Is possible to any harmful software to be installed on Android, without the user's permission and hide that software in the App List?
Spyware, virus, etc.
Thanks.
It is possible to have an app with no launcher icon, but every app will show up in the Settings's Application list.
Additionally, starting with Android 3.1, applications aren't allowed to do anything at all until they have been started by the user at least once, which requires them to be present in the launcher.
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The app I'm working on is an aggregator of sorts. The company coordinates with other app developers, gets their permission to market and push freemium versions of their apps within our app.
Basically, if you sign up with our app and pay $x, you get monthly access to a bunch of other apps that would've been more expensive if subscribed to directly.
This works but our app ends up needing to side-load the apps and it shows up in the app list and on the Home screen.
But, since we receive an authentic version of the apps from the developers themselves, is it possible for us to install the app on the user's phone without it showing up on the user's Home screen?
The idea is to ensure it doesn't look like we just helped them install an app on their phone.
We want those apps to be exclusively accessible via our app. It shouldn't be accessible via the phone's home screen or app list screen.
I imagine it could be possible since I've seen launchers do it. Some launchers come with smaller apps installed within them that's accessible only via their launcher platform. I'm not too sure how that's achieved though.
Thanks
You should ask your other apps developer to ship their app without the launcher category in the manifest file.
<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
Remove the above line from the launcher activity of other applications to prevent it from showing in launcher screen.
It shouldn't be accessible via the phone's home screen or app list screen.
While you can ask the developers to take steps to prevent their app from showing up in the launcher, you cannot prevent the installed app from showing up in the list of installed apps.
The idea is to ensure it doesn't look like we just helped them install an app on their phone.
Then do not install an app on their phone.
Some launchers come with smaller apps installed within them that's accessible only via their launcher platform.
If they do not show up as apps in the list of installed apps, then those are not apps, from an Android standpoint.
I am developing two android apps with android studio and for some reason I want just one of these apps can be installed on a device. I think I should check the package name of second app and prevent it from installing. Is there any way to do that? thanks.
You can not prevent any app from being installation. Instead you can stop your app from being running. I mean, when your app starts, check if specific application is installed, and if so stop your application.
An ordinary app cannot prevent another app from being installed. Malware authors would think that such a "feature" would be wonderful.
Device owner apps — mostly for IT departments at larger organizations — have some abilities here, though I forget whether they can block installation by package name.
I have a few questions about privacy protection on Android and iOS. I've looked at Android documentation, but as a beginner I am not sure if I understand correctly (I put my understanding in square brackets). Especially, not finding the obvious way does not mean there are no workarounds to get the same information. Therefore, could any developer give advice on the following questions? Answers about iOS are also appreciated.
Can the user allow an app to use the microphone/camera/location only once (i.e. the system should always ask the user every time this app needs access)? [No, the "never ask again" option in the dialog is not meant for this purpose.]
If microphone/camera/location permission is given to an app, can it access these while in background? [Yes.]
Is it possible for an app (running in foreground) to obtain the list of other apps currently running or installed on the device? [Yes for installed ones, not sure about currently running ones.]
Can an app in background know what other apps are currently running and which one is in foreground? Can it possibly figure out whether the user is using the phone? [Not sure.]
Can an app (apart from the OS itself) take screenshots? [No.]
With regards to Android:
Can the user allow an app to use the microphone/camera/location only once (i.e. the system should always ask the user every time this app needs access)?
Not directly. They could have this effect by granting the permission, using the app, then going into Settings and revoking the permission. I suspect that few people do this. Offering a one-time-use-only option directly in the runtime permission dialog is an interesting option, though I suspect that Google would pass on it as making the flow too complicated.
If microphone/camera/location permission is given to an app, can it access these while in background?
Locations, yes, though with some limits on Android 8.0+ (for power savings). Microphone/camera, yes, though reportedly no longer starting with Android P.
Is it possible for an app (running in foreground) to obtain the list of other apps currently running or installed on the device?
Installed, yes. Running, not really, on newer versions of Android.
Can an app in background know what other apps are currently running
See above.
and which one is in foreground?
Not really, on newer versions of Android.
Can it possibly figure out whether the user is using the phone?
You can tell if the screen is on. IMHO, "whether the user is using the phone" has lots of possible definitions.
Can an app (apart from the OS itself) take screenshots?
I do not know how you are drawing the distinction here. An app can request screenshots and screen recordings through the media projection APIs on Android 5.0+, though this involves user acceptance. This acceptance is a one-time-per-process thing, so the user would have to grant access again in the future (akin to what you were seeking for microphone/camera/location).
I am trying to create a kiosk type app so when you press the recent apps button I dont want the user to be able to go to a different app. I have been googling around but cannot find anything on this matter. There is this solution in this
thread Recent apps button in android
However this does not seem to work for me on Android 6.0
Can someone please point me to the right direction on how to do this?
Thanks
In the link you provided yourself can find the answer:
Is that possible to override recent apps button in android? Not from
an ordinary SDK app.
You are welcome to build your own custom ROM that modifies the
overview screen, then convince people to install your custom ROM on
their devices.
So your answer is no in the app written by Google provided SDKs.
It is not possible. You can not control recent app AND home button in Android. You can't allow user to not leave the app. It is user's choice.
Edit: The only way you will be able to control those buttons is if you have system level permissions. To have system level permission for the device, you have to have system certificates and you won't have that unless you created the Android ROM on the device.
there's a app called "All in one Gestures" that can make the physical recent apps button without blocking some alternate way to trigger recent apps (like assistant menu in accessibility settings), i'm not the developer of that app but using APK editor, i see that the app are using accessibility service
Is there any way to either turn off the recent apps button in android 3.0 (I have a xoom) or clear the list? I have not found one so far.
It breaks my app protector program and allows people to circumvent the app password if its in the list. (like my gmail)
If not, does someone have a confirmed app protector program that accounts for this and works in android 3.0?
Why not add android:noHistory="true" to your manifest for the activity?