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While I'm happy that apple and others have added these access grants (for location, disk access, etc) to their systems, I'm less happy that the way to do whatev

While I'm happy that apple and others have added these access grants (for location, disk access, etc) to their systems, I'm less happy that the way to do whatever the fuck you want is to ask the user to give you whatever grant under some thin pretext and then exploiting the fuck out of your generosity. 'We need you to grant us access to location services so we can adjust for your timezone... PSYCH! We're actually tracking your every goddamned move and selling all that data to all comers including law enforcement in your area!' If you say no to these grants often the app will go into whiner mode, where it constantly asks and fails to perform even the most basic function.

shepherdjerred 3y ago
What apps have done this to you? I've been pretty happy with Apple's ability to: * Restrict permissions * Prompt me with the ability to allow an app a permission forever, or just one time * Have the OS prompt me later on about how often an app has been using my location, and ask if I want to modify my approval I don't think I've run into many apps that have refused to work without something like locations services. If an app does do that, I simply uninstall it.
- Arainach 3y ago
  Thinkware Cloud: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thinkwaresys.thinkwarecloud&hl=en_US&gl=US https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thinkwares... Their dashcams are optically fairly nice for the price, but their app is a monstrosity. It demands: 1) The ability to run unrestricted in the background, ignoring battery restrictions and autosuspend 2) Location access. Not "allow this time", it detects that, it wants perpetuity 3) Access to all phone storage. Not "allow this time", it detects that, it wants perpetuity. If you refuse to grant any of these it will simply show you "the following permissions are required" and refuse to proceed. Do you simply want to have a live view from your dash cam to check the angle of its placement? Too bad. If you grant these permissions and later go back to settings and remove them, then the next time you start the app it happens all over again. It is an absolute abomination and I will never buy their products again.
  - Daneel_ 3y ago
    That's an issue with how Android handles these permissions. Apple's system is much more fine grained, and my understanding is that it also has the requirement that the app must function without the user granting any additional permissions, even if the functionality is limited/restricted. e.g. if you have an app that wants to scan for local wifi networks (eg, sonos) and you don't grant that permission, the rest of the app still has to work even though you now can't set up new speakers.
  - shepherdjerred 3y ago
    Oh! I assumed your problem was with an Apple device; I haven't used Android in a long while, so I have no idea what the state of permissions is there. But, like I said in my previous comment, I haven't seen this happen on my iPhone and I always deny location/bluetooth permissions unless there's a good reason for the app to have it.

shepherdjerred 3y ago

What apps have done this to you? I've been pretty happy with Apple's ability to: * Restrict permissions * Prompt me with the ability to allow an app a permission forever, or just one time * Have the OS prompt me later on about how often an app has been using my location, and ask if I want to modify my approval I don't think I've run into many apps that have refused to work without something like locations services. If an app does do that, I simply uninstall it.

Arainach 3y ago
Thinkware Cloud: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thinkwaresys.thinkwarecloud&hl=en_US&gl=US https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thinkwares... Their dashcams are optically fairly nice for the price, but their app is a monstrosity. It demands: 1) The ability to run unrestricted in the background, ignoring battery restrictions and autosuspend 2) Location access. Not "allow this time", it detects that, it wants perpetuity 3) Access to all phone storage. Not "allow this time", it detects that, it wants perpetuity. If you refuse to grant any of these it will simply show you "the following permissions are required" and refuse to proceed. Do you simply want to have a live view from your dash cam to check the angle of its placement? Too bad. If you grant these permissions and later go back to settings and remove them, then the next time you start the app it happens all over again. It is an absolute abomination and I will never buy their products again.
- Daneel_ 3y ago
  That's an issue with how Android handles these permissions. Apple's system is much more fine grained, and my understanding is that it also has the requirement that the app must function without the user granting any additional permissions, even if the functionality is limited/restricted. e.g. if you have an app that wants to scan for local wifi networks (eg, sonos) and you don't grant that permission, the rest of the app still has to work even though you now can't set up new speakers.
- shepherdjerred 3y ago
  Oh! I assumed your problem was with an Apple device; I haven't used Android in a long while, so I have no idea what the state of permissions is there. But, like I said in my previous comment, I haven't seen this happen on my iPhone and I always deny location/bluetooth permissions unless there's a good reason for the app to have it.