Help With Security Solution - Samsung Epic 4G Touch

I want to be able to granularly set the permissions for each app. From what I understand my options are:
Cyanogenmod - except CM10 for SGS2 is missing this at this time
Pdroid for GB
Pdroid 2.0 - running CM10 only
LBE (from China)
I have had Pdroid 2.0 running on CM10 for a few weeks but CM10 isn't stable - just had it auto-reboot in the middle of a call. Does anybody have any other ideas / suggestions?
On a related note - I'm wondering why it seems that most people aren't bothered with apps monitoring their use and even more important archiving all the data compiled on them?? The only thing that I can think of is that most cell phone / XDA users are really young and just don't know any better??? Didn't they pay any attention in history class?? What am I missing here?

Mrktmind said:
On a related note - I'm wondering why it seems that most people aren't bothered with apps monitoring their use and even more important archiving all the data compiled on them?? The only thing that I can think of is that most cell phone / XDA users are really young and just don't know any better??? Didn't they pay any attention in history class?? What am I missing here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because phone security is generally easy to manage. Most apps make a good name for themselves. And many people check the security of an app as soon as it were to hit the Play Store. It doesn't mean we are young it means that we aren't dumb and know how modern technology works.

hrffd said:
Because phone security is generally easy to manage. Most apps make a good name for themselves. And many people check the security of an app as soon as it were to hit the Play Store. It doesn't mean we are young it means that we aren't dumb and know how modern technology works.[/QUOTE
I highly doubt that anyone on XDA, regardless of age, is dumb. I do believe, however, that there are quite a few younger members who could be a bit naive due to a lack of experience. Younger folks tend to take most things at face value. Just because something is free monetarily doesn't mean it isn't costing you something. Just because an app is on Play Store doesn't mean it is "secure" - especially since the Play Store (as well as Android, Google, et.al.) operate on the same business model as the apps!
Just a random example - Why would Angry Birds need my Sim Card Serial number to operate properly? Why would it need to know the phone numbers of all my incoming calls? Answer - it doesn't - in fact it doesn't need ANY of the permissions it asks for to operate properly. So why does it ask for these permissions? Answer - it is data mining your phone.
Ok, so I think most XDA members are aware of WHAT these apps are doing. My original question is WHY don't more people seem to care?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Mrktmind said:
I want to be able to granularly set the permissions for each app. From what I understand my options are:
Cyanogenmod - except CM10 for SGS2 is missing this at this time
Pdroid for GB
Pdroid 2.0 - running CM10 only
LMB (from China)
I have had Pdroid 2.0 running on CM10 for a few weeks but CM10 isn't stable - just had it auto-reboot in the middle of a call. Does anybody have any other ideas / suggestions?
On a related note - I'm wondering why it seems that most people aren't bothered with apps monitoring their use and even more important archiving all the data compiled on them?? The only thing that I can think of is that most cell phone / XDA users are really young and just don't know any better??? Didn't they pay any attention in history class?? What am I missing here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe MIUI is also a viable option for this, no? You can set app permission on a "per-app" basis with MIUI security I believe.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

I tried this app a while back and it basically does what you want but it got annoying https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lbe.security.lite
I don't use these because I am very selective about what goes on my phone.

Thanks Luke!
Not very familiar with MIUI ROM's will have to look into them.

someguyatx said:
I tried this app a while back and it basically does what you want but it got annoying https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lbe.security.lite
I don't use these because I am very selective about what goes on my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, this is the app I listed above - just had the initials wrong! :silly: It is a lot like pdroid but, like you, it scares me.

I have my own small business and run most of it from my phone, in the beginning I used the standard flip phone then graduated on to a touch pro 2 with Windows Mobile 6.5 as I began to accumulate massive amounts of data on my Windows Mobile phone, for some reason I still felt secure in the applications like ActiveSync that I was in control of my data.... A year ago last October I upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy s2.. this was my first real experience with Google's Android operating system. in the first few minutes of using the new phone I could see how deeply the hooks were being placed to data mine my information. I resisted at first but then came to realize if I wanted all the bells and whistles Google was offering I had to play the game... I use the security program mentioned above... maybe they should have an app were you sign a consent of exactly which data you would like to keep on your phone and not share with other people. then when you visit the play store apps that request more of your private data than you're willing to share won't show up? I would like to have an open sourced built firewall that monitors traffic, letting me choose the permissions per app as I see fit.

Mrktmind said:
Thanks Luke!
Not very familiar with MIUI ROM's will have to look into them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've ran both Adhvanlt's and Lens's JB MIUI Roms, and they're both amazing! The standard MIUI launcher feels a bit like the iphone, and there is no app drawer, but that's easily fixed by downloading [insert favorite launcher here] if you don't care for it. There's hundreds of options for customization. They are literally the most customizable ROMs you'll ever run; All of this on top of the fact that it has the security features I believe you are after baked right in to it.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

Looked at two MIUI ROM's for the E4GT. Both of them have issues with Google Voice. I need Google Voice.
I am also going to try +AF (Droidwall fork) firewall tonight to see if it will work on FK23. It apparently has issues with some ICS/JB ROM's. That will at least give some protection from apps that don't need network access at all. But for apps that need network access to do their intended job it's useless. Just read last night that the developer has added profiles to +AF - that should be really cool.
I guess I'm spoiled a bit with Pdroid - it works so well and is very detailed.
Thanks for all the replies! Other suggestions, ideas, thoughts, opinions welcomed!

Mrktmind said:
I want to be able to granularly set the permissions for each app. From what I understand my options are:
Cyanogenmod - except CM10 for SGS2 is missing this at this time
Pdroid for GB
Pdroid 2.0 - running CM10 only
LBE (from China)
I have had Pdroid 2.0 running on CM10 for a few weeks but CM10 isn't stable - just had it auto-reboot in the middle of a call. Does anybody have any other ideas / suggestions?
On a related note - I'm wondering why it seems that most people aren't bothered with apps monitoring their use and even more important archiving all the data compiled on them?? The only thing that I can think of is that most cell phone / XDA users are really young and just don't know any better??? Didn't they pay any attention in history class?? What am I missing here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As an app developer, I can tell you that there are some shady apps, but if you download from good devs, the permissions are *usually* necessary. Here's some examples that people question the most:
Access to contacts... Assuming it's not a contact or sms app, if any app has a "share" feature needs this permission.
Access to sd card... Any app that saves anything or lets you change a background needs this.
Read phone state... So the app can properly call the "onpause" method when a call comes in.
Access to location... Assuming it's not a location app or game like ingress or zombies!Run!, you'll typically see this on free apps that have ads. Ads allow developers to get paid for their work while keeping the app free. They don't have access to the ad data, though. They just put in the api and the ad company handles the rest.
On top of that, large organizations will seek phone specific permissions like sim card numbers for analytics.
Google makes most of its money from ads, so it reads your usage to better target ads. Google also uses location data to improve location services like maps.
If you're worried about security, don't download a random app that only has 100+ downloads. If an app has 50000+ downloads, you can rest assured that it's already been vetted.
Also if you're downloading pirated apps, you're just a moron who is opening up his world to who knows who. Many (not all) pirated apps have added data mining code.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

Related

Location Services

Hello all!
First off. Long time IOS user that just purchased a GN. More specifically - I just came from an iPhone 4.
Love the GN.
I can't seem to figure something out. In IOS I can selectively set whether or not to allow location to be ascertained by apps individually. The only thing I found that I can do is turn off location services for everything. There's some things that I would rather leave on i.e. google maps etc.
Can you do that on an individual basis?
Other than that I'm digging Android. There are some things that are worse compared to IOS, but there are also some things that are executed better on Android.
Aloha!
kapolani said:
Hello all!
First off. Long time IOS user that just purchased a GN. More specifically - I just came from an iPhone 4.
Love the GN.
I can't seem to figure something out. In IOS I can selectively set whether or not to allow location to be ascertained by apps individually. The only thing I found that I can do is turn off location services for everything. There's some things that I would rather leave on i.e. google maps etc.
Can you do that on an individual basis?
Other than that I'm digging Android. There are some things that are worse compared to IOS, but there are also some things that are executed better on Android.
Aloha!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is possible if you are rooted. It requires that you revoke the gps permissions for the apps you don't want to have that access.
The problem is that this may cause the apps to force close if they can't get that access.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Herman76 said:
It is possible if you are rooted. It requires that you revoke the gps permissions for the apps you don't want to have that access.
The problem is that this may cause the apps to force close if they can't get that access.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that sucks.
Not that I have to be rooted (I will eventually) but that it may cause the app to force close. That doesn't seem like an elegant solution.
I don't want to be visible (via location) to apps such as FaceBook etc.
I wonder if there is an opportunity for a developer to make some money providing this type of functionality. I may have to look at this to see how easy it is (or if even possible) to implement something like this.
Thank you for the response!
kapolani said:
Well that sucks.
Not that I have to be rooted (I will eventually) but that it may cause the app to force close. That doesn't seem like an elegant solution.
I don't want to be visible (via location) to apps such as FaceBook etc.
I wonder if there is an opportunity for a developer to make some money providing this type of functionality. I may have to look at this to see how easy it is (or if even possible) to implement something like this.
Thank you for the response!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, per-app settings for location would be awesome for apps that don't explicitly offer an "off switch".
We can only hope this becomes a stock feature in the future...

Extremely useful app for rooted users - LBE Privacy Guard

Have a feeling a lot of people have already heard about it, but for anyone who hasnt tried it, definitely get it.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lbe.security.lite
Its an app manager that lets you control what apps have access to. You can block apps from accessing the internet, viewing your personal info and take away any permissions you dont want it to have.
A big benefit to this also is battery life will go up as a result of blocking apps which always connect to the internet to upload your data or steam ads to you. A lot of freeware apps also have way too many permissions and this lets you effectively block them.
Its the first thing I install everytime I use a new rom
I'm gonna check it out...thanks for posting it
CM9 Beta 1 El30 Shadow Kernal
redspeed said:
Have a feeling a lot of people have already heard about it, but for anyone who hasnt tried it, definitely get it.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lbe.security.lite
Its an app manager that lets you control what apps have access to. You can block apps from accessing the internet, viewing your personal info and take away any permissions you dont want it to have.
A big benefit to this also is battery life will go up as a result of blocking apps which always connect to the internet to upload your data or steam ads to you. A lot of freeware apps also have way too many permissions and this lets you effectively block them.
Its the first thing I install everytime I use a new rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really appreciate you posting this and letting us know about this app! I don't think I would've come across it otherwise.
So I installed it and I'm just dumbfounded at all the stuff that some apps want access to....Why the f*** does Angry Birds: Space need to access my phone's GPS data?? There's an odd one!
Oh, by the way....a co-worker of mine with an iPhone smugly showed me that the functionality of LBE Privacy Guard app is actually built right into the iOS.
Not trying to turn this into an Android Vs Apple thread, but man, that kinda got under my skin.
GRK4G63 said:
I really appreciate you posting this and letting us know about this app! I don't think I would've come across it otherwise.
So I installed it and I'm just dumbfounded at all the stuff that some apps want access to....Why the f*** does Angry Birds: Space need to access my phone's GPS data?? There's an odd one!
Oh, by the way....a co-worker of mine with an iPhone smugly showed me that the functionality of LBE Privacy Guard app is actually built right into the iOS.
Not trying to turn this into an Android Vs Apple thread, but man, that kinda got under my skin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I recall, there's a developer option you can enable in CM7 that allows you to do just this. Just press the permission you want to block when installing the app or afterward. CM9 doesn't (to my knowledge) have this option yet, but I'm sure it will. Good day, iPhone users =).
GRK4G63 said:
I really appreciate you posting this and letting us know about this app! I don't think I would've come across it otherwise.
So I installed it and I'm just dumbfounded at all the stuff that some apps want access to....Why the f*** does Angry Birds: Space need to access my phone's GPS data?? There's an odd one!
Oh, by the way....a co-worker of mine with an iPhone smugly showed me that the functionality of LBE Privacy Guard app is actually built right into the iOS.
Not trying to turn this into an Android Vs Apple thread, but man, that kinda got under my skin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its scary how many apps want full control of your phone. Ive seen them wanting to read my contacts list and even control my messaging app. A lot of it has to do with data mining of their customers. All the info they collect from you is pretty valuable and the gps thing is pretty scary too. Theyre able to record your coordinates and report the info back to them. Not to mention its going to kill your battery too with them doing this.
Security apps I use
Droidwall - simple iptables for android
PDroid - like it better than Lbe, takes less resources but needs patch and waiting for ics support
Addons detector - shows which apps have "adware, spyware, etc."
Thanks William for mentioning PDroid. The app thread is here
PDroid gives message saying I needed to build somethingortheother first in order for it to work on my OG EPIC 4G .... LBE working great right outta the box though
Wow its come a long way I remember this when I first got rooted the guy mentioned using this... but its icon was red and the ui was bland they really uped it a notch =] completely forgot about this app thanks.. love it.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
how do I get it out of my notification bar?
It says "Allow Haypi KingdomobtainIMEI" but I can't swipe it away
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
Nvm its the event logger I thought I needed to accept from there and it was being buggy LOL
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
A_Flying_Fox said:
Nvm its the event logger I thought I needed to accept from there and it was being buggy LOL
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is an option in the prefrences to turn off the notifications in the status bar.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium

LBE Security

I tried sideloading this app from an apk on my optimus v. It installed and opened fine but then it started shutting off my screen and it became unresponsive. Had to reflash JR5 to fix it. Just a heads up, do not install it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
lulz
fleshdeep said:
I tried sideloading this app from an apk on my optimus v. It installed and opened fine but then it started shutting off my screen and it became unresponsive. Had to reflash JR5 to fix it. Just a heads up, do not install it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Development died on that app a while back .. wonder if the privacy was actually private ??
That would be a bummer if it's dead - actually worked very good on my photon 2.3.4/5 versions - especially in customizing app specific permissions / overall surprised to see what's really going on albeit the listed, and at often times - vague permissions listed on the play store.
As said, it's [LBE] does not work for jellybean / wish there was a simply comparable app that will run just like this on stock/root only builds - pdroid is all I hear of as an alternative, but it requires a few steps/patch - not even sure if it works better and optimized for N7.
Having a permissions manager goes a long way - even if you look at things closely from legitimate market sources - it is only getting worse. I'm being far from naive here Although LBE's origins were questionable and skepticism grew, enough people had checked it out to their best ability; in concern to why the app itself needed data connection, and what (if anything serious) was being sent. Haven't seen anything comparable to its finite permissions control upon installing anything. The N7 still needs something for sure...,
What else is out there?
Here is another thread for lbe 4 with english translaten
sirscrubsalot said:
That would be a bummer if it's dead - actually worked very good on my photon 2.3.4/5 versions - especially in customizing app specific permissions / overall surprised to see what's really going on albeit the listed, and at often times - vague permissions listed on the play store.
As said, it's [LBE] does not work for jellybean / wish there was a simply comparable app that will run just like this on stock/root only builds - pdroid is all I hear of as an alternative, but it requires a few steps/patch - not even sure if it works better and optimized for N7.
Having a permissions manager goes a long way - even if you look at things closely from legitimate market sources - it is only getting worse. I'm being far from naive here Although LBE's origins were questionable and skepticism grew, enough people had checked it out to their best ability; in concern to why the app itself needed data connection, and what (if anything serious) was being sent. Haven't seen anything comparable to its finite permissions control upon installing anything. The N7 still needs something for sure...,
What else is out there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well - a friendly bump to an imprtant topic... this already got buried fast amidst the many posts... seems that somebody has to do it. Seriously should not be overlooked
defim said:
Here is another thread for lbe 4 with english translaten
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1422479
What about appguard?
its what I use to manage permissions on an app.
http://www.backes-srt.de/produkte/srt-appguard/
Its in German but just select
"Download der appguard.apk"

[INFO][i317(m)] General Information

What is known safe to freeze
as listed in titanium backup, I've been able to freeze the following bloat without any issue:
Allshare cast
Allshare play
Allshare service
AT&T * (everything starting with "AT&T" can be frozen)
ChatON
DeviceHelp
Flipboard
Kies* (everything starting with "Kies" can be frozen)
media hub
music hub
my AT&T
news daemon
s suggest
s voice
samsung backup provider
samsung browser syncadapter
samsung calendar syncadapter
samsung cloud data relay
samsung contact syncadapter
samsung snote syncadapter
samsung syncadapters
SNS
stock daemon
swype (keyboard still works fine without swype support)
sysscope
tethering provision
vpn client
weather daemon
weather widget
weather widget main
yahoo finance
yahoo news
YP Mobile
There are many other things that can be frozen - this (so far) is just a list of what I'm currently freezing
AT&T users: The "mobile hotspot" icon that shows up in your app drawer doesn't have it's own app that you can freeze. It appears to be something in the settings.apk (and you probably don't want to freeze that.)
FM Radio
There isn't one. Based on my research, the hardware either doesn't exist or isn't physically connected. No luck with spiritFM either. This matches what international users have found with the n7105 (international LTE note2)
The "mobile hotspot" icon that shows up in your app drawer doesn't have it's own app that you can freeze. It appears to be something in the settings.apk (and you probably don't want to freeze that.)
I'm trying to figure out how to deodex a JB firmware... once I have that, I'll be uploading doing a few minor mods (and uploading them, of course.)
Another reason to go international if you don't have lte in your area.
Jesus AT$T, got bloat?
SGH-I717 Galaxy Note | AOSP/CM/AOKP <3 via Tapatalk II
added note about FM radio, updated post title to reflect that I'm just dumping random "faq" type information in it.
Great info! However personally, I'd wait with freezing apps since android operating systems have a wakelock specifically designated for deleted/frozen apps. Why or what for? No clue, but it's there. I'll wait until I can actually remove them completely. Either way this phone's battery and performance is awesome out of the box, even with bloatware :thumbup:
Sent from my SGH-I317M using xda premium
AlonB. said:
Great info! However personally, I'd wait with freezing apps since android operating systems have a wakelock specifically designated for deleted/frozen apps. Why or what for? No clue, but it's there. I'll wait until I can actually remove them completely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No.. your off base there. deleted_wakelock has nothing whatsoever to do with a frozen app. A wakelock is actually a kernel structure. When an app cleans up after itself, the time it had in wakelock is added to the deleted_wakelocks counter.
Xstop said:
Another reason to go international if you don't have lte in your area.
Jesus AT$T, got bloat?
SGH-I717 Galaxy Note | AOSP/CM/AOKP <3 via Tapatalk II
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
takes 5 min to disable it all forever.. not gonna get up in arms this time
This is still a pretty good excel source for the novice although it is for stock.
Collected way back for SGS2
frewys said:
This is still a pretty good excel source for the novice although it is for stock.
Collected way back for SGS2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this! I was looking to ask the question in q&a. Would this be pretty close to SGN2?
sent using gNote II.
Thanks for the great info! I'll definitely be doing this soon after I get mine. I'm curious, how much of a difference in memory consumption/speed have you noticed after disabling all this bloat?
skochw said:
Thanks for the great info! I'll definitely be doing this soon after I get mine. I'm curious, how much of a difference in memory consumption/speed have you noticed after disabling all this bloat?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well... I really can't answer that, as I didn't seriously use the phone until after I disabled that stuff.
garyd9 said:
Well... I really can't answer that, as I didn't seriously use the phone until after I disabled that stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah. well maybe you could run some benchmarks or something, and we could compare with stock scores?
skochw said:
Ah. well maybe you could run some benchmarks or something, and we could compare with stock scores?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. It wouldn't show up in benchmarks, as benchmarks tend to grab exclusive use of the device (meaning the other stuff wouldn't matter.) As well, I don't believe in benchmarks - they are too easily compensated for.
2. By freezing unused services, they'll never start which means the phone doesn't hold them in memory (freeing memory), doesn't use processor cycles to load/reload/execute them which will result in a lower battery usage (depending on the specific service) and allow the phone to "feel" faster in some cases.
3. Finally, freezing stuff that you don't use cleans up the app drawer. Why would anyone want an icon (even if they don't use it) for AT&T's navigation software when google gives us the same thing for free? (Freezing it also prevents someone else from using it if you loan them your phone.)
Of course, the idea of this thread isn't to discuss the merits of freezing bloat (or the merits of urinating when the need arises.) The idea is to let people know what is "safe" to freeze (and give other device information.)
As a guy coming out of the Apple iOS world, I have to say that the only Android device I've held is my wife's Galaxy Nexus on Verizon, and I'm not familiar with the terms "app drawer" or "freezing" apps. Can I ask for a little clarification without sounding like the total noob I am, please?
ohRonaldo said:
As a guy coming out of the Apple iOS world, I have to say that the only Android device I've held is my wife's Galaxy Nexus on Verizon, and I'm not familiar with the terms "app drawer" or "freezing" apps. Can I ask for a little clarification without sounding like the total noob I am, please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(I hope you take this with the humor intended...)
No, there is simply no possible way for you to ask that without sounding like a newbie. However, it's okay... we were all newbies at one time.
"app drawer" - in iOS, every app you install leaves an icon on your homescreen (or one of the homescreens.) That isn't the case with android. In android, YOU decide what your homescreen looks like - you can have app icons, widgets, or just leave them blank. There is usually an icon on the homescreen that lets you access your "app drawer" which contains all the phone apps. On the note2 with default configuration, thats the checkerboard looking icon on the lower right of the homescreen.
freezing - using an application such as "titanium backup", you can "freeze" an app. This is a way to basically completely disable and hide an application without physically uninstalling it. The only effective difference between a frozen app and one that's actually uninstalled is that the frozen app still can be "defrosted" (which restores it to normal.) freezing apps requires that your phone is rooted (which is a topic for another thread...)
ohRonaldo said:
As a guy coming out of the Apple iOS world, I have to say that the only Android device I've held is my wife's Galaxy Nexus on Verizon, and I'm not familiar with the terms "app drawer" or "freezing" apps. Can I ask for a little clarification without sounding like the total noob I am, please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The " app drawer" is the location on android that has your application launch icons (and widges). If you delete the app icon on the desktop you can gain access to the installed app here. You can grab a copy from the tray to deposit on other desktop pages.
The term "freezing" is a method to make installed apps dormant and thus not "call home" or use CPU cycles / memory resources that drain power or use data. These are usually done in preparation in determining what apps to un-install. Un-installing bundled applications may leave you no way to re-install them later, short of re-flashing to stock ROM.
Most folks will attempt to freeze apps to remove "bloatware". Later the storage can be reclaimed by un-installing the apps. By freezing, you can avoid "burning a bridge" you may find you need later.
Dynamite answers, thanks. I'm familiar with that app drawer, just didn't know its name, and the requirement of root for a freezing app will be juuust a bit down the road until I can understand the new OS environment.
PS I am a software engineer from way back, part of the generation responsible for "Are you sure?" and "General Error. Continue?" prompts, so.... I deserve every bit of jazz anyone wants to heap on me.
ohRonaldo said:
PS I am a software engineer from way back, part of the generation responsible for "Are you sure?" and "General Error. Continue?" prompts, so.... I deserve every bit of jazz anyone wants to heap on me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm... The response, "Hit Any Key to continue..." comes to mind. I'm still looking for the Any Key and have never found it. :laugh:
the builtin application manager can disable some programs... i'm wondering if this is the same as freezing
ShadowVlican said:
the builtin application manager can disable some programs... i'm wondering if this is the same as freezing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes

[APP] Multi-User App Share

I have created an app that will help share apps across users on google's new 4.2 multi user feature.
Thanks to mentose457 and unwired for giving me the idea.
see this thread (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1994169)
It works by removing package elements from user's package-restriction.xml file to add the app and adding the package element back to remove the app. (located at \data\system\users\10\package-restrictions.xml where 10 is the user's id)
This is quickly thrown together and will likely have a ton of bugs, but I wanted to go ahead and get it out there for testing.
- This is BETA
-You must have ROOT
- This changes system data on non documented files it could screw something up.
- I'm not responsible for any problems this causes or lost data or bricked or broken devices
- please use cation
- it is currently built to run on main user to enable or disable apps on secondary users (once root is fully working on secondary users I will see about making it run correctly on secondary user's account)
- not tested thoroughly with paid apps*
- does not currently support system apps**
- due to the way I pull the app list from the package manager some installed apps may not show as available to add/remove
- apps installed first on a secondary user's profile will probably not show in the list to add/remove
*paid apps seemed to work but I did not have internet access during testing. My theory is that any paid apps that use Google's license verification will not work or not work for long. So adding your Google Account to the secondary user's play store is probably still the best way to share paid apps.
**The entries in the xml for system apps is different. Therefore I will have to research them more before getting it to work or deciding not to mess with those apps. Currently some will show not installed on other users even though they are and removing/adding them will not work correctly.
------> DOWNLOAD HERE https://play.google.com/store/apps/...tm_medium=forum&utm_campaign=app_announcement
I'd love to get feedback to what is working and what is not. Also if anybody figures out anything more about the package-restriction.xml file I'd love to hear it. Especially when it comes to system apps.
Thanks mate added my sons Google account and it is all running perfectly. Seperate saves and account details for apps and allowing me to share my paid ones with him
First review on play store is up.
Will have a mess around with apps and report back but it appears to be running sweet at the moment
Cheers danny...
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
I wanted to chime in as well. It is working on AOKP. Thanks again jeepguy04.
Looks like it's working for me too :thumbup:
Strange, I'm rooted. Using root apps such as cache mate, titanium & sixaxis.
Multi user app enabler says not rooted.
So does root checker??
DeadlyDazza said:
Strange, I'm rooted. Using root apps such as cache mate, titanium & sixaxis.
Multi user app enabler says not rooted.
So does root checker??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the first 'owner' account I'm rooted, but the second user account doesn't recognize root in apps shared through multi user app.
rkuijpers said:
On the first 'owner' account I'm rooted, but the second user account doesn't recognize root in apps shared through multi user app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is a known issue (if you want to call it that). For me it's not a problem as my second user is a guest just like on my computer.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
mentose457 said:
That is a known issue (if you want to call it that). For me it's not a problem as my second user is a guest just like on my computer.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know, that's why I quoted the user I meant to answer
It wasn't meant as a negative comment, as I think this app is very useful.
I tried this with ten games and all worked fine (free and paid) except Retro Racing. It works with primary user but crashes with secondary user.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mrqwak.retroracing
Do you think it is possible to have a shared folder for fotos and musik for multiple users?
some one post the apk my devices are not compatible lol
Great idea! My solution involves just buying everyone their own tablets.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA Premium HD app
player911 said:
My solution involves just buying everyone their own tablets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
... Fail
Does it works on nexus10 ?
agabe said:
Does it works on nexus10 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should work on any tablet running 4.2 (or phone if your custom rom enables the multiple user profiles)
joeyman08 said:
some one post the apk my devices are not compatible lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Currently I only have it available in the market to tablets to avoid confusion for people wondering why it doesn't work with their phone. Maybe I will change that since only nexus devices or phones with custom roms are running 4.2. Those users tend to be a little smarter and know if their phone has multiple user profiles or not.
Here is a link to the apk for anybody that can't see it in the market.
bergfex said:
Do you think it is possible to have a shared folder for fotos and musik for multiple users?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The shared folder idea is interesting but beyond the scope of this app. Probably could do it with symlinks or something (not very knowledgeable in linux). Maybe I will look into it and either make another app or find a way to make it fit in with this app.
Yes. Symlinking the photos/music folders outside /data/ should work. But I don't have a 4.2 device(nor willing to set up an emulator) so I'm unsure.
Looking forward to trying on my p5113 CM 10.1
jeepguy04 said:
I have created an app that will help share apps across users on google's new 4.2 multi user feature.
Thanks to mentose457 and unwired for giving me the idea.
see this thread (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1994169)
It works by removing package elements from user's package-restriction.xml file to add the app and adding the package element back to remove the app. (located at \data\system\users\10\package-restrictions.xml where 10 is the user's id)
This is quickly thrown together and will likely have a ton of bugs, but I wanted to go ahead and get it out there for testing.
- This is BETA
-You must have ROOT
- This changes system data on non documented files it could screw something up.
- I'm not responsible for any problems this causes or lost data or bricked or broken devices
- please use cation
- it is currently built to run on main user to enable or disable apps on secondary users (once root is fully working on secondary users I will see about making it run correctly on secondary user's account)
- not tested thoroughly with paid apps*
- does not currently support system apps**
- due to the way I pull the app list from the package manager some installed apps may not show as available to add/remove
- apps installed first on a secondary user's profile will probably not show in the list to add/remove
*paid apps seemed to work but I did not have internet access during testing. My theory is that any paid apps that use Google's license verification will not work or not work for long. So adding your Google Account to the secondary user's play store is probably still the best way to share paid apps.
**The entries in the xml for system apps is different. Therefore I will have to research them more before getting it to work or deciding not to mess with those apps. Currently some will show not installed on other users even though they are and removing/adding them will not work correctly.
------> DOWNLOAD HERE https://play.google.com/store/apps/...tm_medium=forum&utm_campaign=app_announcement
I'd love to get feedback to what is working and what is not. Also if anybody figures out anything more about the package-restriction.xml file I'd love to hear it. Especially when it comes to system apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great to see this is available
Thanks:good:
Why the full network access and google play billing service permissions?
excarnate said:
Why the full network access and google play billing service permissions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google Play billing service is for accepting donations via in app purchase. Under settings anybody can donate if they feel the app has value to them... so far I've gotten two $1 donations...lol
network access is for connecting to internet for ads and also for ACRA (Application Crash Report for Android) it basically sends error reports to me to help fix errors. It can be disabled under settings if you do not want it reporting errors.
Does not populate menu on my Nexus 7.

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