this post was submitted on 01 Apr 2024
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Privacy

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Edit: got told by the kind folks in the community that this is expected and the sentence "can access position while in background" actually just means: will ask you for the permission to access the position from the background but only does so, if you allow it" - that's what I figured, but now im sure. Thanks for the clarification everyone!

Hey guys n gurls,

I recently learned about exodus, and installed it to check my apps. While exodus shows some apps (like bike computer for reference) are allowed to track my position (quite logically).

The strange thing: in system settings it says seeing position is not allowed.

Does this mean that the app wants those permissions but I don't granted them? Or are my system settings bricked? Is this because of lineage? Is this expected?

Would greatly appreciate someone who understands this a little bit more to explain :)

P.S: Is (the tracker part of) exodus even useful when i already use neo store which shows known tracker? Is this maybe even the same database?

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (2 children)

This is because exodus shows all technical permissions, that are defined in the AndroidManifest.xml file inside the APK with `` tags.
The operating system being "user friendly" won't show those confusing, very confusing permissions because they are not toggleable, at least from the settings user interface.

If you want, you probably can revoke those permissions through an adb shell or a root shell with the appropriate command (pm revoke packagename permissionname).

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I will add that this are permissions requested by the app and this doesn't mean that system granted access to them.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

This. Androids permission toggles combine multiple ones. GrapheneOS actually adds more of these toggles, as some things like Network and various sensor permissions are always on (wtf Android). But even those are combined toggles.

You can also display more permissions on the permission page, top right.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Okay, that's the information I needed. Ty :)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Okay that makes sense. But which are the ones actually apllying?

E.g: exodus says the app can see my position System settings say they can't see my position, as its disabled.

So: is bike Computer capable of seing my position at the moment?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

I forgot to respond to the last question. If the toggle is off, it does not have access to it. Bike Computer should not be able to see your position at the moment.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Hmm, I see, it's a bit complicated.

When a permission is listed in exodus (or other apps that are more technical), it means that the app wants to make use of that feature.
Some features don't have a toggle and are automatically granted, some features don't have a toggle and not granted automatically either, and then there's those which call be toggled in the standard place. This last category is called runtime permissions, because the system APIs have been taught to properly handle when these change while the app it's running.
Sometimes a manufacturer specific android rom (like miui) has additional toggles, usually in a different screen, those are not (officially) called runtime permissions.

In your case, the state of the permissions that have toggles are obvious by the state of the toggle. The others.. it depends if the system automatically grants them. The easiest way to find this out is to install the app, and check its granted permissions that way, like with App Manager made by Muntashir Akon.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Exodus shows all permissions the app could use or request. You have denied all of those.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Okay. That was my question.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

Try https://github.com/MuntashirAkon/AppManager you can use Obtanium or find it on f-droid. This will scan apps for tracker and permissions (and much more).

Exodus does not always report correctly, usually it misses things, but sometimes it goes the other way.

The f-droid version shows no trackers.

You would have to Allow tracking for this to work.