Need Advice Have you guys Androlyzer'd your mobile devices?

[Chimaira]

Good luck. It's going to be ugly.

The good news is.. Using this app, and other things, I've essentially got 75% of my phone in the green zone now, and it has caused me to remove a good number of apps that were being very very bad.

Check out F-Droid, so far 90% of everything I have scanned on F-Droid checks out as GREEN. Googleplay has some really dirty, poorly programmed junk apps from major players on it. Can you imagine how great my phone will function, and how much more private it will be when I am done this weekend with it? I can't wait.

I second using F-Droid, I wanted to mention for all those Android root and custom rom flashers, using titanium backup is a staple to backup up user apps and data, but to access full features it is $7.

On F-Droid there is a beautiful app call oandbackup, it is totally free and does the same thing. I'm loving it.

Just a heads up!

 

[codswollip]

Well I am scanning the rest of my phone just to see what shows up

Don't do it. You'll just end up tossing your "smart phone" and reverting to a Moto RAZR

 

[Danielx64]

Just finished doing Microsoft word and this:



WTH

 

[Ink]

I have 92 apps and it tells me I need 16 hours to scan. Forget it

Just search for apps on their website.
Androlyzer | Search for apps

No luck with Captcha, loads indefinitely.

 

[Fel Grossi]

Here in Brazil the application "Shazam" is widely used. A "less gossipy" application to replace it is TrackID.

 

[codswollip]

I don't see the value in Androlyzer. First it yields all types of "threatening" results for which there is no recourse apart from uninstalling the "suspect" apps. Second, some of the most popular apps (with no real substitutes) present an "alarming" list of security "concerns". Finally, there's little reason we should have confidence in what this app reports. ICBW, but all I see is FUD.

 

[Danielx64]

Here in Brazil the application "Shazam" is widely used. A "less gossipy" application to replace it is TrackID.
View attachment 187075

TrackID™ is closed!

Unfortunately, from 15 September, TrackID™ will no longer be available. Thank you to all our users over the years!
Why is TrackID™ closed?

All businesses move forward, and sometimes this means that apps are discontinued.
What about my TrackID™ history?

Unfortunately, your TrackID™ history can't be transferred to another app, but you can try recreating your music list using other media apps! Your history will be deleted when the service shuts down.
What should I use instead?

Shazam is our top pick for identifying music. You can name any song in seconds and discover lyrics, videos and so much more.


TrackID™ - Music discovery, recognize the music around you

 

[Slyguy]

I don't see the value in Androlyzer. First it yields all types of "threatening" results for which there is no recourse apart from uninstalling the "suspect" apps. Second, some of the most popular apps (with no real substitutes) present an "alarming" list of security "concerns". Finally, there's little reason we should have confidence in what this app reports. ICBW, but all I see is FUD.

Here's the thing, the app does reveal alarming things about some apps. However it also shows you 'clean' apps. Of the apps on my phone about 80% are green and totally safe right now, a couple are orange and a couple are red.

This has caused me to remove blatant offenders and high risk apps and replace them with 'safe' apps. For example the most popular weather apps are ridiculous offenders, yet there are plenty of good weather apps on F-Droid that test fully in the green. It shows that it IS POSSIBLE to program quality apps without exposing phones to ridiculous privacy violations, malware-like activity and serious security leaks.

That's the benefit here.. When Microsoft Word is using your camera and sending photos over HTTP maybe it's time we start questioning this ridiculousness?

The other MAJOR benefit is Androlyzer shows you the BACK END permissions, those pesky pre-approved app permissions I've been warning people about for a year now. Like the ones facebook uses to turn on your microphone and capture tag-cloud transcribed audio from your room.. That's FUD?

Also, THERE IS RECOURSE! Do you use Blokada? If so, you could simply enter block URL's in Blokada for those red-zone apps you insist on using.

 

[HarborFront]

More tests

Tutanota (free) - 1 Privacy, 4 Confidential, 1 Suspicious
ProtonMail (free) - 3 Privacy, 2 Confidential, 1 Suspicious
Silence - 13 Privacy, 5 Confidential
ARP Guard (WiFi Security) - 1 Malicious, 4 Confidential

 

[Danielx64]

@Slyguy what's your take on Exodus Privacy? I found that app on F-dorid.

 

[HarborFront]

.....some more tests and consolidating all tested so far

IntelliAV - 2 Confidential
AdGuard (paid) - 4 Privacy, 5 Confidential
AdClear - 9 Privacy, 7 Confidential, 2 Suspicious
Malwarebytes - 1 Malicious, 3 Confidential, 1 Suspicious
Zemana - 1 Confidential
Blokada - 1 Malicious (Sideload APK), 2 Privacy, 3 Confidential
Avira Phantom VPN (paid) - 12 Privacy, 5 Confidential, 2 Suspicious
ProtonVPN (free) - 1 Privacy, 2 Confidential
Windscribe VPN (free) - 3 Confidential
Tutanota (free) - 1 Privacy, 4 Confidential, 1 Suspicious
ProtonMail (free) - 3 Privacy, 2 Confidential, 1 Suspicious
Silence - 13 Privacy, 5 Confidential
ARP Guard (WiFi Security) - 1 Malicious, 4 Confidential
Opera Browser - 1 Malicious (Sideload APK), 6 Privacy, 10 Confidential, 3 Suspicious
Firefox Quantum Browser - 1 Malicious (Sideload APK), 10 Privacy, 8 Confidential, 2 Suspicious
TugaBrowser - 2 Privacy, 6 Confidential, 2 Suspicious
Yandex Browser beta - 12 Privacy, 10 Confidential, 3 Suspicious
Tenta Browser - 3 Privacy, 8 Confidential, 1 Suspicious
Systweak Android Cleaner - 2 Malicious, 3 Privacy, 6 Confidential
Speed Booster - 1 Malicious (Sideload APK), 5 Confidential
Emsisoft Mobile Security - 1 Malicious (Sideload APK), 9 Privacy, 9 Confidential, 2 Suspicious
Exodus Privacy - 2 Confidential
Back Button - 3 Confidential
NewPipe - 3 Privacy, 4 Confidential
Cerberus Anti Theft - 3 Malicious, 34 Privacy, 13 Confidential, 3 Suspicious

Now, you can choose your privacy-oriented apps

 

[HarborFront]

@Slyguy what's your take on Exodus Privacy? I found that app on F-dorid.

This app can only detect apps downloaded from Google Play Store

I just installed and found the following with trackers by Google

Malwarebytes - 2 trackers
Opera Browser - 11 trackers
ARP Guard (WiFi Security) - 3 trackers
Avira Phantom VPN (paid) - 11 trackers
Speed Booster - 3 trackers
Orfox - 4 trackers
ProtonVPN (free) - 1 tracker
Windscribe VPN (free) - 2 trackers

Note - I was notified by my phone that Exodus Privacy can damage my phone

 

[Danielx64]

Well is anyone still checking out what their apps doing on their phone? What apps did you have on your phone but now taken off?

 

[Yellowing]

That's the benefit here.. When Microsoft Word is using your camera and sending photos over HTTP maybe it's time we start questioning this ridiculousness?

I highly doubt those claims are correct. Just think of the repercussions for Microsoft!
I assume it mean't that there is some code (If the androlyzer app can even see code - I don't know android and apk) that barely looks like actual code for this behavior. Or maybe the androlyzer is just combining the permissions you gave an app into these assumptions. (They are always assumptions. If you'd have proof of this, Microsoft would have a huge market crash, I assume) For example in this case: Taking screenshots (Maybe there is a legitimate reason for this feature in word - to include a picture in a doc - or it is just another assumption that some permission like "Reading user input" for typing text implies.) and opening http connections (for updates, uploads to OneCloud and Live features for example.)

I do trust this app because it comes from the Technische Universität Berlin. I assume there is some scientific Paper that goes along with it somewhere. Does it say that on the website? No. Unfortunately there is no information.
But here is a little more: It is a link to a book I found via google books search of "androlyzer". It explains a little how it works.
Protecting Mobile Networks and Devices
Its a server-based app that apparently reverse-engineers apps and does static analysis on the information. (Not "statistic".)

But that is the best information there is on the internet. AFAIK.

--------------
Right now I am running a scan on my phone.

 

[Yellowing]

Yeah... I don't think it is accurate at all. Just scan Tasker with it, or "Google Play services". Androlyzer practically lists all their features and then says they're leaking it everywhere.
Since the app is not telling me how they're leaking it and to where, I think it is just not very good at what it does.
And then there is the fact that there is no published paper about it. There should be one, because the app is from a university. So I assume it is not published/acknowledged because there were issues with it. That was two years ago and nothing happened. Enough time for anyone to rewrite their dissertation/thesis/paper. Usually they're public.
So. I would say: Don't trust this app.

 

[Handsome Recluse]

Here in Brazil the application "Shazam" is widely used. A "less gossipy" application to replace it is TrackID.
View attachment 187075

Well. There's Shazam Lite now.

 

[9724anon7537]

SRT Privacy Inspector is a similar app
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.backessrt.privacyinspector&hl=en_US

 

[Handsome Recluse]

Firefox Focus is red for me.

 

[Handsome Recluse]

The Mozilla browsers: Firefox Focus, Firefox Lite, Firefox; and the Chromium-based browsers: Opera, Yandex, Brave, Edge and Kiwi browsers are all red but Chrome and Chrome Beta are green.
.
Edge apparently has AdBlock Plus now.

 

[Slyguy]

I get the impression they don't do much development on Firefox for Mobiles.