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Hi all.
I'm an Amazon customer since their early days, 14-15 years for now, and usually get their emails, with book recommendations. Today I got music recommendations, first time ever and very specific. I only had bought one Eminem album from them, few months ago, no other music purchase. Last week I installed their market app on my Xoom, plus 2 free apps. And the last music I played on Xoom, was the group Yello, cd is called "Eccentrix Remixes", 10 days ago. This album is still shown on music widget. If you don't know Yello, it's very, very different from Eminem )))
That's the background. Today I get an email from Amazon, recommending me Yello, Eccentrix Remixes and other albums of the group. This cannot be a coincidence. No music recommendations until now, installed Amazon app, got this one. Does it mean Amazon is tracking my device and my music? I understand they have to do something to cover their expenses for free apps. I don't mind their recommendations when I go to web page and buy something from there. But tracking my music on my own device is a little bit to much for me. To be sure, I'm playing different artist on the Xoom now, will give them a chance to prove me wrong. If I get another "perfect" recommendation, I'm uninstalling their app and free ones from them.
What else they can track? Email, messages, gps?
Yes they do track trends, on PC too, via cookies.
There have been several dodgy attempts at securing details from fraudsters in the past. Just use common sense.
http://www.wizcrafts.net/blogs/2010/07/beware_of_fake_amazoncom_purchase_order_scams.html
I understand PC and cookies. But on mobile devices, without me buying music from them, they track what music I listen to?
ddavtian said:
I understand PC and cookies. But on mobile devices, without me buying music from them, they track what music I listen to?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, sounds like a breach of privacy if ever I saw one. May investigate further on this one, seeing as permissions on Droid etc are in the limelight so much lately. Cheers
And you didn't install their Cloud Player or upload any of your music to their Cloud Drive service? That would be pretty sneaky if they are tracking what music you play with another developer's application. And using a Market app to do it. I'd be curious what the EULA for the Amazon Market actually says about privacy.
I have not installed their music player, have not signed up for cloud services, have not done any Amazon activities on my phone/tablet except installing market app and 2 free apps a week ago.
Yesterday I played The Doors on the xoom, now it's on the widget, waiting for next email from Amazon to confirm my suspicion.
I too have installed this app, and downloaded a few free apps. I have not received any recommendations. (but I may have email recommendations turned off? Is that a setting in amazon?) Anyway, after checking it's permissions it can:
STORAGE
--Modify or delete SD card contents
NETWORK COMMUNICATION
--Full internet access
--View network state
PHONE CALLS
--Read phone state
SYSTEM TOOLS
--Automatically start at boot
So, unless the SD card Storage permission allows the app to see what you access in your SD card, I do not see a permission that looks sketchy. I'm sure a Dev can open the app and see exactly what it is capable of if need be.
Perhaps your music player or Widget are the culprits?
I would consider Google a whole lot worse, but there you go.
I would guess that something is linking you to your account, whether it be a previous sign in, cookies, an IP address, or maybe even a 3rd party partnership, I don't know.
If it helps, hit thanks!
Hello, read a lot of threads regarding lag during UI usage and especially keyboard and messaging, which i too experienced stock. My GS4 is now absolutely lag free, and underclocked too. Here is what i did...
Root phone (need this for some of the features on some apps)
Titanium Backup (need to freeze some apps)
disable S-Voice (i never used it; i always feel weird talking to or being talked to by a machine anyways)
disable Google Now (i never use it anyways; its a pain to get to and i dont use any of the social networking or news feeds either)
Disable TouchWiz Home
LagFix app (i have pro, mine is scheduled to run once a night)
If anyone cares, i will post my SetCPU settings as well, but on stock or even powersave it should run VERY quick. My phone is Korean, my GF's is Chinese; NEITHER has a bit of lag. I dont use any AT&T services, mobile print services, allshare/screen sharing, Google+/Facebook (or any social networks actually) so i have all of that disabled, but the main advantages come from disabling S Voice, Google Now, using LagFix app and TouchWiz Home
My Freeze list has other apps frozen you may not have, or i may have some frozen that i dont use but you do; they are all safe to freeze
Titanium Backup Freeze list...
AllShare ControlShare Service
AllShare FileShare Service
AT&T DriveMode
AT&T FamilyMap
AT&T Hot Spots
AT&T Locker
AT&T Navigator
AT&T Smart Wi-Fi
DirectShare Manager
EasyMode
EpsonPrintService
FaceUnlock
FlipBoard
Gmail (i use K-9 to get them from my own servers)
Google Play Books
Google Play Magazines
Google Play Movies
Google Play Music
Google Play services
Google Search 1.0 (widget bar icon)
Google Search 2.5.8xxx (big blue 'G' icon)
Google+
Group Play
HolaARM6
HP Print Service
Kies via Wi-Fi
Mobile Print
Mobile TV
MobilePrintSvc_CUPS
MobilePrintSvc_CUPS_Backend
MyAT&T
S Health (stopped working after root anyways)
S Voice
Samsung Apps
Samsung Apps Widget
Samsung Calender SyncAdapter
Samsung Cloud Data Relay
Samsung Cloud Quota
Samsung Contact SyncAdapter
Samsung Games
Samsung Knox
Samsung Music
Samsung Keyboard
Samsung Print Service
Samsung Push Service
Samsung WatchOn
SNS (facebook, i dont use it)
Swype
TouchWiz Home (use another launcher first!)
Wallet (doesn't work on mine and nowhere to use it)
Yahoo! Finance
Yahoo! News
YP Mobile
wow 296 views and no responses? really?
Well first off thanks for all of your helpful input.
But this post and many others just beg a huge question to me.
"Why do you have a Samsung device if youre completely removing Samsung services?"
Even many Android ones for that matter
I just find it odd.
But regardless your tips are quite useful, though i wont use all of those.
Whats this lagfree app you speak of?
coffeehandle said:
Well first off thanks for all of your helpful input.
But this post and many others just beg a huge question to me.
"Why do you have a Samsung device if youre completely removing Samsung services?"
Even many Android ones for that matter
I just find it odd.
But regardless your tips are quite useful, though i wont use all of those.
Whats this lagfree app you speak of?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LagFix from Google Play Store.
I am NOT completely removing Samsung services, i only have the ones i dont use totally disabled. I use SmartStay all the time and Multiwindow sometimes, but i never use S Voice (or any voice recognition software; if i cant pay full attention to my phone without detriment i dont use it), and i dont use/like google now. I also dont use any social networks, S Health (which hasnt worked since i rooted), etc. Thats just me.
This is a 'safe to freeze' list, but freezing S Voice, TouchWiz Home, Easy Mode (home) and Google Now have a HUGE impact on reducing lag on stock ROM/Kernel. If you look, i disabled a LOT of Google apps too; i have physical books, and dont use google play to buy movies/tv shows/music; id rather buy and load them (automatically) myself so i can use them on more than one device.
i disabled everything i dont use, but S Voice and Google Now made the greatest impact on lag; Its totally gone. I dont like to have any processes ill never use running or visible; i prefer a very simple clean interface and list of apps; again thats me.
Basically, the best of stock android with the samsung add-ons i like and use is all that i want, and not a kilobyte more.
Slade8525 said:
LagFix from Google Play Store.
I am NOT completely removing Samsung services, i only have the ones i dont use totally disabled. I use SmartStay all the time and Multiwindow sometimes, but i never use S Voice (or any voice recognition software; if i cant pay full attention to my phone without detriment i dont use it), and i dont use/like google now. I also dont use any social networks, S Health (which hasnt worked since i rooted), etc. Thats just me.
This is a 'safe to freeze' list, but freezing S Voice, TouchWiz Home, Easy Mode (home) and Google Now have a HUGE impact on reducing lag on stock ROM/Kernel. If you look, i disabled a LOT of Google apps too; i have physical books, and dont use google play to buy movies/tv shows/music; id rather buy and load them (automatically) myself so i can use them on more than one device.
i disabled everything i dont use, but S Voice and Google Now made the greatest impact on lag; Its totally gone. I dont like to have any processes ill never use running or visible; i prefer a very simple clean interface and list of apps; again thats me.
Basically, the best of stock android with the samsung add-ons i like and use is all that i want, and not a kilobyte more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ah ok. That makes a little more sense. Wel when i get my 32 gig (hopefully by friday) i think ill try freezing Svoice. I do enjoy Google Now though. its pretty neat. But i agree with you on Svoice. I wouldnt have thought it would make an impact. But ill take your word on it haha
Slade8525 said:
LagFix from Google Play Store.
I am NOT completely removing Samsung services, i only have the ones i dont use totally disabled. I use SmartStay all the time and Multiwindow sometimes, but i never use S Voice (or any voice recognition software; if i cant pay full attention to my phone without detriment i dont use it), and i dont use/like google now. I also dont use any social networks, S Health (which hasnt worked since i rooted), etc. Thats just me.
This is a 'safe to freeze' list, but freezing S Voice, TouchWiz Home, Easy Mode (home) and Google Now have a HUGE impact on reducing lag on stock ROM/Kernel. If you look, i disabled a LOT of Google apps too; i have physical books, and dont use google play to buy movies/tv shows/music; id rather buy and load them (automatically) myself so i can use them on more than one device.
i disabled everything i dont use, but S Voice and Google Now made the greatest impact on lag; Its totally gone. I dont like to have any processes ill never use running or visible; i prefer a very simple clean interface and list of apps; again thats me.
Basically, the best of stock android with the samsung add-ons i like and use is all that i want, and not a kilobyte more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting info but I never notice an increase in lag when I turn Google Now on. I disable(haven't rooted0 most of the apps you freeze including S Voice, run Nova Launcher over Touchwiz and have never had a problem with lag on this phone.
coffeehandle said:
ah ok. That makes a little more sense. Wel when i get my 32 gig (hopefully by friday) i think ill try freezing Svoice. I do enjoy Google Now though. its pretty neat. But i agree with you on Svoice. I wouldnt have thought it would make an impact. But ill take your word on it haha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh but it does; same with freezing TouchWiz Home and Easy Mode/Home
NovaSense said:
Interesting info but I never notice an increase in lag when I turn Google Now on. I disable(haven't rooted0 most of the apps you freeze including S Voice, run Nova Launcher over Touchwiz and have never had a problem with lag on this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google Now is the least lag-adding; its negligible. S Voice, TouchWiz Home, and EasyMode/Home are the worst for it. Why they create so much lag i dont know, i dont use them, so therefor i dont care. I have a Korean S4, my GF has a Chinese S4; neither of us have lag after we disabled those three.
I run WAY underclocked; with SetCPU, 384 minimum, 1242 max Mhz. Slight lag coming out of deep sleep/idle for a long time, but ZERO lag in messaging with stock or GoSMSpro, and no problems with high end games (dont play them, just wanted to see if underclocking would create issues/crashes. they dont).
Like i said, if you disable all the things you dont/wont use, it will help. There is a LOT i dont use, but S Voice/TouchWiz/EasyMode made the biggest difference; more than everything else combined.
What about these?
Blurb checkout
Epsonprintservice
Gallery if using 3rd party like QuickPic
Samsung apps widget
com.androidproviders.partnerbookmarks
Samsung hub uodater
Story album widget
Travel 1.0
Travel widget 1.0
All calendar stuff ie if using 3rd party like Jorte
Direct connect manager 3.0
Easy settings.
Key chain (Wtf is this?)
Mobile print
Nearby devices
Nearby service
Picasa uploader
Also, freezing Samsung apps may prevent you from getting updates to WatchON, s health etc.
I mean, you could freeze the living piss out of this phone. But there comes a point, where if you're going to freeze all the bloat, why not just flash a deodexed debloated rom like ib4st1ds. The only stuff I have frozen is what I've seen running..
Keep up the good work slade. Nice to see people trying to help others.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
Planktron said:
What about these?
Blurb checkout
Epsonprintservice
Gallery if using 3rd party like QuickPic
Samsung apps widget
com.androidproviders.partnerbookmarks
Samsung hub uodater
Story album widget
Travel 1.0
Travel widget 1.0
All calendar stuff ie if using 3rd party like Jorte
Direct connect manager 3.0
Easy settings.
Key chain (Wtf is this?)
Mobile print
Nearby devices
Nearby service
Picasa uploader
Also, freezing Samsung apps may prevent you from getting updates to WatchON, s health etc.
I mean, you could freeze the living piss out of this phone. But there comes a point, where if you're going to freeze all the bloat, why not just flash a deodexed debloated rom like ib4st1ds. The only stuff I have frozen is what I've seen running..
Keep up the good work slade. Nice to see people trying to help others.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally i never ran into this "lag" mess some unlucky few experience.
What S4 do you guys have... mine doesn't lag... is mine faulty
~ Taylor_Swift
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note II GT-N7100 using XDA Premium HD
Taylor_Swift said:
What S4 do you guys have... mine doesn't lag... is mine faulty
~ Taylor_Swift
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note II GT-N7100 using XDA Premium HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine doesn't lag as well. Damn got the faulty batch. Also, I froze all the ATT crap but I still have some Samsung apps like S-health, watch on and stuff. I also froze google apps like Google books, music etc as I noticed Google music was always running. Don't know about lag but it also helps with battery....
viny2cool said:
Mine doesn't lag as well. Damn got the faulty batch. Also, I froze all the ATT crap but I still have some Samsung apps like S-health, watch on and stuff. I also froze google apps like Google books, music etc as I noticed Google music was always running. Don't know about lag but it also helps with battery....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First thing I did was run stock deodexed. Turned S Voice off from home button and turned the animator scales to 0.5x. Its very fast lol.
~ Taylor_Swift
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note II GT-N7100 using XDA Premium HD
Thanks OP. That home button thing really sped things up.
On a side note just a heads up to anyone going on a freezing spree. I noticed when I froze Samsung syncadapters 2.5.6 I was not able to send mms pics anymore.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
viny2cool said:
Mine doesn't lag as well. Damn got the faulty batch. Also, I froze all the ATT crap but I still have some Samsung apps like S-health, watch on and stuff. I also froze google apps like Google books, music etc as I noticed Google music was always running. Don't know about lag but it also helps with battery....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I received my AT&T SGH-I337 yesterday, I can’t believe how lag it is, I’m comparing it with an S3, and it’s totally worst, I spec that disabling this thing helps. thx.
Moderators PLEASE READ THIS THREAD BEFORE DELETING IT LIKE YOU DID THE LAST ONE
I did a couple of different searches on this board, looking for an alternative to gapps aka google apps. What viable alternatives to the google play store are there? google hangouts and google mail? I came across a thread discussion nogapps and the blank store that comes with it, but i'm not overly convinced that it lacks google's data mining processes.
I am not asking for sites that provide "pirated software" as I already know where to get that. I am asking for a "store" where I can search various phrases, and get a good return without those apps being relinked to google play store.
Have you tried the Amazon App Store? (Yes, they have Android apps)
Am I correct in assuming you are looking for a market that is completely separate from Google's servers? If privacy is your concern, you should know that all services that are provided for "free" employ some sort of data mining, because that is how they can afford to keep those services running. Since Google Play is the largest repository for Android apps, you would be hard pressed to find another service that hosts all of the same .apks, as that would seem redundant.
There simply is no viable alternative to the Play Store.
You can get alternatives, but they won't be nearly as good.
As for the rest of the gapps there are plenty of alternatives that are just fine or better.
Why are you so against gapps though? Washington doesn't care what apps you use.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using xda premium
Even if the app doesn't mine your data, your ISP still does ...
plenty
well there are plenty stores available on internet. if you are on android 4.1 and rooted then you can install NOKIA app store. well its tricky to use, you can find a apk on xda. when you install it just install aptitode market from there, though aptitode can be installed alone too. you can find almost all apps. but still google holds android that will mean they will have the maximum apps and secure and most updated apps. even developers always put latest updated apps on play store first. well i used wildfire which has no gpu so cpu has to do work for most of operations which makes slow and to overcome the low space on that phone i sometime skip the gapps. it depends if you want surveillance free android then go for other market apps.:silly:..google even know when you are walking. i read this on xda somewhere.:laugh:
choice is yours.
100s of stores are available nowadays...
Gmail alternate is aosp email
Maps run without email account...
What else u need?
doctor_droid said:
What else u need?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A way to synchronize (not backup/restore) my contacts and calendars on the Internet (Mega, Dropbox, whatever...) to be shared among other devices. This is bare minimum.
Then, if I could also synchronize (again, not backup/restore)some system stuff like WiFi passwords, call logs, SMS/MMS, instant messaging stuff and some application settings, this would be an extra great feature.
Can you do it without GApps? If you know how to, please share!
I don't know if this idea will benefit the app devs. Getting rid of the play store is like taking away one of their BIGGEST market place. What do you think?
People wouldnt feel the need to seek alternatives if Google wasnt so hardcore with it
Like dam, is it really even reasonable to keep location tracking in the background 24/7 and 15 different types of loggers at once? You'd think those morons would understand how large of a percentage of their would-be-users would actually use more of their services if they didnt chose to make it an all or nothing affair. I literally use only the playstore, and because of whats needed for that I go ahead and utilize the sync. I would definitely be open to gmail, g+, etc. if they werent so retarted with it. Rant over.
carlfinity said:
don't know if this idea will benefit the app devs. Getting rid of the play store is like taking away one of their BIGGEST market place. What do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think more about my privacy than the app business.
I wish in could use something like CM with some synchronizing mechanism.
Unluckily for me I have a non-dumb-phone, a netbook and a desktop PC.
I use all three for work and would need some synchonization mechanism for calls, SMS and other stuff.
Do you have a suggestion in this direction?
I have read the opening post. So please remember that.
However, this kind of question will always lead to warez sites.... As it already has. And will continue to. And another thread asking same thing will lead to warez app responses yet again.
Google play store and Amazon are really the only ones that are legit and most other sites offer cracked versions of paid apps.
Obviously a website dedicated to Development and developers will not approve of most of the recommendations here, which I have deleted.
Please don't open another one of these threads. There's been enough answers provided already. So this thread is closed.
Thanks for understanding,
Darth
Forum Moderator
Hey guys, im pretty much new to the android scene, last week one of my parents friends changed their carrier to Telstra and my plans came into the conversation, and i said that i would like to get an android phone in the near future (probably the nexus 5 depending on whos making it).
Anyways he said he could give me one of his old android phones, a HTC Velocity 4G to see if i liked it or not.
Now my previous phone was a Nokia N8, not exactly great for apps n stuff but it was good at browsing the net using Opera and its battery life was amazing especially with music in the background it could last for quite a bit. If you werent using the browser and it was just sitting there with a few tabs open it could last nearly the entire day, if you actively used it with music in the background i think it lasted about 2 -3 hours
So here are a couple of questions i would like to ask regarding the phone itself and the google play store n such.
1. Do all android phones seemingly have bad battery life? i put some music on this phone, and it didnt even want to last a damn hour, that im wondering if it really is the phone or if the battery was stuffed up during the time they had it (understandable)
2. Do all android phones come with this task manager and can you only fully close apps from this app itself? i mean the N8 all you did was hold a button it would have the open apps and you just touched the X button.
3.. The Google Play store. Do you have to sign in with a google account? i mean i have a youtube account with a gmail but i dont think i want my phone to get all these email notifications or store my contacts on this account, mainly because this account gets alot of spam, in the spam folder and in the inbox folder that and i dont really use google plus except on a few occasions that i dont really wanna receive those kinds of notifications. Is it better just to create a new gmail just for my phone?
4. If i want in the future, can i remove my android phone from an account and decide to move it to another account due to unforeseen circumstances and keep the apps i might buy in the future?
Please remember im still new to the android scene, pretty much using Symbian my whole life (well only nokia 6300 and nokia n8 but they were both great phones) so dont judge me to harshly.
Thanks
Regular Android User Trying To Help
I am by no means an "expert", but I can try to answer your questions.
1. I currently have the Droid Razr MAXX HD and I can easily get 2 full days of use, and if I try, 3 days of full use. This is taking pictures, using 4g, playing games, texting, you name it. I also know they just released a 5000MaH battery for the S4, meaning it will last longer than my phone. Also, most phones have an optional extended battery.
2. Mostly, you don't need to close your apps. If you use the back button to navigate all the way out, or simply hit the home button, it will stay in your ram, but it won't normally interfere with the speediness of your device; since android apps are run in their own virtual device. But, in the settings you can force close any open app, and custom roms allow you a "kill" button for open apps.
3. I think it is better to create a new gmail for your phone. You have to sign into a gmail account to really even use an android phone, and I find it quite nifty. The one account lets you log into anything Google, the playstore, gmail, keep, etc. I have my contacts synced with my Gmail, so I never lose phone contacts, and I have really switched over to gmail because of my android phone. I just find it better to use than old school yahoo. Plus, I use drive, keep, and calendar frequently. Try all these Google apps for yourself, they can be very useful.
4. If by account you mean google account, then no, because the apps you purchase are synced with that account. If you mean carrier, then yes, because the apps are synced to the google account. You can also back your apps up with a rooted phone with certain software. Someone else might be better at answering this though.
Hope I helped.
jdubya42 said:
I am by no means an "expert", but I can try to answer your questions.
1. I currently have the Droid Razr MAXX HD and I can easily get 2 full days of use, and if I try, 3 days of full use. This is taking pictures, using 4g, playing games, texting, you name it. I also know they just released a 5000MaH battery for the S4, meaning it will last longer than my phone. Also, most phones have an optional extended battery.
2. Mostly, you don't need to close your apps. If you use the back button to navigate all the way out, or simply hit the home button, it will stay in your ram, but it won't normally interfere with the speediness of your device; since android apps are run in their own virtual device. But, in the settings you can force close any open app, and custom roms allow you a "kill" button for open apps.
3. I think it is better to create a new gmail for your phone. You have to sign into a gmail account to really even use an android phone, and I find it quite nifty. The one account lets you log into anything Google, the playstore, gmail, keep, etc. I have my contacts synced with my Gmail, so I never lose phone contacts, and I have really switched over to gmail because of my android phone. I just find it better to use than old school yahoo. Plus, I use drive, keep, and calendar frequently. Try all these Google apps for yourself, they can be very useful.
4. If by account you mean google account, then no, because the apps you purchase are synced with that account. If you mean carrier, then yes, because the apps are synced to the google account. You can also back your apps up with a rooted phone with certain software. Someone else might be better at answering this though.
Hope I helped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mostly what jdubya42 said but heres my word on it.
1. Battery life. Battery life can be bad on any device, it depends on what you use and how much you use your data or WiFi Bluetooth etc. Also like jdub said the new s4 is getting a 5000mah battery, that's a lot of juice normally android phones will have only around 1000mah-1800mah, your lucky if you get 2000mah. Android tablets get somewhere around 7000mah, so 5k on a phone should last you all day. Just think of how much the nexus 5 will get.
2. Most android phones nowadays come with a task manager. On some of the Samsung phone all you would have to do is hold the home button and will show you all the apps you have opened, and keeps them running. Its a nice way to switch between apps but keeping apps in the background can drain your battery fast so you should close the ones your not using (the task manager for android only comes with android 4.0 and up devices lower versions of android close the app when exited out), for this I would recommend a phone that would have more than one core, the s4 comes with 1.6ghz quad core which is more than enough.
3.as for the gmail, yes you need to make gmail account or use existing one, android is open source, the way google make money is the OEM (original equipment manufacturer, HTC Samsung lg etc) makes the phones sells them, profit for OEM, and people buy apps movies music and books from the Google play store, profit for Google.
4. If you get a new android phone you are able to still use all the apps music etc you bought on your previous devices and use on future ones, you won't have to remove your gmail account from your old phone.
Welcome to the world of android mate
Closing apps and getting "battery saving" apps can potentially save you battery but in addition to the software aspect, you can also modify the hardware usage. By that I mean unlocking, rooting, custom kernel and ROM. Just installing them will likely optimize your phone better then stock but you can also manually set your min/max frequency, frequency governor, core activity, undervoltage, GPU governor/responsiveness, and more.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1736168
Hi all,
I had the suspicion for some time now that my Android phone is somehow collecting private information without my knowledge and using it to bombard me with ads but I wasn't sure how. I know that google is reading my emails, my calendars and has access to my data stored on Google Drive but today something totally weird happened. I was watching a video clip on YouTube when suddenly the clip paused and an ad show up about a salve I was discussing about the night before with my girlfriend. This cannot be a coincidence! The phone was during the conversation on Standby mode.
I've found some articles and even some videos on YouTube regarding this topic so I'm not paranoid.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Meanwhile I have deactivated microphone permission for all google apps but I doubt this is enough. What else can I do to stop it if it is really true?
I have stock ROM from Honor installed, would it be helpful to install a custom ROM?
droidis said:
Hi all,
I had the suspicion for some time now that my Android phone is somehow collecting private information without my knowledge and using it to bombard me with ads but I wasn't sure how. I know that google is reading my emails, my calendars and has access to my data stored on Google Drive but today something totally weird happened. I was watching a video clip on YouTube when suddenly the clip paused and an ad show up about a salve I was discussing about the night before with my girlfriend. This cannot be a coincidence! The phone was during the conversation on Standby mode.
I've found some articles and even some videos on YouTube regarding this topic so I'm not paranoid.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Meanwhile I have deactivated microphone permission for all google apps but I doubt this is enough. What else can I do to stop it if it is really true?
I have stock ROM from Honor installed, would it be helpful to install a custom ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google, Amazon, etc do pay a lot of attention to what you do online, which can seem a little intrusive. But we're not quite at the stage yet of people being listened to for the purposes of advertising.
It would be very labour-intensive, kill your battery and wreck your data. Not to mention the massive backlash from the public if and when it was discovered.
It's not impossible that some malware could be made which does listen to you, but it's not going to be an official Google app.
But, if you're still worried, deactivating microphone permission will stop the apps from being able to hear anything. There's no way to sidestep this to my knowledge. If an app doesn't have permission to use the mic, it can't use it.
Ticklefish said:
Google, Amazon, etc do pay a lot of attention to what you do online, which can seem a little intrusive. But we're not quite at the stage yet of people being listened to for the purposes of advertising.
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I disagree. If you know someone who has a Google Home or Amazon Alexa product, ask them if they've had a similar experience. I know people who have those products, and they had a similar experience as OP.
Eavesdropping via Google Home/Amazon Alexa is a little different than eavesdropping on private phone conversations, because you must give Google Home/Amazon Alexa explicit permission to listen in order for it to work. However, I would not be surprised if Google monitors phone calls/texts in some manner to tailor advertisements.
answers
Google, Amazon, etc do pay a lot of attention to what you do online, which can seem a little intrusive. But we're not quite at the stage yet of people being listened to for the purposes of advertising.
http://qz.com/1145669/googles-true-...nd-nsa-research-grants-for-mass-surveillance/
http://www.theverge.com/2018/8/13/17684660/google-turn-off-location-history-data
https://video.foxnews.com/v/5731183327001/
Ads are being fed to users based on their voice content, online searches, etc. It is easy for machines to convert voice to text nowadays. That text is analysed for any text or phrase. Been going on for years with our spied-on phone calls and emails. Just see some YouTube videos for realtime subtitles in various languages for proof that this is done routinely.
Cameras, wifi, cellular and GPS are activated without our knowledge or permission routinely by OS, games and apps. Info is sent to Google and third parties when online. If your device is filled with Google's own battery-sucking apps, forget any semblance of privacy, I reckon. If your front camera is not covered...you are probably a sitting duck. You can buy camera covers on ebay if you want to be selective about when it's OK, these have a slider, otherwise consider taping it over. Same with your laptop.
If you are using Google Services or using Google Apps then I think you are a sitting duck ready to take some bullets. Much like Apple and Microsoft users are. To be fair, that is probably 99.99% of device owners.
Third-party apps and games do it too. So there's that. Your data is siphoned-off and sent over the interwebs by them.
Is your device rooted? If not, I'd recommend using a device that has TWRP for it, so you can more cleanly root it without resorting to more questionable root software with its own spyware. I'd recommend making a TWRP back-up before heavily uninstalling apps.
I'd recommend downloading open-source apps on f-droid.org. With a root uninstaller you can uninstall many things they normally don't let you: like all the Google spyware apps and components. Also things that you don't see listed under your Apps. Disabling Google apps doesn't stop them running. Uninstalling them then removing leftover files is a far better approach. For that you'll want a root uninstaller and a root file manager. Some uninstallers are better than others.
Trusting Google's own Permissions thing was always a bit like entrusting your kid to the local paedophile, to me. Google have CIA origins (and backing) and NSA funds keeping them primed. Do you know what just these 2 do worldwide? Unspeakable horrors. Consult William Blum or Susan Lindauer for starters.
I'd consider an open-source keyboard from f-droid.org. Like AnySoftKeyboard. I'd.consider replacing all default stock apps, including the Launcher.
The following has been safely removed by me after rooting my devices (various Mediatek-based Lenovo tablets):
Android Live Wallpapers, Android Work Assistant, Basic Daydreams, Black Hole, BSPTelephonyDevTool, Bubbles, Calculator, Calendar, Calendar Storage, Certificate Installer, Chrome, Clock, com.android.backupconfirm, com.android.browser.provider, com.android.providers.partnerbookmarks, com.android.sharedstoragebackup, com.android.wallpaper.holospiral, com.huaquin.factoryservice, com.mediatek, com.mediatek.voiceexztension,ConfigUpdater, Contacts, Contacts Storage, Device Service, dongle,Drive, DRM Protected Content Storage, Email, Exchange Services, FactoryKit Test, FM Radio, FTPrecheck, Fused Location, FwkPlugin, FWUpgrade, Gallery, Gamestore, Gmail, Google Account Manager, Google Backup Transport, Google App, Google Calendar Sync, Google Keyboard, Google One Time Init, Google Partner Setup, Google Play Movies, Google Play Music, Google Play services, Google Play Store, Google Services Framework, Guvera Music, Hangouts, Launcher3, Lenovo ID, Maps, Market Feedback Agent, McAfee Security, MmsService
Mobile Data, Mobile Network Configuration, MTKFloatMenu, MTK Logger, MTK NLPService, Music Visualisation Wallpapers, MusicFX, PacProcessor, Permission Control, Phone, Photos, RawDataTEst, RunInRebootSystem, Schedule power on & off, Search Applications Provider, Setup Wizard, SHAREit, Skype, SmartcardService, Sound Recorder, SYNCit HD, System Update, Tap the Frog HD, Tedongle Settings, Twitter, UC Browser HD, UpgradeSys, Vcalendar, VoiceCommand, Volidation Tools, YGPS, YouTube
Some of thistuff might be needed for phones but I use a tablet. All the telephony stuff is uninstalled.
If i need an app from Google's Spyware Play Store I use sites like https://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader/ to download the APK directly without signing in to Google's Spyware Store infrastructure (since no Google apps are installed on my device). Otherwise f-droid.org caters to 95+% of my needs.
AdAway is one of the first things I install, along with a decent firewall like AfWall+
Xprivacy deserves some of your attention as do these apps from Tibor Kaputa https://simplemobiletools.github.io/