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Google has removed Conversations_im from the Play Store

gultsch.social

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Re: Google has removed Conversations_im from the Play Store

#151

Post by bmicraft »

ChoGGi wrote: post #101
Dibby053 wrote: post #11

I use an open source SPAM call blocker (Yet another call blocker), which works fairly OK by querying a local spam phone number database. Recently Google Play decided to display a permanent notification prompting me to uninstall that "dangerous" app because it could "damage" my device. It's impossible to disable this notification. This app hasn't been updated in years. It has no ads. The only network request it makes…

That's from Google Play protect, you can turn it off. It also blocks apps from installing. Settings>security and privacy>app security>play protect security

Play protect can also be turned off from the Play Store: User icon > Play Protect > Settings icon

Re: Google has removed Conversations_im from the Play Store

#152

Post by exe34 »

charcircuit wrote: post #149
exe34 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have to realise when a large tech company says "security", they mean their security from your attempts to defend yourself. E.g. most of the locking down of devices isn't to make it harder for attackers who want your data (which would defeat their own objectives) but to keep things like DRM keys from you.

>they mean their security from your attempts to defend yourself No, they don't. They are protecting against malicous actors or at the most buggy software doing bad things on accident. >most of the locking down of devices isn't to make it harder for attackers who want your data Advances in this area definitely has been happening. The move to apps getting their own sandbox and having to be explicitly granted permission…

In the first and second part, you've simply defined the very bad actors who want your data as the good guys.

On the third point, we are in agreement. They want to make sure that when content right hoarders want to remove the content from the service you've paid for and move it to another service you now have to pay for all over again, you can't just keep a copy of what you already paid for. That's what I meant, keeping the device secure against you, who paid for it.

Re: Google has removed Conversations_im from the Play Store

#153

Post by rcbdev »

devaiops9001 wrote: post #61

Google Play is cancer that belongs in a sandbox or better yet running only in a secondary user profile. https://grapheneos.org/usage#sandboxed-google-play

Or just completely removed from the device. I've been using my phone without any GApps for almost 10 years now - no issues.

Re: Google has removed Conversations_im from the Play Store

#154

Post by rcbdev »

zaik wrote: post #77
alwayslikethis wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm using a fork but it is the best XMPP client out there. Even the ones on Linux are riddled with bugs and usability issues.

I heavily use Gajim and it works very well on Linux. I couldn't recall any problems I had recently.

Gajim, at least in Windows, has terrible to nonexistent support for (video) calls.

Re: Google has removed Conversations_im from the Play Store

#156

Post by jcmoyer »

Roark66 wrote: post #100
cma wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Google doesn't know that its GET request doesn't get orders from a botnet and leaks sensitive data the app has access to. And yet the only reason Google won't add internet access as a revocable permission is their ad business. Chrome constantly scans your harddrive in a way you can't easily turn off, and it's not for your safety: it's for the safety of their ad business to try to catch malware that engages in click…

>Chrome constantly scans your harddrive in a way you can't easily turn off, and it's not for your safety: it's for the safety of their ad business to try to catch malware that engages in click fraud. If you have media or backup drives it just constantly adds wear to them. Is this true? Chrome is open source so someone should be able to point out the code that is doing that. What is the source of this info if not the…

Anecdotally, Chrome used to pin my hard drive at 100% usage until I killed a process called "software_reporter_tool.exe." I still have a version of the binary located at "%localappdata%\Google\Chrome\User Data\SwReporter\107.294.200" last modified 2022-11-02.

Re: Google has removed Conversations_im from the Play Store

#157

Post by gloryjulio »

Dibby053 wrote: post #11

I use an open source SPAM call blocker (Yet another call blocker), which works fairly OK by querying a local spam phone number database. Recently Google Play decided to display a permanent notification prompting me to uninstall that "dangerous" app because it could "damage" my device. It's impossible to disable this notification. This app hasn't been updated in years. It has no ads. The only network request it makes…

If it's foss you can just install the apk directly. It makes sense for google to avoid the responsibility.

Re: Google has removed Conversations_im from the Play Store

#158

Post by arendtio »

HumblyTossed wrote: post #71
alwayslikethis wrote: post #39

Luckily, it's not like iOS and you can still download an APK or use F-Droid. My impression is that most people who are using these rather obscure communication methods would be able to find the app somewhere else.

Is it really "obscure"?

Maybe 'traditional' would be better suited.

Re: Google has removed Conversations_im from the Play Store

#159

Post by arendtio »

the_third_wave wrote: post #15

Conversations is on F-Droid so there is no reason to get it from the Play store. This goes for all free software apps, get them from F-Droid or similar free software repos and free yourself from the manipulations by the likes of Google/Apple/Microsoft/Amazon/etc. Yes, I understand this limits the reach to those who know about F-Droid (et al) but given the way XMPP has been pushed out by the aforementioned corporate e…

I am not entirely sure, but I believe the F-Droid version uses a different push technology, which can lead to slightly different app behavior/compatibility/battery usage. I used it for some years, but I switched to the Play Store version at some point.

Maybe someone else remembers better?

Re: Google has removed Conversations_im from the Play Store

#160

Post by 0cf8612b2e1e »

ZeroCool2u wrote: post #115
Dibby053 wrote: post #11

I use an open source SPAM call blocker (Yet another call blocker), which works fairly OK by querying a local spam phone number database. Recently Google Play decided to display a permanent notification prompting me to uninstall that "dangerous" app because it could "damage" my device. It's impossible to disable this notification. This app hasn't been updated in years. It has no ads. The only network request it makes…

I think last year or so there was an issue where Microsoft Teams broke the phones ability to dial 911 in certain situations. It was something about Teams taking over the dialer or something? I can't recall exactly. Google understandably took a huge amount of flak from users for that and the FCC got involved. It was fixed, but the reputational hit was significant and I'd bet they're a lot more aggressive with any apps…

As a lifelong Android user, I jumped to Apple after repeated 911 failures were identified. Bugs happen, but Google did not prioritize fixing them. I recall one issue has been open for months. Evidently ensuring 911 is working does not fit into a promotion packet.
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