Hi @ all,
I'm interested in getting an Android phone next year. I've already tested some and the OS is really great, but there are still some questions open for me.
One is: Is it possible to set my location in Android manually, that means without the Google location service?
Reason is that I do not want to send my location data to Google (why should they get a moving profile of me?) - I don't agree with such spy practices...
Please do not discuss about my opinion about this, I simply want to have an answer to my question - possible yes or no, and if yes: how can it be done?
Thanks
Zap
Hey,
Im using a Desire using RCMixHD v12 and there are options under Settings>Location. There, you can turn off using GPS and turn off using Wireless networks (Wi-Fi and mobile networks). Im not too sure if there are any others but that should suffice for you I would assume?
Also, with most applications you can set a specific location rather than using "Current Location"
Kris
This is unfortunately not exactly what I was thinking about. Let me describe what I mean:
I.e. look at a HTC Desire or a Wildfire with a Standard ROM (2.1/2.2) - when you set up the device it is asking you "Do you want to activate the "my location" service?" and as description it shows "Allow the device to send your location data to Google, without this service your location cannot be displayed." or somehow similar.
What I do not like is that my location is sent to Google, because I do not know which data is sent along with this - i.e. together with IMEI and phone number they could get a moving profile of the user.
When you leave this deactivated, your device is i. e. not able to show the location you are situated at under the Sense flip clock and you cannot force it to show the location because it always asks again if you want to activate that stupid Google location service.
Under Sense for Windows Mobile (I'm using a HTC Topaz actually) you can set your location manually (via the weather application and the clock settings), even if the lovation service is switched off. The device then shows weather and time of the manually set location in the sense clock, but doesn't send it to the big G.
This is what I want to know, I hope the description was clearly enough...
Sorry for the bad English, I'm not a native speaker...
Greetings fellow developers and/or Android enthusiasts,
I wanted to take a moment to start a thread on for the Android application (2.2+) Backitude: Configurable Background Location Tracking. I would like a place to discuss the app publicly, discuss troubleshooting solutions, bugs, or motivate ideas and improvements.
Check out the Full version, ad-free available for free in the Android Market/Google Play store:
Download here: Backitude: Configurable Background Location Tracking
EDIT: Google Latitude shutdown their API on Aug 9, 2013 which completely changes the makeup of the application. Its sole purpose was to send locations to Google in order to maintain an accurate and timely history with Latitude. Now, it will be more geared towards keeping its own history and integrating with a number of systems or personal custom servers.
Backitude provides a bundle of extended features and functionality for updating Google Latitude locations from your Android device. If you are a Google Latitude user or once had interest in the concept of Google Latitude, then Backitude is an essential addon. Background gps location updating at your own specified time interval is now within your realm. Backitude expands your updating options, accuracy, and even allows you and your friends to force updates on eachother when needed, all seamlessly behind the scenes.
I created this app about a couple years ago to address two issues: I wanted to fix the short-comings of Google Latitude and make it a plausible application for users to enjoy and utilize effectively and efficiently. Also, I wanted to provide Google Play Store with such functionality free of charge. At the time, no such free application existed.
Google Latitude is somewhat inadequate on its own, but this is of no fault of the Google developers. They designed the application with battery efficiency as a number 1 priority. The conserve battery, Latitude on its own does not update locations in the background using GPS for accurate reporting. Instead it relies on Wi-Fi and cell tower triangulation to determine your location. Since many users refrain from enabling Wi-Fi when not stationary in their own network, or since Wi-Fi cannot be obtained while travelling, the resulting location updates are large, inaccurate "blue circles" on the map. Cycling through your Latitude friends, I mostly would see large, city-wide, inaccurate location readings- like I said, therefore truly defeating the purpose of Latitude. Latitude also fails to give the user any configurable options to location reporting. What good is a location history if majority of the values are city level and inaccurate? Backitude, to the rescue.
Backitude was designed to address all of this and put the power back into the hands of the user. You have complete control what, when, and how to update. Power can be a dangerous thing however. Google chose not to give the user a chance to configure their settings and risk draining batteries and having Android or Google products labelled as "battery drainers." Backitude is for the intelligent user, to know how to manage their battery, know their priorities, and know the effect of such functions. GPS polling is a very battery-intensive maneuver!
The final issue and gap Backitude inspired to bridge is updating a friend's location. It is great to have control over your location updates and allowing your friends to see exactly where you are, but what if they haven't updated recently or exactly when you needed to know their location? Backitude has an answer for that. "Fire an Update on a Friend" is the newest feature which utilizes SMS messaging to receive requests from other Backitude users. If your friend is also using Backitude and has this option enabled, you can send a request to their device which will in turn trigger an update at that very moment.
Additionally, there are many, many more features that all serve to give the user complete control of Latitude updates and battery consumption (in the context of Latitude updating). Thank you for checking it out, and I look forward to supplying any troubleshooting information right here for all to find, and hear ideas and feedback from those other enthusiasts out there.
Troubleshooting Topics
Location Updating using Backitude: the application utilizes oAuth2 authentication which is very easy and very convenient for the user. The user is able to grant permission for Backitude to integrate with their Google Latitude account at a click of a button without even having to enter their credentials.
The issue is, some users on some devices have experienced trouble obtaining this permission. It is important that users do one of the following before using Backitude, however, for some users it is required that they do both:
1) Use the Maps application to "activate Latitude for this device" by signing into Latitude. (Additionally, it is suggested that the user change their Latitude location reporting to "set your location". By manually updating your location and selecting an arbitrary position, you will prevent Latitude from wasting unnecessary battery life on updating your location, but still allow your friends to see your location. Backitude can do all your updates for you instead.)
2) From a PC or computer, visit Google Latitude and sign in from your browser. (And not from a tablet or smartphone browser) I do not know why this is required, but for some, to fully opt into the Google Latitude agreement and conditions, this is required.
After doing so, 99% of users are able to update using Backitude. An extreme minority, still have to perform some additional steps. This would include resetting your Google 3rd party authorizing sites, by revoking access from all, and then trying the process over from start. Signing into Maps. Activating Latitude. Installing Backitude..etc Any issues, I am always available via forum or email. Thanks!!
I just started using this app a few days ago after realizing how often Google Maps is polling for location information just to update latitude... Hundreds of times a day, even when I'm not moving!
So far, I'm liking what this app has to offer
Troubleshooting Topics: Location Updating using Backitude
If all else fails to get you updating, the following detailed description may help get you going as a last resort. Again, I'm not sure why oAuth2 can be so difficult for a small handful, and so convenient for so many others.
Start fresh by trying the following steps to reset your Google Latitude permissions
* From your android device, launch the Maps > Latitude application and Sign out. On the latest version, this is accomplished by going to Latitude > Menu > Location settings > Location reporting > Latitude location sharing > Sign out of Latitude
* Next, go into Android > Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > Maps and click the "Clear data" button.
* Similarly, uninstall the Backitude application by completing the following: Android > Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > Backitude and click the "Uninstall" button.
Now, follow these steps from a PC browser to remove access (so that we can then add them back)
* Visit google.com
* Sign into Google using the account you are trying to configure for Backitude
* Go to Google Account settings, or click "Account". (I will post a link directly there when I have the ability too)
* Scrolling down, you see the option to "Visit the previous version of the Account settings screen" which takes you to My Account.
* Under Security, select the link for "Authorizing applications & sites" (accounts.google.com/b/0/IssuedAuthSubTokens)
* Revoke access to any applicable "Android Login Service" entry including those such as "Full Account Access" and "Google Latitude"
Everything is now successfully reset, so perform the following steps in order.
* Sign into Latitude from a PC browser. (It is very important to sign in from a PC browser and not your android device at first). This is required by some devices for authentication purposes, to "opt" your Google account user into Latitude.
* Enable Google Latitude on your device using the Latitude app. If multiple accounts exist on your device, you may have to select the appropriate account by going to Maps > Menu > Settings > Switch Account. Then, or otherwise, sign-in to Latitude from your android device.
* Finally, you can try to re-install Backitude and successfully update your location to Google Latitude.
And that always seems to get the last 0.01% of users updating successfully who couldn't before. Annoying, yes!
Other similar 3rd party Latitude apps appear to be using a variant of oAuth1 authentication, which requires entering your password. I have contemplated implementing the same, to avoid this issue but perhaps future versions of Maps and Android will better activate permissions on those devices.
Backitude: My settings
How do I configure Backitude to run? Personally, with battery efficiency in mind while leaving the highest priority features enabled.
Enable Service: on (this is essentially the on/off switch)
Advanced Settings
Set Priority: Wi-Fi, with GPS/Tower Triangulation backup (One of the most overlooked but favorite options. This setting will abort GPS polling if a Wi-Fi network is present and the Wi-Fi location is accurate. So, in a real-life situation, my phone is indoors at work or at home with Wi-Fi enabled. GPS is enabled but not going to be able to get a fix indoors. Instead of polling for the entire extent of the Polling Timeout, Backitude will abort polling, and update using the Wi-Fi location value, which is all it ever would've gotten anyways. Beyond that, if I am outdoors and away from a Wi-Fi network with the same setup, the GPS will still poll and run its course as normal.)
Settings
Time Interval Option: 30 minutes (if my friends need a more recent update, they can ping me and have backitude fire off an automatic update seamlessly in the background)
Location Polling Timeout: 15 seconds (The longer GPS is allowed to run, the more potential battery gets burned if you can't acquire an easy fix)
Latitude Re-Sync Rate: off (this feature is only needed to prevent Latitude from overwriting your Backitude location update. However, I put my Latitude location reporting to manual so Latitude is no longer detecting my location. Battery saver too!)
Min. Change in Distance: off (I'm not a Location History keeper, so eliminating repeat updates is not a concern for me)
Location Steals: On (This is one of my favorite features. If you're using an app such as Maps, Navigator, or even the Internet, which polls your GPS, Backitude will steal this location and use it to update your location. The battery-intense function is already on-going thru another app, you might as well steal the location value and update your Latitude at very little expense.)
Accurate Update Only: On (You have to think about location "circles" for this option. Circles coming from inaccurate location readings. If your previous location value was more accurate then the current location reading, and the previous location is within the location perimeter of the newest location, it will repeat the more accurate location.
Real-time Enabled: Off (This is for individuals wanting to update at a faster rate when charging their device or docked. Personally, I just change my update interval when I want to update faster)
Real-time Interval: n/a (Users tend to want to poll location and update at a faster rate when their device is docked and battery is no longer a concern)
Real-time Timeout: n/a (When real-time updating, there is a separate timeout value for GPS polling versus the normal timeout. Users may have a different preference if their device is docked so there is a separation configuration for that)
Push Enabled: On (Allow friends to force an update to Latitude on my device by simply texting "Force Backitude update". I can get away polling at a slower rate and save battery because all my friends and fellow Backitude users know they can force an update on me when needed)
Display Message: off
Display Push Notif: off
Status Bar Icon: never
Display Update Message: off
Display Update Failed Notification: off
EP2008 said:
I just started using this app a few days ago after realizing how often Google Maps is polling for location information just to update latitude... Hundreds of times a day, even when I'm not moving!
So far, I'm liking what this app has to offer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I'm currently working on fixing a couple known issues, and hoping to get a new release out this week. Nothing earth shattering though. I noticed you were running ICS... have you noticed any issues? I have not tested ICS compatibility yet, so I was always curious. Using a Bionic myself, I'm still hoping to get an update later this year and try it out myself. Thanks!
backitude said:
Thanks. I'm currently working on fixing a couple known issues, and hoping to get a new release out this week. Nothing earth shattering though. I noticed you were running ICS... have you noticed any issues? I have not tested ICS compatibility yet, so I was always curious. Using a Bionic myself, I'm still hoping to get an update later this year and try it out myself. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No issues that I've seen.
I did have a bit of frustration when testing it as I had it set not to update unless my location changed more than 100m, so when I fired a manual update, I assumed that would force an update regardless of the location setting. It wasn't until after I turned that setting off did the manual update refresh with a new location timestamp.
Not a huge issue, but for some time I didn't think that the app was working because the timestamp on the history log never changed after manual updates.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
EP2008 said:
I assumed that would force an update regardless of the location setting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never thought of that. That is probably a fair assumption. I may have to consider re-working that logic, so that like you said- if "Fire Update" is launched, you do not consider skipping the update because of minimum distance rules. Thanks!
backitude said:
I never thought of that. That is probably a fair assumption. I may have to consider re-working that logic, so that like you said- if "Fire Update" is launched, you do not consider skipping the update because of minimum distance rules. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason I made the assumption was because I use an app called FolderSync, which helps manage cloud file storage services. With it, you can setup rules to sync your files, like what time a backup should be made, if you are plugged into a charger and if you are on wifi, etc. The app has an option for the user to initiate a manual sync, which basically ignores all scheduling rules over the users desire to sync right now. That's why I thought it might be the same for Backitude.
EP2008 said:
...The app has an option for the user to initiate a manual sync, which basically ignores all scheduling rules over the users desire to sync right now. That's why I thought it might be the same for Backitude.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like the idea. I am going to change that for the next release. The settings for Backitude are pretty intimidating, even for novice Latitude users. I want to make it as user-friendly and straight forward as possible. Thanks for the help!
Still no way to see other people on Latitude? I'm sure it must be an API you don't have access to or something of that nature, but I still don't get the point of this app if it's "write-only". You can't see anyone, only they can see you.
You're correct in that the API is very limited. It only allows you access to your own location and location history, so there is no way to retreive your friends' locations, or even your list of friends. The purpose of Backitude is not to replace Google Latitude, but simply help correct its short-comings. Using backitude, and having your friends use backitude, ensures accurate locations, battery efficiency, and a means to update your friends' locations when you need their location. Once configured, Backitude runs in the background and can remain fairly transparent to your day to day Latitude use.
I'm using your app too in ICS 4.0.4 if you need some feedback. It's working quite well, even better than the other one! Keep the good work.
(Currently testing 2.7) Here is the change log, let me know if there's any more bugs I need to iron out last minute. Thanks!
Backitude: Update release 2.7 Changelog
1. Reported Issue: Backitude just stops running after a couple hours of use. (Unconfirmed but occasionally reported bug) I haven't been able to duplicate, however this could be the result of Android's memory management as an operating system, or the result of a Task Manager, task killer type of process. Users who experience such an issue should add Backitude to the ignore list on their task managers. However, I have made some changes in the code that may help.
2. Enhancement: For IOException, SocketTimeoutException, Read timed out, Unresolved host name. Backitude now has a re-attempt feature that will retry update after 60 seconds from a failed update due to these network congestion exceptions. (As directed to do by Google)
3. Enhancement: Implemented notification for users who cannot update due to permissions problem. (403/503 exception) Instructing user to first login to Google Latitude from a PC browser to "opt user into Google Latitude" and/or reset their Latitude location manually again. Google sometimes implements new terms and conditions and it may be required to re-opt into their agreement.
4. Enhancement: Updated Java Client libraries and Google Latitude libraries. I am hoping this shows improvements with efficiency, speed, memory, and issues.
5. Issue: (GUI) Steals option is not disabling if the Time Interval is under 5minutes. Likewise, it should then enable if the Time Interval is switch to greater than 1minute, similar to the behavior of the Re-Sync Rate option.
6. Reported Issue:*Wifi turns off after an update when Wifi Wake lock is enabled. Backitude now checks to see if Wi-Fi is connected (and therefore not sleeping) before acquiring a Wi-Fi wake lock.
7.* Change: "Fire Update" does not update location if minimum required distance is configured and new location is not outside of the bounds of previous location. Fire Update, since it is a manual update, has been changed to not consider the minimum distance configuration and bypass this validation.
8. Issue: Steals and manual updates (Fire Update) are not resetting the Time Interval clock after a successful update. This issue has been resolved.
9. Issue: Minimum distance calculation not taking into consideration changes in accuracy. If accuracy changes greatly from one location poll to the next, the location centers could be drastically far apart although the device has not moved. Offsetting the accuracy changes will result in better results for calculating change in distance.
10. Change: Push Update notification labels have been updated.
Well thats a nice application. Just starting to use it.
I have a suggestion. As my phone goes at night in a kind of sleeping mode - Wifi off, 3G off, Wifi Off, etc. - i would like to have a function to disable Backitude for certain hours or much better a Tasker Plugin.
What do you think ?
Thomas_BA said:
Well thats a nice application. Just starting to use it.
I have a suggestion. As my phone goes at night in a kind of sleeping mode - Wifi off, 3G off, Wifi Off, etc. - i would like to have a function to disable Backitude for certain hours or much better a Tasker Plugin.
What do you think ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, glad you like it so far!!! It's funny you mention that because I have two main goals for the summer. Tasker integration and off-line storage/sync. I looked into Tasker once before over the winter and it turned out to be a lot more work then expected so I put it off, as this is just sort of a hobby in my free time. But with baseball season upon us, I do a lot of coding with the games on. Go Sox!
In the mean time, there is a setting for wake locks in Advanced Settings for Backitude. You can turn disable the wake locks and Backitude will not run once your phone goes into sleep mode. This means that the gps will not run while sleeping..etc Hope this helps
Nice to read hat you planning a Tasker integration/plug-in.
Yes for the time being i have disabled both wake locks. Disadvantage is that my phone sleeps a lot . I have my display timeout set to 1 minute, so sometimes my phone is sleeping for an hour while walking around in Buenos Aires or Argentina. Anyway for now this is the only solution. Looking forward to your next developments.
Thanks.
Thomas_BA said:
Yes for the time being i have disabled both wake locks. Disadvantage is that my phone sleeps a lot . I have my display timeout set to 1 minute, so sometimes my phone is sleeping for an hour while walking around in Buenos Aires or Argentina.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, it shouldn't be that bad. Backitude will only cease functioning without wake locks once the device goes into a "deep sleep mode." I am not sure about the specifics of when this occurs, but it's separate then just display timeout. Can even take up to an hour or more from what I read, so as long as you're using it every hour or so, it should continue functioning. Please post your findings though, I am intrigued now.
I will observe the pushing frequency to Latitude and keep you informed.
I've been using Backitude for a few months now.
However, even with WiFi Wake Lock enabled, it seems the accuracy of my updates does not improve. However, when I open google maps with WiFi already on, the accuracy is few meters (I work and live in a dense WiFi area).
Do you think that Backitude for some reason is not turning on the WiFi, or is WiFi based localisation not being picked up by latitude?
Thanks for a great app!
Privacy: Does Android upload your home AP SSID/BSSID/GPS if the home AP beacon is "hidden?"
Does hiding your home AP broadcast beacon prevent UPLOAD of your SSID/BSSID/GPS to Google?
If so, how?
Background:
Anyone navigating on Android who drives by my home after they pressed OK to the Google Maps query is likely automatically uploading to Google my private information without my consent.
To continue, turn on device location, which uses Google's location service. [No Thanks or OK]
By default, this simple act turns the Android phone that drives by my home into a spying device for Google:
Android11-Settings > Location > Location services > Google Location Accuracy = ON
Google's location service improves location accuracy by using Wi-Fi, mobile networks, and sensors to help estimate your location. Google may collect location data periodicaly and use this data in an anonymous way to improve location accuracy and location-based services. Turning this off will result in your device only using GPS for location. This may impact the accuracy of location used by apps such as Maps and Find My Device.
All I'm asking with this question is whether turning off the home access point broadcast beacon (aka hiding the SSID) prevents those phones from UPLOADING my information to Google servers (and to other servers) by default.
Please be advised this question has nothing to do with using "_nomap" as part of the SSID. The question is independent of whether _nomap is used because the upload to Google by phones driving by your home of your SSDI/BSSID/GPS still occurs with or without _nomap on a broadcast SSID.
I'm interested in this as well. I've lowered the signal strength so you can't connect to it from the street, hidden SSID, but I'm pretty sure that [Forgot to not be evil] Google will collect all and any data it can get hold on. For example, if using an app to check signal strength, it recognizes the WIFI signal, so I'm guessing it's getting picked up by G as well. It's only a guess... and a history knowledge from them getting high on personal data
Марија said:
Notice that this is BENotice that this is BEI'm interested in this as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for letting me know the solution will also be useful to you as that's why I asked it.
We want a definitive solution for people like you and me (we can't be the only ones who care about our home AP privacy).
I think anyone who is concerned about their home privacy wouldn't want their SSID/BSSID/GPS in a public database if they didn't expressly opt IN on purpose.
The default assumption by Google (and many others) is, I suspect, that if you publicly broadcast your SSID in the clear, then you're opting in.
Even though I disagree with this default assumption I have to understand the logic which is why I don't broadcast my SSID.
By not broadcasting my SSID I'm (hoping) it's signaling my intent to opt OUT.
Марија said:
I've lowered the signal strength so you can't connect to it from the street, hidden SSID, but I'm pretty sure that [Forgot to not be evil] Google will collect all and any data it can get hold on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thank you for that idea of lowing the signal strength (which only some routers will allow, I think) but I need all the signal strength I can get.
And more to the point most people need all the signal strength they can get, I think.
Even so, while lowing the signal strength may help, it still won't work for the Android devices that walk close enough to your front door to access your signal after using Google Maps.
Pragmatically, all it takes is the postman or the Fedex guy or the UPS guy to have his Android phone on with his "Google Location Accuracy" turned on.
It's even worse if they have "Improve accuracy" turned on, as that adds additional "Wi-Fi scanning" and "Bluetooth scanning", which is another can of worms we'll stay out of for this thread.
Speaking of Google Maps, you can "fix" the problem of Google Maps secretly turning on "Google Location Accuracy" but you have to go into your Android settings to find the special Google Maps (Google Play Services actually) "activity" named
com.google.android.location.settings.GoogleLocationSettingsActivity
Actually the activity Google Maps used is a secret undisclosed activity one step BELOW that com.google.android.location.settings.GoogleLocationSettingsActivity activity since the "OK" in Google Maps automatically secretly toggled it on.
Nonetheless, I set a shortcut to the com.google.android.location.settings.GoogleLocationSettingsActivity which allows me to turn the "Google Location Accuracy" toggle off (while leaving the "Location" toggle on) after I say "OK" to the Google Maps query to turn on location.
BTW, the undisclosed hidden secret activity is a specific Google activity that only Google does, as far as I know.
No other program that I know of secretly toggles "Google Location Accuracy" on other than Google Maps which is one reason Google is being sued in Arizona as we type for their secret tricks to get our private data uploaded to their public servers.
Марија said:
For example, if using an app to check signal strength, it recognizes the WIFI signal, so I'm guessing it's getting picked up by G as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is where our little secret lies!
I have absolutely no doubt that the phone's radio picks up the hidden BSSID (because I can see the hidden BSSIDs on my phone when I use any decent Wi-Fi graphing app).
However........
It's my understanding (which I need to find a reliable source to back it up) that someone's phone that is typically set to upload the SSID/BSSID/GPS by default will NOT upload that BSSID if it's hidden.
What's important is that sentence assumes that the typical upload of the SSID/BSSID/GPS requires the SSID to be broadcast in the clear.
If that's true, then simply HIDING the SSID broadcast beacon will stop other phones from uploading your SSID/BSSID/GPS to not only Google servers, but potentially Mozilla, Kismet, Wigle, Netstumbler, and other servers.
Note that I'm not saying it can't be done by a determined program. What I'm saying is that it's my understanding that it isn't done.
Notice the profound implications?
If I'm correct, then HIDING THE SSID broadcast is far BETTER than using _nomap (although I'd still use nomap also) simply because hiding the beacon broadcast is making it clear your intent to even those public databases that do not respect the nomap.
I think this is the way the Android SSID/BSSID/GPS upload typically works.
Of course ... there's more to the story...
One problem with hiding your SSID is that it kicks the privacy can down the road because now your phone is constantly asking by name for that SSID when you're not connected and your Wi-Fi is on.
Of course, there's a simple fix for that secondary problem (which works in Android 11 at least), which is to set your Wi-Fi on your phone to stop asking for your hidden SSID when you're out of range of it.
That don't-ask-by-name-for-my-hidden SSID setting on Android 11 is
Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi > (select an SSID) > gearicon > Auto reconnect = OFF
Марија said:
It's only a guess... and a history knowledge from them getting high on personal data
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would like to find a reliable source that backs up that guess that Google and Mozilla and the others (Kismet, Netstumbler, Wigle, etc) "don't" get your SSID uploaded to their servers by default if your home AP SSID beacon broadcast is hidden.
Notice I said "don't" which I think may be the case only in the default situation, as I'm well aware any determined person "can" upload even your hidden home AP BSSID/GPS information manually to any public server they want to.
In the end, I have a solution that I'm constantly honing to improve it where I want to accomplish two things here.
I want others to be able to do what I can do, and
I want others who know more than I do add to what we can all do in terms of keeping our SSID/BSSID/GPS out of Google's hands (and that of Kismet and the rest).
To clarify things: Android OS is developed by a consortium of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance and commercially sponsored by Google. It is free and open-souce software. It's source code is known as AOSP.
Android OS isn't collecting data as Google Mobile Services ( GMS ) do.
If you do not need any GMS applications or services, a high-quality AOSP ( like LineageOS what is just a modded version of AOSP ) protects your privacy at 100%, IMO.
jwoegerbauer said:
If you do not need any GMS applications or services, a high-quality AOSP ( like LineageOS what is just a modded version of AOSP ) protects your privacy at 100%, IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you that I should switch to aosp given that I have no need for gms services.
But the phone is still technically owned by T-Mobile for two years (it was free) so I am under the impressions (see below links) that I can't add aosp yet (is that true?).
Question Does anyone know how to root the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G?
Question Any chance that a Samsung Galaxy A32 5G can get aosp?
This would be a big leap in privacy if we can pull it off together.
Do you know if there is a way to permanently disable precise location & Wi-Fi scanning switches from turning on?
Google Location Accuracy = assisted_gps_enabled
How can we turn this (permanently OFF!)
Wi-Fi scanning = wifi_scan_always_enabled
How can we turn this (permanently OFF!)
Bluetooth scanning = ble_scan_always_enabled
How can we turn this (permanently OFF!)
Keeping in mind these basic inviolate privacy rules... everything below that question above is merely a detail as to WHY I want to permanently turn these three switches off.
Never do I need or want to use anything but the GPS radio for location accuracy.
And never do I wish to upload my location to Google.
And never do I wish to upload anyone's Wi-Fi AP BSSID to Google
And never will I create ANY account on my phone (especially a Google Account!).
The pernicious problem described below did NOT use to be the case.
android.permission.ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION
Luckily, this stays off usually, after I turn it off
android.permission.ACCESS_COURSE_LOCATION
Practically, this is required for GPS, so it must be turned on
android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION
I NEVER want this on but this keeps turning back on
It seems now, that every "map related" app that links in the GSF spyware, forces upon us wholly unnecessary de facto Google spying by needlessly requiring the app to turn on two pernicious Google spyware settings, even if you constantly turn those to settings off!
Google Location Accuracy = off
Wi-Fi scanning = off
It used to be that apps which needed your location would politely "ask" but you could turn on the GPS radio manually, and the map-routing apps would all accept that they had sufficient GPS-only information without resorting to uploading your location needlessly to Google servers.
Recently I tested the following parked-car finder apps, all of which perniciously turned on these completely unnecessary Google GSF spyware uploads to the Google servers!
Parked Car by Myroslav Kolodii
Free, ad free, requires GSF, 4.4star, 179 reviews, 10K+Downloads
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.unagit.parkedcar>
Car Location by DigitalBox Studios
Free, ad free, requires GSF, not rated, not reviewed, 500+Downloads
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.carparking.location>
Find my parked car by Aurum App
Free, has ads, requires GSF, 4.6 star, 32.7K reviews, 1M+ Downloads
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.carfind>
The technical part of this privacy problem is no matter how many times I turn precise location off, either globally or per app, many (if not almost all) location-aware apps (with GSF spyware linked in) turn it back on.
I don't ever want any app to ever be able to turn precise location on.
I have zero desire to use Wi-Fi access points and Bluetooth beacons to determine my precise location, particularly since I often spoof GPS. (I'm guessing the bluetooth spyware switch uses beacons, but I don't know that for a fact.)
Unfortunately for me, almost every app which asks for location nowadays (which uses the GSF spyware), automatically turns on both "Use precise location" & "Wi-Fi Scanning" no matter whether you've already turned precise location access off for that specific app a billion times already.
To be clear, this location tracking spyware situation doesn't matter if you don't even have a Google Account on the phone (which I don't have) because that's not the location tracking that I'm talking about here.
Android 12 Settings > Privacy > Google location history > empty
{I'm not talking about this location tracking as I have no Google Account
It doesn't even matter if you've globally turned the switches off in the Android 12 settings!
Android12 Settings > Location > Location Services >
Google Location Accuracy = off
Wi-Fi scanning = off
Bluetooth scanning = off
Even if you have every app that needs GPS set to "Allow only while using the app", many of those apps will ask EVERY TIME for "precise location".
Android12 Settings > Apps > Permission manager > Location > {app} >
Use precise location = off
The reason is most gps-enabled apps keep turning these precise location switches back on!
Even if you have your Wi-Fi radio & Bluetooth radio turned off, many of those apps still ask EVERY TIME for "precise location" - and worse - the apps won't run until you say yes to the request for location, and then saying yes will automatically turn on precise location every time.
Worse than all that, even if you already turned on the GPS and you already turned off precise location for all your apps and you already set every app to only use the location when the app is running, still most apps will ask for precise location (and then you can manually turn it off yet again).
I turned off all the system apps location permission that I could in
Android12 Settings > Location > App permissions >
Show system > Allowed all the time >
But some of them are grayed out and therefore can't be turned off.
Fused Location = Allow all the time (grayed out)
Fused Location = Use precise location (grayed out)
Samsung Location SDK = Allow all the time (grayed out)
Samsung Location SDK = Use precise location (grayed out)
The fact remains that, since I care about my privacy, I do NOT wish to upload my location to Google servers. Nor do I wish to upload all the BSSIDs around me to Google. And I also don't want any app using them for location. Ever!
I will never want precise location to be turned on, mainly because it gives away my true location (in terms of other people's Wi-Fi access points) and more importantly because I never will need location accuracy better than GPS which is just fine for what I want and for what I need.
In summary...
Do you know if there is a way to permanently disable precise location & Wi-Fi scanning?
NOTE: I'm not rooted (the Galaxy A32-5G SM-A326U apparently can't be rooted) & I therefore don't have Tasker nor, for privacy reasons do I have IFTTT (if this, then that requires a mothership account) but just in case automation forms the basis of a workaround, today I installed both MacroDroid & Automate which are better behaved than IFTTT is on privacy (but I don't yet know if they can do the job of turning off the GSF "assisted_gps_enabled" & inherently malevolent spyware permissions).
Also I have adb working well from Windows over Wi-Fi (for scrcpy/sndcpy & vysor), so maybe I can permanently revoke the permissions using that?
---
REFERENCES
<https://developer.android.com/training/location/permissions>
<https://developer.android.com/training/location/permissions#upgrade-to-precise>
<https://www.androidpolice.com/how-to-disable-google-location-tracking/>
<https://www.reviewgeek.com/127460/how-to-disable-precise-location-tracking-on-iphone-or-android/>
<https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-get-google-to-quit-tracking-you>
<https://hothardware.com/news/stop-apps-knowingprecise-location-and-why>
<https://androidforums.com/threads/how-to-disable-high-accuracy-location-service-permanently.1267243/>
Using ADB you at any time can grant / revoke permissionsA one-liner that helps granting or revoking vulnerable permissions.
granting
Code:
adb shell pm grant <sample.package.id> android.permission.<PERMISSION_NAME>
revoking
Code:
adb shell pm revoke <sample.package.id> android.permission.<PERMISSION_NAME>
Did you manage to achieve your goal? Using App Ops is really showing how often google checks your location...
Is the adb idea working?
Yeah, that stuff is all pernicious.
I run an external GPS through UDP and mock location daemon.
I don't want Google to ever listen for WiFi or BT.
It's pesky, every time I start Maps it's always asking me if I want to turn their stuff on.
Bad news.
Apparently Google has recently changed the
Android Google Maps app such that it no longer routes using only GPS.
I tested it without a Google account, and with the following turned off in the Android 12 Settings.
Settings > Location > Location services >
Google Location Accuracy > Improve Location Accuracy = off
Settings > Location > Location services > Improve Accuracy
Wi-Fi scanning = off
Bluetooth scanning = off
Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation [April 4, 2023]
<https://www.deceptive.design/articles/google-maps-now-requires-wifi-scanning-to-use-navigation>
<
https://www.reddit.com/r/hackernews/comments/si6wx2
>
<
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1488641697227624448>
<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30167865 >
<https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20220204-google-map-wi-fi-gps/>
"Now, enter a new update. I can no longer navigate with Google Maps, unless
full location tracking is on. Comments in Play Store indicate others hit
the same wall."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and
"a further update to Google Maps will prevent navigation on Google Maps
without fully allowing location tracking."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even the official Google Play Store Google Maps app description says it can't use only GPS anymore also.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps
There are only two choices now, none of them are GPS only anymore.
Location Permission
"precise location (GPS and network-based)"
"approximate location (network-based)."
There no longer seems to be an option in Google Maps for GPS only location. Am I right or wrong?
GalaxyA325G said:
Bad news.
Apparently Google has recently changed the
Android Google Maps app such that it no longer routes using only GPS.
I tested it without a Google account, and with the following turned off in the Android 12 Settings.
Settings > Location > Location services >
Google Location Accuracy > Improve Location Accuracy = off
Settings > Location > Location services > Improve Accuracy
Wi-Fi scanning = off
Bluetooth scanning = off
Google Maps now requires WiFi scanning to use navigation [April 4, 2023]
<https://www.deceptive.design/articles/google-maps-now-requires-wifi-scanning-to-use-navigation>
<
https://www.reddit.com/r/hackernews/comments/si6wx2
>
<
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1488641697227624448>
<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30167865 >
<https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20220204-google-map-wi-fi-gps/>
and
Even the official Google Play Store Google Maps app description says it can't use only GPS anymore also.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps
There are only two choices now, none of them are GPS only anymore.
Location Permission
"precise location (GPS and network-based)"
"approximate location (network-based)."
There no longer seems to be an option in Google Maps for GPS only location. Am I right or wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me Wifi-Scanning is off and Maps works fine. Not sure though, if Maps is maybe somehow still using it or whatever google/maps able to do.
Iam on Android 13 though (and custom Rom + rooted, not sure how much this plays a role)