Android listening in on your calls? - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I have found a couple other people talking about this (can't post links yet, sorry), but it seems that people are largely unaware that Android does this (if you look at that other thread it is mostly people suggesting how the TC probably did enter relevant information into google somehow).
So basically it seems that at least some Android phones are listening and interpreting what is said during phone calls. People have said that they would hear about a restaurant from a friend on the phone, and then cards for that restaurant would show up in google now. Or advertisements would start to show up in google ad services. Or in my case, I got an address over the phone, wrote it down on paper, went to google maps and typed the first two numbers of the address (the street number of the address was four numbers long) before the first suggested address popped up and lo-and-behold it was what I was going to type. This was moderately convenient I suppose, but I am a little uncomfortable with how little I know of the extent to which this is happening.
Has anyone else noticed this behavior? Is it somewhere in some permission that I don't remember accepting, or in the general TOU of the OS?
My main concern isn't really THAT Android does this. Like I said, it can be convenient, and I already ignore pretty much all advertisement without even having to think about it at this point so targeted ads don't bother me so much (though there was one instance where someone suspected they started getting spam emails via this method, which sounds annoying). I am more worried that I don't know where ELSE and how ELSE this information is going/being used.
I'm on a Verizon Note 3, for reference.

A bunch of people looked at this but no one responded, so I want to give it a little poke. At this point I am fairly certain that some voice recognition is being done during phone calls. I'm still not certain how I feel about that.

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[Q][REQ] Local Social Networking? NetSend for android?

Now we all know that social networking has become a big thing in the past few years. Even more so now that there are apps all over the place that all do the same exact thing. Which is connect you with other people around the world, but what if you want to talk with someone a bit closer?
Everywhere you look there are people on their cell phones, whether it be android based or not. However what if your little people shy and want to strike up a conversation with someone? Especially if their tied up on their phone it makes it tough to bring up a random conversation. What if there was a way to kind of interrupt them and impress them at the same time?
For instance what if your friends dragged you to a bar, bars aren't your thing and you'd rather be at home playing games on your computer or just tearing apart the latest gizmo that you got. Well you happen to notice a girl on the other side of the bar that seems rather nerdy herself that got dragged by her friends and would rather pay more attention to her phone than the drunk guys trying to hit on her.. Obviously going over and saying hi isn't really an option as she'd likely just ignore you like she's done to the rest of the guys, cause your just another drunken idiot that wants to get in her pants (at least thats whats she'd think)..
Wouldn't it be a bit more interesting to say send a message to her phone even tho you don't know her, don't know her number, and know nothing about her.. However it'd get her attention if she got a popup that said "Hi, I can't help but notice your bored.. Me too."
Now this may or may not be possible, as I don't know a damn thing about the android nor hacking it. However I remember back in the day of high school me and a few friends during certain times of the day would go to the same computers in school, and since we knew the IP's of those computers we could send messages back and forth between each other cause they either A didn't disable windows messaging, or we had to turn it on.. We'd screw around with others in the library by sending a mass net send to all computers saying "Your computer has been infected!" then shutting them all down remotely..
Would there be a way to do such a proposal? If so anyone up to the challenge? Cause really how amazing would it be to just open up a new way to talk to those around you.
iOS had something I saw that almost kinda does this (at least I think) called sonar.me yet I don't know if android does..
Anyone?
I was thinking that if there was a way to utilize the push notifications.. Tho the question would be how to detect said device.. If they were on the same wifi as you that'd be easier.. Even through bluetooth, tho does bluetooth still transmit even when your not allowing it to be seen?
What about the possibility of just through the phone airways.. I mean they could be sitting there online with their phone anyway to intercept that..
Anyone at all?
Hey man, already thing this is a great idea. Although your scenario doesn't quite mesh with me as I am just as "geeky" in the world of pick-up as what I am in Android nerdi-ology haha (what I mean is I would have no issues going over there and sparking up conversation if shes geeky or not...although geeky would make it easier - bar easy!). Anyway I think that is a great idea. It would be ok if it was an app. Not just you sending a notification to their phone.
I was using message in a bottle for a while. Random and cool. But did not narrow to close proximity nor anything like your proposing.
I think there maybe privacy issues for push notifications being intrusive, but if someone elected for use via an app then they agree to accept notifications I think this would be ok.
I have wanted to have this sort of thing when I was on the train travelling home. I have even caught the eye of some random hottie down the isle and wanted to see if I could somehow contact her. I have scanned bluetooth and even tried to push a picture to someone thinking it could be her *thinks to self "hmm she kinda looks like a Jessica and she has a Nokia N95...bugger it send image to Jessica's N95" caching haha. So yeah I get what you mean .....walking up to someone on a train the environment (although sometimes is expected there is a level of acceptable human behavior there in) is not the place to be attempting to pick-up in dead silence with ears in close proximity eves dropping like all hell in comparison to say a night club/bar/outside area where people are sparse and/or conversation is not easily over heard. *NB: I have attempted (and passing the fear if she is confident and there has been an acceptable level of "eye-sex" or "eye-flirting" with smiles before hand) I won't get flagged off easy. If she is not confident....your pick-up interjection and sudden realisation of overh-hearing ears (eves droppers) can land even the best pick-up artist in a pickle and the shut-down is an even bigger tumble to say the least.
It's ok to get shut down in a bar where people can't hear very well, try getting shut down on a deadly silent train haha being snappy fast whitty and able to promptly deliver a negate to her clear cutting shut down is another subject all together. Being able to do it in a funny way may win you more laughs than her shut down too (geeeze I am going waaaaay off track from Android Nerd to Pick-nerd aren't I? wow I diversed big time! haha ) Aside from that I have been successful in picking up chicks on the train without this technology....but this sort of technology would only leverage a man's capability even more so.
Damn it! If this is made....I need to get a job out of town and get back on the god damned train again. I entered the world of Android to wear my geek hat so I wouldn't become obsessed pick-up dude again and here you are a forum member causing two worlds to collide! Thanks....NOT!
PM for more discussion or clarification of my ramblings haha
Well see thats the thing, sometimes girls just don't to be bothered, so how would you get their attention even for a small chat? If the girl was tech suave it could lead to an interesting topic of discussion on "How did you do that?". They have tons of chat apps that allow you to talk to complete strangers, but these people often are all over the world..
I like the things like the Nintendo DS, or even a Cybiko (if you even know what that is.. =D ) were it has a wireless chat feature where the room is just there and anyone in the area with the same device can just join in. The problem with the Nintendo DS is how often are you in a bar with one? Even the Cybiko (which is super old and was like a young tech kid's playtoy from like 2000) is that no one had it so its not like you could go out to a public area and have people join in on those chat channels.
I've seen apps that claim to do this, but they really don't, as its still over the internet instead of your local area..
Hell the closest thing that would almost be like this scenario would be hosting a open wireless connection that anyone could connect to, hosting an irc server on that network and having people connect to that server, which is quite a hastle for any one person to do just for an interesting way to chat..
Tho I agree with the whole privacy issue thing, I knew that'd probably be the case.. What if there was an app that your an that whenever someone came within your vicinity it would pop up saying "So and So has entered your area" and allowed you to click on their name and start saying hi..
Like I said in my first post there was sonar.me for ios, that kinda synced all the social networking sites to see who was in the same place you are. Supposedly it also allowed you to chat with the people that were also in your area. That would be kinda interesting..
bump...910

A few questions about the VS985 - contacts editing, call blocking and others

I searched the web (and the thread suggestions are not similar) and found very little on these matters, so...
Some background first -
I have now owned the G3 for 6 days. This is my first android os phone and first "smart" phone I have owned. The closest thing I've owned to this was an apple iPod touch. I'm not a big apple fan, (its the only device I own sporting their logo) but I have to say after spending some time with this G3 for the last few days, I am beginning to appreciate some of intuitive elements of their design. I didn't consider the apple phone due to their "proprietary" connects, no readily available battery removal, no flash and no microSD. These are all features I feel really should be very "basic" at this stage of tech. However, after spending a few days with this unit, I'm not thinking these phones are as "smart" as the marketing selling them. Perhaps I'm wrong. Please feel free to offer a different viewpoint!
Now, don't get me wrong, while the layout is fairly decent, the camera is nice, the phone (telephony) seems to work fairly well so far, and the screen sure looks pretty - even if a bit huge to get a comfortable grip on - but customization (at least in stock form) seems somewhat limited. This phone seems setup to waste time not to conserve it.
2 days ago I wrote my first post on this forum - stating that basically, from my perspective of a short time with this phone and furthering research - this thing needs rooted just to customize it to the level I think might lead to a productive mini-computer and that seems like a whole lot of time expenditure for a device of which the battery only lasts a short workday and one that you have to keep protected from pretty much anything (bumps, water, etc.).
So here are some questions that I have not found answers to:
1. Why does this phone disallow me to edit a contact?
considerations: Some contacts have the "edit pencil" available and some do not. I have some contacts synced from facebook which I cannot edit (no pencil icon appears), yet my wife who has recently obtained a samsung note 4 & she has the edit pencil on all of her contacts, even the facebook synced ones. Not only do I want to sync the contacts from facebook (and other places), but I want to remove the facebook app and then keep the contacts on the phone. Is there a way to do this without adding yet another app?
2. Getting rid of "Rachel from card services" - yeah tell me you people haven't dealt with this lady burning up your phone - chief call spammer of USA... No offense to Rachel, but I'm tired of answering her calls. Why is it that allegedly on other non-Verizon versions of the G3 the user is able to block spammer's calls (call blocking), yet this one doesn't? Where is this feature of this phone? Am I missing something here, because I have looked all over and I have not found this feature on the phone.
Multiple cases of lockup - meaning I tap on the screen on an icon designed to make something happen and yet nothing happens. No response. Zero. This seems to be intermittent, but it happens. Is this a typical experience with these phones?
I was sold on the G3 because I noted & appreciated some of the features that came with it - but now I find myself seriously considering returning this phone - but then if I did, what would I even replace it with?

I was infected ANDROID

Hi,
I recently met someone online who was a romantic type of encounter but the more we spoke the more creeped out I got by the things hes seemed to know about me.
I finally came to the conclusion the things he said to me were extremely huge red flags, there was no way it was a coincidence anymore, and he knew FAR too much about things personal to me such as separate email accounts, and fake birthdates I use as only the last straw before I concluded to reset my device.
Code:
Alcatel
One Touch
Fierce 2
Kitkat
Thats the device I have. We 1st spoke on Kik and he sent me 2 pictures. One was of him that would not open an image. I tried to open it several times but it was just a blank picture.
The second I was able to view and download.
Does anyone know if this is possible to become infected by those means alone?
Otherwise it is possible he made a fake account and infected me with a link that did not work, but I was always under the impression that it was not possible to become infected by Rat or Keylogger with out installation. I was told in a recent thread I could become infected with opening a false link(???).
Im pretty much 100% sure I was infected. I hard reset my phone, but not the SD card yet. I believe the virus is gone, but I feel very creeped out this happen and do not see this going anywhere further but I would like to know if it is even possible. Theres no way Im being paranoid, but I do get a little over worried sometimes, unfortunately I think this was one of the genuine times.
How is it possible if someone did? Anybody have a link to a good article I could learn more? Thanks. PLEASE FORWARD TO ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE ANY ADVICE AT ALL WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED
Most likely he (or she) learned information about you some other way.
You might be surprised what people can learn from the "right" Google searches using some known info like email and city.
If a password on some account can be guessed, that can provide a flood of info, like reading every email or forum posts.
Most infections are from Android apps installed outside of Google Play. Image file viruses are theoretically possible, but I don't recall hearing of any such thing lately.
Please use this thread to continue this discussion: http://forum.xda-developers.com/general/security/getting-infected-android-device-t2989738

Facebook mobile number substitution?

So my ex girlfriend is convinced that I have somehow hacked her phone. (I haven't.) So much so that she drowned an HTC phone and got herself a new Droid Maxx. However she is still having the issues that led her on this paranoid delusion. I am looking for someone to help me explain to her she has not been hacked, or if I am wrong to correct me.
The story starts with her saying that her Facebook app on the phone is acting funny. Yeah the nebulous adjective, funny. When I asked her what does she mean by that she has various performance complaints as well as the app crashing at inopportune times. Setting aside such shaky evidence of somebody hacking a phone (because as you know, one thing a hacker does not want to do is let their victim know that they are inside their phone and thus shutting down the exploits they have already put in place) I am now seeking anyone who knows more about this than I do to help explain what she is seeing so that she stops accusing me of something I am not doing. To make matters worse ex-girlfriend decides to start monkeying around with things that she doesn't understand inside her phone settings and discovers something that I finally find to be odd but can't really explain away.
She went into her old phone (an HTC M8 I believe) account synch settings and sees the Facebook mobile number displayed as not her own. In fact it's not even a proper number. Here is a screen shot from the new phone (my memory says that a very similar result was on her old phone):
(Annnd Dammit since I am a fairly fresh user I cannot post a pic link, if you are trying to help me PM me and I think it'll let me pate you the link)
(Or I can try to put 5 spaces in the link to make it non working and if you have the patience copy it and take the spaces out to go to the screen shot)
http: // imgur.com / Mfba WdE
The number listed is not even a complete number and does not come up in any useful way in Google searches. This odd number was on her previous HTC phone before she sent it for drowning and then her new Droid Maxx phone is showing the same thing.
As you know it's useless to go and ask Facebook for any sort of support seeing as how we are not their customers, we are actually the commodity they sell to advertisers so they could give a rat's ass about assisting their commodity. Remember when you don't pay for something then what is being sold is you.
I must add that she also has confirmed to me that when she signs in to Facebook in a browser on a PC she does not see her number replaced inside her profile. It seems really very odd to me how her mobile app still knows how to link with her regular profile when the number is not matching. I have an HTC One M9 and I do not have the same behavior as she reports. According to her she can still see her news feeds and friend posts and all that Facebook goodness. She says she has Avast running on the phone, and she does not install any software not obtained through the Google Play Store.
My research came up with not a very convincing theory. What I found was a dated forum post regarding a Facebook feature that had been discontinued. The feature being cited was like an address book feature that sought to synch the phone's address book and the Facebook Friends list and address book together. But the discussion did not quite match what I was observing so it is unconvincing that I found what the cause was.
Can anyone follow this story at all? Has her phone been hacked? Can anyone tell me a better place to post a question regarding this?

Reposting from Galaxy S5 forum

Heyyo heyyo. "I've got an Android G5 running 7.0 software, it's a LGUS992 and the carrier is under US Celluar.
I know this is going to sound like some tinfoil hat **** and someone who's hearing things, hallucinating, etc but without a doubt. 100 %. someone in my community has access to my phone [and my Chromebook, actually] I'm not very computer savvy but I know there are means through which you /might/ be able to do this kind of thing- stealing wifi, malware or spyware, keylogging, some kind of physical device, etc
I've heard people mention things as specific as individual songs I'm listening to, passwords I've used, things I've typed, etc. Like literally /everything and anything/ I'll do on my phone, I know people have access to and I absolutely need to know how this is being done and how I could stop it, I've been a phone addict for years, use mine for both professional and personal purposes, and since I live out of state from most of my family and friends it's literally the /only/ way I can talk to 99 % of the people I know. My life is already in the dumps, so to lose my main access to a ton of the important people and things in my life is soul crushing and whoever does this doesn't care at all.
It's not just something that could be from my Gmail account being linked through my devices and then hacked. I've heard mention of texts, etc. Phone only, offline stuff. Does this sound like something that could be done and if so, evaded somehow? I even considered that the park I live in might have cameras inside the places but that wouldn't explain why I hear about **** I'm doing no matter where it's done
I've changed my phone password, Gmail password, Skype password, Youtube password, put on a PIN, put on fingerprint access for my phone, blocked off unfamiliar MAC addresses on my router and this has still continued. Someone in the Galaxy S5 forum said I could try "resetting the whole thing - meaning all partitions on it - to stock configuration via a special tool." but like I said, I'm not computer or phone savvy so I wouldn't know how to or if this'd even fix the problem

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