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Fun fact: my Android phone battery was being sucked at a fast pace last month. I don't remember exactly how it presented itself in the UI, but I ended up figuri

Fun fact: my Android phone battery was being sucked at a fast pace last month. I don't remember exactly how it presented itself in the UI, but I ended up figuring out that the Google app was the culprit, because it was using the GPS... which I had explicitly disabled. An internet search showed I was not alone with such problems, and that the solution was to manually revoke some permissions for the app (thankfully it was possible). I find it amazing that an app can make use of the GPS when it's disabled! I'm actually seriously pissed about it, but there's not much I can do about it.

spac 8y ago
But you do have the option to purchase phones running operating systems that implement tighter and more credible controls. I believe that companies understand nothing better that consumer dollars.
- glandium 8y ago
  The fact that I could prevent the app from using the GPS says the OS does have the tight controls already. This is not a problem of permissions model. Also, the only non Android phones are essentially from Apple, and they are too big for my taste. (also, ridiculously expensive ; also, my wife uses iPhones, they all ended their (short) career with a swollen battery; not sure what she does with them)
  - zoul 8y ago
    iPhone SE is small and fairly cheap.
    - metildaa 8y ago
      Its also a redheaded stepchild that Apple has discontinued without a replacement, not a great place to migrate to if you want a new phone of similar size in 3 or 4 years running iOS.
      - maigret 8y ago
        Of course it’s all hypothetical, but many pundits are betting on a comeback of a SE type of iPhone, as the expensive strategy is not working for Apple.
pasta 8y ago
On Android location != GPS. For location also Wi-Fi is used. So GPS can be turned off but they can track your location by looking at the available Wi-Fi spots around you.
- glandium 8y ago
  My battery was being sucked by GPS according to the battery usage reporting. And that stopped being the case when I revoked the Google app permissions.

spac 8y ago

But you do have the option to purchase phones running operating systems that implement tighter and more credible controls. I believe that companies understand nothing better that consumer dollars.

glandium 8y ago
The fact that I could prevent the app from using the GPS says the OS does have the tight controls already. This is not a problem of permissions model. Also, the only non Android phones are essentially from Apple, and they are too big for my taste. (also, ridiculously expensive ; also, my wife uses iPhones, they all ended their (short) career with a swollen battery; not sure what she does with them)
- zoul 8y ago
  iPhone SE is small and fairly cheap.
  - metildaa 8y ago
    Its also a redheaded stepchild that Apple has discontinued without a replacement, not a great place to migrate to if you want a new phone of similar size in 3 or 4 years running iOS.
    - maigret 8y ago
      Of course it’s all hypothetical, but many pundits are betting on a comeback of a SE type of iPhone, as the expensive strategy is not working for Apple.

pasta 8y ago

On Android location != GPS. For location also Wi-Fi is used. So GPS can be turned off but they can track your location by looking at the available Wi-Fi spots around you.

glandium 8y ago
My battery was being sucked by GPS according to the battery usage reporting. And that stopped being the case when I revoked the Google app permissions.