[Q] Spammy Kobo app - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I've noticed the Kobo app on my Nook Color (CM7.1) sends me spammy "Reading Life Suggestion" notifications even when I haven't launched the app and I'm doing something else. Is there any way on a rooted device to ban an app from sending anything to the notifications bar? There is supposed to be a setting to disable this, but it doesn't work - I still get the spam.
I have complained to Kobo by e-mail and I've reported the app as malicious on the Market with a one-star rating. I encourage you all to do the same until fixed. In the meantime, any ideas short of uninstalling?

You could try downloading an add block of the market this sometimes stops these kinda advertising

zonda2323 said:
You could try downloading an add block of the market this sometimes stops these kinda advertising
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ad block apps usually just block domains. This won't help because it's coming straight from Kobo servers.
What I just want is an app that can prevent, at the OS level, the notifications from reaching my status bar. Or clear them automatically.

Related

[Q] How to check for "secret" background activity or communication

I've seen a few articles about how "stolen" or ripped apps will secretly send SMS to all your friends, the developer and so on about how you're a thief, etc. Now I want to be clear: I'm not looking for a way to get around consequences of stealing paid apps (as a general rule I only use "paid" apps if they are "donation" apps like XDA anyways), or spreading FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt).
What I am interested in is really finding out what my phone might be doing behind my back, who knows, like sending a list of my contacts to my provider, or sending them SMS or some other kind of "ping". Obviously if I download an app like "Homer Simpson Soundboard" and it asks for SMS permissions it doesn't last long on my phone But is there a way I can monitor such behaviour? Are there non-obvious precautions I can take, or apps which might log this stuff?
You're in luck. A dev here at XDA has made LBE Privacy Guard. It'll run in the background checking permissions of other apps. For example if Facebook wants to read your contacts, a pop-up will alert you and ask you if you want to give Facebook the permission to read them, and so on.
Btw, you'll need to be rooted.
LBE!
Another thumbs up for LBE. Locks any app you want from snooping around and phoning the mother ship.
By blocking network access, on apps that really don't need it, it also blocks those annoying ads that are usually at the top or bottom of an app.
Awesome, thanks so much guys!

[Q] Push notification review/analyzer?

Recently I started receiving ads on my push notification, I have installed tons of apps and i would like to find out which app is feeding these ads. When I click on them, it got cleared and opens my browser, is there a way to review these notification and maybe analyze them?
EDIT: after some research, it is Airpush and i found the culprit with airpush detector, anyone knows of a good blocker? thanks.

App closes automatically

I was using the mapping app gps-tracks.com. When I open it now, a pop-up appears, saying "This app is no longer supported. Please uninstall the app" in German and offering an OK button only. See screenshot at dropbox.com/s/7weviuc5dksmv2w/Screenshot_2019-09-01-22-14-04-781_com.GPSTracks.png.
Whether I click OK or not, a few seconds later the app automatically closes. I thought this pop-up and closing logic is part of a new release of the app. I installed older versions of the app from an apk mirror, apkmonk.com/app/com.GPSTracks/. But the same popup continuous to appear and the app gets closed automatically whatever old release I install. How is this possible? And how can I stop this?
Why I need a solution: From GPS-Tracks I purchased maps for indefinite offline usage. GPS-Tracks was acquired by Outdooractive. They have their own app and are not interested in maintaining the acquired app. So they initiated this change. I contacted them and they gave me a free license for one year for their new app. But I purchased unlimited usage and want to use the maps as long as I can run the apk on whatever Android version I will use. Currently I am on Pie and the last version of the app did run on Pie.
An idea: try to block the network connection just for this app (and also clear its cache just to be sure). Since you already have the maps offline, it would prevent whatever check they have to access the server.
vegesm said:
An idea: try to block the network connection just for this app (and also clear its cache just to be sure). Since you already have the maps offline, it would prevent whatever check they have to access the server.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, vegesm! You hit the nail. When starting the app in airplane mode the popup does not appear and the app does not close. I can even stop airplane mode and continue using the already started app. The cache is not relevant. So, the app receives the instructions for popup and automatic closing from a server each time freshly at startup.
As it is a bit cumbersome to manually start and stop airplane mode each time, I wonder whether I can permanently disrupt the server connection. Possibly I could block the server's IP on a firewall on the device, or install a proxy and let it block or redirect access attempts to the DNS address of the server? How can I find out about the IP or DNS address contacted at app start? And then, what app or configuration allows blocking it?
I've never tried them but as far as I know firewall apps can already block network per app, no need to detect the server ip.

How do I write a Greenify prescription?

Hello.
I'm trying to understand how to write a Greenify prescription.
My main use would be to try annoying promotion notification which can't be turned off.
My current knowledge would be that an app registers with Google Play Services to use FCM, which fires a broadcast data containing notification data to an app's receiver, then the app uses the received broadcast to display the notification.
Is it possible to deregister a specific FCM using app from Google Play Services so maximum amount of battery is conserved?
If it is not possible, how do one find a broadcast to target with prescription? for example, if a notification is shown on the notification shade, will it contain any clues to which receiver is to be targeted?
Thank you bery much.
Do I need to use Greenify or there is an open source alternative to Greenify to achieve the same thing?
emanresu2 said:
Hello.
I'm trying to understand how to write a Greenify prescription.
My main use would be to try annoying promotion notification which can't be turned off.
My current knowledge would be that an app registers with Google Play Services to use FCM, which fires a broadcast data containing notification data to an app's receiver, then the app uses the received broadcast to display the notification.
Is it possible to deregister a specific FCM using app from Google Play Services so maximum amount of battery is conserved?
If it is not possible, how do one find a broadcast to target with prescription? for example, if a notification is shown on the notification shade, will it contain any clues to which receiver is to be targeted?
Thank you bery much.
Do I need to use Greenify or there is an open source alternative to Greenify to achieve the same thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For how to write prescription: https://greenify.github.io/
Notification can be disabled either for the whole app or for a specific channel.
FCM may post notification on behalf of the app if app is not active, so blocking the broadcast may not work as expected.

How To Guide More than 5 App Notifications

Little Trick!
In order to receive more notifications than the 5 you set yourself, you have the option of loading the Blackberry Hub+ and the associated services from the PlayStore. You can manage many accounts there. works perfectlyfor me!
Find N77 said:
Little Trick!
In order to receive more notifications than the 5 you set yourself, you have the option of loading the Blackberry Hub+ and the associated services from the PlayStore. You can manage many accounts there. works perfectlyfor me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great Idea!
Find N77 said:
Little Trick!
In order to receive more notifications than the 5 you set yourself, you have the option of loading the Blackberry Hub+ and the associated services from the PlayStore. You can manage many accounts there. works perfectlyfor me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't it just a notification 'watcher'? Those apps would still need to show notifications to appear in the Blackberry Hub+ inbox???
lombrozo said:
Isn't it just a notification 'watcher'? Those apps would still need to show notifications to appear in the Blackberry Hub+ inbox??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the hub accesses the accounts directly, not the system.
Is like your mail program that accesses your mail account.
Look on Screenshot, it is Not the Gmail icon at the top.
I can't see a way to configure WhatsApp for example - surely it requires me to approve access or hook it up somehow?
I must look and test it, the N is not my daily driver.
WA is at the time on iPhone.....
Most of the chat apps (WhatsApp, Line...) Have auto-start set by default (without being one of the 5 custom auto-start apps), and therefore notifications will show, and be 'captured' by the Blackberry Hub. But for example, I just added Google Chat, which DOESN'T have auto-start set, and it doesn't show in Blackberry Hub, because there are no notifications...
I'm not sure I like the solution or workaround of yet another app to deal with notifications that should be a standard solution, aka OS and base UI API, from Google AndroidOS itself.
I'm fully aware of BlackBerry and its history, yet how up to date is this BlackBerry Hub and what's the official word from BlackBerry update future updates? If nothing official this would be a temporary solution.
Is Oppo taking user feedback on all channels (aka official support forums, support email/phone, twitter, etc)? They already have a global 'Ambassador' program to help launch and sales of the Find N2 Flip.
Supa_Fly said:
I'm not sure I like the solution or workaround of yet another app to deal with notifications that should be a standard solution, aka OS and base UI API, from Google AndroidOS itself.
I'm fully aware of BlackBerry and its history, yet how up to date is this BlackBerry Hub and what's the official word from BlackBerry update future updates? If nothing official this would be a temporary solution.
Is Oppo taking user feedback on all channels (aka official support forums, support email/phone, twitter, etc)? They already have a global 'Ambassador' program to help launch and sales of the Find N2 Flip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CN ROM have limitations because Chinese app developers are garbage that stuffs apps full of offer notifications auto start and push for more monetization.. if u seen the china app market, it's 90% junk apps there that ask for every single permission possible to harvest ur data and sell openly to the big firms..
I tried this on my Find N2 (fold) no luck in getting other apps configured to receive notifications - the only one I could get to work was GMAIL..
Anyone else have any luck in getting other apps working using the Blackberry HUB such as Facebook etc?
Cheers FROSTY

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