I'm happy with my new Zenfone 8 and want to limit the amount of personal data that Google and others can take from it. So I haven't signed into Google and I'm using F-droid, etc, to download apps.
I've installed NetGuard and I'm OK with allowing or blocking traffic from User Apps. However if I "Show System Apps" there are so many of them that I'm lost.
Is there a list of System Apps that can be blocked to increase privacy without affecting the basic functions of the phone?
I don't have a list, but you should try TrackerControl from F-Droid, it is basically NetGuard but with extra features like tracker blocking, which can be useful for apps that are not tracker-free like social media. It allows very precise control over what urls apps can send/recieve info from
Thanks, I hadn't heard about TrackerControl and will check it out.
Is Netguard still necessary? When I go into an app's settings, click on network, I can turn off mobile data and wifi for any particular app. That's basically what netguard does, right? i.e. prevent an app from accessing the internet
Related
Hello! I know about XPOSED mod XPrivacy:
XPrivacy can prevent applications from leaking privacy sensitive data by restricting the categories of data an application can access. XPrivacy feeds applications fake data or no data at all. It can restrict several data categories, such as contacts or location. For example, if you restrict an application's access to contacts, that application will receive an empty contacts list. Similarly, restricting an application's access to your location will send a fake location to that application.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But xposed will not be available for Android N in the nearest future(
Is there any analog of this mod for magisk?
And it sounds cool if I could allow app to have access to my files, but restrict it to its virtual folder or some analog.
No.
If you can find a way to do it without Xposed, you can use Magisk to make that mod systemless. Magisk can't do something like that by itself.
Magisk - Makes system modifications systemless.
Xposed - A system modification.
On AOSiP 8.1. AT&T MVNO.
And I did search.
Just switched Firewalls from NetGuard to AFWALL+.
I'm questioning which apps need internet access to function or function as I want?
I enabled internet access to everything except the ANY APP setting & simple duh Non-System apps like my PDF reader, ePub reader, VLC, Evie, Ghost Commander & a couple more. The only one so far I'm not 100% on is I disallowed the DRM Service internet access, but I'm pretty sure.
So is there a list of System Apps safe to not allow internet access & will tell me what won't work if I don't allow internet access?
hello with the new way of these phones andriod and others plus spyware .im wondering how do i know what apps samsung etc are spying on my phone maybe uploading my numbers and other infor without me knowing any of you guys got any idea whats the best way to stop it. tbh i hate even google assist even turning on by itself even when i diable it
Hello, first of all, please write in easily readable sentences, that way more people are going to help you.
Second, it is important to be and stay suspicious of the software you use, especially with android. But you shouldn't be worried too much as most of the data that is sent from your phone isn't sent with "evil intentions" or anything like that, it is often rather aggressive diagnostics.
Warning! The following paragraphs are filled with very radical means of removing suspected spyware! Almost all of these require root and knowledge in modding your Android! Beware!
As to how you can spot "spyware" or suspected spyware, there isn't one easy way.
First of all, you could use a custom ROM, so that your system is more open source and there isn't any suspected spyware (or any "ware" at all) from Samsung.
To go one step further, you could try to live without Google services:
Use a different search engine, for example DuckDuckGo or any other really
Use Firefox or any non-Chromium browser
Instead of using opengapps to install Google Play Services (when you install a custom ROM) you could use the replacement project "microG" (microg.org).
Get as many apps as you can from Open source app stores (F-Droid)
Don't use the official Play Store unless you really have to - it is a power hungry data collecting app (that can theoretically install any app without asking, just like the Google Play Services or any other /system/priv-app app with proper permissions) - Alternative for installing Play Store apps: Aurora Store
Replace Google Maps with OpenStreetMap (OSMand)
Use a anonymous YouTube client, for example NewPipe
etc.
These are of course only suggestions, I don't recommend doing them all at once, but if you really don't want any unnecessary data sent from your phone, these are the first steps.
For actually seeing which apps send what data you could either analyze the app bytecode with App Warden or look at all detailed permissions with AppOpsX.
Methods to neutralize spyware are rejecting the permission for the app to use internet access or even run in the background, disabling the suspected app or removing it with system app removers.
Be very careful with actually disabling or removing system apps! Many system apps are needed for the system to work and one can easily misjudge an app by its description and diagnostics! Before disabling an app you should research whether anyone else knows anything about the app and only remove it if you are really sure about it. You have been warned.
Hello all,
I am trying to use an app (BlockSite) to block me from accessing certain websites. In order for the app to work, I have to give it access through the accessibility settings. However, everytime I restart my phone, the accessibility settings reeset. How can I fix this?
maybe you could try something like Adaway, it works in root and non-root modes. you can add sites to it's blacklist and it won't accept or allow traffic there.
blokada works great. It blocks ads and specific web site.
I recently found some hidden google apps on my Zenfone 8 that I had not heard about before...
Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps > click 3 dots upper right corner of screen "Show system".....
I uninstalled these that I don't have a use for:
Companion Device Manager
Basic Daydreams
Google Assistant
Syndor Flipfont
And I force stopped many other apps (that could not be uninstalled) that I didn't see a use for.
There were other apps that I disabled wi-fi and mobile connections to.
I also use Netguard to control which apps have internet and mobile access. However Netguard shows vastly more system apps that I have no idea what they do - I leave these alone. It the moment I'm only trying to reduce the amount of surveillance built into a normal android phone.
I haven't heard of a published an up-to-date rundown of system apps that have no business sending data out of the phone? I know you can just disable all data out connections using Netguard and then spend the rest of your life figuring out which ones to enable to get a useable phone. Perhaps such a list is impractical as it may have to be tailored to each phone and OS? But there might be system apps common to recent android systems that could have the wi-fi and mobile data disabled?
Anything would help if I didn't have to fiddle around so much. The alternative is a degoogled phone. Many google play apps can work on these but there are several important ones I use that don't work and so far I have found no viable open source apps to replace them.
Tom100% said:
I recently found some hidden google apps on my Zenfone 8 that I had not heard about before...
Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps > click 3 dots upper right corner of screen "Show system".....
I uninstalled these that I don't have a use for:
Companion Device Manager
Basic Daydreams
Google Assistant
Syndor Flipfont
And I force stopped many other apps (that could not be uninstalled) that I didn't see a use for.
There were other apps that I disabled wi-fi and mobile connections to.
I also use Netguard to control which apps have internet and mobile access. However Netguard shows vastly more system apps that I have no idea what they do - I leave these alone. It the moment I'm only trying to reduce the amount of surveillance built into a normal android phone.
I haven't heard of a published an up-to-date rundown of system apps that have no business sending data out of the phone? I know you can just disable all data out connections using Netguard and then spend the rest of your life figuring out which ones to enable to get a useable phone. Perhaps such a list is impractical as it may have to be tailored to each phone and OS? But there might be system apps common to recent android systems that could have the wi-fi and mobile data disabled?
Anything would help if I didn't have to fiddle around so much. The alternative is a degoogled phone. Many google play apps can work on these but there are several important ones I use that don't work and so far I have found no viable open source apps to replace them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe the apps that are not available are accessible as a web app? I personally never encountered an app that does not work on Lineage and OmniRom (currently on onmirom). Maybe thats because of MicroG. A bonus to roms is better battery life, I think thank to MicroG
Adaoh said:
Maybe the apps that are not available are accessible as a web app? I personally never encountered an app that does not work on Lineage and OmniRom (currently on onmirom). Maybe thats because of MicroG. A bonus to roms is better battery life, I think thank to MicroG
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you use Waze and google translate? I've tried the open source alternative to Waze but in the country I'm living in it's too clunky to use. I haven't found an open source alternative to translate (that can scan documents and items in the supermarket, translate them and do all the other things. I might buy a degoogled phone in the future as I don't want to get into the technicalities.
Mod Edit
Thread closed per [OP] request.
jackeagle
Forum Moderator