So I was bored today and started digging around and happen to find something that is particularly disturbing IMO. Most settings for apps and system are stored in databases of course. Not going to name which particular files contain this but the passwords for pretty much all my accounts and various things are stored in plain text. With that said one could easily create script to drop on someone phone and pull all of their user names and passwords. This is a huge security flaw that could expose everyone's account information easily. Does anyone know if there is way we can get this information encrypted?
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playin4sheezy said:
So I was bored today and started digging around and happen to find something that is particularly disturbing IMO. Most settings for apps and system are stored in databases of course. Not going to name which particular files contain this but the passwords for pretty much all my accounts and various things are stored in plain text. With that said one could easily create script to drop on someone phone and pull all of their user names and passwords. This is a huge security flaw that could expose everyone's account information easily. Does anyone know if there is way we can get this information encrypted?
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1) If you're out and about set a password
2) With the password set, turn off usb debuging
I'm confused. Please elaborate
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Bravo: i think what he's trying to say is that if someone somehow made an app that also for some strange reason had access to that file... anyone installing that app would basically be voluntarily handing out their account details.
Wouldnt this be more of a MotoBlur issue? Since MotoBlur is the one that handles all that Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Picasa, Photobucket, Email Accounts. I mean it is build into the phones custom UI.
Ok I must confirmed that also aosp email app does the same thing. I froze blur email and loaded gingerbread email and out shows the login info for my gmail and work exchange account
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well to be honest you need root to get this files, and yes use sqlite in market version and you can see ALL apps and password , you can even edit it so maybe i will worry when you can have access to this without root. this isnt new, even you can check wpa_suplicant and check wifi password if you dont remember
I got my N4 a couple of days ago. It's my first foray in the Android world.
The requirements that I am hoping to meet are pretty simple:
1) I want to be able to call contacts and send text messages
2) I don't want Google tracking my contact list
3) I don't want Google tracking my location
4) I don't want Google tracking my browsing history
5) I want to be able to use the Play store to download 3rd party apps. I didn't buy an N4 to use it it like a dumbphone. Logically, the Play store shouldn't require constant access to my contacts, location or browsing history.
I am making this post to get help meeting the above requirements. Despite seeming really basic, I'm running into trouble, and I think I will need frequent help. This thread can act as a journal that hopefully other people can follow.
What I did so far is immediately flashed the N4 to AOKP, and applied the OpenPDroid patches (though I've yet to use OPD). From a blank slate start, I declined to create an account, disabled location access, etc, during the startup wizard.
Adding a contact round 1
I was able to create a local, unsynced contact.
Using the Play store
I was forced to sign up for a gmail account, which is normal. I declined to "keep this phone backed up with my Google Account". I then went in Settings > Account and disabled sync for everything, including Contacts. I also disabled background sync in the power controls.
Adding a contact round 2
I am now unable to add a contact without being forced to sync it with my BS gmail account. When I click "Add Contact" in the phone app, a dialog says "Your contact will be synced with [email protected]" and my choices are either "OK", "Add other account", or to cancel out by clicking Back.
So I'm already stuck. Once a Play account is created, I am now unable to do something as basic as adding a contact without sending it to Google. Can someone tell me how to get past this obstacle?
That's how Google makes their money! Your only options are to either start using the amazon app store only or side loading apps if you don't want Google involvement. Good luck.
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Why? Like they don't have all your information already? You freely give your information to everyone when you use the internet. Congratulations. You are not that special.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Eurotrash: always in this sort of discussions there's people like you who essentially advocate shutting up and taking it. "That's how things are" is not an acceptable solution to my problem, or I would not have made this post. There IS a way around the creeping, and someone knows it. My last resort is blocking every Google service from accessing the Internet except Play. I'm asking here because I'm hoping there's a less extreme solution that other people can use.
Gotzadroid: I will hold out for a better solution. Amazon appstore will likely be limited. Sideloading is not possible because many devs don't provide APKs
I know you can get an app to block individual permissions of other apps: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stericson.permissions
It requires root. Not sure about the contacts and other stuff you wanted to block, im assuming you've disabled location services.
Why not try flashing like cm10 and not flashing gapps so no Google apps? Then just manually downloading the apps apks and sideload the ones you need?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Didn't think my post lacked clarity, so hopefully this will be clearer:
My ONLY problem right now (we'll leave the rest for later) is that the Phone app, an essential app if I want to use my phone for making calls, an app that isn't even part of Gapps, doesn't let me add a local contact without sharing it with Google. That's it. Forget everything else in my post.
So my simple question is, how do I add my friend Bob to my contact list, locally in phone memory or on the SIM card or whatever, without telling Google I'm friends with Bob and giving them his phone number?
MachinTrucChose said:
Didn't think my post lacked clarity, so hopefully this will be clearer:
My ONLY problem right now (we'll leave the rest for later) is that the Phone app, an essential app if I want to use my phone for making calls, an app that isn't even part of Gapps, doesn't let me add a local contact without sharing it with Google. That's it. Forget everything else in my post.
So my simple question is, how do I add my friend Bob to my contact list, locally in phone memory or on the SIM card or whatever, without telling Google I'm friends with Bob and giving them his phone number?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As previously mentioned, try flashing a rom without gapps
OK, try this. Make a dummy gmail account for the play store only. Get all the apps you want and then sign out of gmail. Only sign back in when you want another app. That should keep Google from syncing all your info.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Michealtbh said:
As previously mentioned, try flashing a rom without gapps
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Click to collapse
The Phone app is not a part of gapps. It came on the stock ROM before I flashed gapps on it. I didn't try it before adding gapps, are you saying it will change behavior and no longer prompt me to sync when I try to add a contact?
I gotta go to sleep, I'll do more tests tomorrow evening to test this (and wait for your reply to the above question in case you misread my posts).
If the answer to the above question is yes, this would immediately beg another question: how do I install 3rd party apps from Play without flashing gapps?
gotzaDroid said:
OK, try this. Make a dummy gmail account for the play store only. Get all the apps you want and then sign out of gmail. Only sign back in when you want another app. That should keep Google from syncing all your info.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
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That's what I did in the OP (2nd bolded step). I created a dummy account cause Play requires it. That became my main Google account on this phone (since I declined to set up an account prior to that). That's the account Google tries to sync my contacts to when I try to add a contact.
I looked in the Gmail app, there's no way for me to sign out. All I can do is add more accounts.
A similar thread from the galaxy nexus forums: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1589367
However, I'd also be interested in a deeper insight on why you're trying to do this. Fear of the big brother? Or just proving a point?
We know before buying an android phone that everything is tied to that Gmail address; now you want to cut that tie but maintain full functionality. Well, that probably doesn't work. And if it at the end does, why going through all that trouble? If a different platform offers all that then..
Why you bought an android phone in the first place? Just curious
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
You can try downloading or side loading the app "contacts+" then sign out of your dummy gmail account. You can get a sim to USB hub online and plug your sim into the hub and into PC to add contacts directly to sim. I don't know if there's a way to export contacts to sim anymore unless I'm guessing developers somehow add that feature. So look into CM or another well built ROM and ask some questions.
Good luck
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda premium
MachinTrucChose said:
The Phone app is not a part of gapps. It came on the stock ROM before I flashed gapps on it. I didn't try it before adding gapps, are you saying it will change behavior and no longer prompt me to sync when I try to add a contact?
I gotta go to sleep, I'll do more tests tomorrow evening to test this (and wait for your reply to the above question in case you misread my posts).
If the answer to the above question is yes, this would immediately beg another question: how do I install 3rd party apps from Play without flashing gapps?
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Click to collapse
Stock rom comes with gapps already loaded.
Most custom roms come without them and they must be flashed separately. If you choose not to flash them you aren't even given an option to sign into your Google account at first boot, so there will obviously be no option to sync your contacts.
Your phone will be crippled and you'll have to find workarounds for many things. I don't think you'll be able to use Maps for example. To install apps you'll have to download and install the apks or use an alternative app market like SlideMe or Amazon
What's there to hide? They're just contacts
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Google doesn't care what your Aunt Bertie's phone number is. All they use the data for is to customize ads for you, and if you're going to be seeing ads anyways they might as well be relevant to you.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
It's disappointing that the thread is taking the direction of Google advocacy rather than finding a technical solution to my problem, hopefully this post answers your questions and we can stop arguing about this.
Drakkula4 said:
You can try downloading or side loading the app "contacts+" then sign out of your dummy gmail account.
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Click to collapse
How do I sign out of my dummy gmail account?
Vangelis13 said:
A similar thread from the galaxy nexus forums: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1589367
However, I'd also be interested in a deeper insight on why you're trying to do this. Fear of the big brother? Or just proving a point?
We know before buying an android phone that everything is tied to that Gmail address; now you want to cut that tie but maintain full functionality. Well, that probably doesn't work. And if it at the end does, why going through all that trouble? If a different platform offers all that then..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, not full functionality. I can avoid using all gapps. The only required Google service is the Play store, which is the primary gateway to non-Google apps. I would use Email over Gmail, Navfree over Maps, etc.
The next paragraph is meant as a reply to the 5 posts essentially saying "tinfoil hat, trust Google!".
This is supposed to be an open phone, allowing the user to do what they want, compared to the big bad iOS. That's why I bought it. Now I find out Google is insisting on taking something extremely private (my social graph) even when I don't want to give it to them. I respect my friends' privacy, and I don't want an intersection of my online and offline lives being made by some 3rd party with intentions I don't trust. The insistence is starting to creep me out. You can provide convenience and still respect basic privacy, look at Mozilla with Firefox Sync: even they don't see the data you sync. I'm not even asking for that much, just respect my wish to draw the line at real-life stuff. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, this is the company banning people using pseudonyms on Google+.
The most disappointing thing in all this, is that you have 5000 custom ROMs being developed, which mainly differ in pointless GUI BS like scroll animation speed. Not a single one of those projects thought to provide a way to make the phone usable without giving up extremely private data. AFAIK only 3 guys are working on privacy stuff, and even those guys' patches and apps don't protect you from the Eye of Google.
chrisrozon said:
Google doesn't care what your Aunt Bertie's phone number is. All they use the data for is to customize ads for you, and if you're going to be seeing ads anyways they might as well be relevant to you.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
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What if I don't want tailored ads? Or what if I only want tailored ads by tracking the online activity I'm willing to submit to them, and I feel it should be my my right to draw a line? Many people are not comfortable seeing an intersection of online and real life activity. I am one of those people.
MachinTrucChose said:
Didn't think my post lacked clarity, so hopefully this will be clearer:
My ONLY problem right now (we'll leave the rest for later) is that the Phone app, an essential app if I want to use my phone for making calls, an app that isn't even part of Gapps, doesn't let me add a local contact without sharing it with Google. That's it. Forget everything else in my post.
So my simple question is, how do I add my friend Bob to my contact list, locally in phone memory or on the SIM card or whatever, without telling Google I'm friends with Bob and giving them his phone number?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Simple question deserves simple answer, only thing I can think of, go to settings > accounts > google > tap your account email address > and uncheck the things you don't want synced with google.
Hopefully it works and you will just have a local copy of everything then.
Again just flash like cyanogen mod since you have to flash gapps separate. Then don't flash gapps and your phone will have nothing to do with google.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Good Morning
I'm newbie with android systems and im new here in your website, i have Galaxy S4 and i want to ask the most popular application that i must have
also i want to ask how can i backup my contacts and save them to my email or in my PC.
thanx in advance
Nokia N93 said:
Good Morning
I'm newbie with android systems and im new here in your website, i have Galaxy S4 and i want to ask the most popular application that i must have
also i want to ask how can i backup my contacts and save them to my email or in my PC.
thanx in advance
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Click to collapse
Welcome to Android and XDA. :good: Don't forget to glance over the forum rules and always check out the stickies posted in each forum section (they have a thumbtack image next to them and never move from the top section). They contain valuable info for newcomers.
Both your questions are really all about personal preference. No single app's importance is the same to everyone. My advice to you being new to Android and all is to go into Google Play Store and just browse the list of top paid and free apps. This will give you a good idea of what a majority of users are downloading and using the most. Likely there will be numerous apps in there you will find beneficial. Remember one thing though, rooted users have more app options than non-rooted so just keep that in mind. Some apps require root access and will state that in the description. Once you use your device a bit more you will get a feel for what type of tasks you do most often and what apps might make the experience better.
As for contacts, there are different options for this. I would say since most have a Gmail account to access the Play Store, get email, etc. they will use Gmail to auto backup/restore contacts, calendar, tasks between the cloud and the device. I believe Samsung also will back this up for you which, if you have a Samsung account, is native on the S4 already. To give more direction would have to know what you are using on your PC for mail client, how you are using it, etc.
Favorite app is drop box
For backing up I do this. Open contacts> hit menu> hit import/export> then pick any of the export functions.
When restoring for the last step just use the corresponding import function.
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Hi Guys,
There is an online facebook group for job seekers in india.
Im thinking of making an app for the same which would help job seekers and their job search becomes easier...but Im not getting how to take data online and update it in the app...it would be great if you through some light on the same...
What I need is either to take the data directly from fb posts or admin enters the data manually and that gets updated on the app...
If possible explain with some sample code.
If you have any additional information then that would be very much helpful.
Ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks
coolbud012 said:
Hi Guys,
There is an online facebook group for job seekers in india.
Im thinking of making an app for the same which would help job seekers and their job search becomes easier...but Im not getting how to take data online and update it in the app...it would be great if you through some light on the same...
What I need is either to take the data directly from fb posts or admin enters the data manually and that gets updated on the app...
If possible explain with some sample code.
If you have any additional information then that would be very much helpful.
Ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take a look at the Facebook developer library here.
I'm sure you can find what you need there.
SimplicityApks said:
Take a look at the Facebook developer library here.
I'm sure you can find what you need there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And how about updating the apps based on the posts done on my website?
Thanks