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This. I was going to install a torch app and it wanted access to my contacts and call history?!?! Took a while but I found one that just needed camera access

This. I was going to install a torch app and it wanted access to my contacts and call history?!?! Took a while but I found one that just needed camera access (to activate the LED). Not all apps are completely evil but the majority appear to be.

rrtwo 12y ago
Care to share which App you found for the flash light, by chance looking for one too :)
- allegory 12y ago
  'Nexus Torch'. It says nexus but it works fine on my Moto G after an initial warning on first start up: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.cactii.flash https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.cactii.fla...
  - rrtwo 12y ago
    Thanks!
donniezazen 12y ago
That is what I am talking about. I downloaded a silly entertainment app. It has no need to my browser history, my geolocation and all the apps I have installed on my phone. But it still requires those permission to show me ads.
- coldpie 12y ago
  Yeah. It would be really nice if stock android included the permissions editor thingy, where you can revoke permissions that applications claim to require. I know dumb users will use it to break stuff, but tuck it behind a secret code and four warning screens or something.
  - allegory 12y ago
    What about this? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.infolife.permission https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.infolife.... AFAIK Android did ship with something like that recently but they killed it, not that I saw it personally. I reckon they killed it due to people shooting permissions randomly. What I want to see is a trust rating for an app when I install it which analyses the required permissions, the company's reputation and the privacy implications.
    - coldpie 12y ago
      Thanks for the link. I was under the impression that functionality required root. Unfortunately, the Play store says that app isn't compatible with my device. Perhaps it's because I'm using Android 4.4, while that app's description mentions 4.3.
babuskov 12y ago
I got so tired of testing all the flashlight apps. Some had ads, other required too many permissions. In the end I wrote my own, in a couple of hours. It's ad free, and doesn't require anything: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bigosaur.lampa https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bigosaur.l...
- allegory 12y ago
  I salute you. Have installed it and it works perfectly. I will recommend this to anyone who needs such a thing. Thank you for your efforts.
dublinben 12y ago
If anyone else is looking for a flashlight app, the two in the F-Droid market only require the exact permission they need to function. https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=flashlight&fdid=io.github.sanbeg.flashlight https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=flashlight&f... https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=flashlight&fdid=com.scottmain.android.searchlight https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=flashlight&f...

rrtwo 12y ago

Care to share which App you found for the flash light, by chance looking for one too :)

allegory 12y ago
'Nexus Torch'. It says nexus but it works fine on my Moto G after an initial warning on first start up: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.cactii.flash https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.cactii.fla...
- rrtwo 12y ago
  Thanks!

donniezazen 12y ago

That is what I am talking about. I downloaded a silly entertainment app. It has no need to my browser history, my geolocation and all the apps I have installed on my phone. But it still requires those permission to show me ads.

coldpie 12y ago
Yeah. It would be really nice if stock android included the permissions editor thingy, where you can revoke permissions that applications claim to require. I know dumb users will use it to break stuff, but tuck it behind a secret code and four warning screens or something.
- allegory 12y ago
  What about this? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.infolife.permission https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.infolife.... AFAIK Android did ship with something like that recently but they killed it, not that I saw it personally. I reckon they killed it due to people shooting permissions randomly. What I want to see is a trust rating for an app when I install it which analyses the required permissions, the company's reputation and the privacy implications.
  - coldpie 12y ago
    Thanks for the link. I was under the impression that functionality required root. Unfortunately, the Play store says that app isn't compatible with my device. Perhaps it's because I'm using Android 4.4, while that app's description mentions 4.3.

babuskov 12y ago

I got so tired of testing all the flashlight apps. Some had ads, other required too many permissions. In the end I wrote my own, in a couple of hours. It's ad free, and doesn't require anything: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bigosaur.lampa https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bigosaur.l...

allegory 12y ago
I salute you. Have installed it and it works perfectly. I will recommend this to anyone who needs such a thing. Thank you for your efforts.

dublinben 12y ago

If anyone else is looking for a flashlight app, the two in the F-Droid market only require the exact permission they need to function. https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=flashlight&fdid=io.github.sanbeg.flashlight https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=flashlight&f... https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=flashlight&fdid=com.scottmain.android.searchlight https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=flashlight&f...