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Amateurs. Android phones have been downloading unwarranted Food and Shoe delivery apps for years.

by blueflow 3y ago

prmoustache 3y ago
Not really. Some vendors preinstall a number of apps but none will install new ones on your back.
- blueflow 3y ago
  I have an Redmi Note that had "Google Lens" installed on it twice without me warranting it[1]. And i remember that some years ago, a S3 Mini suddenly had the Zalando App installed after an "Firmware Upgrade". Its easy to see because the new icons pop up at the end of the menu after the apps that you installed intentionally. [1] Probably this https://xiaomi.eu/community/threads/any-way-to-get-rid-of-google-lens.50505/ https://xiaomi.eu/community/threads/any-way-to-get-rid-of-go...
dmichulke 3y ago
My LineageOS phone is technically an Android, and there have been no unwa(rra)nted downloads. You probably mean Android consumer phones. Is this the case for every major brand?
- seszett 3y ago
  My own phone is on LineageOS, but we have a few Samsung phones at work and they don't have special apps other than the Samsung browser, music, etc apps, nothing particularly obnoxious. My phone was on Xiaomi's MIUI before and although Xiaomi includes many extra apps, some of them useless to me, there were no ads or third-party apps either and even the useless ones somewhat made sense (for Xiaomi's domotics system, etc). I seem to remember that Xiaomi specifically disabled ads on phones in Europe though, so maybe that's not the case in the US.
  - imp0cat 3y ago
    Samsung has been getting much better recently about the ability to uninstall apps that you don't really want or need. But it wasn't always like this. :(
  - BLKNSLVR 3y ago
    Currently a Xiaomi owner with stock firmware (waiting for LineageOS to catch up), and whilst I don't get any advertising[0], I know that the phone seems to be pretty chatty with IP addresses in China at times, as my firewall picks them off (when the phone is on wifi). There are Xiaomi apps that I'm unable to uninstall (without root as I currently am, which I find mildly annoying. [0]: I run a Pihole on my home network, but still don't get advertising when I'm on the unprotected mobile network
Tor3 3y ago
None of the various Android phones and tablets I've used over the years (many!) have ever downloaded anything by itself, with the sole exception of Samsung's "Upday" news thingy which updates by itself. Oh, and Google Play updates itself. Nothing else ever does (I have automatic updates switched off), and nothing new installs itself, whatever setting is in place. I have never heard about Android installing new apps by itself.
- blueflow 3y ago
  All android devices that i had (which is just two) pulled that on me. Maybe its rare but its noteworthy that it happened twice. Turns out its not only me https://www.xda-developers.com/samsung-stop-installing-apps-without-permission/ https://www.xda-developers.com/samsung-stop-installing-apps-...
rsynnott 3y ago
> unwarranted Food and Shoe delivery apps for years ... Wait, what? Food delivery apps, I get, fine. Are shoe delivery apps a thing?

Amateurs. Android phones have been downloading unwarranted Food and Shoe delivery apps for years.

prmoustache 3y ago

Not really. Some vendors preinstall a number of apps but none will install new ones on your back.

blueflow 3y ago
I have an Redmi Note that had "Google Lens" installed on it twice without me warranting it[1]. And i remember that some years ago, a S3 Mini suddenly had the Zalando App installed after an "Firmware Upgrade". Its easy to see because the new icons pop up at the end of the menu after the apps that you installed intentionally. [1] Probably this https://xiaomi.eu/community/threads/any-way-to-get-rid-of-google-lens.50505/ https://xiaomi.eu/community/threads/any-way-to-get-rid-of-go...

dmichulke 3y ago

My LineageOS phone is technically an Android, and there have been no unwa(rra)nted downloads. You probably mean Android consumer phones. Is this the case for every major brand?

seszett 3y ago
My own phone is on LineageOS, but we have a few Samsung phones at work and they don't have special apps other than the Samsung browser, music, etc apps, nothing particularly obnoxious. My phone was on Xiaomi's MIUI before and although Xiaomi includes many extra apps, some of them useless to me, there were no ads or third-party apps either and even the useless ones somewhat made sense (for Xiaomi's domotics system, etc). I seem to remember that Xiaomi specifically disabled ads on phones in Europe though, so maybe that's not the case in the US.
- imp0cat 3y ago
  Samsung has been getting much better recently about the ability to uninstall apps that you don't really want or need. But it wasn't always like this. :(
- BLKNSLVR 3y ago
  Currently a Xiaomi owner with stock firmware (waiting for LineageOS to catch up), and whilst I don't get any advertising[0], I know that the phone seems to be pretty chatty with IP addresses in China at times, as my firewall picks them off (when the phone is on wifi). There are Xiaomi apps that I'm unable to uninstall (without root as I currently am, which I find mildly annoying. [0]: I run a Pihole on my home network, but still don't get advertising when I'm on the unprotected mobile network

Tor3 3y ago

None of the various Android phones and tablets I've used over the years (many!) have ever downloaded anything by itself, with the sole exception of Samsung's "Upday" news thingy which updates by itself. Oh, and Google Play updates itself. Nothing else ever does (I have automatic updates switched off), and nothing new installs itself, whatever setting is in place. I have never heard about Android installing new apps by itself.

blueflow 3y ago
All android devices that i had (which is just two) pulled that on me. Maybe its rare but its noteworthy that it happened twice. Turns out its not only me https://www.xda-developers.com/samsung-stop-installing-apps-without-permission/ https://www.xda-developers.com/samsung-stop-installing-apps-...

rsynnott 3y ago

> unwarranted Food and Shoe delivery apps for years ... Wait, what? Food delivery apps, I get, fine. Are shoe delivery apps a thing?