Meta/Facebook preinstalls an app called Meta Services (previously Facebook services) on a very large percentage of android devices (I’ve never used one without it) and while they claim it helps updates and synchronisation between different meta apps, it is very suspicious. Why preinstall it on devices of people who will potentialy never use a single meta app?
Go to your app list/app management and show system apps and find anything with the words “meta” or “Facebook” then turn off network access for those apps (if you can) and disable them. (eg. Meta app manager, Meta app installer).
https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/meta-services-an-android-app-or-not/
https://fixyourandroid.com/about/facebook-app-manager/
https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyS20FE/comments/ttmx4t/meta_services/
Edit: Looking around I have found several people complaining that this app is using their ram for 10 hours a day even though they don’t use anything Meta. That’s even more suspicious.
If it can’t be uninstalled, try using adb commands from a computer to remove it. I got rid of a bunch of preinstalled stuff on my phone that way.
Can you possibly go more in depth or provide a source that goes more in depth on how to do this? Very interested in doing this
Here you go. Hardest part is probably installing adb, there’s a more detailed page linked to that in step 2.
https://www.xda-developers.com/uninstall-carrier-oem-bloatware-without-root-access/
Awesome, thanks a bunch!
There’s also https://github.com/0x192/universal-android-debloater , which uses adb and is more easy to use imo. And sorry for sending 5 replies btw.
You’re good lol
There’s also https://github.com/0x192/universal-android-debloater , which uses adb and is more easy to use imo. And sorry for sending 5 replies btw.
You can also do it without a pc using apps like LADB. It uses wifi debugging to simulate or basically remove the need for external device. But I don’t remember the links for them, sorry.
There’s also https://github.com/0x192/universal-android-debloater , which uses adb and is more easy to use imo. And sorry for sending 5 replies btw.
There’s also https://github.com/0x192/universal-android-debloater , which uses adb and is more easy to use imo. And sorry for sending 5 replies btw.
Edit: 8*
keep in mind that uses the same method as
adb pm uninstallwhich doesn’t actually remove it from the system image, just the current user profile.
There’s also https://github.com/0x192/universal-android-debloater , which utilizes adb and is pretty easy to use.
Edit: Sorry for accidentally sending 4 messages.
Now on GrapheneOS on the Pixel 6a. One of the best decisions I made :)
GOS club!
What NFC payment options were available on there?
Tape your bank card to the back of your phone
NFC payments do have the benefit of not providing your card information to the vendor. It only provides a token to the vendor.
Ah, that’s a good point. Tape someone else’s card to the back of your phone!
Good idea.
Unrelated, can I borrow your credit card?
Sorry, I superglued it to my phone
To use my bank card separately, because proving less data to my phone (previously on Android) was a sensible plan.
Blame the phone manufacturer, they are the ones that took the bribe to put it there just like with every other bundled crapware.
I do. GOS club!
It’s not unlikely to be an NSA thing which allows them to access everthing. That sounds paranoid, but Snowden happened so we know they were doing stuff like this 10 years ago:
DROPOUTJEEP … “A software implant for the Apple iPhone that utilizes modular mission applications to provide specific SIGINT functionality. This functionality includes the ability to remotely push/pull files from the device. SMS retrieval, contact list retrieval, voicemail, geolocation, hot mic, camera capture, cell tower location, etc. Command, control and data exfiltration can occur over SMS messaging or a GPRS data connection. All communications with the implant will be covert and encrypted.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANT_catalog
To be honest, I think we just have to accept privacy is dead. The only real choice that remains is whether to regularly teabag our phones on on the off chance someone’s looking.
