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Isn't the emulator emulating devices having a microphone like phones and such? It seems rational for it to plumb the host's microphone into the emulated one, s

Isn't the emulator emulating devices having a microphone like phones and such? It seems rational for it to plumb the host's microphone into the emulated one, so such features may be tested etc.

pcroh 7y ago
Get out of here with that logic. Just make a joke on how Google spies on us and be done with it.
lucideer 7y ago
It keeps the microphone actively listening even if no apps are using it / have requested access. This isn't something that any other app needing microphone does. Case in point: if you use Chrome, and start a Google Hangouts calls, the website will request mic access. Only then will it activate the mic, and it will deactivate after the call.
- newnewpdro 7y ago
  Android Studio does or the emulator does? If Android Studio does then I'd be more up in arms. For the emulator to do that, I'd assume it's just a matter of laziness on the part of the developers. The emulator probably just opens the audio junk at startup and doesn't bother with the rigamarole of opening and closing it as needed - it's a device emulator intended for development use, they probably don't expect it to be running constantly unattended on a developers workstation. File a bug upstream, if it's closed with EWONTFIX, then break out the tinfoil hats and shout from the hill tops.
- juliangoldsmith 7y ago
  The Android Studio Emulator emulates a full x86 system running Android, from the kernel up. There isn't a way to only listen if an app needs it, because the emulator doesn't work at that level. What the emulator could do would be to add an "Emulate microphone" checkbox, but that probably isn't high on Google's priority list.
Zenbit_UX 7y ago
It would be rational if you used an app that required the microphone, or if you allowed it permissions. By your logic it also seems rational if an android phone used it's microphone 100% of the time just in case you need to make a phone call.
- kllrnohj 7y ago
  Always-on hotword recognition is a normal thing phones do. Even if the emulator is only requesting mic access when an app uses it, that would still actually be "basically always" unless you are using a no-Google image. Which isn't the recommended image.
  - altShiftDev 7y ago
    > Always-on hotword recognition is a normal thing phones do. I wouldn't call that normal at all, nor does your theory address the issue of the permissions request being explicitly denied while still gaining access.
    - kllrnohj 7y ago
      > I wouldn't call that normal at all What would you call it then? It's a thing 99% of modern phones do (Android & iOS). If that's not "normal" then what is "normal" in your world? > nor does your theory address the issue of the permissions request being explicitly denied while still gaining access My theory was not intended to address what is obviously an OSX bug. The theory is _why_ it was asking. Why it managed to get access anyway after being denied is just a straight up permission bug in OSX and has nothing to do with Android Studio or the emulator.
- newnewpdro 7y ago
  No, an android phone is expected to be powered on and used constantly by random users. A device emulator bundled with a developer suite is an entirely different context. The charitable assumption here is just that laziness and deadlines prevailed, it opens it once and leaves it open, they don't expect the emulator to be run constantly, and it's expected that the code your emulator is running is what you're developing, the burden of security is quite low when it comes to developer's tools, there's a tremendous amount of implied trust.

Isn't the emulator emulating devices having a microphone like phones and such? It seems rational for it to plumb the host's microphone into the emulated one, so such features may be tested etc.

pcroh 7y ago

Get out of here with that logic. Just make a joke on how Google spies on us and be done with it.

lucideer 7y ago

It keeps the microphone actively listening even if no apps are using it / have requested access. This isn't something that any other app needing microphone does. Case in point: if you use Chrome, and start a Google Hangouts calls, the website will request mic access. Only then will it activate the mic, and it will deactivate after the call.

newnewpdro 7y ago
Android Studio does or the emulator does? If Android Studio does then I'd be more up in arms. For the emulator to do that, I'd assume it's just a matter of laziness on the part of the developers. The emulator probably just opens the audio junk at startup and doesn't bother with the rigamarole of opening and closing it as needed - it's a device emulator intended for development use, they probably don't expect it to be running constantly unattended on a developers workstation. File a bug upstream, if it's closed with EWONTFIX, then break out the tinfoil hats and shout from the hill tops.
juliangoldsmith 7y ago
The Android Studio Emulator emulates a full x86 system running Android, from the kernel up. There isn't a way to only listen if an app needs it, because the emulator doesn't work at that level. What the emulator could do would be to add an "Emulate microphone" checkbox, but that probably isn't high on Google's priority list.

Zenbit_UX 7y ago

It would be rational if you used an app that required the microphone, or if you allowed it permissions. By your logic it also seems rational if an android phone used it's microphone 100% of the time just in case you need to make a phone call.

kllrnohj 7y ago
Always-on hotword recognition is a normal thing phones do. Even if the emulator is only requesting mic access when an app uses it, that would still actually be "basically always" unless you are using a no-Google image. Which isn't the recommended image.
- altShiftDev 7y ago
  > Always-on hotword recognition is a normal thing phones do. I wouldn't call that normal at all, nor does your theory address the issue of the permissions request being explicitly denied while still gaining access.
  - kllrnohj 7y ago
    > I wouldn't call that normal at all What would you call it then? It's a thing 99% of modern phones do (Android & iOS). If that's not "normal" then what is "normal" in your world? > nor does your theory address the issue of the permissions request being explicitly denied while still gaining access My theory was not intended to address what is obviously an OSX bug. The theory is _why_ it was asking. Why it managed to get access anyway after being denied is just a straight up permission bug in OSX and has nothing to do with Android Studio or the emulator.
newnewpdro 7y ago
No, an android phone is expected to be powered on and used constantly by random users. A device emulator bundled with a developer suite is an entirely different context. The charitable assumption here is just that laziness and deadlines prevailed, it opens it once and leaves it open, they don't expect the emulator to be run constantly, and it's expected that the code your emulator is running is what you're developing, the burden of security is quite low when it comes to developer's tools, there's a tremendous amount of implied trust.