4 ms·

It's not constant. I expect that people change wallpaper frequently.

by vorejdajo 5y ago

Daniel_sk 5y ago
I don't think an average person changes wallpapers frequently.
eric__cartman 5y ago
It's been more than a year since I last changed my wallpaper.
- b112 5y ago
  I've used the same wallpaper on every computing device I've owned, for the last 26 years.
  - doublepg23 5y ago
    With the downside of fingerprinting yourself it seems, would you be willing to share the wallpaper?
    - b112 5y ago
      It isn't special, merely a blue/green colour with mild dithering. It is a little like looking at the morning sky. It's on all phones, desktops, etc. And if I were to give it to you? Well. Maybe you're the NSA, maybe I'll be pulled off the street, thrown into a chair, and in a NDA-drugged, mildly confused state, be told "look, it is your desktop, see your familiar backgroud? You should enter your password." No sir, I will not disclose my background image!! Sneaky! Good try though.
shadowgovt 5y ago
Unfortunately, constancy is irrelevant. If a malicious app is using this API to locate you, it can detect when your wallpaper changes and use its app_id (unchanged) plus wallpaper fingerprint (changed) to phone home with "Yo, this user's wallpaper thumprint is now Y."
MrDresden 5y ago
Android dev here. Still have the same default wallpaper as my Pixel 3 came with 3 years ago.
- refulgentis 5y ago
  That wallpaper would have the same 3 colors as many, many, other people. The problem here arises when your wallpaper is unique, no?
  - Daniel_sk 5y ago
    You can still use as input along with other parts that are accessible without any permissions - for example the android version, device name, IP address...
gambiting 5y ago
Do they? I've had the same "live wave animation"(that looks like the PS3's XBM menu) for at least 5 years now and I don't see any reason to change it.
yumaikas 5y ago
I mean, I go and set up ASCIIQuarium on every phone I have. Hunting down the APK gets harder and harder though.

It's not constant. I expect that people change wallpaper frequently.

Daniel_sk 5y ago

I don't think an average person changes wallpapers frequently.

eric__cartman 5y ago

It's been more than a year since I last changed my wallpaper.

b112 5y ago
I've used the same wallpaper on every computing device I've owned, for the last 26 years.
- doublepg23 5y ago
  With the downside of fingerprinting yourself it seems, would you be willing to share the wallpaper?
  - b112 5y ago
    It isn't special, merely a blue/green colour with mild dithering. It is a little like looking at the morning sky. It's on all phones, desktops, etc. And if I were to give it to you? Well. Maybe you're the NSA, maybe I'll be pulled off the street, thrown into a chair, and in a NDA-drugged, mildly confused state, be told "look, it is your desktop, see your familiar backgroud? You should enter your password." No sir, I will not disclose my background image!! Sneaky! Good try though.

shadowgovt 5y ago

Unfortunately, constancy is irrelevant. If a malicious app is using this API to locate you, it can detect when your wallpaper changes and use its app_id (unchanged) plus wallpaper fingerprint (changed) to phone home with "Yo, this user's wallpaper thumprint is now Y."

MrDresden 5y ago

Android dev here. Still have the same default wallpaper as my Pixel 3 came with 3 years ago.

refulgentis 5y ago
That wallpaper would have the same 3 colors as many, many, other people. The problem here arises when your wallpaper is unique, no?
- Daniel_sk 5y ago
  You can still use as input along with other parts that are accessible without any permissions - for example the android version, device name, IP address...

gambiting 5y ago

Do they? I've had the same "live wave animation"(that looks like the PS3's XBM menu) for at least 5 years now and I don't see any reason to change it.

yumaikas 5y ago

I mean, I go and set up ASCIIQuarium on every phone I have. Hunting down the APK gets harder and harder though.