Android m permission control, is it worth an upgrade? - Security Discussion

I've been looking at Android m since it came out.
However my oem will not be supporting the majority of my devices
(That's you Samsung 2 year support has me thinking of never buying your product new again).(Not that many others are much better).
So with the bugs that are ever present in custom Android roms and the developer never ending rush to the next update while the last aosp is not retail stable on most devices(come on Google wait two years and get the base or rock solid already before messing yet again with things).(I understand developers want to play with new features and new devices, but so many people have a 2 y old very capable device that just needs security updates). I have been reluctant to update from 4.4 that most of my devices run solid on.
How much more security has Android m brought to the table?
Is the permission manager worth the update from 4.4 or 5.1 ?
With all the new apps supporting permission denial without crashing going benefit the older os with permission blockers or xprivacy running?
Is the permission paranoid user better off waiting until the last minute to update to miss the worst of the bugs left to squash or just jump in now and live with them?
What is your opinion?

Nope, the permission manager isn't worth the update.
System apps crash when you restrict them too much, even if you restrict permissions they don't need to work properly, which wasn't the case in pre Marsh Mellow ROMs.
Oh well, they crash if you restrict them through the built-in permission management system bla bla, but they probably won't if you restrict them with third part apps...
Plus, at least on the phone I'm currently working on (but I guess it must be the same on all Mesh Mallow phones), the permission system became very dishonest, to say the least.
When you install a new app you don't see all the permissions you are about to grant but only the categories (remember the last changes in the play sore?), which tricks you into wrongly believing that the app doesn't have too many perms. Once installed you can't review neither the permissions nor the categories, pfuut, gone with the wind...
All this "security" hype about Ma Shallow isn't really about security but about making you feel that thanks to google and its well known abnegation you are secure and that you don't need anything more to protect you further.
There's nothing worse than a false sense of security...
What else to say?
The auto start manager, well done, except that third part apps offered it since the days of ICS, if not GB, and that a script can take care of that stuff without even installing anything.
All in all if security is your thing don't bother, moreover than xposed doesn't work on some Mesh Hollow ROM, leaving you without any other alternatives but to secure your ROM on your own.
It's of course doable if you know how, but it'll take time and a lot of decompilation/recompilation/testing.
New features?
Boah, 2-3 gimmicks as usual, fancy colors animations widgets I don't know what bling bling yo yo, not worth the money unless you really need a new phone.
Security patches?
Boah again, they made everybody paranoid with stagefright and the like but hey, do you really think you'll get hit?
What are the chances, unless you download cracked apps or are naive enough to let anyone touch your phone without the screenlock on?
I'd say more or less the same than meeting Santa Claus in person, do you believe in Santa?
I personally don't but still, those vulnerabilities are good for business, it makes the Santa crowd buy newer and more "secure" phones, cool...

Related

Poll, Is fragmentation a real issue for android.

I am constantly seeing blogs about fragmentation and how it is poisoning the well for developers. I personal think it is a load of crap, but i thought i would ask the developers.
What do you guys think?
Is fragmentation an issue?
YES, it could be an issue if Google did nothing to fix it, but they are:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/29/exclusive-android-froyo-to-take-a-serious-shot-at-stemming-plat/
Not pretending to be an expert, or even a developer, but plenty of apps didn't cross well from various WinMo builds, or devices. WinMo fragmentation hasn't been trending. It's a rhetorical buzzword sustained by iPhanbois, imo.
bwhite82 said:
YES, it could be an issue if Google did nothing to fix it, but they are:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/29/exclusive-android-froyo-to-take-a-serious-shot-at-stemming-plat/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I saw that too
It's just today we are suppose to be in fragmentation hell... It's just i don't see it.
Once in a while i will tell my friend with a Samsung Moment about an app, and for some reason he does not see it in the market, but this is few and far between.
I chose yes but I doubt it will kill android. It is annoying though to have a phone that is way behind because the maker of the custom UI is too lazy to do anything.
It did not kill the pc, or Windows for that matter. It will probably be gaming benefiting the most of future power increases.
Yeah, iFanboys are the most common people to critizise android for fragmentation - but they are not safe either.
Now with 2g, 3g, 3gs and ipad - and all having diffrent hardware in one way or another - they will also experience fragmentation. Esp. now that OS4 wont be feature-complete on 3g vs 3gs - and ipad wont get it until later.
Just because android got 3 res (320, 480 and 800) doesnt mean that it will be problems since 1.6 came out. Sure they need to fix/force vendors to upgrade handsets to latest android, so that people wont be left out - but since 1.6 that problem is much smaller, and there aint many handsets left out there with builds earlier then 1.6.
It's a problem.
Why do you think there are so many apps that are rated lowly on the market because of incompatibilities.
If there was only 1 phone and 1 version of android to code for, then bugs and compatibility would nearly be a thing of the past.
I think it's an issue, but a minor one. I'd rather them improve the OS rapidly and deal with not being able to use some apps, than sit with a stagnate OS but have more apps.
Like the other poster said though, they are going to try to fix it after 2.2 and work on making apps more compatible with all OS versions.
Hell, at least they realize it's a problem. Microsoft sure didn't give a ****, and doesn't now with 7 series.
Because of the "vendor delay" and the frequent Android releases, Android phones seem to have a 5-month lifecycle (my 1.5 Magic is 6 months old now, and I still can't use Donut/Eclair apps like Goggles, Maps w/ Buzz and many new apps that require 1.6+).
Access to applications is what makes most people buy smartphones. Remove or limit this, and people will switch to other vendors or platforms.
For people that root and switch custom roms, this doesn't seem like a big issue. But the majority of the users won't have access to all the new 1.6/2.1 apps being released on the market.
clamknuckle said:
I think it's an issue, but a minor one. I'd rather them improve the OS rapidly and deal with not being able to use some apps, than sit with a stagnate OS but have more apps.
Like the other poster said though, they are going to try to fix it after 2.2 and work on making apps more compatible with all OS versions.
Hell, at least they realize it's a problem. Microsoft sure didn't give a ****, and doesn't now with 7 series.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@Clam*, you're right about them realizing it's a problem and working on it.
I believe they plan to have every phone running the same version of android, but with many add-ons available from the market.
This is surely a desirable route. Might it never happen? I haven't the slightest.
Alternatively a big pack of goodies you can get from online or preferrably the market that has all the addons depending on the sufficiency of phone hardware.
Hell, better yet! It could be part of the "first use tutorial" we all know and love
The first time the user turns on the phone after entering google info etc. they can check all the options they want and it will automatically download them from googles servers and set them up on the phone.
Very reminiscent of certain linux installations with addons from repositories.
OpenSuSE comes to mind.
Or to speed that process up, the phone retailer can install the addons specific for that phone.
Though it would still be nice to have the option to checkmark features at our own whim, allowing the system to discard the rest for example.
Of course if the addons were discarded or never installed by phone retailers in the first place they could still be downloaded from googles servers automatically.
**To Google Gods: It would be nice to have such options in the settings where we could enable and disable features and have them download or be discarded in the background**
There are so many methods out there to make fragmentation nothing more than a bygone.
I hope Google can turn this OS into what I've dreamed (figuratively) that it could be..
Ahh how I concieve ideas that will likely never occur..
Sorry.. i could write volumes about my futile ideas for the world, though I'm too hopeful and eager.
I'm sad to say..
"Such is our reality serving as the torrent thrusting back creative thought." -me

[Q] Why there is no uninstall feature in Android?

I have about two weeks experience with Android OS and as a software developer I will be interested to know the technical details behind the Android OS.
I have already noticed this is possible to upgrade applications ported with the handset's ROM i.e. the Market app. This raised the question to me why can't I uninstall applications from the ROM without rooting or risking my handset's warranty to achieve this?
Is my expectation as a user of computers for 20 years unreasonable to think in 2010 with all software development and technological advances the uninstall feature should have been in Android OS from day one?
This is not exactly like Google is the first company in the world developed an OS to just the lack of experience with what users would want. From what I have seen so far in world of Android is that, the first thing users would want to know how to root their handset to remove packages that they have no use for.
My guess is that Google doesn't want users removing Systems apps. I'm assuming that they think that these applications are core and thus don't want you removing them. Remove the market, no more apps... or way to get it back etc.
Applications installed by you can be uninstalled, I'm just thinking it is the same as in windows, you can't uninstall the task manager etc (Bad example but meh =P)
Very simple - to prevent lay users from removing critical components.
Can you imagine the service costs involved in reparing devices that that have been damaged by people trying to remove bloatware?
They still give you the option to restore.
OK DISREGUARD THIS AS I MISSED THE PART ABOUT NEEDING TO ROOT!
They can be removed but its not recommended to do so without know EXACTLY what your removing and weather is vital to your phones operating system.
BUT in order to do so your phone needs root access, and root explorer installed. There are several forums on just about all android support sites that explain how to root, install the manager, and which apps/files NOT to remove.
J_HaX said:
They can be removed but its not recommended to do so without know EXACTLY what your removing and weather is vital to your phones operating system.
BUT in order to do so your phone needs root access, and root explorer installed. There are several forums on just about all android support sites that explain how to root, install the manager, and which apps/files NOT to remove.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ye u can remove almost every stock app but this may affect the stability of your phone, modifying your phone always comes with the option restoring it back to default. If something goes wrong with moding (something really hard and extraordinary rare ) u can restore it. Browsing through Xda might solve many questions, we all didn't wanted stock rom (not because it was bad, because we can have s omething better. This community has VERY VERY good developers.
Androids own!!!
One thing I still don't get is...
How can Google upgrade Market app without the su privilage but the rest of the world has to root their phones to remove bloatware such as 'amazon mp3'?
@ftgg99: How much bloatware in Windows cost Microsoft or PC manufacturers? None in fact they get paid to include them with your hardware. However, I see an issue with mobile devices. You have already paid for the ROM storage, the bigger ROM size is the more expensive your handset would be, then the manufacturer uses your already paid ROM to make even more money by installing bloatware. I would be a fool to think manufacturers would pass on a percentage of the bloatware earnings by reducing the cost of their products to the consumers in this model.
The way I see it, the burden has been put on the communities such as xda. Users wouldn't ask the manufacturers how to root their handsets and this is left to the dedicated individuals to overcome the mess compnies normally leave us with. I'm not going to say the mess is a cost saving measure by companies.
The thing is that there are a lot more people buy and use phones than computers. After someone buys a smart phone with intention to use for calls, text, web and to use some apps, they realize the possibilities of the smart phone, they start digging in to the files, therefore Google blocked the root folder from modifying, otherwise Google would have to repair warrantied phones that didn't have to end up there just because people didn't know or care what they did. But if you got passed ROOTING, you must know what you are doing and from this point you can modify files and apps, but now ROOTING becomes too easy.
Basically just because too many juveniles got their hands on the equipment.
CSharpHeaven said:
One thing I still don't get is...
How can Google upgrade Market app without the su privilage but the rest of the world has to root their phones to remove bloatware such as 'amazon mp3'?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also very interested to read the answer for this one!
CSharpHeaven said:
One thing I still don't get is...
How can Google upgrade Market app without the su privilage but the rest of the world has to root their phones to remove bloatware such as 'amazon mp3'?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
RAMMANN said:
I'm also very interested to read the answer for this one!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The answer, from my point of view, is quite simple: they just upgrade the application on /data/app ON TOP of the /system/app default Market version. So, you can always go back to your "default" version just by "uninstalling updates".
Summary: they do not upgrade the Market form ROM, just install the new version on top.
CSharpHeaven said:
I have about two weeks experience with Android OS and as a software developer I will be interested to know the technical details behind the Android OS.
I have already noticed this is possible to upgrade applications ported with the handset's ROM i.e. the Market app. This raised the question to me why can't I uninstall applications from the ROM without rooting or risking my handset's warranty to achieve this?
Is my expectation as a user of computers for 20 years unreasonable to think in 2010 with all software development and technological advances the uninstall feature should have been in Android OS from day one?
This is not exactly like Google is the first company in the world developed an OS to just the lack of experience with what users would want. From what I have seen so far in world of Android is that, the first thing users would want to know how to root their handset to remove packages that they have no use for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried to work with iPhone(don't know about iPhone 4)? They build fortress around their system and even the apps you install cannot be uninstalled until you gailbrake it and use 3rd party installer to uninstall. And not talking about the "MONOPLY" they run with AT&T.

Here Are The 3 Reasons Why Your Phone Slows Down Over Time

Here Are The 3 Reasons Why Your Phone Slows Down Over Time​
Today almost everyone holds an Android smartphone. If we talk about an Android operating system, it is now powering the majority of smartphone nowadays. On Android, we keep on installing different apps and games.
However, after six months of heavy usage, a loss of performance is spotted in every device running on any version of Android. Today we will not only talk about Android because the issue is present on iOS too. Users on both sides complain about their phones just aren’t as fast as they once were.
There are many potential causes, which makes our smartphones to slow down after several months. So, in this post, we are going to describe 5 common reasons which cause our phone to slow down after few months of usage.
1. The OS Upgrades
Just remember, when you first bought your device, it might be running Android KitKat or iOS 7 that time. Both iOS 7 and Android KitKat were launched in the year 2013. Well, these upgrades are released with a certain set of hardware specs in thought.
If we take a look at the current year, hardware specifications have drastically updated. Many features have been added in both iOS and Android. However, these features are made with newer hardware specs in mind. So, if you are running the newer version of any operating system in an outdated phone then this can slow down your phone in no-time.
However, these upgrades are hard to ignore, so minor updates are okay, but if you are planning to jump from Android KitKat to Nougat then be ready to face the difficulties.
2. App Updates
As we already mentioned, we keep on trying new apps and games in our Android and iOS devices. The so-called ‘lightweight’ apps that you install can be transformed to ‘heavyweight’ over the time. The main reason behind this is app updates. Developers are constantly pushing updates, every new update brings new features, which ends up eating lots of RAM and CPU.
The best thing you can do is to once you feel the app is bloated, replace it with another light weight app.
3. Apps Running On The Background
Other crucial things that we neglect are the background apps. Believe me or not, you have almost 80% more apps installed on your devices than when you first got it. Just go to phone’s settings and have a brief look at all of your downloaded apps. Users might think that they have installed 10-15 apps, but are often shocked to see closer to 40-50.
The problem arises when some apps keep running in the background without activating it. There are many apps like email services, messaging apps which are always active. These apps use CPU and RAM, which impacts your phone’s performance.
So, make sure to disable or uninstall the apps which consume lots of RAM and CPU, switch to static wallpaper and say goodbye to live wallpapers.

General Custom Rom?????

Hello
whats about custom recovery and custom rom like Pocophone F1--------------- for Z Flip 3 .....release?????
Regards
Zipfelino said:
Hello
whats about custom recovery and custom rom like Pocophone F1--------------- for Z Flip 3 .....release?????
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure about a custom recovery, but Samsung has posted the required files to build the source if you want to make a custom ROM.
twistedumbrella said:
Not sure about a custom recovery, but Samsung has posted the required files to build the source if you want to make a custom ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TThat,s not polite. If he were a developer he wouldn't ask for one. Zipfelino didnt offend any body. He and me and thousands other members may have the same question. But the brave one had the guts to ask and found a rude answer
luisnica98 said:
TThat,s not polite. If he were a developer he wouldn't ask for one. Zipfelino didnt offend any body. He and me and thousands other members may have the same question. But the brave one had the guts to ask and found a rude answer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suggest you read it again in a casual tone, not the one you used to troll me.
By the way, not every developer fills out the form for a title. It's pretty ignorant to assume someone isn't one because they asked if anyone else had released anything.
Hm... maybe to second the initial request as I understand it, even if it is too early at the moment since the device is merely two months in the market and from what little I understand building e.g. LOS for a new device is a lot of hard work: I am also looking forward (edit: which IMHO includes actively supporting the developer) to see someone more capable of this kind of voodoo than me release a custom ROM for this device before official support will be over
This thing here is the first Android mobile since the Sony XZ1 Compact that I deem "officially trouser pocket compatible" and with a price tag that might become okay for the average user
If you have a USA variant (snapdragon) then I'd suggest not getting your hopes up. Thanks to Verizon (even if they aren't your carrier) the US versions of Samsung phones since the note 8 (I think) haven't been able to be rooted.
d0x360 said:
If you have a USA variant (snapdragon) then I'd suggest not getting your hopes up. Thanks to Verizon (even if they aren't your carrier) the US versions of Samsung phones since the note 8 (I think) haven't been able to be rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I learned this as well when I browsed through the Z Flip 3 section. Even if I don't know the details why it is like that, I think it's really weird that they managed to achieve such crap at all.
Thankfully I live in Germany and have the european version. I would not have bought this phone if I would have found any clue that you might be unable to unlock the bootloader. Been inside the golden cage with the bitten apple, got away, don't want to turn back
FFW said:
Yes, I learned this as well when I browsed through the Z Flip 3 section. Even if I don't know the details why it is like that, I think it's really weird that they managed to achieve such crap at all.
Thankfully I live in Germany and have the european version. I would not have bought this phone if I would have found any clue that you might be unable to unlock the bootloader. Been inside the golden cage with the bitten apple, got away, don't want to turn back
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Turning back sucks lol. I always had rooted phones. It started with the HTC G1 the first android phone. I stuck with Google phones (Nexus 1 through the Pixel XL) or HTC phones like the HTC One M8.
Then I got a note 9 and soon after found out there was no root method for the snapdragon version. Then for some stupid reason I did it again and bought the note 10+...and again with the z Flip3 lol.
Next time I'm making sure I can root before I buy. Thankfully I can use Adguard (website version not store version) and package disabler to block ads, analytics etc at a system level, plus it can act as a firewall.
Then I'll use package disabler to truly disable the bloat and spyware. I wish I could just uninstall it but this is better than nothing.
One thing I really miss is custom roms and Kernel's. I'd love to be able to get rid of Samsung's horrible battery management system. It kills apps that it shouldn't including the alarm clock. Plus Samsung's apps are all pretty much terrible...sigh
d0x360 said:
Turning back sucks lol. I always had rooted phones. It started with the HTC G1 the first android phone. I stuck with Google phones (Nexus 1 through the Pixel XL) or HTC phones like the HTC One M8.
Then I got a note 9 and soon after found out there was no root method for the snapdragon version. Then for some stupid reason I did it again and bought the note 10+...and again with the z Flip3 lol.
Next time I'm making sure I can root before I buy. Thankfully I can use Adguard (website version not store version) and package disabler to block ads, analytics etc at a system level, plus it can act as a firewall.
Then I'll use package disabler to truly disable the bloat and spyware. I wish I could just uninstall it but this is better than nothing.
One thing I really miss is custom roms and Kernel's. I'd love to be able to get rid of Samsung's horrible battery management system. It kills apps that it shouldn't including the alarm clock. Plus Samsung's apps are all pretty much terrible...sigh
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whoa. My first Android was the Xperia XZ1 Compact since I finally decided to kick Apple out now when the first informations about iOS 11 got available. That one served me well, rooted and running Lineage from day one (and still does, big thanks @Flamefire), but the battery has degraded noticeably and Sony obviously built that phone starting with the battery as component no.1 which makes replacing it a royal PITA, which is why I searched for a new pocket compatible daily driver. So here I am...
I see your phone is more or less in the state mine is currently. I had it rooted initially but reset it and decided to try out NetGuard and ADB AppControl and see how far that gets me while keeping the OTA update alive as long as there is no custom ROM available.
Edit: with that nifty guide from @doggydog2 rooting might become more interesting again however, even without a custom ROM. Will need to dig through that one on of the next weekends...
FFW said:
Whoa. My first Android was the Xperia XZ1 Compact since I finally decided to kick Apple out now when the first informations about iOS 11 got available. That one served me well, rooted and running Lineage from day one (and still does, big thanks @Flamefire), but the battery has degraded noticeably and Sony obviously built that phone starting with the battery as component no.1 which makes replacing it a royal PITA.
which is why I searched for a new pocket compatible daily driver, so here I am...
I see your phone is more or less in the state mine is currently. I had it rooted initially but reset it and decided to try out NetGuard and ADB AppControl and see how far that gets me while keeping the OTA update alive as long as there is no custom ROM available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm gonna check out adb appcontrol and see if it has any extra features over package disabler. I used to have an app like package disabler that would let me go into an apps services and receivers. Then I could disable specific parts of apps. It was fantastic but I can't remember it's name lol.
I have tried netguard and it's not bad but I definitely like Adguard better. It's better designed, works better, has more features etc... But it's not free. I think I paid $35 for 3 lifetime phone licenses during a sale. I also use Adguard on Windows now instead of adblocking extensions. I didn't pay for that one though, I signed up for a beta key, got one and then I just renew it every year.
d0x360 said:
I'm gonna check out adb appcontrol and see if it has any extra features over package disabler. I used to have an app like package disabler that would let me go into an apps services and receivers. Then I could disable specific parts of apps. It was fantastic but I can't remember it's name lol.
I have tried netguard and it's not bad but I definitely like Adguard better. It's better designed, works better, has more features etc... But it's not free. I think I paid $35 for 3 lifetime phone licenses during a sale. I also use Adguard on Windows now instead of adblocking extensions. I didn't pay for that one though, I signed up for a beta key, got one and then I just renew it every year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem with "not free". I usually donate to the developers of my software unless they say they don't want (yes, this happens as well) - either by buying the enhanced version or by simply sending a donation every now and then, such as for every new released patch level of LOS or so.
ADB Appcontrol is quite nice since it is a PC program and also backs up any software you decide to remove.
AFAIK, Adguard is a DNS-based ad blocker comparable to Pi-Hole while Netguard is a firewall as e.g. AfWall+ (or mimicks that behaviour as much as possible as you can without root)? This would mean the logic behind the program would be different, such as being able to track and set what to block differently for each program.
I will take anotrher look at it though
FFW said:
No problem with "not free". I usually donate to the developers of my software unless they say they don't want (yes, this happens as well) - either by buying the enhanced version or by simply sending a donation every now and then, such as for every new released patch level of LOS or so.
ADB Appcontrol is quite nice since it is a PC program and also backs up any software you decide to remove.
AFAIK, Adguard is a DNS-based ad blocker comparable to Pi-Hole while Netguard is a firewall as e.g. AfWall+ (or mimicks that behaviour as much as possible as you can without root)? This would mean the logic behind the program would be different, such as being able to track and set what to block differently for each program.
I will take anotrher look at it though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Adguard does have DNS blocking options but it's so much more than that. I'm not sure if there is a free trial period but if there is definitely check it out, I think you will find it really nice. Also anytime you find any kind of issue whether it's a missed overlay on a website or a gap where the ad was you can report it through the app and it's usually fixed in a couple hours. Their response time is insane.
The adblocking options are extensive. It includes all the same filters in ublock origin and then some. You can also disable filters you don't want, make custom filters for literally anything. For example I made a filter that would remove search results for just polygon.com from Google. It also supports custom scripts like the greasemonkey extension.
The firewall aspect is like a genuine firewall. You can fully block an app from net access or set it so it can only use wifi or cell signal or both. There is also a log of every connection (incoming/outgoing) that tells you what app or service is trying to do something and what it's trying to connect to. You can click on an entry in the log and automatically block or whitelist it.
You can even block Google analytics and telemetry for Android itself which is fantastic because they collect tons of info..
In just the last 30 days Adguard has saved me 11.79 gigs of data, blocked 362,763 ads, 17,092 trackers and 2 threats. That's from Android, apps and browsers.
i know I sound like a salesman lol but I genuinely love this app and it has so many options and features that it can do pretty much everything a fully loaded (with necessary extensions) desktop browser can do.
They also have a free vpn that works with the app if you want another layer of privacy and protection.
d0x360 said:
Adguard does have DNS blocking options but it's so much more than that. I'm not sure if there is a free trial period but if there is definitely check it out, I think you will find it really nice. Also anytime you find any kind of issue whether it's a missed overlay on a website or a gap where the ad was you can report it through the app and it's usually fixed in a couple hours. Their response time is insane.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the detailed answer
d0x360 said:
The adblocking options are extensive. It includes all the same filters in ublock origin and then some. You can also disable filters you don't want, make custom filters for literally anything. For example I made a filter that would remove search results for just polygon.com from Google. It also supports custom scripts like the greasemonkey extension.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hm... Lets compare.... I use my compiled Pi-Hole list (which includes the AdBlock lists and some others btw) for NetGuard as well, so this is covered for me, even if not as comfortable when it comes to whitelisting for just one given domain (never needed that option until now though, but something to keep in mind)
d0x360 said:
The firewall aspect is like a genuine firewall. You can fully block an app from net access or set it so it can only use wifi or cell signal or both. There is also a log of every connection (incoming/outgoing) that tells you what app or service is trying to do something and what it's trying to connect to. You can click on an entry in the log and automatically block or whitelist it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That seems pretty standard for an ad blocker. The question is: can I selectively block or allow a given connection (i.e. URL or IP address) for one single app as I can do with Netguard?
d0x360 said:
You can even block Google analytics and telemetry for Android itself which is fantastic because they collect tons of info..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I translate this to "can block system apps". That's the case for Netguard as well.
d0x360 said:
In just the last 30 days Adguard has saved me 11.79 gigs of data, blocked 362,763 ads, 17,092 trackers and 2 threats. That's from Android, apps and browsers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that saved amount of data is more than I use at home and mobile in total in the same time
But yes, I use Pi-Hole at home and for any mobile device that uses my VPN, and its shows an awful lot of connections being blocked, so the basic savings should be the same. Additionally, each browser has its own uBlock Origin instance and some other plugins e.g. to block Youtube ads. Using a computer that does not have this is outright painful.
d0x360 said:
i know I sound like a salesman lol but I genuinely love this app and it has so many options and features that it can do pretty much everything a fully loaded (with necessary extensions) desktop browser can do.
They also have a free vpn that works with the app if you want another layer of privacy and protection.
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That might explain why you get such fast response times in case of issues
Something else, apart from the question above: Can Adguard apply all its filters and then use my private WireGuard VPN Server (not some 3rd party VPN service!) on Android as its only way out into the internet? That is the one obvious downside of not having root at the moment - since Android allows only one VPN being active and Netguard does not interface the WireGuard App, I can only use either my VPN or NetGuard, not both at once as I could with AfWall+ and WireGuard.
Just to add my bucket - I will buy this phone as soon as bootloader unlock, root and custom roms are confirmed (an a working gcam mod). I simply can't imagine using the phone without the benefits of it. I really hope this phone gets support.
eVen123 said:
Just to add my bucket - I will buy this phone as soon as bootloader unlock, root and custom roms are confirmed (an a working gcam mod). I simply can't imagine using the phone without the benefits of it. I really hope this phone gets support.
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The first two are done as long as you buy the european SM-F711B and not that crippled US version (model no. SM-F711U if I am not mistaken). That leaves a ROM (and the GCam mod you mentioned, but I have to admit I have no clue what that one is about). Let's see what the future brings.
Oh, one more thing: I hereby confirm I would happily contribute significantly to a donation for a developer who in turn wants to take the task of creating and maintaining a custom ROM for this phone that supports the outer display and the flip open/close phone function (maybe LOS or Havoc?) but needs money to buy the phone.

Security-related arguments for root and custom rom usage...

Exodus, a popular, albeit closed-source, crypto wallet app recently stopped working on my device. After a few days of back-and-forth troubleshooting via support, they somehow realized that my device is both rooted and running a custom, open source, community-supported ROM. They told me this was no longer allowed because it is far less secure than running the proprietary ROM. I countered with both personal testimony (back when I had a Blu phone, and a year later they got kicked off Amazon due to spyware streaming customer data out without consent) and common fact that OEM ROMs are almost always packed full of bloatware and spyware. I countered that installing a reputable open source ROM with only those apps I want and need is better. I argued that root gives me the ability to use AFWall to block outbound access to apps that I don't want having having access to the Internet without my permission. I could have argue that continuing to use a 1-2 year old phone that no longer receives security updates when I could use an open source ROM that does is better. I also provided a few public articles showing how frequently apps from the Play Store and other "OEM" stores are caught abusing their users' trust and performing malicious action. My point was that it's not correct to just automatically assume that having root and using a non-OEM ROM is less secure. That's a falsehood. But that said, I am interested to know what the XDA community thinks about that. And if the XDA community has any facts about custom, open source, community-supported ROMs being more secure than OEM ROMs, I am interested to further arm myself. And of course, I am completely willing to be instructed by the XDA community that indeed Exodus is right and using a custom ROM and having a rooted phone is completely, inherently, automatically more insecure than using an OEM ROM full of bloatware and spyware, not having root so that any rag-tag app can stream data back to home base, and falling behind with security patches because the vendor is either too slow to release or decides my device is no longer worth supporting.
You can't blame them for not troubleshooting unknown firmware. You changed the playing field.
Less mainstream use and support* is one of the disadvantages of custom roms and rooting.
I run stock and use other methods to kill bloatware. Zero brick risk, little down time and they run well.
I'm not saying don't root etc... but you knew the job was dangerous when you took it.
*this can have potentially far reaching and multifaceted implication$
@blackhawk I'm pretty sure it wasn't broken on my phone. One day I opened the app and it said I needed to update to continue using it. So I thought maybe the app just had failed to automatically update from the Play Store. But shortly thereafter I found it wouldn't update. That led to opening support ticket with them which eventually led to them saying it no longer works on rooted devices. Their argument was that they were attempting to protect me. My rebuttal was that I don't want their protection, I want my freedom back. They should focus on making their app as secure as possible and then, if they discover I am running it on a rooted phone, then give me a warning box and force me to accept it but don't just take away my freedom.
The irony of their stance is that they still provide the Linux program. And who doesn't have root access on their Linux computer? Or their Mac or Windows computer, for that matter? I can completely understand if they don't wish to troubleshoot the installation of the Debian package or even the use of the zip on every Linux version out there. I wouldn't either! But that's completely different than saying, "Oh, you have root access to your Linux/Mac/Windows computer? We can't let you use our program anymore." That makes zero sense, and it's the same nonsensical argument they are making for rooted Android phones.
I run stock N10+'s because they're easier to troubleshoot, maintain and it doesn't trip the Knox efuse. I have to add a package disabler and do some optimizing but it's child's play for me to do it at this point.
Unfortunately if you root you're going to have to suck it up and do the work needed to optimize it.
Same thing I do with stock but with more tools at your disposal... after the learning curve.
It's this learning curve, the chance of bricking and the damage that can be inadvertently done to the OS with no access restrictions are some of the downsides. Rooting takes time to learn and perfect. With unlimited power, blah, blah, blah.
I rather just do basic infrequent troubleshooting and have fun... my current load is over 1.5 yo, still fast and stable.
I don't update the firmware because that breaks things. No updates needed once you optimize it and find any needed work arounds... it's good to go. Anything from Pie up is pretty secure; they have some vulnerabilities but in practice this isn't an issue... unless you do something stupid.

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