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Traditionally, I have always considered DroidWall the best firewall for Android. But it hasn't been touched in two years.
I use it in Blacklist mode, and I like that apps that have been installed since you last went into the app show at the top of the list.
Is it still considered the best, or is there something better, at this point?
Haphim said:
Traditionally, I have always considered DroidWall the best firewall for Android. But it hasn't been touched in two years.
I use it in Blacklist mode, and I like that apps that have been installed since you last went into the app show at the top of the list.
Is it still considered the best, or is there something better, at this point?
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Click to collapse
I don't really see to much of a reason to use a firewall. Antivirus apps like Bitdefender, Kaspersky, etc. are (in my own opinion) good enough for anything you do on the phone, although there is a lot that can get past it. On another note, I have yet to see an app that truly protects against ARP poisoning. I have tried some paid versions of the apps, but that is something that is very hard to stop and again, in my own opinion, I think it's just a goofy app wasting RAM.
Alright, well to clarify, one major purpose that I use it for is to prevent apps from calling home without my knowledge. So if nothing else, I use it for that functionality.
Haphim said:
Alright, well to clarify, one major purpose that I use it for is to prevent apps from calling home without my knowledge. So if nothing else, I use it for that functionality.
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That's cool. I would stick to it just because you're familiar with it. I don't think firewalls are that popular right now but I have been wrong before.
Okay, fair enough. Thanks!
Hi, Is there a purpose for a firewall? I mean I know what it does on a PC but I have never had any viruses or hacking happen to me on any of my android devices. Do you suggest it is a must for android users? Thank you
sg3love said:
Hi, Is there a purpose for a firewall? I mean I know what it does on a PC but I have never had any viruses or hacking happen to me on any of my android devices. Do you suggest it is a must for android users? Thank you
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If for no other reason, it's important to keep apps from calling home when they have no business doing so. So many apps ask for permissions far beyond what they should, and an outgoing firewall is vital to making sure that any information those apps may grab never leave your phone.
Haphim said:
If for no other reason, it's important to keep apps from calling home when they have no business doing so. So many apps ask for permissions far beyond what they should, and an outgoing firewall is vital to making sure that any information those apps may grab never leave your phone.
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Most definitely! There are other programs (can't think off the top of my head, but will post if I remember) that can modify permissions for all the apps you have. I would think it would be more reliable than a firewall.
agent929 said:
Most definitely! There are other programs (can't think off the top of my head, but will post if I remember) that can modify permissions for all the apps you have. I would think it would be more reliable than a firewall.
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Unfortunately, not. If an app doesn't have all the permissions the developer intended, there's a decent chance it will crash or otherwise malfunction.
On the other hand, blocking external access is almost always handled gracefully - and it's only a problem for apps whose main function requires net access (like a browser).
Haphim said:
Unfortunately, not. If an app doesn't have all the permissions the developer intended, there's a decent chance it will crash or otherwise malfunction.
On the other hand, blocking external access is almost always handled gracefully - and it's only a problem for apps whose main function requires net access (like a browser).
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I never thought of it that way, but you are right about the app crashing. It will more than likely keep trying to connect to stuff and ultimately crash.
agent929 said:
I don't really see to much of a reason to use a firewall. Antivirus apps like Bitdefender, Kaspersky, etc. are (in my own opinion) good enough for anything you do on the phone, although there is a lot that can get past it. On another note, I have yet to see an app that truly protects against ARP poisoning. I have tried some paid versions of the apps, but that is something that is very hard to stop and again, in my own opinion, I think it's just a goofy app wasting RAM.
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Click to collapse
agent929 said:
Most definitely! There are other programs (can't think off the top of my head, but will post if I remember) that can modify permissions for all the apps you have. I would think it would be more reliable than a firewall.
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From a noob perspective.. It was suggested that a firewall is a 'goofy app wasting RAM'... Advice in many threads is that android anti virus doesnt seem much point if you stay away from dodgy paid app for free apk .. an uneducated guess would be that an anti virus would be more resource hungry than a firewall.. (and think of your battery)
The app that you couldnt think of maybe the 'framework' app called 'xprivacy''
Antivirus apps aren't constantly running. They only scan when you install an apk or when you set it to do so otherwise. It is not a resource hog.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk 5
Wow im such a noob, I had no idea apps call home! firewall it is ! So that's how I randomly get people calling and leaving ridiculous voice mails, Thanks!
Hello Good People of XDA
I have been a i9506 owner for quite long, had a 9100 before,
I am used to root and mess with apps to customize things to my wim,
at the best of my knowledge (I lack android programming skills, but I can do things with terminal and filesystems).
All that before to say I am not totally a noob, but my lack of technical knowledge might bite me there.
System wise, I am under 4.2.2, rooted, unknow sources are not allowed, system check for apps is allowed,
I have an antivirus (more than one, but only one works each day, just to be sure I don't miss things)...
My problem is that I recently found out that some apps, actually system apps, blocked
with Titanium backup, or with gemini app manager, or app quarantine,
were actually running anyway.
They are marked as blocked in my app manager, but can still be force closed,
and they appear in battery displays (most of these under the android system block, in the list of services/apps used),
and in process running when using Ccleaner apps.
Also, my battery display show GPS is activated, while when I go into options, all boxes are off or unticked.
I thus wonder what's happening?
How is it possible to have these schrödinger apps tamed and blocked like I want them.
I want these to shut down and only work when I DO ALLOW these, for them not to suck my battery or do unauthorized chores like tracking me when I don't want.
How is it possible that they even behave like that? In i9100, I never observed that in Android 4.0.
I wonder if Google didn't change the workings for making us unable to disactivate what we don't want to work, which was pissing them off.
They already change the permissions displays in the market so permissions as intrusive as "contacts/sms message/USB stockage" are considered "not relevant/important",
while they are depending on the announced display of the app.
But I don't want to go on the "conspiracy route" (I am not like that, I am a pragmatist and I just observe facts, like these apps, with sensitive access, not being able to be deactivated), so let's focus on the technical part:
such apps were Maps, Samsung sync adapters, NFC service , Google Agenda/Contact synchronisation, sysscope, context provider, etc.
That's a lots of things that are supposed to communicate to cloud or other devices, with feels lot like a gaping flaw in the armor...
I want a phone and a tool, not something that track me or put me at risk of being stolen by somebody with technical knowledge.
Am I alone?
Thanks for any insights.
Blocked apps still working
I don't know if my title was too unclear, so I would like to change the title but am unable to do so?
Is it please possible for a moderator to do it (with the title of this post)?
Thanks by advance.
I feel like it is a true problem not being able to block some apps,
or even more, to believe they are blocked while they perfectly perform in the background,
and display activity only in secondary reports, not under their respective "buttons"/information tabs.
I wonder abourt the technical reason to such behavior.
Then delete those apps or block some of the permissions with an app (eg Privacyguard).
It's my opinion that an antivirus app (at the moment) is a waste of resources. Just think before you install something. Also if you are worried about security, you should always run the latest version of Android. 4.2.2 is an old version.
Lennyz1988 said:
Then delete those apps or block some of the permissions with an app (eg Privacyguard).
It's my opinion that an antivirus app (at the moment) is a waste of resources. Just think before you install something. Also if you are worried about security, you should always run the latest version of Android. 4.2.2 is an old version.
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Thanks for your answer.
Well I don't want to delete system app when they might be useful at time.
I just want them to behave correctly, that is, not work when they are blocked.
That is not a solution to say "uninstall this", while the true problem is Android general behavior here.
I didn't installed system apps, they came with the thing, and all of them are not bloatware.
"NFC service" is something I want to keep for when I am ready to use it,
but I don't want to let it free and unleashed because of the opening it leaves on my phone.
Same goes for bluetooth, synced backups and so on.
I don't want backups on the cloud, so I deactivated the options, and blocked the apps.
Why are they running? It is not normal!
And my old version is maybe not secure, but actually trying 4.3 hasn't changed anything,
and I only suspect this to be some "new feature".
The antivirus is a waste for scans, I agree, still it has useful firewall features that justifies in itself its uses.
Hi,
Stock ROMs aren't really trustworthy by default (e.g., phandroid.com/2014/11/06/carrier-iq-settlement).
Some manufacturers' devices aren't really trustworthy, even with stock ROMs removed (e.g., theepochtimes.com/n3/830922-chinas-xiaomi-smartphones-may-be-spying-on-you).
Cyanogenmod went donwhill:
We may collect information such as occupation, language, zip code, area code, unique device identifier, location, and the time zone where your product or device is used so that we can better understand customer behavior and improve our products, services, and advertising.
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Click to collapse
(from cyngn.com/legal/privacy-policy) They started on this path long ago, but I won’t go there now.
I would like to buy a new Android phone. I won’t have national secrets on it, but I still don't want any Google-style spying. Assuming I don't add GApps, is SlimRom a good choice for me? Does it respect the privacy of its users? Does it contain any components that would ever connect anywhere to trunsmit any information like GApps do. Obivously, I'm not talking about user initiated events.
One more thing, does it have a permission manager? Ideally, something that allows the user to choose for each permission for each apps whether real, fake or blank data is shared, but a bit cleaner than XPrivacy.
Thanks!
Slim has App Ops but it's missing the Advanced section that can be found in CM, Carbon and others, which I think gives more control. Still doesn't beat Xposed though. Is there a reason you don't want to use it? I don't know the downsides, if any.
wh00p said:
Slim has App Ops but it's missing the Advanced section that can be found in CM, Carbon and others, which I think gives more control. Still doesn't beat Xposed though. Is there a reason you don't want to use it? I don't know the downsides, if any.
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Click to collapse
It's not that I dislike Xprivacy, it's just that the controls are quite messy, and I was wondering if there's something with similar functionality, but cleaner. Looking at the privacy guard function in CM, that's no where near complete, though. It only blocks permissions someone chosen to allow us to block, so Xprivacy it is.
riding1 said:
It's not that I dislike Xprivacy, it's just that the controls are quite messy, and I was wondering if there's something with similar functionality, but cleaner. Looking at the privacy guard function in CM, that's no where near complete, though. It only blocks permissions someone chosen to allow us to block, so Xprivacy it is.
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I'm with ya, middle-ground would be nice. Something like ProtectMyPrivacy for iOS.
Hopefully I'm posting in the correct section. Found this and wanted to share it. A simple tool to block bloatware of many phones, with and without root. Check out the following forum :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/and...er-remove-carrier-bloat-t2998294#post58069093
Just a note for anyone who doesn't want to use a tool for this (or is on a non-Windows platform). Everything that tool does can be accomplished without root via the ADB command interface described in this topic in our own forum
Nice cross link nonetheless, have a thanks
Ironically, I used the method that you're talking about on my z3c.
I thought this tool makes the process simpler as a frontend with some descriptions too.
It works works on my z3c without root because of kitkat. Other roms do require root.
And you're right, windows only application, good call
Essentially it just freezes the app, which without root is a very good thing, should you need to enable it again.
Thanks, though does anyone know how to block the Enterprise Service? It unblocks itself as soon as I try to block it.
Edit: never mind I got it, had to revoke its device admin rights before blocking it. Annoyingly a bunch of previously disabled apps got enabled again. smh.
degraaff said:
Annoyingly a bunch of previously disabled apps got enabled again. smh.
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Yeah, I had the same thing here, I froze some with Titanium Backup (root) and they unfroze themselves....
I have access to an unlocked and a locked device, the same thing happened when I tried to disable apps @ the one with the locked BL. The thing that helped me was clearing the data/cache for the apps that I were about to disable. (aka before disabling them.)
Try that.
Sent from my D5803
degraaff said:
Thanks, though does anyone know how to block the Enterprise Service? It unblocks itself as soon as I try to block it.
Edit: never mind I got it, had to revoke its device admin rights before blocking it. Annoyingly a bunch of previously disabled apps got enabled again. smh.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, we had that (a longer time) before: you have to disable it in settings -> security -> administrators before you block it. Don't confuse disabling with blocking. Disabled Apps may get enabled again after disabling device admins, blocked ones shouldn't.
Just for the sake of completion, here is the complete adb tutorial+ a nice list of processes which can be disabled so you dont have to look them all up
https://www.reddit.com/r/SonyXperia...battery_life_is_out_of_this_world_bye/cnmj0vn
2mal16 said:
Just for the sake of completion, here is the complete adb tutorial+ a nice list of processes which can be disabled so you dont have to look them all up
https://www.reddit.com/r/SonyXperia...battery_life_is_out_of_this_world_bye/cnmj0vn
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Why does he list Small Apps as one of the main bloatwares to block? I'd think small apps is actually quite a useful addition to many.
degraaff said:
Why does he list Small Apps as one of the main bloatwares to block? I'd think small apps is actually quite a useful addition to many.
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Click to collapse
I agree but he states "You could leave the small app launcher/widget if you like it." . Apparently some ppl just dont like it .
Sorry to bother you guys, I would really like to kill/freeze some apps from this great device, in the easiest way possible and WITHOUT connecting the device to the computer. Is it possible to enter all those commands in a Terminal Emulator on the phone itself? Would it be great if we can do like a script or a batch that disable all the apps we dont need/want so, as soon as we reset the phone, it will disable/kill them in an easy way, not 1 by 1 going into the applications list.
Sorry again if this was a stupid question, but this is chinese for me.
Thanks in advance.
Alx
Wow... Great info i really like it...
Nice App!! Would be nice making a list of secure app to be block, without making any damage to the phone Like com.sony.touchscreen, Device Usage, User Data Logging and Crash Monitor what does each one?
I tried to use a Terminal Emulator and kill the What's New using PM BLOCK blah blah blah......it says "killed" but the app is still working.......what is wrong? *in english, please
Thanks in advance.
Noticed on my samsung device that is slowing down that this is running/trying to keep open network communications.
Sounds like one of those things I dont use. How to stop it?
Is it a system app or thrid party app.
you do not give enough information so we can tell you how to remove or disable it.
there is no more info, it isnt an "app" i can find persay, but a process running with a suspicious name, and its probably system as many other threads seem to think it is.
you can stop it but you may have to root your phone. As you know rooting will void the warranty.
you will need access to the system files to disable.
I do not know if you can access it without rooting.
cant root samsung devices that are locked down or i wouldn't be wasting my time on here.
so what is this garbage and how did it get turned on in the first place?
might be the face recognition for the camera take?
I know this thread is a few months old, but did you ever find more info on FaceProvider? From what I've read, it's definitely a system thing (not sure if it's a legit app) and it isn't anything suspicious. I guess it's something exclusive to Samsung devices, because Sammy owners seem to be the only ones that talk about it. I read in another thread that it may control certain stock gallery functions, and disabling it may make your gallery app act funny. You should be good if you use a 3rd party gallery app, though. The reason I'm interested in FaceProvider is it supposedly allows certain apps to block screenshots. Apparently if you disable or enable FaceProvider (the thread wasn't clear which) you can bypass screenshot blocks. However, I'm running a custom rom on my rooted Note 5, and I don't see that I have FaceProvider anywhere on my device. So I'm trying to find a way to download and install it. Just thought I'd share what I know about it with you, and ask if you've learned anything about it.