Database Develop

[Q] Harmful .apk file

Say I download an *.apk file from some site or I get one from a friend, could it potentially harm my phone, cost me money etc.? Basically what I'm wondering is, when I install an app it generally says what the app has/wants access to, is this "warning" coded by the programmer to tell the user what it's accessing or is it determined automatically by built in functions? I don't want to install and app that has access to stuff that I'm not aware of.
Regards,
B
Edit: On a second note. Say I do download some harmful application, would uninstalling it solve the problem or could there be remaining harmful files still at work? The whole Android OS is sorta worrying me...bad experiences with Windows is making me cautious.

if you can think of it
there can always be a chance of happening
yes, a malicious hacker could do something like that
yes, a pissed programmer might including something like that into their apps to stop people from sharing their apps without buying it
yes, the apk might be legit but might have been corrupted some how
yes, you might be able to uninstall if lucky
but worse case scenario if i were a malicious hacker i wouldn't code a way to uninstall the app, instead i'll probably code a way to lock the user out of all access forcing you to Flash the phone from scratch

You didn't really answer my one major question, or maybe you did but I didn't understand. Are the services that the app is able to access programmed or are they determined by a function?

Well when installing I've resorted to checking a few things:
1) Make sure the app that I've downloaded is the same size as the one in the market (for equivalent versions...obviously)
2) Compare the system permissions when installing with those found at www.androlib.com
This way seems pretty safe to me. If the size is the same and the permissions are the same...you can be quite (not 100%) certain that they are legit/the same.

Ok heres the deal. Apps have 2 types of access.
1. Standard permissions
So if u don't do adb-install (where u dont see an app's permissions), then market / copy to sdcard and install from there u'll see the permission screen. An app cannot do something w/o permissions. If an uninstaller is askin for email permissions u know somethings wrong.
2. Root
Most dangerous. An app will ask u for 0 standard android api permissions. But when u run it, u will be asked for a superuser allow/deny request. From their its up to you. An app could do anything behind the scenes from tht point.
So read reviews/ user comments before trying root apps. Standard apps, just look over the permissions thts all.
FYI : The permissions are read by android, they're not user defined. Any permissions will always show up when installing it using the native package manager.

To be honest I wouldn't advise downloading an .apk from a non-trusted source. If its on the market, you're near certainly ok, and if its from a trusted developer (say from these boards, or some other similar dev portal) then again, you are likely to be ok. In the second case, you are unlikely to be getting a finished app if you get a straight apk from boards, because when they are finished or at least solid, they go to the app store anyway, so harm in that case is more likely to be of the force close variety rather than bricked variety.
Outside of that, I can't see why you would get an apk from a friend rather than downloading it yourself, simply because that way it makes certain you get a clean, non-corrupted version. If apps don't show up in the market for you, its mostly because your device can't run them, in which case, again, force close.

Uninstalling it is possibly too late. All smartphones suffer this issue though.
As mentioned, if you get the files from market though, you are likely to be safe..
Also, not all melicious programs are obvious..

Daneshm90 said:
Ok heres the deal. Apps have 2 types of access.
1. Standard permissions
So if u don't do adb-install (where u dont see an app's permissions), then market / copy to sdcard and install from there u'll see the permission screen. An app cannot do something w/o permissions. If an uninstaller is askin for email permissions u know somethings wrong.
2. Root
Most dangerous. An app will ask u for 0 standard android api permissions. But when u run it, u will be asked for a superuser allow/deny request. From their its up to you. An app could do anything behind the scenes from tht point.
So read reviews/ user comments before trying root apps. Standard apps, just look over the permissions thts all.
FYI : The permissions are read by android, they're not user defined. Any permissions will always show up when installing it using the native package manager.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EXACTLY what I was looking for. Thank you.

Btw, just because security on App store says an app can do stuff like make phone calls etc, doesn't mean it's malicious.
A few people were misled by an article that stated that apps with such extreme permissions were malicious, but it's untrue. It isn't always the case, but if an app uses functionality you don't believe it should, it's possible it is dodgy

andrewluecke said:
Btw, just because security on App store says an app can do stuff like make phone calls etc, doesn't mean it's malicious.
A few people were misled by an article that stated that apps with such extreme permissions were malicious, but it's untrue. It isn't always the case, but if an app uses functionality you don't believe it should, it's possible it is dodgy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aye, I know. Thanks for the advice. I've actually been comparing any app I download off the internet to the actual ones on the market (size and permissions).

Hi everyone im a noob member to the site but have read some interesting threads before membership but as usual joining when i have a problem that needs some of your help
I have had a .apk file download to my htc desire running 2.2.2. I was browsing pics of the fake kind when it started downloading. i did see some letters and numbers before the file ext. It is not an official .apk that im sure off. I have searched for it on my phone but cannot find it to delete .
can anyone help please

After hooking up htc to my pc by usb lead, I have managed to locate the file by searching. It was in the download folder, I deleted it via the pc and then did a factory reset on htc.
Would this get rid of it safely

[Q] Why does many installed apps increase lag?

Can't see why this is the case (but it obviously is) as long as I have lots of free disk space and not many apps running at the same time. Any logic in this?

I've been experiencing the same issue and wondering the same thing...
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S GT-I9000 using Tapatalk Pro

There seems to be several things causing this, but the two key issues are:
The moviNAND (the internal flash drive/"SSD") firmware seems to have an issue with fsync() taking extremely long. E.g., it slows down whenever a file is written/updated on the internal storage.
RFS, the file system used by Samsung is buggy as hell and corrupts data after a while.
There are several topics on these issues in the Android Development forum. There are also several "lag fixes" trying their best to overcome these issues. Go check them out

Einride said:
There seems to be several things causing this, but the two key issues are:
RFS, the file system used by Samsung is buggy as hell and corrupts data after a while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We have no idea if that is ACTUALLY true.. Just because fsck picked some things up on 1 phone, doesn't mean it happens everywhere.. Furthermore, it doesn't mean the problems detected affect operations

that has no truth at all about more apps slowing down the phone, my phone is the prove

Before jpk i didn't noticed slowdowns with aprox 100 apps, now i do on jpk =/
Prolly that all pictures/links/info stays in his workmemory?

probably cause some of them run in the system memory or run at startup

KaliKot said:
probably cause some of them run in the system memory or run at startup
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bingo!
and that is what most people does not realize
they need to Optimize the phone, most people take it for granted
the phone is not a phone, the phone is a mini computer that fits in your hands
just like your big desktop PC it can go crazy if you don't take care of it

AllGamer said:
Bingo!
and that is what most people does not realize
they need to Optimize the phone, most people take it for granted
the phone is not a phone, the phone is a mini computer that fits in your hands
just like your big desktop PC it can go crazy if you don't take care of it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you tell me why with the same apps installed on the Nexus it doesn't lag like the SGS?
Can you stop blaming users when is the phone which doesn't work as expected?

Oletros said:
Can you tell me why with the same apps installed on the Nexus it doesn't lag like the SGS?
Can you stop blaming users when is the phone which doesn't work as expected?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
utter ****e -i have well over 100 apps on my sgs and experience NO lag whatsoever!

bonehooch said:
utter ****e -i have well over 100 apps on my sgs and experience NO lag whatsoever!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Utter ****e? Why?

it was mentioned many many times
just install autorunkiller and a good task manager then all the problems will be gone
stock ROM is very fast when you maintain the phone

AllGamer said:
it was mentioned many many times
just install autorunkiller and a good task manager then all the problems will be gone
stock ROM is very fast when you maintain the phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With autokiller the phone is still laggy.
And please, stop thinking I'm stupid or I don't know a **** about smartphones, ROM's changing, firmware or knowing how a phone must run.

AFAIK this topic and its responses are for the OP

I have about 190 Apps installed and do not experience any diferene in overall speed of the phone. But only because i know that a lot of the programms start on boot and stay in background.
I have more than 15 apps turned off with the full version of autorun killer to prevent the auto restart of the apps. Otherwise the phone would definetaly slow down.
It´s really incredible what apps start on the boot!

TMReuffurth said:
I have about 190 Apps installed and do not experience any diferene in overall speed of the phone. But only because i know that a lot of the programms start on boot and stay in background.
I have more than 15 apps turned off with the full version of autorun killer to prevent the auto restart of the apps. Otherwise the phone would definetaly slow down.
It´s really incredible what apps start on the boot!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you need to be rooted ti use all of the functions in autorun killer? I am not rooted.
Can you compile a breif list of the "biggest culprits" to stop with this utility to gain back the most speed and efficiency? I am a bit nervous that I will stop the wrong items and somehow damage my phone...

Autokiller and task killers are not the solution here! Quick lesson on Android, and why having even A SINGLE BAD APP is going to ruin your whole phone!
Android has something called an 'Intent'. In order to start an app, an intent is made by your launcher or a button you press, and the Android system reads this intent and works out what app it needs to start up.
There is a second type of intent though, called a 'Broadcast Intent'. This is an intent that is sent out to anything that is registered to listen to it. This means that an app can register to listen to all sorts of events, such as battery level changed, application start, or a tons of other things. Even if the application is closed, if it is registered as a listener, Android will start it right back up so it can deal with the intent. If the intent comes every 5 seconds, Android will run this app every 5 seconds even if you have a taskkiller killing the app.
The only real solution is to not install apps which are bad! Finding bad apps is a real mission, too. Hopefully in the future, utilities will be available to let us track down these terrible apps, but till then, you'll have to work it out yourself.

yiannisthegreek said:
Do you need to be rooted ti use all of the functions in autorun killer? I am not rooted.
Can you compile a breif list of the "biggest culprits" to stop with this utility to gain back the most speed and efficiency? I am a bit nervous that I will stop the wrong items and somehow damage my phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need for Root to use all features of Autorun Killer. I would disable only the apps you know and which you do not need at startup and running in background, such as (in my case) Paypal, App Center from Androidpit, Daily Briefing, Photoshop Express, Word Press, TweetCaster, etc.
Every of these apps works normal, even when deactivatet on startup.
So unless you do not disable system apps (must be previously set enabled in settings) you are safe.

RyanZA said:
(...)There is a second type of intent though, called a 'Broadcast Intent'. This is an intent that is sent out to anything that is registered to listen to it.(...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there any possibility/app to show what is registered for which app?

watching the apps
Samga said:
Is there any possibility/app to show what is registered for which app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is an app called Autostarts at 0.95$.
It shows what is launched au startup, when you enable/disable wifi etc.
It think it gives insight on how apps seems launching out of nowhere.
I also reccomend Watchdog Task Manager Lite, the free version.
It does not kill anything, but notifies and logs the bad apps that consumes over a certain CPU percentage.

[Q] Remove task manager

I have cognition 2.2 beta7. I have made every attempt to remove that stupid task manager, but it's hijacked the long press home option even after I removed it. Anyone know what I would do to get back to the normal long press home thing?

xelaboy said:
I have cognition 2.2 beta7. I have made every attempt to remove that stupid task manager, but it's hijacked the long press home option even after I removed it. Anyone know what I would do to get back to the normal long press home thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The long press home has always brought up a dialog for selecting recently run apps as a sort of short cut to multitasking even in the stock eclair rom shipped by samsung. The only difference in the froyo leak is that dialog now contains a link to enter a new front end app to the task manager.
I don't know how to remove that link - I'm guessing you will have to edit something in the framework somewhere. And by the way - you may have or be able to remove the front end user interface app to the android task manager but you can't remove the actual android task manager and still have the phone be operational.

The long press home thing in android isn't exactly a "Task Manager" in stock android. It functions as a way of accessing apps.
The front end app, has hijacked that screen by adding it's button to it.
I was able to delete the app, but now I am stuck a task switcher screen that has a broken task manager link on it. (which if clicked happens to lock up the entire device.)
I'm sure I'd have to get down and dirty somewhere, but I just don't know where.

xelaboy said:
The long press home thing in android isn't exactly a "Task Manager" in stock android. It functions as a way of accessing apps.
The front end app, has hijacked that screen by adding it's button to it.
I was able to delete the app, but now I am stuck a task switcher screen that has a broken task manager link on it. (which if clicked happens to lock up the entire device.)
I'm sure I'd have to get down and dirty somewhere, but I just don't know where.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That dialogue was not hijacked by anything - the link was intentionally encoded by someone from samsung to be in the dialogue in froyo 2.2

Ugh. Why would they do that to us?
That link below is why I think it's stupid. (I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post links yet but I'll try anyway.)
http://androinica.com/2010/05/07/go...-imply-task-killermanager-apps-are-pointless/

xelaboy said:
Ugh. Why would they do that to us?
That link below is why I think it's stupid. (I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post links yet but I'll try anyway.)
http://androinica.com/2010/05/07/go...-imply-task-killermanager-apps-are-pointless/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. While task managers have value in allowing someone to watch their phone learn what is going on with their and give them some knowledge and a tool for trouble shooting, far too many people are using them as a system resource management tool, killing processes and apps without really knowing what they are doing or that it is completely unnecessary. Often people are even doing more harm then good as they are going way too far in their zest to kill that they are keeping their phone from operating properly.
I think that is what samsung is probably attempting to accomplish with this limited front end app to the task manager that is being included in their froyo builds - trying to give people a tool to satisfy some of there (way over the top) task killing mania while keeping people safe from getting to deep in there task killing and causing problems.
Hopefully more and more people will start getting the message - quit all the arbitrary unneeded task killing - use your task manager keep tabs on your phone and to catch any problem apps that you may of installed - and leave the resource task managing to the actual built in OS task manager as it really does do a good job - so long as you don't have some poorly coded resource hog software installed.

any rom with the following?

I want a rom that includes the following:
1. way to clear all the recent task list with a click, like the pre lollipop stock did.
2. An intermediate option on the volume rocker between vibrate and normal volume with a "meeting mode." where the phone just rings a single beep. Similar to the old nokia phones did.
3. Tethering.
4. Stable and fast and lite.
5. Data defaults to wifi. I have issues getting the wifi webpage to sign in to hot spots unless I turn off cell data.
Anyone have any suggestions

Aosb!

deadave said:
way to clear all the recent task list with a click, like the pre lollipop stock did.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're doing this just so it looks tidy, in case you're unaware this is a bad idea if you do it regularly. Unless of course you're unhappy with how much battery lasts and want to make it last less.

Looking through a hundred open apps is a lot more of a pain than plugging my phone in to get charged. I appreciate your concern for my battery life.

Most ROMs have #1, the lightest is probably Clean ROM. They all have #3. None have #2. No ROM will do better at #5 than stock.

deadave said:
Looking through a hundred open apps is a lot more of a pain than plugging my phone in to get charged. I appreciate your concern for my battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree that I think Google made a mistake with recents. It should just reflect cached apps. Hopefully custom ROMs will implement a modified version. But many people don't understand then associated drain caused by always clearing recents so on the off-chance that you didn't, I thought I'd let you know about it.
You never have to go more than a few apps back to find your recently cached apps so you shouldnt ever have to look through a hundred apps. They're just in the background

How do you even know it causes more drain? Have you taken multiple nexus 6 and controlled for all variables such as apps, age of device etc and compared them with statistical analysis for significance?

deadave said:
How do you even know it causes more drain? Have you taken multiple nexus 6 and controlled for all variables such as apps, age of device etc and compared them with statistical analysis for significance?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure if its an internet language barrier but your post reads as if you're being confrontational.
Its common sense. Android is designed to cache apps for quick retrieval. If you open an app cold, it uses significantly more CPU cycles to open up than a cached app. More CPU cycles = More power uses = shorter batter life. If you're constantly clearing recents and always starting your regularly used apps up from cold, you will take a battery hit. I don't need to do a statistical analysis for this fact, in the same way I don't need statistics to prove that one day, we'll be dead.

It's an assumption. I can make the same argument right back at you. Pulling up the task list and displaying 20 items and scrolling use plenty cpu cycles.

deadave said:
It's an assumption. I can make the same argument right back at you. Pulling up the task list and displaying 20 items and scrolling use plenty cpu cycles.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually it is not an assumption. Its a fact. And science! I can't believe you could even think it was an assumption, unless you don't understand CPU cycles, energy use or the principles of caching..
And no, the argument you're presenting does not use extra CPU cycles. I've come to the understanding that you are indeed being intentionally confrontational. I was just trying to help in case you didn't understand this concept - as a warning. To be honest I dont care if you waste CPU. I just wanted to let you know in case you were.
Let's not have this turn into you being an anti-vaccer that doesn't believe in measles.

I'm an inquisitive not confrontational, and you have not proven your point. Though if you actually worked on the android OS team I'd take your word for it. I don't take most people's words for anything. The media is full of lies, the government are all thieves and liars. Trust no one. Many published publications have been redacted and falsified.
However, suppose you are correct.
So how many items do you have on your recently used list? You don't find it the least bit inefficient searching through all the clutter on your recently used list.
-Dead

deadave said:
I'm an inquisitive not confrontational, and you have not proven your point. Though if you actually worked on the android OS team I'd take your word for it. I don't take most people's words for anything. The media is full of lies, the government are all thieves and liars. Trust no one. Many published publications have been redacted and falsified.
However, suppose you are correct.
So how many items do you have on your recently used list? You don't find it the least bit inefficient searching through all the clutter on your recently used list.
-Dead
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK if you're simply being inquisitive, then I apologise for that assumption.
Well the beauty of it is you don't need to take my word for it. You can research the subject yourself. Whether you believe me or not though, it is a fact that android caches apps and that cached apps take fewer CPU cycles to open than an uncached app. You can even find some statements from the Greenify developer stating this if you're so inclined.
As for my recent a list, I have 122 items. I only use recents to switch between open and cached apps. I'd say I probably never go more than 10 apps back in that list so anything in there over that amount is irrelevant to me. Yes it is quicker to find an app in my app drawer or from my pie / glovebox shortcuts than way back in my recents list since the recent list is only sorted in order of when I last used it. Recents is only really for quick task switching. I did already agree that anything that isn't cached is pretty pointless appearing on recents and I have no idea why they decided to design it like this but it doesn't bother me much because of the way I use recents. Also, since I would much rather use a cached app than start cold, I'd also rather not clear recents. You don't even need to use the recents interface anyway. Whether you call an app from the recents list or the drawer, if its cached, it will load it quicker and more efficiently. As long as its not cleared from recents..

I found some vague reference that if you clear an app from the recent list it doesn't even close the app process it just goes away from the list depending on the specific app.
In the end I don't really care if it uses more cpu cycles, I just want it not cluttered. I don't need to show my phone to a significant other and have them see every recent app I went to. I favor privacy and less clutter over cpu cycles. It was a mistake on google's part not to leave it up to the user.
I'm also not sure why it's such a pain in the butt to find a way to have a setting to have a single ring without it repeating. I made my own ring tone with a single beep and 30 seconds of silence but it still sucks because I can't easily switch back and forth without installing another app for profiles and such making it a lot more complicated...

deadave said:
I found some vague reference that if you clear an app from the recent list it doesn't even close the app process it just goes away from the list depending on the specific app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the app is coded against googles guidelines, that could be the case though I've never found one that does that. Its quite an easy test to do too.
Open an app that's in recents then minimise it. Clear from recents again and if it opens fresh, its working as Google intended
Anyway, you don't care and nor do I so o suppose I should let you continue with the initial purpose of the thread

im always closing/clearing my recents. whatever battery drain that it causes me is so very minimal that it really doesnt matter.

simms22 said:
im always closing/clearing my recents. whatever battery drain that it causes me is so very minimal that it really doesnt matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The more you do it and the more you use the apps you're clearing, the worse it is. More so of you're just blanket clearing them all. Regardless of whether you perceive a difference or not, its a real thing. Efficiency, battery and performance all take a hit and that's what its there for. Oh and convenience of course. Its awful if you're in a thread on tapa talk and then check something really quick then you have to load the app up again and find the thread.

rootSU said:
The more you do it and the more you use the apps you're clearing, the worse it is. More so of you're just blanket clearing them all. Regardless of whether you perceive a difference or not, its a real thing. Efficiency, battery and performance all take a hit and that's what its there for. Oh and convenience of course. Its awful if you're in a thread on tapa talk and then check something really quick then you have to load the app up again and find the thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i guess my app choices are so that it doesnt bother me then. tapatalk will never live on any devices i own! but really, i dont really see any kind of hit in battery drain what so ever.

simms22 said:
i guess my app choices are so that it doesnt bother me then. tapatalk will never live on any devices i own! but really, i dont really see any kind of hit in battery drain what so ever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't use Tapatalk if the forum theme was better. I know you use an older one but on a computer the newer one is better but in a mobile browser it kills too much space.
That said when I installed Firefox, I changed the theme and it didn't change in chromium so maybe the theme is tracked in cookies? If so I'd happily change it on my phone. Though I do like the "participated" tags on the latest theme.
Sorry @deadave for the off topic.

rootSU said:
I wouldn't use Tapatalk if the forum theme was better. I know you use an older one but on a computer the newer one is better but in a mobile browser it kills too much space.
That said when I installed Firefox, I changed the theme and it didn't change in chromium so maybe the theme is tracked in cookies? If so I'd happily change it on my phone. Though I do like the "participated" tags on the latest theme.
Sorry @deadave for the off topic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i like that 2010 theme for its simplicity, that and the no ads when youre a rc(like us), and the simplicity of the aosp browser, and im happy. i guess its just about what you yourself are more used to and familiar with

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.recently
As for the recents issue, just use this. You can limit what shows (cached vs lifetime with limits to both) as well as a clear all (and cahinfire advises against for reasons already discussed)

Maze Alpha X shipped with adware?

Accidentally I stumbled upon the folder gangyun and pref_storekeytool inside.
I scanned the Maze with an antivirus scanner and beautysnap.apk was reported as adware.
I guess beautysnap.apk is part of the system camera?
Unfortunately no app can beautify me, so I would like to delete this app. Is it safe to do it?
TIA

bestunameever said:
Accidentally I stumbled upon the folder gangyun and pref_storekeytool inside.
I scanned the Maze with an antivirus scanner and beautysnap.apk was reported as adware.
I guess beautysnap.apk is part of the system camera?
Unfortunately no app can beautify me, so I would like to delete this app. Is it safe to do it?
TIA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What virus scanner did you use? I've just received my Maze Alpha X. There are some bad things about this phone, I'm a bit disappointed. The worst in my case is that the front camera doesn't work. It's like there's no camera at all.

Yeah unfortunately this phone is loaded with precarious apps, adupsfota for instance disguised as the ota wireless update is full of dodgy adware/spyware and if you look at the permissions your see just how worrying it is, it has permission to access banking apps, android pay, key-logger, microphone, camera the list goes on, I've disabled it several times but it manages to re-enable itself. Beautysnap is also a bad one which I have managed to disable for good, LocationEM2 is another suspect app, Fotaprovider which is also adups related. Basically this phone really needs an alternative kernel/custom rom before it can be safely used but as far as I'm aware there isn't one as yet.
The CPU usage is always very high too which is not a great sign, not good at all, I'm surprised Amazon can sell phones in this state tbh.

McSwifty said:
Yeah unfortunately this phone is loaded with precarious apps, adupsfota for instance disguised as the ota wireless update is full of dodgy adware/spyware and if you look at the permissions your see just how worrying it is, it has permission to access banking apps, android pay, key-logger, microphone, camera the list goes on, I've disabled it several times but it manages to re-enable itself. Beautysnap is also a bad one which I have managed to disable for good, LocationEM2 is another suspect app, Fotaprovider which is also adups related. Basically this phone really needs an alternative kernel/custom rom before it can be safely used but as far as I'm aware there isn't one as yet.
The CPU usage is always very high too which is not a great sign, not good at all, I'm surprised Amazon can sell phones in this state tbh.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you please say what scanner did you use?

dangerous666 said:
Could you please say what scanner did you use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive used a few but the adware/malware/spyware that the phone has installed as standard on the kernal/rom it's shipped with are installed as system apps with the exception of beautysnap so you need to go through them manually. I used an app called SystemPanel2, it's a great app that gives you a really complete overview of whats running on your phone and what not, it can record system processes, memory, battery and cpu usage over a period of time as well as network stats.

McSwifty said:
Ive used a few but the adware/malware/spyware that the phone has installed as standard on the kernal/rom it's shipped with are installed as system apps with the exception of beautysnap so you need to go through them manually. I used an app called SystemPanel2, it's a great app that gives you a really complete overview of whats running on your phone and what not, it can record system processes, memory, battery and cpu usage over a period of time as well as network stats.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't be able to find those suspicious apps. I've run a bunch of virus/malwares scanner, nothing reported. I've installed SystemPanel2 and I didn't find the processes you list. I believe our phones run different firmwares. I've got mine from Gear Best.

dangerous666 said:
I couldn't be able to find those suspicious apps. I've run a bunch of virus/malwares scanner, nothing reported. I've installed SystemPanel2 and I didn't find the processes you list. I believe our phones run different firmwares. I've got mine from Gear Best.
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Click to collapse
Under your Wireless Update system app what does it say? On mine for instance is says "com.adups.fota". If your firmware is good/clean then that's a good sign that if I put a fresh stock rom on here it should be fine, I was thinking maybe all the maze alpha firmware's were affected.

My com.adups.fota "seems" to be clean.
For hibernating apps on my rooted Alpha X I use SD Maid Pro.
Under app control you set several things
A) Hibernate the app
B) Disallow start on boot
C) Look up where all the files of the app are located
D) Remove app completely
E) etc

bestunameever said:
My com.adups.fota "seems" to be clean.
For hibernating apps on my rooted Alpha X I use SD Maid Pro.
Under app control you set several things
A) Hibernate the app
B) Disallow start on boot
C) Look up where all the files of the app are located
D) Remove app completely
E) etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No such thing as clean addups I'm afraid dude.
A newly discovered malicious app is found on China-made mobile devices running the Android OS. This is a baked-in system app used to update the device’s firmware but is found to also steal personal information, among other things. A blog is recently published about this malware by Kryptowire.
Already we have had inquiries on whether we detect Adups or not. The answer to that is I believe we do. You see, the app in question, which goes by the package name of com.adups.fota, has a couple of variants. There is an older version seen around 2014 and a newer version that emerged mid-2016. This older version we detect and have done so since 2014. I can verify that this older version was indeed pre-installed on various Chinese mobile devices bought cheaply on online stores, mainly Amazon. I know this because ever since we started detecting this older version of com.adups.fota, we have received support tickets periodically about why we are detecting a system app that cannot be uninstall—I’ll get to how to address this later.
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https://blog.malwarebytes.com/cybercrime/2016/11/mobile-menace-monday-adups-old-and-new/
I want to know if theirs a firmware for the Maze Alpha and the Alpha X without addups baked in, I hope so because it's a great phone otherwise.