Mastodawn

👊🇺🇸🔥

@evacide I've already removed Gemini via adb once. I'll do it again if it comes back after this forced opt-in.

I am not going to tell anyone that the Gemini app package is actually called com.google.android.apps.bard. I am also not advising anyone to follow these instructions:

1. Download and install ADB on your computer from the Android SDK Platform-Tools package

2. Enable Developer Options on your Android device:

3. Go to Settings > About phone > Software information

4. Tap "Build Number" seven times

5. Go to Settings > Developer options > USB debugging

6. Connect your Android device to your computer using a USB cable

7. Open Command Prompt or Terminal in the folder where ADB is installed

8. Verify the connection via command prompt or terminal by running the command: adb devices

9. Then run one of the two following commands:

adb uninstall com.google.android.apps.bard

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.apps.bard

10. Then verify the package has been removed by running: adb shell pm list packages | grep bard

Or use graphene.

@Elias @evacide Not doable on anything but a Pixel. If Google's trade-in deals were better, I would've switched a long time ago. As it stands, they are insultingly pitiful.

Efexor Zolpidem

Jul 9

@Avitus @evacide hey, noob question here... my phone has this annoying samsung app that keeps showing me spam via notification.

but the "disable notifications" option is itself disabled.

I don't want to root my phone, because some bank apps stop working with that.

do you think I could use adb to forcefully disabled the notifications on that app, without rooting my phone?

thanks ✌️

jandi Jul 9

@capeta @Avitus @evacide Yes. Do steps 1-6 and use UAD: https://github.com/Universal-Debloater-Alliance/universal-android-debloater-next-generation/wiki

Home

Cross-platform GUI written in Rust using ADB to debloat non-rooted Android devices. Improve your privacy, the security and battery life of your device. - Universal-Debloater-Alliance/universal-andr...

GitHub

@jandi @capeta @evacide I've used UAD many times before, but for some reason, recently when I tried to use it, the Linux version wouldn't cooperate ☹️.

Peter SIMON Jul 9

@Avitus @evacide there is an easier option: replace your android by /eOS/ @gael

@Tradusk @evacide @gael Replacing the OS is definitely not easier.

Peter SIMON Jul 10

@Avitus @evacide @gael sure, but replacing your Android phone by an /eOS/ powered phone is a piece of cake

sb arms & legs Jul 12

@Tradusk @Avitus @evacide @gael
If you're buying, I'll take one, thanks!

@Tradusk @evacide @gael If you trust buying a phone with a custom OS on it, I certainly don't. I wouldn't even buy a phone with GrapheneOS already installed. There's no telling what else someone could've installed before shipping.

Gaël Duval - /e/OS & Murena Jul 12

@Avitus @Tradusk @evacide 👎👎👎

Lazy B0y Jul 27

@gael
Says the guy who uses telegram as a support platform 🤔
@Avitus @Tradusk @evacide

Lazy B0y Jul 27

@Avitus
If you install it yourself, did you review every line of code?

Sounds a bit sarcastic, but i think it's a real interesting question how much more security/privacy is achieved by "self installing" if you havent checked the code, and don't know if someone else has done it.

(Thanks for the uninstallation hints anyway?)

👊🇺🇸🔥6d ago

@lazyb0y @Tradusk @evacide @gael I've not reviewed the code, but the simple fact that the code can be reviewed by anyone makes it more secure than most software. Security through obscurity is how you end up with Pegasus malware hacking phones via WhatsApp.

As for installing Graphene myself: I bought a brand-new Pixel sealed, in-box, directly from Google, and put Graphene on it myself using Graphene's web installer from their official website, and then verified the install's authenticity. I have controlled every step of the process, therefore I can be absolutely sure of the integrity.

By inserting a random third-party selling Pixels with Graphene pre-installed, there is no control over the integrity. You have to trust that the third-party has not done something malicious to the hardware or the software. Maybe you run the auditor that's supposed to come pre-installed with Graphene, or maybe you don't, and if you run it and it says there's a problem, then what do you do? Hopefully the third-party is reputable and not some random pop-up shop in China that is either unresponsive or disappeared completely.

Lazy B0y 5d ago

@Avitus
Erm i heavily disagree.

The perceived *possibility* of a code review without any real execution doesn't make anything more secure. That's magical thinking.

There could be a thousands bugs, unreviewable binary stuff etc.

To be clear, i talk about the general meaning of these phrases, I'm not criticizing Graphene in this aspect, in fact i am pretty sure at least someone does such reviews. I was just interested if there are actual records of such reviews.

Lazy B0y 5d ago

@Avitus

and by the way i totally get and agree about the self install part… when adling i didn’t consider it’s removing one hop where a middleperson could tamper with the phone, OS etc.!

👊🇺🇸🔥5d ago

@lazyb0y @Tradusk @evacide @gael Graphene is based on Android, so the code is being constantly reviewed. Graphene has a feedback loop with Google i.e. Google releases security updates, Graphene incorporates them, or Graphene identifies vulnerabilities, reports them to Google, they get fixed in Android proper, and then that filters down to Graphene. So there is constant code review, just no point-in-time third-party audit specifically of Graphene's code. A formal audit might be valuable for the first week after being published anyway.

Lazy B0y 5d ago

@Avitus
thanks, thats the direction i meant with my original question

cedricdes Jul 9

@Avitus @evacide or install a custom ROM like #iodéOS based on Lineage

@cedricdes @evacide Lineage is generally not available for awhile on very recently released smartphones. And now that OEMs are committing to very long support timelines, there's not much motivation. Removing packages is easier, faster, and I don't have to spend hours resetting everything back to the way I want it.

cedricdes Jul 10

@Avitus @evacide that's true

DB Schwein Jul 9

@Avitus

Thank you for the instructions. I knew how to get into developer mode, but I couldn't find anywhere the actual package names!

@evacide

Pete / Syllopsium Jul 9

@Avitus @evacide

Cheers, I have definitely not bookmarked that so that I can run those commands against the Pixel phone I have arriving tomorrow.

(There may be marginally better alternatives, but phone buying is usually a 'least worst' game and I need the phone to fit in a Clicks case for which the choice is iPhone, Razr, or Pixel 9/9 Pro)

@syllopsium @evacide If you've got a Pixel and don't rely too heavily on banking apps, I highly recommend GrapheneOS: https://grapheneos.org/

The web installer is stupid simple.

GrapheneOS: the private and secure mobile OS

GrapheneOS is a security and privacy focused mobile OS with Android app compatibility.

GrapheneOS

Pete / Syllopsium Jul 10

@Avitus @evacide I refuse to put banking apps on my mobile phone, have moved away from Google Mail, and will be looking at a non Google Maps alternative.

What's the compatibility like with other proprietary apps (messaging, dating etc)? Seems like it should work, so I could give it a go.

@syllopsium @evacide I put it on my alt phone and haven't used it as a primary yet, but there are guides all over the place online that'll tell you what will and won't work. And when things don't work, there are options to fix them.

Luke Ebersole Jul 10

@syllopsium @Avitus @evacide
I've been running it on my main phone since January.

I can't speak to any of the dating apps, but it seems like many of the messaging apps rely on googles notification servers for notifications (discord is the primary one I have noticed this with). Element works great without the sandboxed Google services.

I have not found any apps that are dealbreakers if unable to install yet - all my banking apps have worked great so far (in their own isolated profile)

Lazy B0y Jul 27

@Avitus

Good news: my banking apps work flawlessly on Graphene, i even explicitly chose it because i read before that it's actually quite good in that aspect

(But i couldn't get the web installer working, the cli was easy though)

@syllopsium @evacide

Chocotalo Jul 10

@Avitus @evacide This is great, thank you! Now to find me a computer..

PolyCat Jul 10

@Avitus @evacide I'm dealing w this sorta stuff w my Quest 3. I used to be able to disable the social features but if I do now the whole interface bugs out.

schrotthaufen Jul 10

@Avitus @evacide @mu Don’t forget to disable developer mode again.

@schrotthaufen @evacide @mu As a personal preference, I leave mine on because I use adb with some frequency; so I can quickly remove again apps I've removed previously that get reinstalled when there's a major update to the OS. There is no danger without physical access to the device.

Kornelis Jul 11

@Avitus @evacide

You forgot to disable developer mode and restart your device. Bad idea to leave developer mode on on your daily driver.

Grant_H Jul 12

@Avitus @evacide any way to run adb via a a local shell? I just tried a local shell connectBot from FDroid, and that gives the following: adb (and ls!)

:/ $ ls
ls: .: Permission denied
1|:/ $ adb
/system/bin/sh: adb: inaccessible or not found
127|:/ $

@grant_h @evacide I think this doesn't work because you need sudo access, which isn't natively available on Android. You'd need to root your phone to get sudo access, but rooting requires connecting to a computer anyway.

I prefer connecting to a computer so I'm not installing an app on my phone that claims it can root without a computer, but gives me malware instead 😅.

Leendaal Jul 12

@Avitus @evacide thx for not telling anyone

Luca Hammer Jul 12

@Avitus @evacide @malteengeler Do you know if it's possible to remove it through Canta? Would probably be easier for most users. https://github.com/samolego/Canta

@luca @evacide @malteengeler I've never heard of this, but if it's possible, that's great!

happyborg Jul 12

@Avitus
Be good to have an app for that 😆 ...

🤔 or a script!
@evacide

@happyborg @evacide Steps 1-7 can't be automated, but if you choose to leave developer options on (not advisable), 10 steps becomes two or three. There are lists of pre-installed apps that are safe to remove depending on OEM all over the Internet, so it would be a matter of finding the one you need and building a script around it.

Majid Hussain Jul 12

@Avitus @evacide
I love your stile there,
I do not condone the removal of built in apps
no sir.
adb app control is a gui interface to your mentioned toot there.
can disable enable remove reinstall apps.
from user0 and system.
hope this is of help to someone.
thank you for your toot, folowing you now.