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(Q) android antivirus software

Hi,
I wanted to know if I should install AntiVirus I just nand flashed coredroid to my HTC hd2 this was my first flashing ever on my phone and im new to all this I love the way its running now I just want to make sure it stays like that any help would be great

Check "lookout" app ...

tmpchr said:
Check "lookout" app ...
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agreed, currently have i on my phone

Personally I think antivirus type apps are not needed on android. But if you want one for peace of mind, Lookout is one of the security type apps

the_scotsman said:
Personally I think antivirus type apps are not needed on android. But if you want one for peace of mind, Lookout is one of the security type apps
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can the phone be restored if i get a virus then? like re-flashing it?

i use lookout as well, but i recomend checking the norton symantec option.

I think my android can be slow if i using antivirus..so any suggest!

"can the phone be restored if i get a virus then? like re-flashing it?"
yes,but only if you have a nandroid backup,titanium backup will do the job ;-)

I use Kaspersky mobile security. Lookout was released at a time claiming to be an AntiVirus when Kaspersky had claimed that there were no viruses out on the Android OS.
Since then there has been atleast 1 exploit which was reported by Kaspersky. (http://androidandme.com/2010/08/news/kaspersky-reports-androids-first-sms-based-trojan/)
Kaspersky being the most consistent AV for Windows over the past 10 years I tend to trust it over Lookout.

I agree with the scotsman
Anti virus form any form of mobile OS is overrated and not really required,virus are SO rare it really isn't worth it, but your decision
btw ive had various os over the years and never had an issue.

the_scotsman said:
Personally I think antivirus type apps are not needed on android. But if you want one for peace of mind, Lookout is one of the security type apps
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Click to collapse
Previously I would have agreed on this but it is far from the truth now. There is various malware been released even on the official market, let alone off-market. Now they wasn't exactly damaging to device/software but they was privacy risks as IMEI/numbers/emails and possibly logins etc are logged and sent.
For the sake of about 10MB of RAM and small battery use its worth the peace of mind.
I recomend either Lookout or Kaspersky. I got a free 6 month license for Kaspersky via German site, cant remember the exact source but found the following, not sure if its still valid or not.
How To Grab Kaspersky Mobile Security 9 Six Months License Key :
First open the bellow Promotional offer webpage arranged by CHIP Magazine , enter your Email address and D4N7D-PD625 as Gutschein-Code and finally click on "Absenden" button for submit.
http://promo.kaspersky.com/chip
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TheATHEiST said:
Previously I would have agreed on this but it is far from the truth now. There is various malware been released even on the official market, let alone off-market. Now they wasn't exactly damaging to device/software but they was privacy risks as IMEI/numbers/emails and possibly logins etc are logged and sent.
For the sake of about 10MB of RAM and small battery use its worth the peace of mind.
I recomend either Lookout or Kaspersky. I got a free 6 month license for Kaspersky via German site, cant remember the exact source but found the following, not sure if its still valid or not.
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Thats true but were all taken down afaik, droid is the biggest "risk" for sure though.

timmymarsh said:
Thats true but were all taken down afaik, droid is the biggest "risk" for sure though.
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Yes they was but because there is no vetting of what gets added to the market there is nothing stopping the same malware, variations of, or new malware been added at any time and because of the sheer popularity of Android now its only a matter of time before it happens again and may be even more serious next time.
If installing a small/low resource app can potentially protect/make you safer I dont see why not.

i installed lookout a few hours ago and so far i didn't notice any major slowdown (desire)

We should remember though these arnt just anti-virus apps but security apps, the biggest problem with mobile devices is physical theft of personal data, more so than any malware.

Siresmokalot said:
i installed lookout a few hours ago and so far i didn't notice any major slowdown (desire)
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Lookout is pretty good, and regularly updated by their researchers.
Some other (I won't name them) "security apps" don't actually scan or look at the apps you are installing. Instead they just look at the package name. Stick with good and trusted apps. Lookout is free, for "antivirus" features, and you shouldn't need to pay for AV on a phone given their offerings are pretty impressive.

MaFi0s0 said:
We should remember though these arnt just anti-virus apps but security apps, the biggest problem with mobile devices is physical theft of personal data, more so than any malware.
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Correct, And decent AV apps like Lookout etc come with inbuilt remote wipe features aswell as device location etc so even if your device was stolen you have possibilities of either locating it via GPS/Data/Sounding of alarm or in worst case wiping all personal data from it.

A few things:
Lookout is a great app. Little battery use, works well. The draw back is that it will not deep scan the entire phone, only apps and live scan (downloads). It does auto update definitions.
Netquin is also good. Little battery use as well. It will live scan downloads and deep scan. Drawbacks are that scan time is slow and virus definitions do not auto update.
AVG is the best, in my opinion. Moderate battery use. It will live scan both downloads and web. It will also deep scan and check settings. Virus definitions also auto update.
Dr Web is decent, but with Heavy battery use and multi-hour long scans, I don't recommend it.

Trend Micro has a free mobile security app in the market
I use the computer version on all my laptops, yet to have a virus on any in that time

Thanks guys, safe to say the OP should have a good view of what whats out there now

[Q] Permissions from Apps-concerns

Ok, I'm a Noob on here. I just got a Android phone & I am interested in various apps from the Android Market but when I read the permissions that most of the apps have listed as to what they can do to the phone and to your privacy I am quite concerned. Is this really an issue as people seem to download apps without worrying about what the app is or could do without your knowledge. I have searched on here & elsewhere & no one seems to be address the issue. Am I just being paranoid?
I have seen that a lot of these apps will prevent the phone or tablet from going into sleep mode, is this true?
Thanks hope I haven't stepped on any toes by asking this, but I can't seem to find anything on the subject. So far I have decided not to download much a select few apps.

Rebel60 said:
Ok, I'm a Noob on here. I just got a Android phone & I am interested in various apps from the Android Market but when I read the permissions that most of the apps have listed as to what they can do to the phone and to your privacy I am quite concerned. Is this really an issue as people seem to download apps without worrying about what the app is or could do without your knowledge. I have searched on here & elsewhere & no one seems to be address the issue. Am I just being paranoid?
I have seen that a lot of these apps will prevent the phone or tablet from going into sleep mode, is this true?
Thanks hope I haven't stepped on any toes by asking this, but I can't seem to find anything on the subject. So far I have decided not to download much a select few apps.
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Click to collapse
No worries, no toes are being stepped on.
I agree that the permissions required by apps can sometimes look worrying.
But the description is often misleading. Some times it just looks very intrusive but that permission is needed for something alot more simple. It's a broad topic.
Also alot of users are just not concerned by this or just go with the crowd.
Write the developer and ask him what the permissions are needed for, if his apps description is unclear on that or the permissions seem unrelated to the apps purpose.
When it says, prevents your device from sleeping, it is most likely used to prevent the screen from turning off or dimming while something is progressing on screen. It is also needed to ensure that the cpu finishes the current operation if you press the devices sleep button, so it doesn't stop at some random point which might lead to problems for the app.
If there is a specific app and its permissions you are worried you could just SEARCH and then make a thread and ask about it.

If rooted, search for "PDroid" on XDA to control permissions, or search for "Betterbatterystats" to find programs producing wakelocks and preventing deep sleep.
Sent from CDMA V6 SC GNexus w/Liquid & Franco.kernel

Aerocaptain said:
If rooted, search for "PDroid" on XDA to control permissions, or search for "Betterbatterystats" to find programs producing wakelocks and preventing deep sleep.
Sent from CDMA V6 SC GNexus w/Liquid & Franco.kernel
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But then don't complain if the apps malfunction as a result of interferring with permissions or wakelocks.
Also this is kinda missing the question of the thread.

Dark3n said:
But then don't complain if the apps malfunction as a result of interferring with permissions or wakelocks.
Also this is kinda missing the question of the thread.
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Trying to figure out how either of the options I listed does not address the concerns in the OP......
I think you should re-read the OP. Perhaps slower.
Betterbatterystats- used to indicate apps that are using wakelocks that prevent or interrupt deep sleep. Does nothing else. Does not stop them or even hinder them in any way. Its simply a tool to identify problem apps. How does that interfere with the apps themselves?
Pdroid-gives the ability to block (or regulate) unwanted actions from the apps specified by the user. Basically solves the permissions concern in the OP. And does not require root access to operate. The whole point of this software is to interfere with the users apps. If a program is looking into my contacts, I'd like to be able to stop it. If a downloaded app stops functioning because it wants access to my contacts for no discernable reason, delete the app. This app is only needed because of the plethora of greedy sometimes malicious developers releasing software that invades user privacy.
Rebel60, feel free to peruse these threads and see if either is the right fit for you.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1357056
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1179809
Sent from CDMA V6 SC GNexus w/Liquid & Franco.kernel

Aerocaptain said:
Trying to figure out how either of the options I listed does not address the concerns in the OP......
I think you should re-read the OP. Perhaps slower.
Betterbatterystats- used to indicate apps that are using wakelocks that prevent or interrupt deep sleep. Does nothing else. Does not stop them or even hinder them in any way. Its simply a tool to identify problem apps. How does that interfere with the apps themselves?
Pdroid-gives the ability to block (or regulate) unwanted actions from the apps specified by the user. Basically solves the permissions concern in the OP. And does not require root access to operate. The whole point of this software is to interfere with the users apps. If a program is looking into my contacts, I'd like to be able to stop it. If a downloaded app stops functioning because it wants access to my contacts for no discernable reason, delete the app. This app is only needed because of the plethora of greedy sometimes malicious developers releasing software that invades user privacy.
Sent from CDMA V6 SC GNexus w/Liquid & Franco.kernel
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How is viewing aquired wakelocks helping the OP understand what aquiring a wakelock does, and why the app did it? It's not about who, but what and why. Any type of wakelock an app aquires prevents deep sleep and a wakelock can not be used to interrupt a device that is in deep sleep.
Again the question was not about blocking permissions, but why some apps want all those permissions and why no one seems concerned with the obvious privacy issue.
While PDroid does not require root to operate, it does require it to be installed, so in the end it still needs a rooted device.
Why did you install an app that needs a worrying permission for no discernable reason anyways?
Thanks for the general developer insult. Developers really are the greediest folks *sarcasm* of them all.
Where did you take that from? How many developers of greedy apps did you ask about the permissions they request?
You can't really make that assumption as just a requested permission doesn't do anything at all by itself and what the app is actually doing with it, is unknown without sourcecode.
...and now i jumped aboard the off topic train, damn

In most cases, it does not matter why an app uses wakelocks. The fact that it does alone is important. It allows the user to identify the trouble app and either tinker with its settings to reduce the wakelock or delete it altogether if the app is not important to the user. Generally speaking, if I would like to maximize my battery endurance, the need to minimize wakelocks is a necessity. After several months of use, a user may not remember every setting he/she setup in their apps. Utilizing betterbatterystats, one could identify the apps that use short sync intervals such as email syncing every 15 minutes or weather syncing every 30 minutes and change them to longer sync periods which would dramatically decrease those pesky wakelocks and save some battery life. Both of those simple examples illustrate in general terms, how important knowledge of wakelocks could be to the battery hungry user. This of course is only one of many applications this program can be used for.
My Pdroid example, once again was a generic sample of the many ways app privacy is a concern. There are a ton of apps on the market that uses the internet even though the internet isn't needed to run the program. Yes more than not, the app is either varifying license files or uploading "anonymous user stats," however that is not all cases and users should be able to control that app and the information it transmits.
Finally, yes I looked up your information and noticed the developer notation and knew you would be offended by my developer comment. But I did not mean to insinuate that you were in that minority. I am unfamiliar with your work. Android is an open source platform and users should have full control over their devices. That is why I through those options out there. Anyone that disagrees with my full control statement should move to the iPhone and enjoy its closed platform.
Rebel60, I hope you find a way to fully utilize your device without fear of privacy infringement or apps that excessively deplete your battery. There are many people on XDA with a passion for these devices. And many different opinions. Take the time to evaluate your options and pick the right solution for you.
Sent from CDMA V6 SC GNexus w/Liquid & Franco.kernel

Aerocaptain said:
In most cases, it does not matter why an app uses wakelocks. The fact that it does alone is the issue. Generally speaking, if I would like to maximize my battery endurance, the need to minimize wakelocks is a necessity. After several months of use, a user may not remember every setting he/she setup in their apps. Utilizing betterbatterystats, one could identify the apps that use short sync intervals such as email syncing every 15 minutes or weather syncing every 30 minutes. Both of those simple examples illustrate in general terms, how important knowledge of wakelocks could be to the battery hungry user. With that knowledge one could change their sync intervals and save precious battery life.
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True, it would definitely help a user identifying battery drainers and in those cases it does not matter why the wakelock was aquired if it is what causes the drain. But the question was not about batteries, but about what/why wakelocks are and the description of the wakelock permission itself.
While BetterBatteryStats being a great tool, it does not answer that question. (Hence my offtopic remark)
Aerocaptain said:
My Pdroid example, once again was a generic sample of the many ways app privacy is a concern. There are a ton of apps on the market that uses the internet even though the internet isn't needed to run the program. Yes more than not, the app is either varifying license files or uploading "anonymous user stats," however that is not all cases and users should be able to control that app and the information it transmits.
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While bug reports or anonymous statistics are one part of it, i think most of the internet permission needs come from ads that are displayed. I don't use ads, so i'm a bit unfamiliar on that topic.
If solely googles licensing service is used, the internet permission is not needed, just the 'CHECK_LICENSE' permission (which is an extra permission just for that purpose).
It is also often used to update the welcome dialogs with news, if a dev does not want to release a new version everytime he wants to tell his users something.
Aerocaptain said:
Finally, yes I looked up your information and noticed the developer notation and knew you would be offended by my developer comment. But I did not mean to insinuate that you were in that minority. I am unfamiliar with your work. Android is an open source platform and users should have full control over their devices. That is why I through those options out there. Anyone that disagrees with my full control statement should move to the iPhone and enjoy its closed platform.
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I'm not denying that there are greedy and or malicous devs out there. It was the 'plethora of greedy sometimes malicious developers' that threw me a bit off. I see you meant it differently, as you wrote 'in that minority'. As english is not my main language, i might have understood it a bit too harsh too .
Most of my work falls into the 'Tools' category, if you have question about them (or the permissions ), write me a PM.
I fully agree that everyone should have full control over their devices and i also think that users should have the possibility of choice (i.e. apple selecting apps that are published vs androids more or less freedom of apps, though one might have to sort through a 'plethora' of useless apps, i wouldn't trade it for apples store).
[I needed all those big quotes to reflect what i'm responding to as you seem to edit your posts alot after you made the. Makes it a bit difficult to answer ]

Thanks
Dark3n said:
No worries, no toes are being stepped on.
I agree that the permissions required by apps can sometimes look worrying.
But the description is often misleading. Some times it just looks very intrusive but that permission is needed for something alot more simple. It's a broad topic.
Also alot of users are just not concerned by this or just go with the crowd.
Write the developer and ask him what the permissions are needed for, if his apps description is unclear on that or the permissions seem unrelated to the apps purpose.
When it says, prevents your device from sleeping, it is most likely used to prevent the screen from turning off or dimming while something is progressing on screen. It is also needed to ensure that the cpu finishes the current operation if you press the devices sleep button, so it doesn't stop at some random point which might lead to problems for the app.
If there is a specific app and its permissions you are worried you could just SEARCH and then make a thread and ask about it.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the answer. I think this best answers what I was concerned about. A lot of apps say that they can dial numbers in your contacts, alter settings, and a lot of other things that make me hesitant to download the app.
My phone is not rooted, although I would like for it to be, but am afraid I will brick it if I don't do something right. I don't know anything about wavelocks etc.

Rebel60 said:
Thanks for the answer. I think this best answers what I was concerned about. A lot of apps say that they can dial numbers in your contacts, alter settings, and a lot of other things that make me hesitant to download the app.
My phone is not rooted, although I would like for it to be, but am afraid I will brick it if I don't do something right. I don't know anything about wavelocks etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whether your new to android or a veteran, XDA has all of the information you'll need to educate yourself. Rooting is not for everyone and should only be attempted by someone comfortable with the process. It does however open huge doors to more control and customization with your device. My advice to you is first get to know the Android platform for a few months. In the meantime do some research and see for yourself the pros and cons of rooting. There are dozens of threads with people that are in the same situation as you. Learn from them and talk with them. If you have a direct question about android, feel free to PM me. I'd be more than happy to help in any way I can. Good luck & enjoy your device.
Sent from CDMA V6 SC GNexus w/Liquid & Franco.kernel

Rooting is pretty simple if you invest some reading time. Just make sure to search alot before asking .
Also be aware that giving an app root access is equivalent to granting every possible permission there is and more.
I'm sure most users are not fully aware of that.
So allowing an app root access is a huge trust investment in the dev, don't do it for fishy looking apps .

Read the description
Try reading through the apps full description. A lot of developers will explain why their app needs those scary sounding permissions.
If they don't explain, you could always contact the developer (seems almost like google requires app listings to include a 'contact the developer' link somewhere).

How do we make Android more secure both Devs and Users?

How do we make Android more secure both Devs and Users?
I love android and rooting/customizing but at the end of the day I feel exploits/virus are becoming to common these days. I see videos on YouTube of people taking control over users phones without the user knowing its happening which is very scary. Same thing with keylogs being sent over to shady people without your knowledge. The list goes on but the question remains. How can we Devs/Users make android more secure?

You can Use Apps Like CMSecurty Or Avast

You can try anything you want really but keep in mind. Your security is only as good as the hacker trying to get passed it. If they want it bad enough they will get it and there really isnt anything anyone can do about it except going off the grid.

Properly speaking, there is no secure system in the world, so do the android system. So it is necessary to install antivirus program and never open or download anything from iffy Websites.
The Android is relatively safe.

Lol the scary part is people actually fall for apps like cm, avast, etc.. They all gimmicks man they don't actually do anything and by the time it is detected it's too late.. It's already in. A Linux system like Android isn't really susceptible to viruses like a normal PC would be and the most you can do is maybe stops some malware spamming ads and collecting statistics. Like @zelendel said if someone wants in there's no stopping them and Android itself has built in protection no antivirus gimmick app can come close to especially with Google servers scanning apps also.. You are the weakest link in your security so common sense is a better antivirus. I still can't find one proven case of an Android having a real virus and YouTube videos are always fakes
Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

Ok....i give...need some solid information.

I have googled and searched my fingertips to the bone. Whenever i ask a technical question, i get answers from the clueless and the blind. I am beginning to hate this game.
So here we go. Stock android 4.4.2 ....rooted. How do you control which apps autostart and load in the background? Right now I have been trying to kill the Music app. Nothing works. It always restarts. So that means there is a sticky setting in some file somewhere in the system that needs to be edited that more than likely can not properrly be controlled from the childish controls android offers. In windows this is controlled in the registry and the startup process. Where is this in android? Why does no one share this information?
Yes i know it's dangerous. Yes i know not to putts around in the operating system. But if youre rooted, give us the data to control things.
So i await a learned response that probaly only one of the "developers" can answer. Because it sure as s€£%t ain't out there to be found.
Signed, royally frustrated

I'm reminded of that saying "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." Not sure why your posts are so charged but many seasoned developers and posters aren't going to engage in conversation with someone who uses condesending and self righteous tones.
I've never seen detailed posting of how it works, nor do I care to know, but by installing Greenify you can effectively control what you wish to control. Greenify allows you to hibernate applications keeping them asleep until manually called.
Some applications have associated services that are used by other parts of the system or other applications and therefore stay loaded to provide that service. If you also install Xposed Framework it will allow Greenify to inject itself further to keep applications that you choose to hibernate from being called upon by other applications (facebook for example has services that often get called upon by other applications for various reasons and so it can be hard to keep hibernated).
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk

muzzy996 said:
I'm reminded of that saying "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." Not sure why your posts are so charged but many seasoned developers and posters aren't going to engage in conversation with someone who uses condesending and self righteous tones.
I've never seen detailed posting of how it works, nor do I care to know, but by installing Greenify you can effectively control what you wish to control. Greenify allows you to hibernate applications keeping them asleep until manually called.
Some applications have associated services that are used by other parts of the system or other applications and therefore stay loaded to provide that service. If you also install Xposed Framework it will allow Greenify to inject itself further to keep applications that you choose to hibernate from being called upon by other applications (facebook for example has services that often get called upon by other applications for various reasons and so it can be hard to keep hibernated).
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk
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I am sorry. I did not intentionally want to come off as charged or spraying vinegar. Quite the opposite. But I have found, after reading tons of post, that we are living in the land of the blind and hardly anyone with sight is actually participating or for that matter even providing a modicum of usefull data. Beginning to think that I don't blame them.
It seems, after deep searching and research that children are actually in charge. What other explanation can you give for an operating system that is struggling with "basic" features found in DOS or windows 3.1 from 20 years ago. Similar to the slow evolution of linux, itself which only now, barely, is win xp like in its features after decades as a skeletal nightmare to load and setup.
You may not have caught the news a few months ago, but Samsung was floating the idea of abandoning android for a flavored and skinned version of linux for future devices, both phones and tablets.p, starting with the China market.
Tell me that Microsoft did not head that off by providing reciprocal licensing to Samsung for windows 10 to abandoning linux. Would not be suprised if we start seeing win10 handsets in the near future here.
Once android looses support from major manufacturers, then it is DEAD.
Read every other post and you will see the lament about the quality of google store apps.
So when I ask a specific, technical question requiring a precise answer.....which requires actual proframming skill.....which has yet to appear...you can see how the lack of response to that colors the situation.
If I offended anyone, I apologize. I get excited sometimes. Repeatedly slamming ones head against the wall, figuratively tends to make you anxious.
At this rate, my raw participation on these boards may be curtailed if I continue with this sense of useless effort.
Sorry to make anyone upset. You can let the kids back in the room. I think there is ice cream.

Have you considered freezing the processes you want to prevent from running with Titanium Backup?

ShadowLea said:
Have you considered freezing the processes you want to prevent from running with Titanium Backup?
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Titanium backup would work. The other option since you are rooted is to just remove the offending music app. I don't mind the samsung music app, but I don't find it absolutely necessary either. You could also uninstall the updates and force stop the app. That should also keep it from starting.
Another option that I haven't looked at completely but might work is the app "tasker" that lets you assign certain apps to start only when you want them too. So you could have the music app start only when you tap on media files. But I haven't tried this myself.
The problem currently with asking technical questions about the note pro is that it's a low selling device from 2014 so it just doesn't get much action on the forums anymore. It's a bummer for such a great device but that's how it is.

mjkurke said:
Titanium backup would work. The other option since you are rooted is to just remove the offending music app. I don't mind the samsung music app, but I don't find it absolutely necessary either. You could also uninstall the updates and force stop the app. That should also keep it from starting.
Another option that I haven't looked at completely but might work is the app "tasker" that lets you assign certain apps to start only when you want them too. So you could have the music app start only when you tap on media files. But I haven't tried this myself.
The problem currently with asking technical questions about the note pro is that it's a low selling device from 2014 so it just doesn't get much action on the forums anymore. It's a bummer for such a great device but that's how it is.
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Click to collapse
Low selling are not the words. More like abandoned. Samsung has moved away. My questions where android specific. "Freezing" apps, using a convoluted set of more apps to control unwanted apps, ridiculous. It is all ridiculous. Either root gives control or it does not.
I want full control, what runs, what doesn't, what runs in the background. Is that not why we root? So a comprehensive list of whats what WOULD RREEEAAAALLLLYYY HELP.
I am alone in the wilderness screaming at the trees demanding to know why it rains.
Do you understand?

Options like freezing in Titanium or using Greenify have already been addressed. Tasker is good for starting things but not so good at keeping things killed, not the proper tool to use for the job of keeping apps from loading.
My strategy:
1) Freeze anything that's safe to freeze that I know I'll never use in Titanium first. That way they never pre-cache into memory.
2) Greenify applications that I rarely use so that they don't pre-cache, taking care not to greenify applications that need to stay loaded to operate properly (like email clients, weather apps or messaging apps).
In the end on a clean boot my application/precache list is full of my commonly used apps. I worry not about how much free RAM I have, as long as the list of apps in RAM/cache is populated with the stuff that I commonly use.
NOW, all of that said if you're looking for something that works like windows startup manager then installing Xposed Framework and then BootManager is the way to go. I've done this in the past but find that employing freezing and greenify is good enough for my own needs so I've stopped.

globalsearch said:
Low selling are not the words. More like abandoned. Samsung has moved away. My questions where android specific. "Freezing" apps, using a convoluted set of more apps to control unwanted apps, ridiculous. It is all ridiculous. Either root gives control or it does not.
I want full control, what runs, what doesn't, what runs in the background. Is that not why we root? So a comprehensive list of whats what WOULD RREEEAAAALLLLYYY HELP.
I am alone in the wilderness screaming at the trees demanding to know why it rains.
Do you understand?
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Click to collapse
I am starting to suspect you have greatly misunderstood the meaning of root access. From what it sounds like, you seem to think it miraculously gives you access to settings and functions that non-rooted users can't see. Which is why you can't seem to get the answers you seek.
There is no such thing as a root-menu. Android does not have that functionality build into its GUI.
Root access simply means administrator access to the system's root directories. Hence the word Root.
You will always need additional apps and software to root access to change functionality. Titanium Backup, Xposed, SuperUser/SuperSU, etcetera.
If you want those options in the system, you'll need a customROM.

ShadowLea said:
Root access simply means administrator access to the system's root directories. Hence the word Root.
You will always need additional apps and software to root access to change functionality. Titanium Backup, Xposed, SuperUser/SuperSU, etcetera.
If you want those options in the system, you'll need a customROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right and even with a custom ROM you can't run away from using 3rd party utilities to make the tweaks. Custom is usually a good start though as they are typically debloated. Civato's is good for lightly modified stock with xposed baked in.
Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk

Now we are getting somewhere. So what you have all told me is that stock android, even when rooted, is still a sandbox with all kinds of limitations to customization. Even with apps to tweak some of it.
This is the nail in the coffin for me and android then. Im not in the least interested in all those custom roms where there is always some shortcoming or lack of support for a feature that does not work properly.
Thanks all. I am done.

globalsearch said:
Now we are getting somewhere. So what you have all told me is that stock android, even when rooted, is still a sandbox with all kinds of limitations to customization. Even with apps to tweak some of it.
This is the nail in the coffin for me and android then. Im not in the least interested in all those custom roms where there is always some shortcoming or lack of support for a feature that does not work properly.
Thanks all. I am done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for what its worth I do have your answer, better late than never right?
anyways android is built on a linux kernal and normally access to the linux command line does not come pre-installed to keep normal people from messing up their system.
so you will need to download a terminal emulator app if you don't already have one if you plan to do this from android. (Alternatively you can do it from the android debug bridge while connected to a computer if preferred)
First you will want to get the package name for the app you want to disable.
you can do this with a root file browser app by going to system / Data / App and then finding the package you want to disable.
however since it sounds like you want to do this manually we will go over the terminal process:
open a terminal window.
type: su
Hit: enter
the terminal will ask you for root access, go ahead and grant it.
to list the android packages type: pm list packages
hit: enter
This will show a list of the installed packages (Apps)
find the ones you want to disable.
now type: pm disable insertpackagename
hit: enter
for example to disable youtube type: pm disable com.google.android.youtube
Hit: Enter
that's it.
you will likely want to restart your launcher or even just restart the tablet afterwards as most launchers don't constantly poll for disabled apps so it will need a refresh.
also you probably already realise this so I apologise if its redundant but make sure you know what you are disabling
as with any linux environment disabling system packages and packages that another application is dependant on can cause trouble.

firefly6240 said:
for what its worth I do have your answer, better late than never right?
anyways android is built on a linux kernal and normally access to the linux command line does not come pre-installed to keep normal people from messing up their system.
so you will need to download a terminal emulator app if you don't already have one if you plan to do this from android. (Alternatively you can do it from the android debug bridge while connected to a computer if preferred)
First you will want to get the package name for the app you want to disable.
you can do this with a root file browser app by going to system / Data / App and then finding the package you want to disable.
however since it sounds like you want to do this manually we will go over the terminal process:
open a terminal window.
type: su
Hit: enter
the terminal will ask you for root access, go ahead and grant it.
to list the android packages type: pm list packages
hit: enter
This will show a list of the installed packages (Apps)
find the ones you want to disable.
now type: pm disable insertpackagename
hit: enter
for example to disable youtube type: pm disable com.google.android.youtube
Hit: Enter
that's it.
you will likely want to restart your launcher or even just restart the tablet afterwards as most launchers don't constantly poll for disabled apps so it will need a refresh.
also you probably already realise this so I apologise if its redundant but make sure you know what you are disabling
as with any linux environment disabling system packages and packages that another application is dependant on can cause trouble.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Finally. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

globalsearch said:
Low selling are not the words. More like abandoned. Samsung has moved away. My questions where android specific. "Freezing" apps, using a convoluted set of more apps to control unwanted apps, ridiculous. It is all ridiculous. Either root gives control or it does not.
I want full control, what runs, what doesn't, what runs in the background. Is that not why we root? So a comprehensive list of whats what WOULD RREEEAAAALLLLYYY HELP.
I am alone in the wilderness screaming at the trees demanding to know why it rains.
Do you understand?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just thought I would clarify a bit here, I know how confusing it can be coming from windows, I made the switch myself not so many years ago and had a lot of the same questions.
to explain root, the closest comparison I have imperfect as it may be is that root access is similar to windows admin access.
the noticeable difference in a lot of cases is what comes pre-installed.
for example in windows if you have an admin account it automatically unlocks access to the command prompt which was already pre-installed.
in android root access gives you the option to use a terminal but often one is not pre-installed, in fact even a file manager is often not included.
this is actually not a limitation of android so much as a limitation put in place by the specific device manufacturer as to what comes pre-installed.
for example a lot of cheap android tablets running google AOSP (Android open source Project) code actually do come with terminal apps and in some cases even come pre-loaded with root access.
in comparison a lot of more well known devices do not come with this pre-loaded to prevent people from breaking things. (For a windows comparison, its hard to delete the system32 folder without admin access, a file browser and command prompt right?)
As far as samsung abandonment, its a bit trickier there.
Basically what you would normally be used to is the Microsoft scenario.
1. Microsoft - Microsoft makes the OS but it runs on hardware made by others.
a. hardware issues go to the hardware manufacturer for as long as they support it.
b. OS updates are handled by Microsoft, they have more or less full control of the OS as it is closed source.
2. the Samsung Scenario - The hardware is made by the manufacturer, the bootloaders are locked, the OS is made by Google and then tweaked by the manufacturer.
a. all official updates come through the manufacturer (In this case Samsung) after google releases the open source code, samsung then alters it as they like and then they release an update.
b. Samsung is the sole support for the hardware and software as google no longer supports the software for the most part after its been altered.
c. it takes a lot of time and work for samsung to develop an update and push it out and then deal with all of the issues that come with updating the OS.
d. its often easier to leave a device that comparatively very few people bought on an OS that they knew was usable rather than spend all the time and money updating it and dealing with all of the related issues.
With that in mind this tablet has been out for about 2 years now which is a huge amount of time for this type of hardware.
All that being said Samsung very recently released the update to android 5.1.1 for this tablet
so it is definitely not abandoned yet, in fact its had more attention than even other devices by the same manufacturer but I suspect 5.1.1 will be the last official update we see.
if you have one of the note variants with an unlockable bootloader as well as a bit of time on your hands I would very much recommend trying a custom rom if you are worried about samsung abandonment.
you may have to try several different ones though, as you'll find a mix of roms that may seem almost half baked, more alpha release style but are cutting edge (I like those ones myself) to roms that are even more stable than the original.
My apologies if some of this is redundant information, I just thought I would throw in my two cents in case it helps

Two points . . for what its worth . . 1) the use of package manager's disable command effectively does the same thing that freezing in Titanium does, the main difference being that you're using a GUI to do it (there can be differences in how the apps are flagged though and using the pm command means not having to rely on yet another app); 2) disabling/freezing means you'll be unable to ever launch said application unless you enable the app again manually (using the package manager PM commands or Titanium).
Main reason in my initial response I didn't go straight to freezing/disabling apps is because that approach isn't exactly the same thing as managing startup in the context of the example given about managing what apps start up on boot in Windows (i.e. msconfig command and unchecking startup options). When someone takes an app out of startup in Windows the software isn't permanently disabled (unavailable) it is merely prevented from preloading when the system is started. So . . in reference to the music app referred to in the original post, if the goal is to be able to use the stock music app but just not have it load itself into memory on its own then the solution isnt disabling it or freezing it, its to hibernate it with something like Greenify or prevent it from starting using something like Boot Manager and Xposed Framework.

Firefly6240 got exactly what I was asking for. Freezing and hybernating, et al, is not total control. When i kill an app and i want it gone. I want it gone. Example, the google music, google books and google films. I gave stopped, killed even "uninstalled" in Purify and in Kingroot. On random reboot, the buggers are back. Fireflys solution is ceasars thumbs down. Wonderful. He understood the TOTAL control I was looking for.
Also, i loaded android terminal to run the commands.
By the way, Knox and EML are next on my list.
Thanks again firefly6420

globalsearch said:
Firefly6240 got exactly what I was asking for. Freezing and hybernating, et al, is not total control. When i kill an app and i want it gone. I want it gone. Example, the google music, google books and google films. I gave stopped, killed even "uninstalled" in Purify and in Kingroot. On random reboot, the buggers are back. Fireflys solution is ceasars thumbs down. Wonderful. He understood the TOTAL control I was looking for.
Also, i loaded android terminal to run the commands.
By the way, Knox and EML are next on my list.
Thanks again firefly6420
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK good, then I misunderstood the question. Hibernation has its place, it's just not what you wanted, you wanted complete uninstallation basically.
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk

like it or not, OEMs, even Google cannot just give the public ready-made controls to such things because the way a lot of (non-essential but) pre-installed apps are designed they depends on other apps being present and/or running.
AppOps was a classic example cuz once ppl found it and made public how to take advantage, a lot of dependant apps and services were affected and people called in to their OEMs complaining of broken phones when it was simply tinkered permissions.
there is no mobile OS more robust than android. all have their forms of depth, appeal, features and restrictions but none embrace admin access & leaving open the ability to do it more than android (just need the carrier and sometimes OEM to leave the bootloader the hell alone lol)
if you want a smartphone with admin privileges out-of-the-box and full control of all system services etc, I would recommend an Ubuntu phone. they're about a year into commercial availability which is still kinda fringe but stable and will lack certain major perks of owning either iOS (yuck!) or Android. there is a couple Ubuntu/android dual boot phones out there too, and that comes with the issue of storage space after holding 2 OS's
in another year or 2 Ubuntu phones should be more plentiful and bring over some popular apps and active development but I don't anticipate seeing it take off quite like other mobile OS's cuz when it comes to feeding the masses, more options and less restrictions can have the same effect as asking an 80 year old to put in an address on your navigation in the car while you're on the highway. it's a learning curve simple to some that seems too simple not to understand but can be bad for business.
I think android and iOS beat this problem initially because when they started, there weren't any other well-established alternatives. BlackBerry and some fringe PDAs were about it...

Note pro 12.2
I was/am dealing with the Note Pro 12.2 specifically. Not other handsets. This device is coming up on two years and support has been waning. When I bought it all was well. Less than a few months later the damned KitKat update came and suddenly I found myself without proper access to the external sd card, that had worked perfectly when i purchased the unit. I was furious. Especially when we where being told that it was for our own good and google was pushing internal memory over external. Damn them. I bought samsung BECAUSE it had the sd slot. And when Samsung did not provide the fix to the platform.xml file I was livid. 5.01 came out and Samsung destoyed support for most external blue tooth keyboards. And so it goes, one stupid blunder after another. Their updates destroyed my workflow.
So yes, damned right I want full control of my device, because they have shown they have NO regard for our needs and DO NOT ADDRESS our concerns. Just buy our stuff and shut up. Well in this case, i was sold a product that they later incapacitated.
I can not abide with that. I tried so hard not to root, for a year and a half. I shut off automatic updates on EVERYTHING because even updates from google play would sometimes destroy a goid priducy. I started saving apks from versions of apps that worked. I stayed stock 4.4.2 because everything worked but the sd write. How many threads do we have here where people upgraded to marshmellow and then begged to get back to kitkat? Last week after reading thread after thread of problems and convoluted fixes and a gazillion rom versions each of which has its own imperfections and then reading that the new samsung tablet was released windows 10. I knew it was over.
At that moment the decision was inevitable. I rooted and IMMEDIATELY fixed the sd write issue. And i unrooted. Two days of random reboots and i roited again, this time to take the bull by the hirns and control this thing. I became increasingly frustrated with the lack of displayed technical knowledge here at xda and the tons pf advice from also clueless posters. I tried everything. Even got scolded by an admin who has been here less time than me. (Follow the rules, follow the rules...don't you dare to ask the important questions)
Not till the reply from firefly6240. Now he knows something. And he shared a little with me. Which i greatly appreciated. I have a direction now. And the tweaks I have done have increased my battery tije, the screen reojse time and overall improvement of the environment. All on 4.4.2.
I still have some minor issues, but google and android code monkeys WILL NO LONGER CONTROL MY DEVICE, MY PROPERTY.
It is time people take control of the ELECTRONIC items which we purchase with OUR hard earned money and stop letting manufacturers turn those devices into nothing more than sales portals to make more money and deny us control or the ability to JUST SAY NO.

Security updates on older phones

My wife and I have have an s8 and a Note 8. We love our phones, and we don't really like the new phones. However, Samsung has decided to end security updates this year on these models.
Are there other alternative ways to get security updates, so our data is not at risk?

If you're running on Pie I wouldn't worry.
My Note 10+ has had any updates in over a year.
No issues. I've run outdated Androids for years with no malware forced reloads.
React quickly though to any suspected malware; if you can't delete it, factory reset.
Be ready to reload at anytime as you should be anyway. Keep at least 2 redundant copies of all critical data on at least 2 hdds that are physically and electronically isolated from each other.
Most malware infections are the result of the user doing something they shouldn't do.
Just watch what you download (check the download folder regularly), be careful what you install, and use a cloud app like gmail for email.
Keep trash apps like FB, WhatsApp etc off the phone. Use Brave browser and install Karma Firewall (freeware with almost no battery usage).
I avoid using wifi always. There's also a long standing bluetooth hacking vulnerability in pre Q OSs... be aware of that.
Pre Pie OS's are suspectable to rootkits that require a reflash to exterminate.
Scan with Malwarebytes every week or so; it picked off 2 nasty trojan preloaders for me before they could be activated about a year ago.
Use online Virustotal to scan any apk or file you're not sure about.

blackhawk said:
If you're running on Pie I wouldn't worry.
My Note 10+ has had any updates in over a year.
No issues. I've run outdated Androids for years with no malware forced reloads.
React quickly though to any suspected malware; if you can't delete it, factory reset.
Be ready to reload at anytime as you should be anyway. Keep at least 2 redundant copies of all critical data on at least 2 hdds that are physically and electronically isolated from each other.
Most malware infections are the result of the user doing something they shouldn't do.
Just watch what you download (check the download folder regularly), be careful what you install, and use a cloud app like gmail for email.
Keep trash apps like FB, WhatsApp etc off the phone. Use Brave browser and install Karma Firewall (freeware with almost no battery usage).
I avoid using wifi always. There's also a long standing bluetooth hacking vulnerability in pre Q OSs... be aware of that.
Pre Pie OS's are suspectable to rootkits that require a reflash to exterminate.
Scan with Malwarebytes every week or so; it picked off 2 nasty trojan preloaders for me before they could be activated about a year ago.
Use online Virustotal to scan any apk or file you're not sure about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, you must have a wife who understands that. Trying to tell my wife not to click something because it is probably a virus is like telling a 3 year old they can't have the adult red juice.
Basically, what this is though, is confirming that at min. We need a phone for the wife, for the aforementioned reasons.

JackWorthing said:
So, you must have a wife who understands that. Trying to tell my wife not to click something because it is probably a virus is like telling a 3 year old they can't have the adult red juice.
Basically, what this is though, is confirming that at min. We need a phone for the wife, for the aforementioned reasons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was fortunate and didn't marry or unfortunate
She doing what old people do... threatened her with an iphone
That trojan preloader was a tricky little devil and manage to download it's self without a download notification. You really need to be alert.
Teach her to close that browser page rather than click the mystery box. Occasionally I even close the browser and clear the cache if it's really invasive. Rarely anything more than that; it doesn't seem to happen on Brave, more on the Samsung browser on iffy sites. If I can learn to navigate in the gutter, she can too.
You can do is look at her phone at the end of the day. Maybe get the paid version of Malwarebytes. Unfortunately it won't stop everything.
I have no recommendations as I think Android is in a flat spin, Android 11 is just wretched. Even if you get a phone running on 10 it will soon be updated to 11... unless you disable updates.
10 would be more secure but overlay apps don't run on it and it guts Karma Firewall.

JackWorthing said:
So, you must have a wife who understands that. Trying to tell my wife not to click something because it is probably a virus is like telling a 3 year old they can't have the adult red juice.
Basically, what this is though, is confirming that at min. We need a phone for the wife, for the aforementioned reasons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download this app and tell her to scan your device regularly with this antivirus. It's the best one I found on playstore. It also scans for any harmful files : https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...BMA16BAgfEAE&usg=AOvVaw2ovEreBbhkoaiQCAgeyV81
And you too do the scams !!!!!

Arc android said:
Download this app and tell her to scan your device regularly with this antivirus. It's the best one I found on playstore. It also scans for any harmful files : https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.protectstar.antispy&hl=en_US&gl=US&referrer=utm_source%3Dgoogle%26utm_medium%3Dorganic%26utm_term%3Dprotectstar&pcampaignid=APPU_1_OxGrYNnyOsfd9QOVxI-IBw&ved=2ahUKEwiZ_OS9pOHwAhXHbn0KHRXiA3EQ8oQBMA16BAgfEAE&usg=AOvVaw2ovEreBbhkoaiQCAgeyV81
And you too do the scams !!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There will always be new threats without definitions. It may help but the phone's user is the #1 security threat.
I don't even let Malwarebytes run in the background because all those apps eat battery with little to show for it. Android is relatively secure, even outdated versions unless you do...

blackhawk said:
There will always be new threats without definitions. It may help but the phone's user is the #1 security threat.
I don't even let Malwarebytes run in the background because all those apps eat battery with little to show for it. Android is relatively secure, even outdated versions unless you do...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah you are right actually.