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AdFree is a fantastic program created by XDA user delta_foxtrot2 (see this thread in the G1 forum) to facilitate using your hosts file to block ad servers. This makes it extremely easy. Of course you will need root access!
Unfortunately I found some ads still weren't blocked and the last update to the AdFree hosts file happened 2010-02-27. So I decided to update the hosts file myself. I merged the hosts files from adfree/mvps/yoyo and added a bunch of mobile ad providers I've found myself. The list is free of duplicates and comments, so as to keep it as small as possible (it still amounts to about 635 kB).
To install this hosts file, you still need root access obviously:
download the zip
unpack it to the directory where adb.exe is located (if you don't know what adb is or how to get it running, please use the search)
open a command prompt
Code:
adb shell mount -o rw,remount -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
adb push hosts.for.mobile.txt /etc/hosts
adb shell mount -o ro,remount -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
You might need to restart your phone. Also clearing the Android browser cache will apparently help in getting rid of already cached ads (worked for me, ymmv).
As for ethical discussions on blocking ads for free apps, blah. I don't so much have a problem with ads, as I do with the personal data that gets send to the ad providers. I'm talking about location data and whatever else they might want to know about my device and what I'm running ("analytics" is a fancy name for "we want to find out as much about you as we possibly can get away with").
Anyway.. use it, don't use it, up to you.
Last updated
15-4-2010 23:23 (20808 hosts blocked)
.
Thanks a bunch!
Thanks for the updated hosts. So should we even bother with the program, especially if it doesn't get updated hardly at all?
You're welcome!
If you push my hosts file, you don't need the AdFree app, but I wanted to acknowledge his work and give people a simpler alternative to using adb.
Best choice right now is my hosts file as it's simply more comprehensive.
Sent from my HTC Hero using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
phaelox said:
You're welcome!
If you push my hosts file, you don't need the AdFree app, but I wanted to acknowledge his work and give people a simpler alternative to using adb.
Best choice right now is my hosts file as it's simply more comprehensive.
Sent from my HTC Hero using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Understood. Yeah, it was a great start/beginning to blocking ads, but no updates. Thanks again.
Thanks! I've been looking for something like this for awhile. Real quick question: is getting "Data connectivity errors" in browser normal with this? It didn't start till I pushed this on my phone.
tmayne said:
Real quick question: is getting "Data connectivity errors" in browser normal with this? It didn't start till I pushed this on my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer:
You may know this, but I'll explain anyway. The way this works is as follows. The loopback address for any network interface is 127.0.0.1 -- this is the address for the device, but only from the device itself, it loops back on itself. We don't want to waste bandwidth with ads, or have ad providers collect all sorts of data on us, so we don't want to connect to them. Any FQDN -Fully Qualified Domain Name- (for example: analytics.admob.com) needs to be converted into an IP address to be able to connect to it. Here's where the 'hosts' file comes in. It's a simple text file with a record on each line that says redirect 'hostname' to 'ip-address'. So we put a line in that reads '127.0.0.1 analytics.admob.com'. This tells our device that any connection made to 'analytics.admob.com' needs to be redirected to '127.0.0.1', which is your device. Basically a dead-end, as you are not running their webserver serving ads on your device, so this results in a data connection error.
Now, usually you will surf to a site that loads images (advertisements) from a server that is listed in this hosts file, and as a result the ads will not load. That shouldn't popup any error windows. But if you try to visit http://analytics.admob.com in your browser, then yes, you will see an error.
If the latter happens with a site you do wish to visit, just open the hosts file in a text editor (one that supports UNIX-style line ends) and remove the line in question, or put a '#' in front of the line to comment it out.
Hope that made it clearer.
Yeah it did. No worries though since it seems that after pressing "Ok" everything works fine! Small trade off for blocked ads! Thanks!
Thanks for this How-TO!
So basicaly that mean we can restrict acces to certain websites from our phone?
eg: adding this line
Code:
127.0.0.1 forum.xda-developers.com
and I'll no longer be able to browse XDA from my phone?
Keep writing such How-To, like this one and the one to sign update.zip, I found this interessant and usefull
tmayne said:
Yeah it did. No worries though since it seems that after pressing "Ok" everything works fine! Small trade off for blocked ads! Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome, glad I could help.
carbonyle said:
Thanks for this How-TO!
So basicaly that mean we can restrict acces to certain websites from our phone?
eg: adding this line
Code:
127.0.0.1 forum.xda-developers.com
and I'll no longer be able to browse XDA from my phone?
Keep writing such How-To, like this one and the one to sign update.zip, I found this interessant and usefull
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers. And yes, that's exactly right. Just remember the hosts file takes FQDN's, so you can block a domain (or subdomain) this way, but not a directory or page on a domain. Also, blocking a domain does not also block its subdomains.
PS. this method of using the hosts file is not unique to your android phone, it works on most operating systems on PC as well. See this Wikipedia entry for more info.
what about non rooted phones? I just got myself a htc desire, I'm happy with it but would be happier if I wouldn't be required to see all those ads.
Unfortunately root is required to remount /system as writable to be able to overwrite the hosts file.
Without root you could use another free app found in Market called "AdBlock", which functions as a localhost proxy. Just set localhost as proxy in APN/wifi settings. It doesn't come with a prefilled list of keywords to block though, but it works on a URL level, not FQDN, so you can specify a url or part of it to block.
Just one more quick concern about the Data Connectivity issues: Certain areas of my university require a redirect page login in order to connect to wifi. However, it seems that at certain locations, I get the Data Connectivity error pop up repeatedly and my phone never makes it to the redirect page.
Actually it seems my phone only likes the wifi in my dorm. As stepping outside (to a library or classroom) and attempting to connect to the same wifi produces the error.
Is this an issue with the hosts file or with the phone itself??
Thanks!
If you DO see the wifi redirect page at SOME locations, then the hosts file is not blocking it (wouldn't make sense as it's likely an intranet page anyway). Sounds like wifi reception is unstable on your phone.
This is getting off-topic, but..... Have you already updated your radio? (the part of the ROM that handles everything related to GSM/3G/WiFi/Bluetooth connections). If not, here for the latest radio update.zip - flash through recovery.
phaelox said:
If you DO see the wifi redirect page at SOME locations, then the hosts file is not blocking it (wouldn't make sense as it's likely an intranet page anyway). Sounds like wifi reception is unstable on your phone.
This is getting off-topic, but..... Have you already updated your radio? (the part of the ROM that handles everything related to GSM/3G/WiFi/Bluetooth connections). If not, or the latest radio update.zip - flash through recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I should note that I'm using a Motorola Cliq...Handler 1.5 ROM. There is a radio update available for the Motorola Cliq (I'm currently using 1.3.18 and 1.4.8 has been released) but there are some apk incompatibilities with it (particularly Swype which I love...since it's in closed beta right now, there are no accessible updates for it unfortunately).
Since I bought my phone off of ebay, I can't send it back for a new one. The essential things work but it is a bit frustrating that it has some problems.
tmayne said:
I should note that I'm using a Motorola Cliq...Handler 1.5 ROM. There is a radio update available for the Motorola Cliq (I'm currently using 1.3.18 and 1.4.8 has been released) but there are some apk incompatibilities with it (particularly Swype which I love...since it's in closed beta right now, there are no accessible updates for it unfortunately).
Since I bought my phone off of ebay, I can't send it back for a new one. The essential things work but it is a bit frustrating that it has some problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure that updating radio won't affect other softwares since "radio" is *just* the piece of code that can handle GSM/Wifi/BT/3G, ... signals
I'll always keep an open mind, but from what I know, I'm with carbonyle on this.
Back on topic:
if you come across an app that still displays ad, regardless of my hosts file, please reply in this topic with the app/version (and a logcat output would be nice if you know how) and I'll see if I can find the ad provider domain and update the hosts file.
I'm confused... This is for blocking apps adds???
:No-Frost: said:
I'm confused... This is for blocking apps adds???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it is. See it like a firewall wich blocks mobile ads. Because the app wont recieve any response from the ad url it tries to reach, it'll simply not display the ad (like when you use the app without wifi or data connextion on)
Wooooooo thanks... worked like a charm in glympse shazam and others =D...
PS: Air Control still have adds... Mmm how can we know what's the host for the add in the apps so we can contribute into blocking them???
I hope that this is not the wrong place for my post.
I am trying to protect an apk from being copied/extracted/backed up off the phone and installed later, on another phone.
I have to mention that the app is not (and will not be) for sale on PlayStore or on any web store, being sold along with the phone. This is why I can not use apk protection offered by GooglePlay, which is anyway cracked at his time.
But I want to take advantages on this situation: every single phone will pass trough my hands (I will install myself the app) before hitting users. How can I use this advantage in order to protect my app?
At this time my app is not visible in Running Apps drawer, is having a default Android icon and the name is disguised in something pretty innocent. GUI access by dialing a code. No worries, is not malware but only a security app regarding GSM connection security.
Also, is running as a system app, which make it invisible for apps like Astro file manager, thus impossible to copy/back up by such file manager apps. Unfortunately there are a bunch of system app managers, that can convert a system app on user app, and then copying the apk file is easy.
I know that security sucks big time when it comes about Android OS, but I am determined to find a way to protect my app.
I know also that even a licensing scheme based on IMEI, WiFi MAC or Bluetooth MAC addresses can be bypassed by some skilled crackers. This values can be spoofed or even null.
I have tried apk encryption. Doesn't work: some apps supposed to encrypt other Android apps are actually encrypting only app libraries, not the apk file itself. By encrypting apk file, the app obviously will not work.
Code obfuscation is not an option as long the app can be duplicated off the phone and installed later on another phone.
The last idea that I had: pulling some app resources (like drawables) from a server. What do you think?
At this time I'm in a dead end. I have no more ideas how to protect my app. That's why I need your help. Can you give me please some feasible ideas, based on your huge experience?
Thank you very much for your time.
theres a thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2279813
where we're discussing about methods to protect apps from piracy u can post it there
Sent from my GT-S5302 using Tapatalk 2
Thanks
Thx a lot sak-venom1997.
I have the 2017 Shield.
I have used BBCIplayer in the US on many Android devices over the years. I usually install from apk or a British Google Play account, and then use a smart DNS service (smart DNS sends the proper signals through a VPN so the BBC server sees me as being in the UK, but the actual video is not sent through the VPN. Except for the limited purpose, the device has a US ip address.)
For every device except the Shield, once the Iplayer app is installed, it stays installed and visible.
The Shield has its own Nvidia made version of Iplayer (the regular version does not work with Google TV.) I installed this once from the Google Play store with a UK Google Play account. It worked fine, then disappeared after a while. I can now get it to work by using a copy of the Nvidia Iplayer apk that I downloaded from the internet - I click on the apk in file manager and then click on the "market" option rather than the "install" option. I am then given a screen where I can "enable" the Iplayer, and it then appears again as a usable app.
If I go into settings when the app is enabled it shows as a system app, rather than a downloaded app (as does the proprietary version of the Amazon video player.)
One of the reasons that I like Android is that it has less of the "big brothery" stuff than IOS (or a Roku, for that matter.) So it pisses me off that the device I paid for is actively frustrating my watching what I want to watch with an app which is on the machine. I'm not saying that Nvidia should be providing me with a VPN connection, but on the other hand it shouldn't be actively blocking me from what I want to do.
Short of hooking up to a VPN 24/7,any ideas as to how to stop this disabling of the app?
I want to try this.. Brit now in Germany. I installed express vpn on my shield but didn't look for iplayer yet.
I assumed I would need vpn set to UK all the time I wish to use BBC then disconnect vpn for normal use.
Sent from my Hauwai P9 EVA-L09 using Tapatalk
From Nvidia :
The BBC iPlayer app is only available inside the UK. If you are not located in that location or have recently moved out of the UK then the app will no longer be available from the main menu of SHIELD Android TV.
If you are located in the UK, please ensure that Location Services is enabled. To do so, navigate to the Settings menu and then into the Personal->Location menu and ensure it is enabled.
If you prefer not to use Location Services, please ensure that the device language selection is set to "English (United Kingdom) (GB)". To do so, navigate to the Settings menu and then into the Preferences->Language menu and select the language from the list.
----
so:
Disabled Location
Set English UK Language
Reboot
Enjoy
Tested
install kodi then install the iplayer plugin
afgok said:
install kodi then install the iplayer plugin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you are outside the UK it still won't work without VPN - at least not from Germany
shaunydub said:
if you are outside the UK it still won't work without VPN - at least not from Germany
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
read the OP its pretty obvious he is using vpn hes in the USA what he wants is a work around for the app being disabled because its not licesensed for use outside the UK hence my post:good:
Hi, after battling with the same issue for some time on the 2015 shield, I've been able to work out a solution;
I've posted the solution up here;
https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/1011733/shield-tv/how-to-fix-the-disappearing-bbc-iplayer-app-for-out-of-region-/
In-case it gets taken down for any reason, the solution is to extract out the APK of the iplayer system app (using ES file explorer on the shield TV), then pull the resulting APK into "APK Editor Pro" and then modify the app name and package name to create a new APK (making sure the package name doesn't have iplayer in it) and then sideload it onto the shield TV.
This way when the shield is booted, only the inbuilt iplayer app is disabled, but not the modified cloned app.
I expect this same process to work with many other inbuilt apps on the shield TV that might be disabling out of region.
Hope this helps someone!
Hi Watsonash, I scanned the apk you've kindly shared for the disappearing iplayer & it's infected with malware; I checked it with both VirusTotal and NVISO APKScan...
chainfire3356 said:
Hi Watsonash, I scanned the apk you've kindly shared for the disappearing iplayer & it's infected with malware; I checked it with both VirusTotal and NVISO APKScan...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi, those products must be reporting false positives. As said I simply used "APK Editor Pro" to change the information, so unless this in injecting malware (which I'd say is most definitely not the case). I described the process so there is nothing stopping you from taking the exact same approach yourself and generating the modified apk yourself. I just installed Virustotal and it said the apk simply wasn't in its database (which is correct as APK Editor Pro has to resign the app as part of the packaging process).
Hi Watsonash, I aplogize, I should have clarified in my original comment that I didn't think you were purposely putting that apk out there with malware; I was just trying to be brief in my comment, which isn't something that comes naturally, as you'll see... My reasons for posting were to let you know that a scan dectected malware so you could look into why that was & fix it - that being said, every day is a new school day for me, because I wasn't aware of the false positive thing until you mentioned it. Now I understand that it's not something that you can"fix"and it isn't likely infected. I don't know how to modify anything - the only knowledge I have is knowing where to look to find clever people like you who do the work to fix annoying issues like the iplayer disappearing. I am eternally grateful for people like you who figure these things out for people like me & to have learned something new about the false positive issue; I was stupidly thinking that since two different websites showed positives that something was there, but now that I've read into a bit, I've clued in that the majority of the actual antivirus programs on both sites marked it clear. I see now that there are many variables taken into account when these programs come up with a result that doesn't look good.
Again, I apologize; this is why I usually just read & then research & never post comments - I should stick to doing that! Thank you for figuring out this fix; it's very much appreciated!
ronwi2 said:
I have the 2017 Shield.
I have used BBC Iplayer in the US on many Android devices over the years. I usually install from apk or a British Google Play account, and then use a smart DNS service (smart DNS sends the proper signals through a VPN so the BBC server sees me as being in the UK, but the actual video is not sent through the VPN. Except for the limited purpose, the device has a US ip address.)
For every device except the Shield, once the Iplayer app is installed, it stays installed and visible.
The Shield has its own Nvidia made version of Iplayer (the regular version does not work with Google TV.) I installed this once from the Google Play store with a UK Google Play account. It worked fine, then disappeared after a while. I can now get it to work by using a copy of the Nvidia Iplayer apk that I downloaded from the internet - I click on the apk in file manager and then click on the "market" option rather than the "install" option. I am then given a screen where I can "enable" the Iplayer, and it then appears again as a usable app.
If I go into settings when the app is enabled it shows as a system app, rather than a downloaded app (as does the proprietary version of the Amazon video player.)
One of the reasons that I like Android is that it has less of the "big brothery" stuff than IOS (or a Roku, for that matter.) So it pisses me off that the device I paid for is actively frustrating my watching what I want to watch with an app which is on the machine. I'm not saying that Nvidia should be providing me with a VPN connection, but on the other hand it shouldn't be actively blocking me from what I want to do.
Short of hooking up to a VPN 24/7,any ideas as to how to stop this disabling of the app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for bringing up an old topic. Anyone use smart dns for BBC iPlayer on smart TV?
I want to stream it to my TV without VPN. Also how to install BBC iPlayer application to smart TV if iam outside UK now?
Many of us don't have root and many of us also uninstalled may system apps, including Fire Launcher. That left us with some annoyances. One major annoyance was being kicked to the lock screen whenever we swiped away apps from the recent apps menu. Some people saw annoying flashes. Well this isn't quite a fix, but it pretty much takes care of the problem. You can now remove your lock screen completely and replace it at will and you do NOT need root access.
***WARNING: Touching any other settings on your tablet during this guide can cause a brick!!!***
1. Download and install Settings Database Editor.
2. Plug your tablet into your PC and open an ADB window. Enter the following:
Code:
adb shell pm grant by4a.setedit22 android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
Step number 2 MUST be done in order for this to work.
3. Open Settings Database Editor and tap on the 'secure' tab at the top.
4. These settings are in alphabetical order. Scroll until you see:
Code:
"lockscreen_disabled" "0"
5. Change the 0 to a 1. DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING ELSE
6. Close Settings Database Editor
Now turn off your screen. Now turn it back on. You are welcome! I have a few more tricks coming. Watch for some later!
IF THE ABOVE DOESN'T WORK, TO DISABLE LOCK SCREEN:
Code:
adb shell settings put secure lockscreen_disabled 1
ENABLE LOCK SCREEN:
Code:
adb shell settings put secure lockscreen_disabled 0
Both methods don´t work on my Fire HD10 2017.
tommes-d said:
Both methods don´t work on my Fire HD10 2017.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It worked almost instantly for me. Maybe wait a bit? Did you reboot? It won't work on every device. Doesn't work on my Galaxy S7.
Not working for me too (Fire HD 8 2016). Also, you've made a mistake: original setting name is "lockscreen.disabled" (dot, not an underscore).
sensboston said:
Not working for me too (Fire HD 8 2016). Also, you've made a mistake: original setting name is "lockscreen.disabled" (dot, not an underscore).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disappointing. Today I got a good one though. I can't wait to get home and post a thread.
I know this isn't the correct forum for this but I tried this on a Fire 7 (2017) and it also does not seem to work.
is there an updated way to do this?
is there an updated way to do this?
edit: kindle fire 8 7th gen, confirmed not working.
Doesn't work on my Fire HD8. But while browsing through Settings Database Editor I have found something useful.
In the "Global Table" tab there's a setting called LOCKSCREEN_AD_ENABLED. Change the value from 1 to 0, save. Turn off screen, turn it on again --> ads are gone!
At least for a while...
Seems to be working on KFAUWI (Fire 7 7th Gen) on 5.4.0.0.
EDIT: Maybe it doesn't work with 5.4.0.1 and later?
It would be useful for those reporting success/failure to include not just device model, but fw version as well.
EDIT1: After some time playing around the system I have found out that by default it actually does not work, but if Global Table->"device_provisioned" = 0 then lock screen gets disabled, but serial number gets greyed out and developer options get disabled, while adb remains functional.
On 5.6.0.0 even change to "device_provisioned" did not disable the lock screen.
gabosius said:
Seems to be working on KFAUWI (Fire 7 7th Gen) on 5.4.0.0.
EDIT: Maybe it doesn't work with 5.4.0.1 and later?
It would be useful for those reporting success/failure to include not just device model, but fw version as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are settings in the "private" class that override some of these lower ones, usually in favor their using their own software. I think most device stock settings are hidden for the purpose of favoring their own software. Though with Amazon, I scratch my head. Why spend the large amount of money, to install a high tech, customizable GPS system on devices, only to spend more money carelessly blocking your Access?
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 using XDA Labs
DragonFire1024 said:
There are settings in the "private" class that override some of these lower ones, usually in favor their using their own software. I think most device stock settings are hidden for the purpose of favoring their own software. Though with Amazon, I scratch my head. Why spend the large amount of money, to install a high tech, customizable GPS system on devices, only to spend more money carelessly blocking your Access?
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's fairly simple, the same goes for one of the iPhones (don't recall which gen exactly) which had two different models of radio chips, one of which did support LTE, but Apple decided to disable LTE support for that gen of the phone altogether.
Now more on the topic, checked the specs of all 7th gen tablets, indeed none of them seem to support GPS officially (for some reason I thought that HD8/HD10 might have it), but if they have the hw, it could be for testing purposes to test proprietary GPS related sw on development devices before introducing it in the next gen? Or simply they decided to drop it somewhere along the way but left the hardware (as we still have Serial/UART on some production devices nowadays, which are used only for debugging in the development stage).
On the other hand, where did you get the info that it actually has GPS related hardware? Because while exploring my device settings I only found a hint on A-GPS support (which is not proven).
gabosius said:
That's fairly simple, the same goes for one of the iPhones (don't recall which gen exactly) which had two different models of radio chips, one of which did support LTE, but Apple decided to disable LTE support for that gen of the phone altogether.
Now more on the topic, checked the specs of all 7th gen tablets, indeed none of them seem to support GPS officially (for some reason I thought that HD8/HD10 might have it), but if they have the hw, it could be for testing purposes to test proprietary GPS related sw on development devices before introducing it in the next gen? Or simply they decided to drop it somewhere along the way but left the hardware (as we still have Serial/UART on some production devices nowadays, which are used only for debugging in the development stage).
On the other hand, where did you get the info that it actually has GPS related hardware? Because while exploring my device settings I only found a hint on A-GPS support (which is not proven).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Add a few .xml configuration files to start and there is configuration settings in the framework. Look for an app on the tablet with HERE in all caps in the title. That's the APK module making it possible. And yes I figured out a way to modify framework settings
DragonFire1024 said:
Add a few .xml configuration files to start and there is configuration settings in the framework. Look for an app on the tablet with HERE in all caps in the title. That's the APK module making it possible. And yes I figured out a way to modify framework settings
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see, just checked MT8127 specs, and indeed there seems to be integrated support for GPS with GLONASS, that may be something interesting to play with.
EDIT: HD8/HD10 even have broader support of GPS related technologies according to their SoC specs.
Yeah, I was following root progress thread, even tried Blueborne exploit (the one published by Armis labs on github) on KFAUWI without much success as there is no access to /proc/<pid>/maps. And framework-res.apk mod looks promising only for devices having root, as getting required permissions outside /system is rather problematic.
Yet I was surprised that WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS can be assigned outside /system. As I was poking around com.amazon.dcp.permission.DISPLAY_DEBUG_UI for quite some time.
gabosius said:
Yet I was surprised that WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS can be assigned outside /system. As I was poking around com.amazon.dcp.permission.DISPLAY_DEBUG_UI for quite some time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have any idea if you can grant something like Activity Launcher the DISPLAY_DEBUG_UI permission? Some of the activities gave me errors when I tried to open them, saying they require com.amazon.dcp.permission.DISPLAY_DEBUG_UI.
The thing is, this appears to be a custom permission added by Amazon, not available in the official Android documentation.
Would Activity Launcher even be capable of launching certain "hidden" activities with this permission granted? Presumably you would grant permission over ADB the same way as WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS?
Any ideas would be great.
lakitu47 said:
Do you have any idea if you can grant something like Activity Launcher the DISPLAY_DEBUG_UI permission? Some of the activities gave me errors when I tried to open them, saying they require com.amazon.dcp.permission.DISPLAY_DEBUG_UI.
The thing is, this appears to be a custom permission added by Amazon, not available in the official Android documentation.
Would Activity Launcher even be capable of launching certain "hidden" activities with this permission granted? Presumably you would grant permission over ADB the same way as WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS?
Any ideas would be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried granting it to other apps and it resulted in "com.amazon.dcp.permission.DISPLAY_DEBUG_UI is not a changeable type" the command I used was pm grant com.amazon.dcp com.amazon.dcp.permission.DISPLAY_DEBUG_UI so yes, the syntax is the same with custom amazon permissions. Also execution of dumpsys package com.amazon.dcp shows that app already has DISPLAY_DEBUG_UI permission.
My guess is that it requires root, as even when I am launching activity from adb shell (not in context of activity manager) I get the same error that it requires the permission, and the same goes for some other hidden amazon applications.
EDIT: you can get list of device permissions by executing "pm list permissions" without quotes from adb shell, there are at least a few interesting ones.
lakitu47 said:
Do you have any idea if you can grant something like Activity Launcher the DISPLAY_DEBUG_UI permission? Some of the activities gave me errors when I tried to open them, saying they require com.amazon.dcp.permission.DISPLAY_DEBUG_UI.
The thing is, this appears to be a custom permission added by Amazon, not available in the official Android documentation.
Would Activity Launcher even be capable of launching certain "hidden" activities with this permission granted? Presumably you would grant permission over ADB the same way as WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS?
Any ideas would be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a great question and one that hasn't been asked before. I can tell you I've been able to, in some apps, modify the manifest permissions. For example, I can use an app to edit the manifest of Jack Pals terminal emulator to add the secure settings permission and have it successfully install etc. I never thought of doing the same with activity launcher and if successful, seeing what happens. This could be very interesting. If you give me a few copies of some of the manifests permissions, I can see if a recompile and install will hold.
DragonFire1024 said:
That's a great question and one that hasn't been asked before. I can tell you I've been able to, in some apps, modify the manifest permissions. For example, I can use an app to edit the manifest of Jack Pals terminal emulator to add the secure settings permission and have it successfully install etc. I never thought of doing the same with activity launcher and if successful, seeing what happens. This could be very interesting. If you give me a few copies of some of the manifests permissions, I can see if a recompile and install will hold.
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Click to collapse
I attached a text document with ALL of the permissions listed by "pm list permissions" since it was too long to put here.
lakitu47 said:
I attached a text document with ALL of the permissions listed by "pm list permissions" since it was too long to put here.
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Give me a few hours to see if I can modify the app. If I can, I'll upload a. APK
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 using XDA Labs
DragonFire1024 said:
Give me a few hours to see if I can modify the app. If I can, I'll upload a. APK
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Questionable whether anything would change, as I don't see where activity launcher would need write secure settings permission.
On the other hand I did some digging on the "not a changeable permission type" message, and this provides some answer on what it might be expecting in order to activate?/assign the permission.
gabosius said:
Questionable whether anything would change, as I don't see where activity launcher would need write secure settings permission.
On the other hand I did some digging on the "not a changeable permission type" message, and this provides some answer on what it might be expecting in order to activate?/assign the permission.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. So each permission has a certain "protection" level?
Like they tittle Say anyway to bypass T-Mobile tether?
If rooted...
Then theres various ways to bypass and if used together chances are good you won't have to pay 2x for data: modifying your apn to allow dun type, adding the line: net.tethering.noprovisioning=true
to your build.prop and finally using adb from a PC (u can try this even if not rooted) type the following from cmd or powershell: "adb shell" followed by "settings put global tether_dun_required 0" without the " "s and restart your phone n hopefully that should do the trick.
If still throttled by TMo go into Magisk and install tethering_enabler or TTL tethering modules. These modules weren't specifically made for the 6T but they should still be effective. If still unsuccessful then modifying the TTL from the device your trying to tether to will help hide the source of data aim for TTL of 65 to confuse tmo.
If your not rooted then use PDANet USB tether to a PC and hide tether options then create a hotspot from the PC your USB tethered to or use the WiFi Sharing option in PDANet PC Menu. At least thats what works the best for me and I've tried many many things... One other possibility if your on stock no root is to add a new apn with all the same info as normal fast.tmobile.net lte apn only enable MVNO type to GIO for apn type leave it blank and save it. This should hide the default TMobile apn (and make the editor think your using a 3rd party like Mint) now go back and edit the new apn and under apn type put: dun,default,mms,supl try and save it. It should error n say dun not supported... Press Home and force close settings-reboot phone. The dun sometimes will stick if this method isn't patched yet I'm sure it will be soon.
Your final options are to use an app from playstore like VPN Hotspot or VPN Tether they might slow your speed a bit but they should tunnel all your data thru a VPN confusing TMo as to the origin of data. Probably the best and easiest way is by using a custom ROM as most haven't been tainted by Google's latest CarrierConfigManager commits or carrier apn restrictions. If anyone knows how to reverse these commits easily or any other methods not listed please let me know.
I'm currently looking for a clean TMo only dun enabled apns-config.xml so I can overwrite the default n modify the build.prop for a quick fix on any new ROM or update...
As you can probably tell being throttled or having to pay 2x for the same data is a pet peeve of mine and I've spent some time researching the topic. I'd love to hear what ended up working for you or if anyone knows a solid method I missed. Or has a recommendation for a good ROM with unlimited hotspot features built in for the 6t let me know.
I installed the app from this thread, https://www.xda-developers.com/vpn-hotspot-share-vpn-connection/. You can also download the app in the Playstore. I also subscribe to Private Internet Access (https://privateinternetaccess.com) and they have an app that you can download from the playstore.
My phone contract has overseas roaming for a number of days but it restricts tethering and hotspot when roaming. The way I bypass this limitation is to run the PIA VPN, then run the VPN Hotspot app, and use the "Repeater" function. This has worked flawlessly sharing my internet connection with other devices..
gigilie said:
Then theres various ways to bypass and if used together chances are good you won't have to pay 2x for data: modifying your apn to allow dun type, adding the line: net.tethering.noprovisioning=true
to your build.prop and finally using adb from a PC (u can try this even if not rooted) type the following from cmd or powershell: "adb shell" followed by "settings put global tether_dun_required 0" without the " "s and restart your phone n hopefully that should do the trick.
If still throttled by TMo go into Magisk and install tethering_enabler or TTL tethering modules. These modules weren't specifically made for the 6T but they should still be effective. If still unsuccessful then modifying the TTL from the device your trying to tether to will help hide the source of data aim for TTL of 65 to confuse tmo.
If your not rooted then use PDANet USB tether to a PC and hide tether options then create a hotspot from the PC your USB tethered to or use the WiFi Sharing option in PDANet PC Menu. At least thats what works the best for me and I've tried many many things... One other possibility if your on stock no root is to add a new apn with all the same info as normal fast.tmobile.net lte apn only enable MVNO type to GIO for apn type leave it blank and save it. This should hide the default TMobile apn (and make the editor think your using a 3rd party like Mint) now go back and edit the new apn and under apn type put: dun,default,mms,supl try and save it. It should error n say dun not supported... Press Home and force close settings-reboot phone. The dun sometimes will stick if this method isn't patched yet I'm sure it will be soon.
Your final options are to use an app from playstore like VPN Hotspot or VPN Tether they might slow your speed a bit but they should tunnel all your data thru a VPN confusing TMo as to the origin of data. Probably the best and easiest way is by using a custom ROM as most haven't been tainted by Google's latest CarrierConfigManager commits or carrier apn restrictions. If anyone knows how to reverse these commits easily or any other methods not listed please let me know.
I'm currently looking for a clean TMo only dun enabled apns-config.xml so I can overwrite the default n modify the build.prop for a quick fix on any new ROM or update...
As you can probably tell being throttled or having to pay 2x for the same data is a pet peeve of mine and I've spent some time researching the topic. I'd love to hear what ended up working for you or if anyone knows a solid method I missed. Or has a recommendation for a good ROM with unlimited hotspot features built in for the 6t let me know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Be sure you reset APN to default values after you install this new file....
Thanks bro I'll test it out...if it works care if I add it to the main post? Yeah I mentioned the VPN app along with a VPN my only issue with that method is the decrease in speed and some apps/devices don't like the VPN way much. Wish google would stop letting carriers dictate Android or itd b nice if the US would put their foot down and not allow companies to bend us over lock our bootloader's, phone's, devices we pay for or try and swindle us by charging 2x for data or throttle us...
gigilie said:
Thanks bro I'll test it out...if it works care if I add it to the main post? Yeah I mentioned the VPN app along with a VPN my only issue with that method is the decrease in speed and some apps/devices don't like the VPN way much. Wish google would stop letting carriers dictate Android or itd b nice if the US would put their foot down and not allow companies to bend us over lock our bootloader's, phone's, devices we pay for or try and swindle us by charging 2x for data or throttle us...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
seems to work for me. let me know if it works for you....
dustintinsley said:
seems to work for me. let me know if it works for you....
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Click to collapse
Where do I install the files?
LuCkyCn said:
Where do I install the files?
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Click to collapse
replace the file in /etc/
backup your old file first....
dustintinsley said:
replace the file in /etc/
backup your old file first....
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Click to collapse
Not sure what I did wrong, but it's not loading for me. All my APNs disappeared. I reset to default after replacing with the one provided.
Well, I know this post is rather old, but I made a Magisk module that does everything for you...
L
oloyin