Questions tagged [privacy]
For questions related to enforcing you privacy on Android devices
92
questions
4
votes
1
answer
7k
views
How to make a complete factory reset, without anyone being able to retrieve my data?
I will have a few Android phones that I will have to let go.
I would like to make a proper clean wipe of the data, without no one being able to retrieve them, and do a factory reset.
I have read ...
- 143
90
votes
5
answers
72k
views
Why do so many applications require permission to read the phone state and identity?
Why do so many applications require permission to read the phone state and identity?. Specifically:
Phone calls
read phone state and identity
For example Quickpedia is a Wikipedia portal, but ...
goldsz
19
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Is there any way to erase personal information from my phone that has already been stolen?
My phone has been stolen. I do not want the thief to have access to any of my personal information such as calls, texts, and information saved in the phones contents. Is there any possible way I can ...
- 191
59
votes
8
answers
33k
views
Are there any tools to sandbox a malware application even more than the granted permissions on Android? [closed]
Suppose I want to run some program which requests too many permissions. For example, record from the microphone or read IMEI of my phone. However, there are no practical explanation why recording from ...
- 1,516
43
votes
2
answers
47k
views
What information does stock Android send to Google by default, and how do I opt-out?
I'm about to buy my first Android phone. My understanding is that, in order to download apps and get updates from Google Play, I need to be permanently signed into a Google account that's linked to my ...
- 533
12
votes
1
answer
17k
views
Captive Portal parameters
There are several captive portal parameters one could apply to an Android device via settings put global – the most famous probably being
settings put global captive_portal_detection_enabled 0
to ...
Izzy♦
- 90.8k
8
votes
3
answers
11k
views
How to share VPN connection with devices on hotspot?
I use a VPN on my Galaxy S8+ and I am looking for a way to be able to share my ExpressVPN connection via hotspot to be able to connect devices such as Xbox One and a Smart TV. Currently cannot use a ...
46
votes
7
answers
13k
views
Support for Multiple Users on same device
Is there such a thing as a "current user" on Android and a way to switch it?
I'm interested in getting a Motorola Xoom and would like to share it with my wife when at home. For my Windows laptop we ...
- 573
22
votes
6
answers
2k
views
I have sold my phone on eBay. What should I do before I send it off?
I have an Android phone which I just sold on eBay. What measures should I take before posting it off to its new home? Please answer thoroughly!
- 803
13
votes
6
answers
39k
views
On Android, how to disable Google Chrome's incognito mode
If you thought that disabling incognito mode was enough to protect your children, you're probably mistaken. Let me explain.
Dear readers: Disabling incognito mode may be completely insufficient.
...
5
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Info on and removal of COVID contact tracing in Google Play Services
Has anybody had a closer look into this module what it really does?
I want to know if the functionality will work if bluetooth is turned off.
I guess a surefire method to test this would be to remove ...
- 151
3
votes
1
answer
879
views
Why network activity is detected from apps after VPN firewall blocks them?
A few non-rooted (no rooted) Android 7 and 8 phones from (Huawei, ZTE, Neffos and Samsung) were tested in this simple firewall (NetGuard) experiment. A selection of apps (including apps from the phone ...
- 373
24
votes
2
answers
4k
views
What Android sync'd data is encrypted?
With the release of the firesheep plug-in for firefox it has become trivial for website browsing on open Wi-Fi networks to be hijacked by 3rd party listeners.
Android offers the convenient auto-sync ...
- 1,014
20
votes
3
answers
2k
views
When selling your phone, what steps should be taken to make sure that all personal data has been removed?
I am getting rid of my Samsung Galaxy S4 and want to know what steps I should take to make sure that private information has been deleted from the phone. I have removed the SD card and cleared all of ...
- 313
20
votes
1
answer
8k
views
How does an app reads an OTP SMS without SMS permission?
I have recently installed an Android app from the Play Store.
While registering in it, I realized that it was able to read my message of OTP without even asking for my permission to read the message.
...
- 303
13
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Is there a list that explains the risks involved with each granted application permission type?
Usually an installed android app will request permissions such as
Phone calls
read phone state and identity
or
System tools
prevent phone from sleeping
But the actual consequences from a ...
- 295
10
votes
7
answers
17k
views
How do you encrypt your device running CyanogenMod 12.1?
CyanogenMod 12 and 12.1 'Encrypt phone' setting is broken, and has been for quite a while. Is there any way to encrypt the phone in some other fashion? Can CM be sideloaded onto a phone with an ...
- 902
8
votes
2
answers
5k
views
WhatsApp: How to isolate contacts and photos - Privacy concerns
Whatsapp is ubiquitous and is commonly used despite the long scary list of permissions it seeks ( see Help understanding Whatsapp's permissions )
Privacy and security conscious people would like ...
- 40.3k
29
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Audit app permissions easily in one place?
Is there anyway to list all the applications installed on your phone and the permissions they require all on one page, or export the list so it can easily be audited?
- 19.3k
18
votes
2
answers
7k
views
How do I set up OpenVPN on CyanogenMod 7?
I want to route all my network traffic through my home's ISP connection when I'm out in Internet cafes so I can't be eavesdropped/firesheeped.
I have an HTC G2 with CyanogenMod 7, which has OpenVPN ...
- 3,017
14
votes
2
answers
814
views
How do I prep my rooted and moded phone for resale?
I have a rooted MyTouch 3G (HTC Magic) that I want to sell to help defray the cost of my new phone. I have been running CyanogenMod on the phone. My problem lies in the fact that I don't really want ...
- 318
13
votes
2
answers
16k
views
Can the RECEIVE_SMS permission be used to intercept SMS messages?
I've noticed quite a few apps requesting the RECEIVE_SMS permission. Two things are clear to me here:
RECEIVE_SMS enables an app to "snap" incoming SMS
READ_SMS just applies to SMS already stored
As ...
Izzy♦
- 90.8k
11
votes
4
answers
145k
views
How to block all phone calls, but only allow SMS and networking?
It's kinda disturbing when people keep calling me during work or meetings, but to me it's okay if I receive short messages or Whatsapp message because I can reply them few minutes later in a short ...
- 171
10
votes
3
answers
9k
views
How can I make an Android app "forget" that it installed on my phone before?
Some apps, like Facebook, LinkedIn, Tinder, etc., seem to have a mechanism to remember which Android phone installed their app. So if a user is banned on these apps, the next time somebody creates an ...
- 209
10
votes
3
answers
37k
views
How can I automatically clear my browsing data when I exit Chrome?
I don't like having my searches and web history hanging around forever. Therefore, I wonder: Is it possible to automatically clear browsing data on exit in Google Chrome? If it cannot be done with ...
- 101
10
votes
4
answers
1k
views
What's the most complete way to erase all the data from my phone so it cannot be recovered?
I just got my replacement Droid and will be sending my current Droid back to Motorola. I'm sure they are going to refurbish it and resell it. I've backed up everything and I'm going to be keeping my ...
- 19.3k
9
votes
3
answers
9k
views
Get new random MAC for same SSID without factory reset on Android 10+
Here is the MAC Randomization described and stated:
Note: Randomized MAC addresses are generated per SSID and are persistent.
I can confirm after deleting the SSID, rebooting, and connecting again, ...
- 343
8
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Is there an Android calendar with limited security permissions?
I've just bought an entry-level Samsung Europa, running version 2.2. I'm technically-minded but new to this OS. I'd like to find a calendar that runs in limited security permissions, so that my ...
- 339
8
votes
2
answers
12k
views
How to sync contacts and calendar with Linux system, without using Gmail?
How can I sync my contacts and calendar with a Linux system?
I'd prefer to sync with my desktop, but setting up a server on the internet would also be possible.
I want to avoid Google mail for ...
- 388
7
votes
2
answers
790
views
Does an adblocker defeat the tracking part of the ad module, or just the display of ads?
Related, but different than, these two questions, I'd like to know if the usual ad blockers on Android do anything to prevent user tracking from ad modules. Those questions are several years old by ...
6
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Does Truecalller app leak your phonebook?
Sometimes, I cannot find new contacts that I add to the Truecaller phonebook, but sometimes, I think if it shares/leaks my contacts to the public. It shows other people's contact details that I never ...
- 1,151
4
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Permission system changes with Android 6.0: What are the implications for us users?
With Android 6.0, a bunch of permissions and permission groups have been removed:
Groups gone
While on a first glance this doesn't seem important (isn't it rather a way to organize permissions?) – ...
Izzy♦
- 90.8k
4
votes
2
answers
9k
views
What are all these Google internet hosts (domains) and why is stripped-down Android connecting to all of them?
Technology users are faced with a challenge: Allowing our tech devices to work without them invading our privacy.
Obviously choosing products carefully is a critical step. Unfortunately, the two main ...
- 4,276
4
votes
2
answers
112
views
Dangers of ad modules in apps
Nowadays, I see apps containing up to 10 ad modules (maybe even more). While most of them might just be an annoyance, some of them carry a privacy risk, like inMobi ¹ or RevMob ² (for some background, ...
Izzy♦
- 90.8k
4
votes
0
answers
303
views
Privacy of in-app purchases: how much user data does the app developer get?
When a you do an in-app purchase like buying a feature or subscription the the app and the developer is getting data on your purchase.
I searched a bit the Google documentation but I wasn't able to ...
- 18.9k
3
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Does "Draw over other apps" permission allow the app the see the content of the background app?
For example, if I have the Messenger bubble open in the foreground and I am browsing through my photos in the background, can an app like Messenger see the photos in the background and record this ...
- 31
3
votes
1
answer
671
views
Privacy/Security concers for setting up business email using Gmail app on Nexus devices
I need to set up my business email*(non gmail email)* on the mobile devices (Nexus 5 and Nexus7). The business has its own private mail server. The way I can do it is by using Gmail app on these ...
- 133
3
votes
3
answers
11k
views
How to do Factory Reset
I know the topic has been covered here. But this is something different. I got a Tablet in my workplace to work with. It has a primary email Id for which I don't know the password. So to remove this, ...
- 191
3
votes
2
answers
697
views
Is there an application / ROM that allows me to set the phone to "Guest" mode which I can configure?
I would like to be able to set my phone into Guest mode so people using it will not be able to "abuse" it while I give it to them.
Example of usage:
Child mode - prevent editing settings, making ...
- 425
2
votes
1
answer
552
views
Share to app: Remove suggested people to share with (non-rooted Android 14)
When you want to "share" a file to an app,
a line of "recommended people to share with" appears above the apps:
Problem: I often need to perform demos on my phone, and for privacy ...
- 5,226
1
vote
0
answers
11k
views
Hotspot mobile network tethering and DNS
I and probably others know, if turning on the mobile hotspot and enable wifi-tethering, we are able to use our android phone to get internet access via a notebook (and other devices of course) ...
- 111
1
vote
1
answer
430
views
With Android, does a factory reset truly reset the device to the same as it was when it left the factory (unlike an iPhone)?
When you reset an iPhone, my understanding is that the device does not truly get reset to how it was when it exited the factory.
What about with an Android device? Does performing a factory reset on ...
- 4,276
1
vote
1
answer
805
views
Looking for a network monitor that can enumerate outbound connections
I have a rooted Galaxy S2, and I want to block access for all apps whose primary function does not require network connectivity. I am using DroidWall and LBE Privacy Guard (both require root) to ...
- 788
25
votes
4
answers
247k
views
How to retrieve saved password in Google Chrome for Android?
Is there any way I can retrieve stored password specific to any URL in Google Chrome for Android. This is not in any way connected with Google Chrome running in Desktop versions. I'm able to see saved ...
- 623
21
votes
4
answers
30k
views
How to use GPS without using Google Location Services
Because I do not want to consent to the Google Location Services privacy agreement I have this switched off. By doing so I know some location functionality like cell-based and wifi-based location will ...
- 335
14
votes
2
answers
13k
views
What permissions are granted to an app with device administration privileges?
Does a Device Administrator application have any/all permissions such as contacts, storage, etc.. ?
It's not clear from developer.android.com device-admin whether or not these admin rights also imply ...
- 143
10
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What lurks behind these Gmail/GTalk permissions?
I just stumbled upon some permissions which sound clear at first sight (noticed them already quite a while ago, just decided to dig deeper right now). Thinking about possible implications, I'd really ...
Izzy♦
- 90.8k
9
votes
6
answers
20k
views
how can I randomize my MAC address every time my WiFi is turned on?
Given the increased prevalence of systems which track people's movements by their Mac addresses I'd like to obscure mine.
I have a rooted galaxy note 2 with busybox installed. I can change my MAC ...
- 211
8
votes
0
answers
4k
views
Can apps bypass permissions and just use Google Play Services?
I was reading this answer, and the first comment under it, and wondered if apps can bypass their own app permissions and just get whatever data they want from Google Play Services.
What got me ...
- 181
8
votes
1
answer
41k
views
Read phone state and identity
I've looked at many (not all) of the dozens of links here.
Is there a list that explains the risks involved with each granted application permission type?
Most of these are not worth the time to ...
- 81