Why are there so many apps that could be websites?
Seriously. I don't want to install something on my phone when the dev is just using a WebView, if that's what it's called. When the app is basically just a website with the browser hidden.
What's the reason for that? To attach the customer? To sell the app for money? Is there more ad revenue that way? Do you reach more people?
(Are there any good reasons for it, too? Security, maybe?)
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If they have an app they can gather far more personal data from you (and your device) that they can then turn around and sell
This exactly. Just ask for some location rights in the app and get access to wifi also.
Most users don't mind giving an app a large amount of access and in doing so, a lot of personal information gets exposed.
If you have a choice, use a website.
Hell apps can gather a lot of info without actually asking for permissions
For example the accelerometer can be used without permissions
Not on GrapheneOS :)
How do you know? I mean what makes you say that?
Sensors permission toggle: disallow access to all other sensors not covered by existing Android permissions (Camera, Microphone, Body Sensors, Activity Recognition) including an accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, barometer, thermometer and any other sensors present on a given device.
I’m surprised that’s not commons behaviour now, just look at what people are doing in research papers. With enough of that data, they can figure out quite a lot about you and your life.
Very cool. I just checked Lineage OS and it looks like Google Play Services doesn't let you disable sensors permission. Can you do it on Graphene OS? Lineage lets you control it on all apps except Google Play Services it looks like, which would actually be one of the top apps to disable it on imo.
Yep, there's a toggle to disable by default globally. I also individually checked Google Play Services, Google Play Store and Google Services Framework, and all three can be denied the Sensors permission.
This is due to Sandboxed Google Play: "GrapheneOS has a compatibility layer providing the option to install and use the official releases of Google Play in the standard app sandbox. Google Play receives absolutely no special access or privileges on GrapheneOS as opposed to bypassing the app sandbox and receiving a massive amount of highly privileged access. Instead, the compatibility layer teaches it how to work within the full app sandbox."
Wow awesome, thanks for the info!
GrapheneOS allows you to turn off sensors (accelerometers) by app
Even Google Play Services and other system apps?
Edit: sorry, nevermind, you were talking about Graphene OS, not Lineage.
Wait a minute, what about physical activity sensors? Isn't that what the gyroscope and accelerometer fall under?Also it adds a link to their website right on your phone.
It also has all the UI/UX stuff preloaded making everything feel snappier.
We use very different apps that could easily be websites.
And far fewer people have adblockers that block ads in apps.
Another reason is that they can more easily send push messages to the user.