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Find My Device on Android

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Re: Find My Device on Android

#151

Post by fsflover »

SamuelAdams wrote: post #117
someplaceguy wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let me qualify my question: how do I disable this completely without otherwise losing network connectivity or other features ? i.e. how do I opt out of tracking other people and being tracked myself, i.e. without explicit consent?

I don’t think you can. Your other options are to either use older Android phones, or switch to a libre-focused phone such as Fairphone 5. Unfortunately this is the way things are now. I wish there were good open source phone contenders but they have yet to catch up to the feature parity and quality of iOS and Android.

Fairphone isn't really libre-focused as much as fair-production-focused. It's drivers are still proprietary.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#152

Post by nolist_policy »

fsflover wrote: post #143
nolist_policy wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IMHO if you cary around anything that contains a cellular modem you're fair game anyways.

On my phone, the modem can be killed with a hardware kill switch.

Which one? I have a Pinephone and it is a great device. It's just not a good phone.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#153

Post by SamuelAdams »

fsflover wrote: post #151
SamuelAdams wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t think you can. Your other options are to either use older Android phones, or switch to a libre-focused phone such as Fairphone 5. Unfortunately this is the way things are now. I wish there were good open source phone contenders but they have yet to catch up to the feature parity and quality of iOS and Android.

Fairphone isn't really libre-focused as much as fair-production-focused. It's drivers are still proprietary.

Ah, sorry good point. I was thinking of the Librem 5 [1], but it is hardly comparable to an iPhone or Pixel in terms of software quality, battery life, and feature parity.

[1]: https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/

Re: Find My Device on Android

#154

Post by fsflover »

SamuelAdams wrote: post #153
fsflover wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fairphone isn't really libre-focused as much as fair-production-focused. It's drivers are still proprietary.

Ah, sorry good point. I was thinking of the Librem 5 [1], but it is hardly comparable to an iPhone or Pixel in terms of software quality, battery life, and feature parity. [1]: https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/

Yes, it has less features, but it can still be a daily driver (works for me).

Re: Find My Device on Android

#156

Post by fsflover »

DaSHacka wrote: post #145
fsflover wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Google owns the OS Unless you install something else.

At which point how does what GP said matter? If you install something else, it doesn't matter what toggles exist in stock android....

Did I misunderstood that the Bluetooth device could exchange some data on its own when the phone is off?

Re: Find My Device on Android

#158

Post by Aerbil313 »

kelnos wrote: post #121
alephxyz wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Putting my tinfoil hat on, this explains why Google was okay adding a toggle to location access for apps on Android. They don't need your device to send them their location anymore, they'd only need you to be in range of an UWB or BLE device.

I'm all for assuming bad intent when it comes to Google and, but this doesn't really make sense. Google owns the OS; if they want your location, they don't need to care about per-app location permissions.

> Google owns the OS

Google is still beholden to consumer privacy laws. I’m sure if you turn off location data in your Google account they won’t track you. The guys in the Room 641A will.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#159

Post by lightbritefight »

MBCook wrote: post #146
kelnos wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh sure, it would be a great opportunity, but the idea of Apple voluntarily interoperating with anyone else on most things is just funny to think about. Google isn't significantly better on that metric, of course, but I feel like it's often in Google's business interests to interoperate more often than it is in Apple's.

Yep. They never adopted or pushed USB-C (it was on laptops for years), Thunderbolt, SCSI, USB, Ethernet, HDMI, WiFi, Bluetooth, FireWire…

It's unclear if you are being sarcastic or not.

Apple adopted USB C on their phones because the EU compelled them to. They tend to oppose standards they aren't already using.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#160

Post by FredPret »

kelnos wrote: post #135
FredPret wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Curious to know about the home devices. I'd never allow any google hardware a permanent place in my home even if it's amazing, but it's hard to see another major tech co coming up with something better than Apple TV. The Homepod is amazing too. It's stuck with Siri (is this what you mean?) but has fantastic sound that integrates with the TV for movies and Mac when playing music.

> I'd never allow any google hardware a permanent place in my home The irrational part of me agrees with you, but I already have an Android phone, so the Google Home doesn't really give Google any extra insight into my private life that they don't already have. This is why I don't get it when people are weirded out by a stationary always-on microphone in their homes, when they carry around a mobile, always-on microph…

I’m all-Apple, but I think my next always-in-my-pocket phone will be a flip phone just for the peace of mind of not having an internet-powered distraction machine on my person
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