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Everyone knows all the apps on your phone (peabee.substack.com)
submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by Ninjazzon@infosec.pub to c/privacy@lemmy.world
26 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Until a few years ago, any app you installed on an Android device could see all other apps on your phone without your permission.

Since 2022, with Android 11, Google removed this access from app developers. Under their new package visibility policy, apps should only see other installed apps if it’s essential to their core functionality. Developers must also explicitly declare these apps in the AndroidManifest.xml file - a required configuration file for all Android apps.

So I downloaded a few dozen Indian apps I could think of on top of my head and started reading their manifest files. Surely they will be respectful of my privacy and will only query apps essential to their app's core functionality? 🙃

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[-] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 24 points 2 years ago

The worst part about Android is that I, as the owner of the device, can't deny permissions to apps at this granular of a level.

There should be a setting for enabling or disabling every single system call under the "advanced" permissions menu for each app.

SE Linux my ass.

[-] demunted@lemmy.ml 11 points 2 years ago

Googles revenue structure is counter to giving you that control. It's the unfortunate side effect of the stock market.

[-] pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip 8 points 2 years ago

There should be a setting for enabling or disabling every single system call under the "advanced" permissions menu for each app.

That's what GrapheneOS adds.

It's interesting that Google hasn't merged those features back into Android, itself.

[-] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 2 points 2 years ago

Did they open a PR?

this post was submitted on 30 Mar 2025
208 points (98.1% liked)

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