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Installing NetGuard was revelation regarding the amount of tracking in most Android apps. You can configure it to block access by default and notify you every

by okso 2y ago

Installing NetGuard was revelation regarding the amount of tracking in most Android apps. You can configure it to block access by default and notify you every time an app attempts a new connection. And it rings all the time. Some software call home at 4am every day, other every hour, some send data to a dozen "analytics" services - services that I never opted-in for, which shows how few apps respect the RGPD. At least most apps still work when those are blocked, and NetGuard allows you to block connections to Google servers except for Google Apps, which network firewalls and DNS solutions can't.

0x1ceb00da 2y ago
> Some software call home at 4am every day Which app?
- okso 2y ago
  Not sure anymore since I removed them, it may have been BlaBlaCar and/or Tricount.
daghamm 2y ago
[flagged]
- PawgerZ 2y ago
  I'm curious, how would looking at the Microsoft MFA app convince me that android apps aren't spying on me?
  - daghamm 2y ago
    [flagged]
    - mistermann 2y ago
      You did the same thing above but in the opposite direction.
mmooss 2y ago
> NetGuard allows you to block connections to Google servers except for Google Apps, which network firewalls and DNS solutions can't. How do you know those connections are blocked and not merely bypassing Netguard?
- okso 2y ago
  I am using GrapheneOS. GrapheneOS has a compatibility layer providing the option to install and use the official releases of Google Play in the standard app sandbox. See https://grapheneos.org/features#sandboxed-google-play https://grapheneos.org/features#sandboxed-google-play NetGuard also shows network requests from GrapheneOS itself, all proxied by the GrapheneOS project, as described here: https://grapheneos.org/faq#default-connections https://grapheneos.org/faq#default-connections
  - mmooss 2y ago
    I could see how they are blocked on your system, using GrapheneOS, but that doesn't tell us if Netguard blocks them on Android systems. One reason for GrapheneOS is to close that kind of hole.

by okso 2y ago

0x1ceb00da 2y ago

> Some software call home at 4am every day Which app?

okso 2y ago
Not sure anymore since I removed them, it may have been BlaBlaCar and/or Tricount.

daghamm 2y ago

[flagged]

PawgerZ 2y ago
I'm curious, how would looking at the Microsoft MFA app convince me that android apps aren't spying on me?
- daghamm 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - mistermann 2y ago
    You did the same thing above but in the opposite direction.

mmooss 2y ago

> NetGuard allows you to block connections to Google servers except for Google Apps, which network firewalls and DNS solutions can't. How do you know those connections are blocked and not merely bypassing Netguard?

okso 2y ago
I am using GrapheneOS. GrapheneOS has a compatibility layer providing the option to install and use the official releases of Google Play in the standard app sandbox. See https://grapheneos.org/features#sandboxed-google-play https://grapheneos.org/features#sandboxed-google-play NetGuard also shows network requests from GrapheneOS itself, all proxied by the GrapheneOS project, as described here: https://grapheneos.org/faq#default-connections https://grapheneos.org/faq#default-connections
- mmooss 2y ago
  I could see how they are blocked on your system, using GrapheneOS, but that doesn't tell us if Netguard blocks them on Android systems. One reason for GrapheneOS is to close that kind of hole.