm sure those hundreds of packets was all very intredasting data that gets sent to Beijing, too. Which is why one of 3G.cn/GO Launcher's employees has a linkedin page, one where she obviously forgot to confer with her company's marketing/PR department prior to candidly listing some of her responsibilities which include, verbatim, "data mining". lol. I'm very sure it's to 'serve personalized ads, quality products, and actionable data to high value customers', but still, the writing is on the wall. With how active Chinese companies are in tailoring the online footprint/reputation of their products and software on various websites, I'm sure that linkedin page will be taken down or revised.
Western corporations that broker information vs state influenced Chinese corporations that broker information. While I view both as not the most trustworthy entities in regards to my privacy, I do feel that there are at least some restrictions that could be theoretically enforced to limit the scope of the data shared by corporations in the West.
While I can easily block outbound packets and revoke permissions from GO Launcher EX, I just don't feel like I want to bother using it anymore.
ADWLauncher EX, my main launcher on several of my Android devices, does not generating any outbound traffic and there are no indications that it is collecting or selling my data. A much friendlier option to privacy, in my opinion.
Should I be this paranoid? Should you? I was surprised that I didn't see too much information about GO Launcher's data collection on the web, so I thought I'd share. Thoughts?
Just stick with adw launcher. I use sock launcher to save battery but it is what you prefer to use so sick with it.
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Phone: Samsung galaxy s2 t989
Rom: Jedi knight 6 4.0.4
Kernel: Jedi kernel 2
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and you thought celebrities weren't smart. =P
Not paranoid at all. Good info, thanks for sharing.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using xda app-developers app
Very detailed and helpful post. I have always felt this about GO products, but thanks for doing your research and making it publicly known.
Sent from my Desire HD using xda premium
To be honest I don't trust Go products at all after they refused to say how their SMS app was able to remember someone used their app even after changing phones and phone numbers. We have to remember that there are things that are legal in China but not in the States which include monitoring of personal data.
Batcom2
zelendel said:
To be honest I don't trust Go products at all after they refused to say how their SMS app was able to remember someone used their app even after changing phones and phone numbers. We have to remember that there are things that are legal in China but not in the States which include monitoring of personal data.
Batcom2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's definitely a very scary factoid. Can you link me to the thread or webpage where they did that? I have seen the developer be very active in shutting down any negative comments towards the software, with some explanations that no identifiable information is stored or accessed, which runs counter to what is actually happening.
One of the reasons I started more heavily scrutinizing app developers is that I've seen the American press increasingly lauding, praising, and recommending Chinese developed software products, without fully vetting just what these products do, or what kind of security concerns they possibly present. Of them, was a remote desktop access software called Splashtop, which inexplicably had numerous foreign field offices, several being in mainland China. Among those offices, one was literally next door to a "Party Member Service Office". Splashtop, for many years, used zero end to end encryption, without any valid reason. Remote desktop applications and launchers provide so much unfettered user whitelisted access to elevated privileges, file system, network communications, root access, and keystroke/input monitoring, that it seems unconscionable to voluntarily install such a huge backdoor.
With many millions of downloads to date, they have quite a lot of data immediately available, to entities whose endgame is unknown, in a country that lacks the kind of regulatory checks, balances, and accountability that, for the most part, have earned user's trust of Western corporations and developers.
A worst case scenario I can imagine is that with all of the unique device ID's stored in their database (GO Launcher also creates a copy of your device ID and places is it in the file system, in plain text, which remains after uninstall) and likely profiling of each user, a malevolent company could essentially push a custom software update on someone's phone that deploys a more aggressive/invasive payload. With today's level of technology and the state of rampant state sponsored corporate espionage, I see it definitely within the realm of possibility.
MifuneT said:
That's definitely a very scary factoid. Can you link me to the thread or webpage where they did that? I have seen the developer be very active in shutting down any negative comments towards the software, with some explanations that no identifiable information is stored or accessed, which runs counter to what is actually happening.
One of the reasons I started more heavily scrutinizing app developers is that I've seen the American press increasingly lauding, praising, and recommending Chinese developed software products, without fully vetting just what these products do, or what kind of security concerns they possibly present. Of them, was a remote desktop access software called Splashtop, which inexplicably had numerous foreign field offices, several being in mainland China. Among those offices, one was literally next door to a "Party Member Service Office". Splashtop, for many years, used zero end to end encryption, without any valid reason. Remote desktop applications and launchers provide so much unfettered user whitelisted access to elevated privileges, file system, network communications, root access, and keystroke/input monitoring, that it seems unconscionable to voluntarily install such a huge backdoor.
With many millions of downloads to date, they have quite a lot of data immediately available, to entities whose endgame is unknown, in a country that lacks the kind of regulatory checks, balances, and accountability that, for the most part, have earned user's trust of Western corporations and developers.
A worst case scenario I can imagine is that with all of the unique device ID's stored in their database (GO Launcher also creates a copy of your device ID and places is it in the file system, in plain text, which remains after uninstall) and likely profiling of each user, a malevolent company could essentially push a custom software update on someone's phone that deploys a more aggressive/invasive payload. With today's level of technology and the state of rampant state sponsored corporate espionage, I see it definitely within the realm of possibility.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search for the Go sms thread. I and another Mod brought it up in the thread and they tried to BS us. Then toss in a keylogger that was found (and removed?) in the Go keyboard and it has given me enough not to trust them.
of course you can, but I prefer Apex
zelendel said:
Search for the Go sms thread. I and another Mod brought it up in the thread and they tried to BS us. Then toss in a keylogger that was found (and removed?) in the Go keyboard and it has given me enough not to trust them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't know that. Never used their products but shouldn't that be enough to merit a ban from XDA? Bugless Pete was booted for less (source code issues but nothing as malicious as a keylogger).
We need solid proof and they will be.
Batcom2
zelendel said:
We need solid proof and they will be.
Batcom2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With the aggressive number of "updates" they immediately push once you install one of their products or add ons, I don't imagine it shouldn't be too difficult to find something of interest to confirm or deny suspicions. I did find it odd in that GO SMS thread that there were some mentions of whitelisting GO SMS to prevent AV from interfering with it.
I'll see about installing GO on one of my spare devices and routers after work, along with something like wireshark, so I can analyze packet data. This isn't something that I'm too familiar with so it may be a little bit while I re-acclimate myself to the program. If anyone is more familiar with packet analysis and wants to run tests alongside, it can build a stronger case for or against the dev.
Bump. I use go sms, so I would really like to know if this app is doing any other malicious things.
Sent from my XT720 using xda premium
good thread, :good:
anyway i hate this launcher since the day i have an android device.
its tooooooooooo overloaded with useless things.
its my opinion,i prefer apex,adw or holo.less wheight in data,ram,battery usage and looks more cool as the parishilton go launcher a.....s........ssss.lol.
Well, I'm running cm9, and for whatever reason, it won't let me download picture messages with the stock messenger. I actually use google voice for my texts, but that doesn't get mms. Go sms is the only thing that actually let's me download the pictures that get sent to me, so I just use it for that specifically.
Sent from my XT720 using xda premium
i stop using Go Products since they force people to use their CLOUD storage to backup people sms on Go SMS.
i dont know about now, local backup is back or not.
it was really fishy back there.
and many other thing, like many permission things needed for something like launcher and sms app.
their looks are cartoonish iphoney and cute (like many asian app) which is not my taste at all.
also overloaded with a bunch of crap.
that's my opinion.
---
Sent from Android Device
marhensa said:
i stop using Go Products since they force people to use their CLOUD storage to backup people sms on Go SMS.
i dont know about now, local backup is back or not.
it was really fishy back there.
and many other thing, like many permission things needed for something like launcher and sms app.
their looks are cartoonish iphoney and cute (like many asian app) which is not my taste at all.
also overloaded with a bunch of crap.
that's my opinion.
---
Sent from Android Device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Too true. The last product I used years back was GO SMS, and I stopped after they started insisting on registering for their Go Chat service and backing up SMS. I couldn't even unregister from Go Chat once I logged in by mistake, and they never responded to my emails about deleting my account. Very shady behaviour.
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 4
sashank said:
Too true. The last product I used years back was GO SMS, and I stopped after they started insisting on registering for their Go Chat service and backing up SMS. I couldn't even unregister from Go Chat once I logged in by mistake, and they never responded to my emails about deleting my account. Very shady behaviour.
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go Launcher + EX were my first "custom" ones but after reading about their data-collection-stories I've decided to go and stick with Apex Launcher never regretted doing so. I always thought Go was and is too agressive in pushing their widgets, services I don't like that
frankgreimes said:
Go Launcher + EX were my first "custom" ones but after reading about their data-collection-stories I've decided to go and stick with Apex Launcher never regretted doing so. I always thought Go was and is too agressive in pushing their widgets, services I don't like that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. I used Go Launcher EX & Go SMS Pro a lot on CM7. They were good till they became creepy. And most of the services were opt-out not opt-in. That's sucks.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
A key question now is can the "Next" launcher be trusted? Can anybody run the same packet tests on this one? I'm officially ready to remove Go (launcher Ex from my old Tbolt and HD/Pad from my TF300) but I wonder if I'm also going to remove Next from a device.
NapalmDawn said:
A key question now is can the "Next" launcher be trusted? Can anybody run the same packet tests on this one? I'm officially ready to remove Go (launcher Ex from my old Tbolt and HD/Pad from my TF300) but I wonder if I'm also going to remove Next from a device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure, but just to be safe I'd stay awake from anything by the Go Dev Team. Too shady for my taste.
Hello. I recently bought a Huawei P40 Lite, without GMS and installed the apps using googlefier. Everything goes well except some errors that are fixed by swiping and blocking them, and one bigger issue: location. Some local apps (the phone is for my mom so she has a lot of shopping apps for local supermarkets with discounts, cards, vouchers etc) require you to set your location through google, so instead of the app showing the map and allowing you to choose your store, you're stuck at a "Google Play services are updated" screen. Is there any fix for this?
How it looks on my P20 Lite (with factory GMS)
How it looks on my P40 Lite (with googlefier GMS)
Also, does anyone know any better solution of installing the google services? As said, this phone is for my mom and I really don't want to have to fix something every week, so I'm up to even root and mess with things so I can have a more permanent fix.
Welcome to XDA
Yes, well... no idea what the solution is but there's no way I leave that junkware run on my phone.
With a user like that always keep in mind it may be malware, a virus or rootkit causing it.
An Android is only as secure as its user...
blackhawk said:
Welcome to XDA
Yes, well... no idea what the solution is but there's no way I leave that junkware run on my phone.
With a user like that always keep in mind it may be malware, a virus or rootkit causing it.
An Android is only as secure as its user...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well it's not junk or malware. It's a genuine app from the playstore for a supermarket chain named Lidl. She's had it for months, you basically get a qr code and you have to scan that code at the cash register to get some discounts. The app shows her each week what products have discounts and what products are gonna have discounts next week. The app is legit.
As for the user, yeah I agree my mom isn't the most careful out there but i managed to teach her to not install or press any buttons and everytime she gets a weird message or notification she comes to me to figure out what it is. Even when a normal app requires a permission, for example "facebook requires permission to take pictures", she comes to me, so I'm pretty sure she'll be fine with it.
Is there any proper way of installing GMS without having these types of issues even if it involves rooting or god knows what else? At the price of this phone there's nothing better than it and I don't really want to downgrade to a bad samsung just for that.
Just because it's on Playstore doesn't make it safe
FB? Bah-ha-ha-ha.... is pure social malware.
Purveyors of disinformation and far, far worse.
No way that be on my phone. I punched out of FB 13 years ago after a month... the puppet cut the strings.
Meh, it's a lick on you... do what you will, but actions have consequences.
blackhawk said:
Just because it's on Playstore doesn't make it safe
FB? Bah-ha-ha-ha.... is pure social malware.
Purveyors of disinformation and far, far worse.
No way that be on my phone. I punched out of FB 13 years ago after a month... the puppet cut the strings.
Meh, it's a lick on you... do what you will, but actions have consequences.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not that deep. Like I said, all she does is talk about flowers, plants and work-related subjects. I taught her how not to fall in the hands of scammers and how she should come and show me everytime she gets any weird request. She doesn't download any apps without me, doesn't access weird websites, i think it's safe enough for a mature person.
Yes, I know that it isn't safe just because it's on the playstore, I'm just trying to tell you that it's a legit app, developed my the supermarket chain that has over 11k stores in Europe and there isn't any sensitive information apart from her name and a qr code that she has to scan, instead of the typical physical discount card.
On another note, since the topic has been moved to another category, does anybody have any idea on how to fix my issue?
@goldieczr did you find a solution?
I've got the exact same problem on my Hisense a6l.
I got these files (in the rar) from an official seller. With these you can install google service and magisk.
Both files are executable zips that can be opend. All you need is the password from the text file.
Same thing with the installation, just copy paste the passwords when ask.