Related
maybe either through API level, or by querying market info
Reason: i want to check on GB before I upgrade to ICS, which apps will not work.
don't know if relevant but it is for SGS II
Thx in advance
repost from here as nobody could really answer my question
can't believe I'm the only one with that issue
maybe an idea for a dev? would be willing to pay for that ;-)
I don't see why this can't be done:
-http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2695746/how-to-get-a-list-of-installed-android-applications-and-pick-one-to-run
-http://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/pm/PackageManager.html
-http://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/Context.html#getApplicationInfo()
I haven't thought through the problem just yet, but its seems to be doable. If you don't find an app soon, I will start working on a script that does it and, if successful, a proper, free software app. I am hoping the available methods won't require something as stupid as launching each app fully. But again, I haven't thought it through. Thanks for the idea btw.
EDIT:
Made a little more effort
https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!topic/android-developers/dXLACRIizKc
I will work on something this weekend and get back with y'all.
EDIT 2:
So it looks like I would need maxSdkVersion which I don't find in the API. Furthermore, it is strongly suggested that one not use maxSdkVersion when building an app so that doesn't sound all that useful. I have received another, much more complicated suggestion that may do what I want, but I will have to look hard at it. Looks like I'm going nowhere in my effort. Always open to suggestions. More to come later this weekend.
I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I thought this was mostly a straightforward task using the API's exposure to AndroidManifest.xml. As per my previously posted link to an Android Developers discussion on the topic, my approach is dead in the water as far as I can see. I did try to find an answer though to the best of my limited ability. If anyone has or ever solves this problem (I consider it a problem) I would hope they find the this thread.
Thanks for the learning experience. I give up.
Most older apps will work fine on ICS, its pretty backwards compatible. If the app uses legacy menus the button will appear in the old lower left hand corner location instead of the upper right hand corner like apps written for ICS.
i'm no dev so bear with me if i write stupid stuff
one likely but not very promising sounding way might be to use android:targetSdkVersion as "As Android evolves with each new version, some behaviors and even appearances might change. However, if the API level of the platform is higher than the version declared by your app's targetSdkVersion, the system may enable compatibility behaviors to ensure that your app continues to work the way you expect. You can disable such compatibility behaviors by specifying targetSdkVersion to match the API level of the platform on which it's running. For example, setting this value to "11" or higher allows the system to apply a new default theme (Holo) to your app when running on Android 3.0 or higher and also disables screen compatibility mode when running on larger screens (because support for API level 11 implicitly supports larger screens)."
question though is how many apps actually use this?
However after having read this re android:maxSdkVersion "Warning: Declaring this attribute is not recommended. First, there is no need to set the attribute as means of blocking deployment of your application onto new versions of the Android platform as they are released. By design, new versions of the platform are fully backward-compatible. Your application should work properly on new versions, provided it uses only standard APIs and follows development best practices. Second, note that in some cases, declaring the attribute can result in your application being removed from users' devices after a system update to a higher API Level. Most devices on which your application is likely to be installed will receive periodic system updates over the air, so you should consider their effect on your application before setting this attribute." (taking from here) i now don't know how important my op is, but then why do all app devs release new versions "fixing things" for ICS?
One pretty significant example which actually currently will prevent my phone from getting ICS for now is that the subsonic app in the current version produces stuttering when playing audio while downloading (problem description here).
Isn't there any way to instead of searching the phone searching google play/android market instead?
Randi said:
maybe either through API level, or by querying market info
Reason: i want to check on GB before I upgrade to ICS, which apps will not work.
don't know if relevant but it is for SGS II
Thx in advance
repost from here as nobody could really answer my question
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's a list of some working games/apps for ICS
Theoretically an Android app (or a combo of say App Engine and Android) could find your installed apps, seacrh Play for said apps and then scrape the page for relevant information. Doesn't sound to hard, but I didn't think about too hard either. Perhaps I will check out what useful info is on Play and how feasible scraping its markup will be. I will get back at y'all if I do.
lgmdp 1.5
http://sharemobile.ro/file/616562
lg united mobile drivers
http://
www.lgforum.com/resources
a very important sdk tool
http://
developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
Android
Development Tools (ADT)
[The ADT plugin
includes a variety of powerful
extensions that make creating,
running, and debugging Android
applications faster and easier.]
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Programming/Components-Libraries/Android-Development-Tools.shtml
Super one click [tool for rooting gb ]
http://shortfuse.org/?page_id=2
gingerbreak [tool for rooting froyo]
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1044765
Android kitchen [a great tool for ROM customization]
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=633246
terminal emulator [A great tool for linux commands]
http://www.papktop.com/android-terminal-emulator-1-0-32.html
z4root [tool for rooting 2.2.1 and 2.1]
http://forum.xda-developers.com/
showthread.php?t=833953
(by ibub)
kdz updator
http://www.2shared.com/file/QcnRcyua/KDZ_Updater.html
java development kit
http://software-files-a.cnet.com/u/test/jdk-7u10-windows-i586.exe
fastboot.exe
http://www.2shared.com/file/4l7HKE3O/fastboot.html
flash_image [if u use terminal emulator]
http://www.mediafire.com/?7pkcte8gcyn9pet
########################
below tools are taken from lycan thread all credit goes to him for the below ones
apktool : http://forum.xda-
developers.com/showthread.php?
t=640592
APK Multi Tool : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1310151
StudioAndroid : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1541372
adb pusher : http://www.xda-developers.com/android/push-files-to-your-device-with-quick-adb-pusher/
Bootanimation Creator :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1234611
#####################
ROOT APPLICATION (tAKEN FROM I CLICK ROOT) (I WIlL ADD MINE SOON AND NEVER GONNA INCLUDE ROM MANAGER)
10) ShootMe – Screenshot app
Android has a lot of advantages over its
main competitor, Apple’s iOS. However,
unlike iOS, Android doesn’t give users the
ability to take screenshots of their
phones. Thanks to the ShootMe app
available on rooted phones, that problem
is a thing of the past. This app allows you
to set up a trigger for when the phone
should take a screenshot. For example, if
you want to take a screenshot every
time you shake your phone, you can easily
set that up.
9) Titanium Backup – Automatic backup
and recovery app
No electronic device is immune to
failures. If you’re like most people, you
keep some valuable information on your
Android device. From phone numbers to
pictures and everything in between,
losing access to that data could be
devastating. That’s why you need
Titanium Backup, an app which allows
rooted Android users to set automatic
backup options. All apps and other data
is saved, so if you screw up your phone
while trying to install a custom ROM, you
can easily restore it with the click of a
button.
8) Metamorph – Customize every single
aspect of your phone
After rooting an Android phone, one of
the first things that many users do is
customize their device. Thanks to the
Metamorph app, phone customization is
as easy as possible. Simply download the
app, then browse through a selection of
custom themes. If you want, you can
even make your own theme. Using
Metamorph, you can personalize your lock
screen, menus, app screens, and all
other aspects of your Android phone.
7) Adfree – Instant advertisement
blocking
Sick of seeing advertisements on your
phone? Aren’t we all! With the Adfree
app, you’ll never have to see another
advertisement again. The Adfree app
works in a unique way: instead of
actively scanning each app and webpage
for advertisements (which slows down
Android performance), Adfree simply
blocks the IP addresses of common
advertising agencies. This means that
advertisements will refuse to pop up
while using apps, browsing the internet,
or performing any other types of tasks
on your phone.
6) Busybox – Use Linux commands
Busybox might not appeal to the average
Android user, but it will certainly appeal
to tech geeks and Linux users. Busybox is
an app that adds Linux commands to your
Android device. To make the app as easy
as possible to use, Busybox even lists the
commands, making it easy to perform a
wide variety of functions that are
normally unavailable to users of non-
rooted Android devices.
5) Wireless Tether – Wireless hotspot app
Share your Android phone’s data
connection with any other wireless
device using the Wireless Tether app.
This is an ideal way to use your phone
data on your laptop while you’re in an
area with no internet connection,
although tethering can be used for a
wide variety of purposes. With the
Wireless Tether app, tethering can be
performed on any carrier and any
Android phone. Since some companies like
AT&T charge an additional $20 per
month for tethering, this makes the
Wireless Tether app an extremely
valuable tool.
4) Tasker – Automatic task app
Tasker is a smart app that will automate
all sorts of tasks on your phone. For
example, you can set a task to run every
day at 5pm, or perform plenty of other
useful functions. Although Tasker is
available from the Google Play store, it
won’t have root access on non-rooted
Android phones. When you give Tasker
root access, expect to see some
phenomenal results.
3) SSH Tunnel – Safeguard your internet
usage
Instead of letting anyone see what
you’re doing on the internet, the SSH
Tunnel encrypts your internet
connection using an SSH tunnel. When
you access a public Wi-Fi network
without an app like SSH Tunnel installed,
anybody with basic technical skills can
see what you’re doing over the internet,
which is most definitely a bad thing.
2) SetCPU – Overclock and monitor your
processor
The processor is at the heart of your
Android phone’s operations. On a normal
Android device, the user’s actions won’t
affect how the CPU functions. However,
thanks to the SetCPU app, that is no
longer a problem. SetCPU allows users to
customize the CPU to run at different
frequencies according to what the user
is currently doing. For example, you can
instantly reduce the CPU’s clock speed
when the screen is turned off, which
saves an enormous amount of battery
life. Ultimately, SetCPU allows you to
save battery power, speed up your
Android device, and monitor its
temperature.
1) Superuser – The first app to install on
a rooted Android device
MINE ROOTED APS
Hide my Root
Sure, CyanogenMod may be getting
more granular root settings, but
can you password protect them?
This app can.
--
Hide my Root lets you temporarily
hide the superuser binary and app
so that no applications or users can
get root access. You can even set a
password so that only you can
restore root access. On some roms
(usually rooted stock roms), Hide
my Root will allow you to use
Google Videos and similar apps on a
rooted phone. On custom roms
such as CyanogenMod, it will not
allow you to use Google Videos and
similar apps on a rooted phone.
Root Logger by Stericson
Root Logger is the only application
that can log all shell commands
that are sent to your phone,
including those from other rooted
applications. Root Logger can also
tell you who executed the
command, when it was executed,
and whether or not the command
was executed with root access. This
application will help you keep an
eye on what's being sent to the
shell on your phone and what those
applications are doing on your
phone. This Application requires
root access, busybox, and these
commands, which are usually
provided by Busybox, chmod, ln, ls,
cp, chattr, and rm.
Root Explorer
This is by far one of the most
comprehensive file managers out there.
This app gives you access to the whole of
android's file system and includes
features like an SQLite database viewer,
Text Editor, the ability to create and
extract zip or tar/gzip files, extract rar
archives, multi-select, execute scripts,
search, remount, permissions,
bookmarks, and lots more. There’s a free
version as well for you to try out.
Call Master
This advanced call and SMS blocker
gives you unique privacy features for
rooted users. With the app running
silently in the background, you can block
an MMS before it downloads, filter SMSs
by content and lots more.
MarketEnabler
You’ll notice that certain apps are
country specific and won’t show up in
the Play Store on your phone.
MarketEnabler helps you get around this
by tricking the Play Store into thinking
you are actually in that country or region
and allowing you to download the app.
You obviously won’t find this on the Play
Store, but a quick Google search will
help.
SD Maid
SD Maid will automatically clean up
unwanted files left behind when you
uninstall apps. Just like Windows,
sometimes certain files are not deleted
when you uninstall them and they can
clutter your file system over time. This
app helps remove those unwanted files.
StickMount
This app was designed to enable USB
On-the-go access on the Galaxy Nexus,
but there’s no reason why it shouldn’t
work on other handsets running ICS and
above. All you need is the cable and then
you can access data from your pen drives
easily, thus expanding your storage
Call Master
This advanced call and SMS blocker gives
you unique privacy features for rooted
users. With the app running silently in the
background, you can block an MMS
before it downloads, filter SMSs by
content and lots more.
Great Thread!!
Sent from my LG-P509 using Tapatalk 2
jerry7389 said:
Great Thread!!
Sent from my LG-P509 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks
i have contacted one of the moderators to keep the thread on the first page waiting for their reply
and if u have more tell me i will add them as soon as possible
Honestly and no offense to you but this already exist as a sticky, a pretty well written thread by sweetnsour
Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk 2
Jrhodes85 said:
Honestly and no offense to you but this already exist as a sticky, a pretty well written thread by sweetnsour
Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if u can give me the thread link
Jrhodes85 said:
Honestly and no offense to you but this already exist as a sticky, a pretty well written thread by sweetnsour
Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
androidisfuture said:
if u can give me the thread link
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think he is talking about this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1256048
Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk 2
Christian Nothing said:
I think he is talking about this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1256048
Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if he is talking abt this then my thread is not similar to sweetnsour as i am giving tools and i can only find android kitchen similar tell me if u agree
i have added 4 more :victory:
as sdk contains a varirty of tools like Dalvik Debug Monitor Server (ddms);dmtracedump etc my list is getting to an end but still no answer from the moderators
Jrhodes85 said:
Honestly and no offense to you but this already exist as a sticky, a pretty well written thread by sweetnsour
Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, I feel that this kind of exists in Lycan's sticky:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=901247
specifically this post:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=25489058&postcount=177
sweetnsour said:
To be honest, I feel that this kind of exists in Lycan's sticky:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=901247
specifically this post:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=25489058&postcount=177
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
now i feel that this is similar but i am trying to add more and more if u have some tell me
Could lycan be asked to link to this as an additional resource? The main difference that I see is that lycan's sticky is categorized and a lot of the tools are somewhat scattered in different branches . Yes, I know you specified the post for kernels, mods tweaks and TOOLS. But not all that is listed here, is listed there. Maybe a compromise is in order?
Sent from my LG-P500 using xda app-developers app
ibub said:
Could lycan be asked to link to this as an additional resource? The main difference that I see is that lycan's sticky is categorized and a lot of the tools are somewhat scattered. Yes, I know you specified the post for kernels, mods tweaks and TOOLS. But not all that is listed here, is listed there. Maybe a compromise is in order?
Sent from my LG-P500 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have pm lykan but no response i think he missed my pm
ibub said:
Could lycan be asked to link to this as an additional resource? The main difference that I see is that lycan's sticky is categorized and a lot of the tools are somewhat scattered in different branches . Yes, I know you specified the post for kernels, mods tweaks and TOOLS. But not all that is listed here, is listed there. Maybe a compromise is in order?
Sent from my LG-P500 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
androidisfuture said:
i have pm lykan but no response i think he missed my pm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure if a compromise is possible. By looking at Lycan's last post, it looks like he hasn't been on for several months now. The thing is, that thread was first started by Bytecode, who handed the thread over to Lycan, so if Lycan was still active on XDA, I would've requested ownership of the thread. But since he has been inactive, I think it would be alright to copy the tools from his thread to yours (since his thread is not just about tools and such while this thread is), and in the event that he does come back online and asks for the tools to be removed from this thread, maybe there can be some sort of a compromise then.
sweetnsour said:
I am not sure if a compromise is possible. By looking at Lycan's last post, it looks like he hasn't been on for several months now. The thing is, that thread was first started by Bytecode, who handed the thread over to Lycan, so if Lycan was still active on XDA, I would've requested ownership of the thread. But since he has been inactive, I think it would be alright to copy the tools from his thread to yours (since his thread is not just about tools and such while this thread is), and in the event that he does come back online and asks for the tools to be removed from this thread, maybe there can be some sort of a compromise then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok i will see to it
if i can copy i will give credit to him
i have 5 more they are of lycan
the thread is now a sticky
Thanks !!!
Hey,
When I turned on my phone the RAM it was taking was 300 MB, after a days use it is now 500MB (even after pressing 'clear RAM' button).
I've entered Settings->apps->running and it shows only two small things (the keyboard and some weather widget) which combined take only 20 MB.
So what is the rest of the memory is beign allocated for?
Thank you.
Does your rom have Usage Manager in the app drawer?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Here is the path to all your applications.
Settings -> Apps --> Swipe left until the menu Running --> On top you see the description "Show cached processes", klick on it --> now you see the rest of the running applications
pc103 said:
Does your rom have Usage Manager in the app drawer?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the closest I have is "Task Manager".
lenovoOwner said:
Here is the path to all your applications.
Settings -> Apps --> Swipe left until the menu Running --> On top you see the description "Show cached processes", klick on it --> now you see the rest of the running applications
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, indeed I see some more RAM guzzlers, but It seems like they make up most of the addition but not all of it ... plus funny thing, when I try to close everything (in 'running' and 'cache) and I reenter- here it is there again...
1) Can I see all of the elements that take up my ram (the system as well)?
2) Can I close them properly?
Thank you very much.
PS. Is there some comfortable way to jump between apps? Like in the Iphone where by pressing the 'Home' button will show you a bar with a row of icons of the currently active processes....
For your PS question, it's a long press on the Home button (below the GS3 screen).
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 10:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:45 PM ----------
The closest app I'm running to that option is Android Tuner Free. I got it for its storage optimization functions.
The busy interface has a learning curve, but it is a comprehensive & poweful app. I recommend Advanced mode & the One Click home screen.
For what you want, see both the Tasks & Kill All tiles. The first is a Task Mgr., the second is a quick 1 click. The app can teach a lot about what runs & why. It also offers a lot of fine control.
I also use the root app Startup Manager which is self explanatory & efficient.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
pc103 said:
For your PS question, it's a long press on the Home button (below the GS3 screen).
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL {hit myself on the head}, didn't occur me to try...
pc103 said:
---------- Post added at 10:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:45 PM ----------
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pc103 said:
The closest app I'm running to that option is Android Tuner Free. I got it for its storage optimization functions.
The busy interface has a learning curve, but it is a comprehensive & poweful app. I recommend Advanced mode & the One Click home screen.
For what you want, see both the Tasks & Kill All tiles. The first is a Task Mgr., the second is a quick 1 click. The app can teach a lot about what runs & why. It also offers a lot of fine control.
I also use the root app Startup Manager which is self explanatory & efficient.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was hoping there is a way to avoid using apps...
Ok, I suppose it opens another question which I thought about creating a new thread for, but if the opportunity already arose...
How do you actually know if you can trust an app?
I'm kinda new to android and I'm much more used to the opennes of windows, also I'm pretty paranoid (a cellphone contains information 100 times more sensitive than a PC (At least my PC is like that)). I look at the permissions every app want to have and I'm simply aghast, I know of the logic behind those requests (at least for most of those I've seen) but I have zero transparency over what actions the app takes.
That really stress me a great deal...
oy-ster said:
How do you actually know if you can trust an app?. . . (a cellphone contains information 100 times more sensitive than a PC (At least my PC is like that)). I look at the permissions every app want to have and I'm simply aghast, I know of the logic behind those requests (at least for most of those I've seen) but I have zero transparency over what actions the app takes.
That really stress me a great deal...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Digital Privacy
Well it certainly stresses the last remaining fiber of your privacy. I just watched the latest "60 Minutes Overtime" piece on data brokers framing this as a lifestyle issue. Step back from the small screen & consider that your actions on board the PC have a ripple effect on your smartphone. "NAI Opt out" & "Disconnect software" are useful PC search words.
Where it Went
I rarely hear from a tech guru or even a lawyer who can decipher a EULA, TOS or Privacy agreement they didn't author themselves; yet online, we are steeped in the cumulative concessions we have accepted from them and the affiliates and partners they enable for.
The Biggest Brother?
Google is a data harvester, not a broker. They are the custodians of much of our imprint online across all platforms. check your settings accordingly; within each Google service / app/ platform you use and adjust them to taste. Know, for example, that persistent login to Gmail will append any collocated G-Search activity to your G profile if Web Data | Web History remains on. I read recently that simply joining Plus has a similar but more comprehensive effect by default, by unifying the G tracking across your entire electronic imprint.
Android Permissions
Yes. The most invasive part of Android is its permissions free for all. They are demands, not requests that each app poses. The logic is sometimes one sided and self serving to the developers at our disadvantage. What can we do?
1. Know something about your developer. XDA membership in an app developer helps define their role in a community. Check their website, reviews, accessibility, postings etc.
2. Consider lower permission alternative apps listed in the play store.
3. For each app you review in the Play Store, (have you checked play store settings yet?) assess its longevity in the marketplace to decide if you are willing to be an early adopter.
4. Resist resorting to apps to broker built-in functions your system already has. Learn your OS.
5. Weigh the logic of each permission demanded, based on risk / reward and your intended uses. Example: On my phone Google search leads the field with 59 permissions. App Permisssions by FSecure is in the low end group with zero. How do I know? App Permissions. What can I do? More on that later.
6. Debloat. I have frozen over 60 apps/services/processes using a combination of tools ranging from built in (no root) Application Management to Startup Manager and the App Quarantine app.
7. Don't be lazy about toggling settings as needed. One stock default has the GPS always enabled which may not be necessary for you.
8. Learn about the types of location services in your OS. Check location settings in affected apps and consider toggling location services as needed. Apps will prompt if the needed service is off when you use them.
9. Review your synch settings. Mine are off on the OS. I use a 3rd party mail app and manually back up contacts using Super Backup when needed.
10. Review background data settings. they are visible in Settings / Data usage, by selecting Mobile Data, and scrolling to the list of apps to tap through each and set Restrict background data if appropriate. It saves battery by reducing tower hunting and focuses you on which apps pose the highest demands.
I promised more. Learn about App Ops if you haven't. I have the luxury of running a 4.3 version that supports it so I can use a client app to filter and toggle various permissions on a per app basis. There are other, and perhaps more thorough approaches to this but I'm staying with this one for now.
pc103 said:
Digital Privacy
Well it certainly stresses the last remaining fiber of your privacy. I just watched the latest "60 Minutes Overtime" piece on data brokers framing this as a lifestyle issue. Step back from the small screen & consider that your actions on board the PC have a ripple effect on your smartphone. "NAI Opt out" & "Disconnect software" are useful PC search words.
Where it Went
I rarely hear from a tech guru or even a lawyer who can decipher a EULA, TOS or Privacy agreement they didn't author themselves; yet online, we are steeped in the cumulative concessions we have accepted from them and the affiliates and partners they enable for.
The Biggest Brother?
Google is a data harvester, not a broker. They are the custodians of much of our imprint online across all platforms. check your settings accordingly; within each Google service / app/ platform you use and adjust them to taste. Know, for example, that persistent login to Gmail will append any collocated G-Search activity to your G profile if Web Data | Web History remains on. I read recently that simply joining Plus has a similar but more comprehensive effect by default, by unifying the G tracking across your entire electronic imprint.
Android Permissions
Yes. The most invasive part of Android is its permissions free for all. They are demands, not requests that each app poses. The logic is sometimes one sided and self serving to the developers at our disadvantage. What can we do?
1. Know something about your developer. XDA membership in an app developer helps define their role in a community. Check their website, reviews, accessibility, postings etc.
2. Consider lower permission alternative apps listed in the play store.
3. For each app you review in the Play Store, (have you checked play store settings yet?) assess its longevity in the marketplace to decide if you are willing to be an early adopter.
4. Resist resorting to apps to broker built-in functions your system already has. Learn your OS.
5. Weigh the logic of each permission demanded, based on risk / reward and your intended uses. Example: On my phone Google search leads the field with 59 permissions. App Permisssions by FSecure is in the low end group with zero. How do I know? App Permissions. What can I do? More on that later.
6. Debloat. I have frozen over 60 apps/services/processes using a combination of tools ranging from built in (no root) Application Management to Startup Manager and the App Quarantine app.
7. Don't be lazy about toggling settings as needed. One stock default has the GPS always enabled which may not be necessary for you.
8. Learn about the types of location services in your OS. Check location settings in affected apps and consider toggling location services as needed. Apps will prompt if the needed service is off when you use them.
9. Review your synch settings. Mine are off on the OS. I use a 3rd party mail app and manually back up contacts using Super Backup when needed.
10. Review background data settings. they are visible in Settings / Data usage, by selecting Mobile Data, and scrolling to the list of apps to tap through each and set Restrict background data if appropriate. It saves battery by reducing tower hunting and focuses you on which apps pose the highest demands.
I promised more. Learn about App Ops if you haven't. I have the luxury of running a 4.3 version that supports it so I can use a client app to filter and toggle various permissions on a per app basis. There are other, and perhaps more thorough approaches to this but I'm staying with this one for now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the comprehensive reply!
Indeed some of the things here are common sense but some were fairly new to me, like the close contact you are suggesting with the developer.
I have to ask though, what reviews are you reffering to? the ones in the app market or the ones on here? Also, from what I have seen in the play market, all of the reviews are about functionality but no one actualy checks the veracity of the code.
Like for instance some song recognition&download software that requires internet access permission (makes sense) and SD card access permission (also makes sense), but besides doing what it does (in a splendid manner, leaving tons of happy customers) it also steals your Whatsapp chat logs (just read an article about that breach 10 mins ago)...
How can people catch on that (otherwise the app will linger for 2 years, giving you the impression you're not an early adopter)?
Hrmph, you have given some very sound advice which I obviously intend to follow through and for that I thank you. However it seems to me like the underlying foundation is still trust in the publisher (not to abuse the permissions you had to enable for functionality sake), and the trust should stem from how well the author presents itself to the community. I suppose it is the nature of the beast, it is just that if I were to sneakily attack someone I would make sure to present myself in th best way possible .
thx.
PS. my version is 4.1 but I'll see what I can do about Appops.
P.P.S I just searched for "Tasks" on google market and all I see is an organizer. Did you mean "Task Killer"?
oy-ster said:
Thank you very much for the comprehensive reply!
Indeed some of the things here are common sense but some were fairly new to me, like the close contact you are suggesting with the developer.
I have to ask though, what reviews are you reffering to? the ones in the app market or the ones on here? Also, from what I have seen in the play market, all of the reviews are about functionality but no one actualy checks the veracity of the code.
Both sources really. There's no hard & fast divide as to what aspect reviewers might respond to at either venue. More often, Play Store reviews have alerted me when my device or my Android version gets poor results from an app. Granted code integrity issues are raised more frequently at XDA.
Like for instance some song recognition&download software that requires internet access permission (makes sense) and SD card access permission (also makes sense), but besides doing what it does (in a splendid manner, leaving tons of happy customers) it also steals your Whatsapp chat logs (just read an article about that breach 10 mins ago)...
How can people catch on that (otherwise the app will linger for 2 years, giving you the impression you're not an early adopter)?
Interesting example. I will look for the article. I wonder if the app declared that permission in their Play Store disclosure. If not, it challenged Google's policing system. I read somewhere that SELinux in newer ROMs, set to "Enforcing" brokers applicable policies from each host domain and also restricts apps from exceeding their declared permissions. (See also my note on 4.3+ below)
Hrmph, you have given some very sound advice which I obviously intend to follow through and for that I thank you. However it seems to me like the underlying foundation is still trust in the publisher (not to abuse the permissions you had to enable for functionality sake), and the trust should stem from how well the author presents itself to the community. I suppose it is the nature of the beast, it is just that if I were to sneakily attack someone I would make sure to present myself in th best way possible .
You're welcome! Placing that trust is ultimately a leap of faith, so we ask ourselves:
Does my configuration already offer this function at the OS or existing app level?
Can I justify each declared permission here?
Is there a less invasive equivalent to this app?
Have I gone over the settings thoroughly once installed?
What does my installed anti-virus say about this?
Do I need this to auto launch or only on demand?
Is it using excessive data or uptime as I monitor?
Am I getting all the Android security I could be with my current rom image?
You get the picture. Common sense, best practices & due diligence can go a long way toward closing the security gap.
PS. my version is 4.1 but I'll see what I can do about Appops.
Google only exposed it (to client apps like App Ops Starter) in 4.3 & 4.4.0, before & after that I believe an Xposed Framework module is the main alternative.
P.P.S I just searched for "Tasks" on google market and all I see is an organizer. Did you mean "Task Killer"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The "Tasks & Kill All tiles" I referred to appear on Android Tuner Free's One Click advanced mode home screen. BTW certain apps on my phone are "frozen" when not in use.
I forgot to mention. 4.3 I'm running is on the 4.1.2 bootloader, completely avoiding lopsided knox security. I hope I didn't appear to recommend the OTA update. That's a personal choice.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
pc103 said:
Quote:
Both sources really. There's no hard & fast divide as to what aspect reviewers might respond to at either venue. More often, Play Store reviews have alerted me when my device or my Android version gets poor results from an app. Granted code integrity issues are raised more frequently at XDA.
Interesting example. I will look for the article. I wonder if the app declared that permission in their Play Store disclosure. If not, it challenged Google's policing system. I read somewhere that SELinux in newer ROMs, set to "Enforcing" brokers applicable policies from each host domain and also restricts apps from exceeding their declared permissions. (See also my note on 4.3+ below)
You're welcome! Placing that trust is ultimately a leap of faith, so we ask ourselves:
Does my configuration already offer this function at the OS or existing app level?
Can I justify each declared permission here?
Is there a less invasive equivalent to this app?
Have I gone over the settings thoroughly once installed?
What does my installed anti-virus say about this?
Do I need this to auto launch or only on demand?
Is it using excessive data or uptime as I monitor?
Am I getting all the Android security I could be with my current rom image?
You get the picture. Common sense, best practices & due diligence can go a long way toward closing the security gap.
Google only exposed it (to client apps like App Ops Starter) in 4.3 & 4.4.0, before & after that I believe an Xposed Framework module is the main alternative.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again!
I just wanted to note that after spending some time here in the forum( http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/ ) looking for some intresting picks, I haven't actually encountered much comments from people that actually went over the code... so I'm a bit bummed out. :silly: :laugh:
pc103 said:
The "Tasks & Kill All tiles" I referred to appear on Android Tuner Free's One Click advanced mode home screen. BTW certain apps on my phone are "frozen" when not in use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh. Got it.
Anyway, Thank you!!!
oy-ster said:
Thanks again!
I just wanted to note that after spending some time here in the forum( http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/ ) looking for some intresting picks, I haven't actually encountered much comments from people that actually went over the code... so I'm a bit bummed out. :silly: :laugh:
...Anyway, Thank you!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome. To be fair, most times I've seen postings by people who background checked code it was in rom threads, or over root exploits or security apps. In most other cases due diligence is our best defense.
Hi everyone,
We are conducting a survey on the current usage of custom ROMs and user interests and I'd like as many users as possible to answer the very few questions: https://bit.ly/2gM1Ntv (survey is closed now)
Why all this?
We believe that the current custom ROM world and choice is not very nice. We basically have a single large player and a few smaller ones providing official builds and then there are many "homemade" ROMs of doubtful trust. Newbies that care about privacy and free software are scared of homemade ROMs, don't like CM and usually have a device not officially supported by the smaller ROMs. We are thus discussing if we should start a whole new ROM (maybe robbing some hardware code from CM) or contribute to an existing one. Our focus is on security and privacy and some of our ideas might be hard to achieve inside the currently existing ROMs.
We don't want to re-invent the wheel if it's not necessary, a ROM that nobody wants to use is just a waste of time.
To know if our ideas of a custom ROM are supported by the community, we need to know what you think about custom ROMs and our ideas on it.
If you want to discuss this further or want to give your opinion on this publicly, fill this thread up with whatever you want. We don't bite.
Thank you for your time,
Marvin
Personally I would like a ROM based on CyanogenMod (since I like 90% of the ROM) with:
- microG included
- Integrated XPrivacy (but rewritten inside the ROM without Xposed)
- Ability to hide root to specific apps on-the-fly without restart (with the code included inside the ROM impossible to detect)
- Ability to simulate other phones to specific apps on-the-fly without restart
- ARMv7 to ARMv6 software emulation for apps that support only ARMv7 on ARMv6 phones (probably slow but better than anything, ARMv7 to x86 emulation already exist)
ale5000 said:
Personally I would like a ROM based on CyanogenMod (since I like 90% of the ROM) with:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Problem with CM base is that it is partly proprietary (contains some google libraries). Read about freecyngn for details.
ale5000 said:
microG included
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Plan is a sort of "setup wizard" that allows to install microG and of course the required patches as part of the ROM.
ale5000 said:
Integrated XPrivacy (but rewritten inside the ROM without Xposed)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Three-state deny/spoof/allow is already on our wishlist as well as extending the permission model to be more fine-grained.
ale5000 said:
Ability to hide root to specific apps on-the-fly without restart (with the code included inside the ROM impossible to detect)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The idea is to have a root system that works the opposite to what some su hiding tools do: the su binary is only available to certain apps the user preselected. This will also hide it to apps that should not see it. This way we can't have a nice "grant root permissions" dialog, but these are insecure nonetheless.
ale5000 said:
Ability to simulate other phones to specific apps on-the-fly without restart
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly do you want to simulate. The device name as returned by Build.MODEL? Note that it is technically impossible to simulate a whole other device in a way that can't be recognized
ale5000 said:
ARMv7 to ARMv6 software emulation for apps that support only ARMv7 on ARMv6 phones (probably slow but better than anything, ARMv7 to x86 emulation already exist)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which device is still ARMv6 nowadays? joke aside, the x86 emulation was developed by Intel (so that their processor can compete on the smartphone market), a similar software is very unlikely to be written for armv6. It might be possible to use user-mode qemu to run armv7 libraries on armv6, but this will be terribly slow and for most apps the reason to use native code is that it should be faster than Java code, which will not be the case with such an emulation approach...
MaR-V-iN said:
The idea is to have a root system that works the opposite to what some su hiding tools do: the su binary is only available to certain apps the user preselected. This will also hide it to apps that should not see it. This way we can't have a nice "grant root permissions" dialog, but these are insecure nonetheless..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although it is more secure it will kill user-friendliness and it will probably cause compatibility problems with old apps.
I sometime use also apps no longer updated and it wouldn't be nice to not be able to use them.
I think it would be better to support both modes and allow user to choose.
MaR-V-iN said:
What exactly do you want to simulate. The device name as returned by Build.MODEL? Note that it is technically impossible to simulate a whole other device in a way that can't be recognized
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My intent is just to run apps that do run only on specific phones without change the app itself, I don't think they use a type of detection hard to bypass but I don't really know.
MaR-V-iN said:
Which device is still ARMv6 nowadays? joke aside, the x86 emulation was developed by Intel (so that their processor can compete on the smartphone market), a similar software is very unlikely to be written for armv6. It might be possible to use user-mode qemu to run armv7 libraries on armv6, but this will be terribly slow and for most apps the reason to use native code is that it should be faster than Java code, which will not be the case with such an emulation approach...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that it will be really slow but it still would be better than an app that crash at startup.
PS: Also it would be nice to have compatibility with cSploit.
ale5000 said:
Although it is more secure it will kill user-friendliness and it will probably cause compatibility problems with old apps.
I sometime use also apps no longer updated and it wouldn't be nice to not be able to use them.
I think it would be better to support both modes and allow user to choose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For apps this will look as if you don't have root if you did not grant permission in advance through the system settings. The applications should not break because of this (but maybe just show you a message). Yes, it will be less user-friendly, but opening a critical hole in the security system should be nothing that is user-friendly. You usually do not have a lot of apps that require root access and to activate those manually in the system settings is not a huge problem. We would like to add features to the ROM like app data backup so that you need even less.
Well, for a normal user yes, but a normal user do not usually install a custom ROM.
I personally use a lot of apps that require root access.
Although it is probably not so easy I think it is possible to implement a dialog with tapjacking protection that ask if allow or deny root access.
ale5000 said:
Well, for a normal user yes, but a normal user do not usually install a custom ROM.
I personally use a lot of apps that require root access.
Although it is probably not so easy I think it is possible to implement a dialog with tapjacking protection that ask if allow or deny root access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even with all tapjacking techniques that are possible in Android (which would include a certain delay for the root usage confirmation to be tap-able), you can still use invoke keystrokes. This would allow a privilege escalation. When talking about security, don't argue with "I know what I do", it's not about you knowing what you do, it's about attackers knowing it as well.
The only effective way to protect against any type of tapjacking/input injection is to put everything completely aside (e.g. in the settings app) and protect it by requiring the user to enter his/her lockscreen key (or use fingerprint) before being able to change anything. While the ask about permission approach might be good enough for classic permissions (contacts/calender), it is not a good idea for something like root access, because it requires extreme caution.
Can you list the apps that require root which you are using? This would help a lot in finding out how important the root feature really is.
Hello everyone!
Recently I stumbled upon this pre-installed app on my Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 device. The app is called: Game Optimizing Service 1.1.21, and I can't open the app It just sits on my phone doing nothing. Does anyone know what it exacly does? Yes, I know it optimizes games, but how do you open the app etc?
Thank you very much,
- ScoutFromEarth
ScoutFromEarth said:
Hello everyone!
Recently I stumbled upon this pre-installed app on my Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 device. The app is called: Game Optimizing Service 1.1.21, and I can't open the app It just sits on my phone doing nothing. Does anyone know what it exacly does? Yes, I know it optimizes games, but how do you open the app etc?
Thank you very much,
- ScoutFromEarth
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
May be no need to open app and optimise game manually. It may automatically optimises game when you open according to your GPU and game graphics requirements.
Ashwinrg said:
May be no need to open app and optimise game manually. It may automatically optimises game when you open according to your GPU and game graphics requirements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmmm, could be. Thanks for your help, ill report back to you if I know some more stuff about the .apk if you want
Anyone know more about this system app installed on Samsung devices?
Samsung Bloatware
Anyone know more about this potential bloatware installed on Samsung Android devices?
Does it actually improve gaming as implied by the name, Game Optimizing Service?
Does this app install other apps?
This app is a service needed by Game Tuner to operate. Game Tuner is a really good app, as it allows to customize some aspects of the phone when games are launch. For example: you can lower the resolution at which the game will be rendered, reduce the quality of the textures, allow the phone to exceed certain temperature limiters, use MACRO mode, among other options.
There must be more to it than that because I have never played a game on my phone and I don't have any other gaming apps on my phone except this one and it uses my mobile data and runs in the background and restarts itself when after I stop it change very strange to me I think there are other things in play here that we are not meant to know
GameService SOFTWAREThrottling before HW Throttling
Old thread I know..
I have a Exynos Note 9
Came across and applied THIS.
Youtube.com/embed/h4F0L-soM1I
Worked for me, esp Longterm Pubg FPS staying near 60fps at FHD+ in HD Preset the entire time..
Not the usual 10-15mins until 40-45fps starts happening and stays there.
Thought its worth sharing this Software does in fact impose its own rules and once removed, your at the peril of Hardware level throttling schemes..