Internet Permission Requirement Pandemic in Apps

[lupin]

Nowadays all apps ask for **full network access / read network list. All free and paid apps want internet.

I spent three days looking for an office suite for android which didn’t want to use internet. Unsuccessful.

Even the alpha libreoffice viewer wanted internet. “offline dictionaries”, Picture viewers
… and the list goes on

Is rooting, flashing aosp, firewalling and disabling network access for apps the only way to avoid apps to track me?

I wish there was a trusted repository of apps (uptodown is not a trusted one) versions so I could filter those that require internet.

[Morgoth]

Is rooting, flashing aosp, firewalling and disabling network access for apps the only way to avoid apps to track me?

Well, I guess NetGuard can do the job without rooting, flashing…
You can see if there are known trackers in the app with Exodus Privacy or ClassyShark3xodus and monitoring the traffic with Net Monitor

LibreOffice on Android is much needed.

[Licaon_Kter]

@lupin

only way to avoid apps to track me?

Network acces and Tracking are two different things that might go together or not, you should judge apps case by case

[lupin]

Yes, requiring network access doesn’t mean it will attempt to track my activities. However, I can’t review the codes of all application I install to make sure of that.

Also notice, that even if the app is communicating with first party “legit” servers only, those could be relaying for third party ad providers. The so called “unblockable trackers”, like the ones in reddit.

That’s why I abhor aardict2 asking for internet access. An offline dictionary shouldn’t require internet.

[ClassyShark3xodus] information will be more useful as those unblockable trackers gain popularity.

[relan]

Is rooting, flashing aosp, firewalling and disabling network access for apps the only way to avoid apps to track me?

There’s another option: don’t install those apps.

[Licaon_Kter]

Report this to the devs, it’s not “off” line then