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It also prevents your launcher from uploading your private wallpapers to servers and reading the exifs from images to datamine location data.

by izacus 1y ago

hdjrudni 1y ago
This is an interesting point. Couldn't the OS give access to the pixel data without access to the EXIF data? i.e. doesn't need to give direct access to the image file, just convert it first to strip the metadata. That still gives you the image data which might be private, but we should be able to lock that behind a permission dialog "Allow access to current desktop background image" or whatever. It's a weird and very specific permission but it might be worth having.
- SSLy 1y ago
  of coure the OS could that.
- izacus 1y ago
  It could, but there's other benefits as well of decoupling wallpaper rendering from the launcher - it allows you to switch the launcher without having to beg the developer (OEM nowadays) to support your preferred (live) wallpaper. It gives you freedom to choose while preventing what the OP is ranting about - the launcher developer deciding for you what's best for you.
  - cosmic_cheese 1y ago
    > the launcher developer deciding for you what's best for you. I don’t understand how I would be deciding what’s best for users? The only reason why third party launchers wouldn’t support live wallpapers is if Google didn’t give devs the tools to render them. All they’d need to do is include a WallpaperView the dev can add to their view hierarchy that supports live wallpapers. Boom, the dev can do fancy effects and the user loses nothing.
_aavaa_ 1y ago
Why not also provide a way to deny all network access to the app? Then there’s nothing it can do with any data of gets.
- cosmic_cheese 1y ago
  This is how third party keyboards work on iOS. No network access by default, but the user can go into settings and grant network permission if they judge it fit to. I think this model would make a lot of sense for Android launchers, too, given how they continually run and potentially have access to much more user data than is typical.
  - _aavaa_ 1y ago
    Honestly it should be how all apps work. I hate that I can’t deny Internet access to any app.
estimator7292 1y ago
I'm so glad that the only entity with access to this data is Google and that open source launchers can't... render an image

It also prevents your launcher from uploading your private wallpapers to servers and reading the exifs from images to datamine location data.

by izacus 1y ago

It also prevents your launcher from uploading your private wallpapers to servers and reading the exifs from images to datamine location data.

hdjrudni 1y ago

This is an interesting point. Couldn't the OS give access to the pixel data without access to the EXIF data? i.e. doesn't need to give direct access to the image file, just convert it first to strip the metadata. That still gives you the image data which might be private, but we should be able to lock that behind a permission dialog "Allow access to current desktop background image" or whatever. It's a weird and very specific permission but it might be worth having.

SSLy 1y ago
of coure the OS could that.
izacus 1y ago
It could, but there's other benefits as well of decoupling wallpaper rendering from the launcher - it allows you to switch the launcher without having to beg the developer (OEM nowadays) to support your preferred (live) wallpaper. It gives you freedom to choose while preventing what the OP is ranting about - the launcher developer deciding for you what's best for you.
- cosmic_cheese 1y ago
  > the launcher developer deciding for you what's best for you. I don’t understand how I would be deciding what’s best for users? The only reason why third party launchers wouldn’t support live wallpapers is if Google didn’t give devs the tools to render them. All they’d need to do is include a WallpaperView the dev can add to their view hierarchy that supports live wallpapers. Boom, the dev can do fancy effects and the user loses nothing.

_aavaa_ 1y ago

Why not also provide a way to deny all network access to the app? Then there’s nothing it can do with any data of gets.

cosmic_cheese 1y ago
This is how third party keyboards work on iOS. No network access by default, but the user can go into settings and grant network permission if they judge it fit to. I think this model would make a lot of sense for Android launchers, too, given how they continually run and potentially have access to much more user data than is typical.
- _aavaa_ 1y ago
  Honestly it should be how all apps work. I hate that I can’t deny Internet access to any app.

estimator7292 1y ago

I'm so glad that the only entity with access to this data is Google and that open source launchers can't... render an image