During the weekend I played tried the user profiles. I created a new profile and installed Google Play Services in it (via Apps -> Play Store). The app I wanted to test didn't work so I figured I had done something wrong, logged out of the profile and then deleted it.

Today I noticed that 3 banking apps (S -push TAN, VR Banking, VR Secure Go Plus) stopped working that previously had worked without Play Services in the owner profile (I know, bad idea to put them there ;-)). They launch but freeze at the launch screen. Another app (DKB banking) still works without any problem.

I tried the recommendations for the various banking apps (enable developer debugging, enable exploit protection compatibility mode), but, to no avail.

Is it possible my tinkering with the user profiles changed a setting the misbehaving apps need that I am not aware of? Or was there maybe an update that could potentially break things? I am on build number TP1A.22005.002.2022101800

I am willing to completely reset the phone and start over, but, on the other hand I would like to understand what happened. ,-)

Thanks in advance!

    cfml
    User profiles are very isolated from one another so it's strange that 3 separate apps stopped working at the same time. I checked when each of those apps were last updated. Two haven't been updated for several weeks, so the issue can't be because of an app update.

    The 2022101800 release doesn't have anything that would affect banking apps as far as I can tell.

    I'd try reinstalling all three of them to see if that helps. Or try installing them in a new profile.

    Thanks for the reply!

    I tried reinstalling one of the apps, but, the result was the same. I also use NetGuard and it doesn't list any connection attempts of the apps in question. It's as if they can't access the network, they do have network permission, though.

      cfml
      I'm trying the three apps on my phone in an extra profile. I can't read whichever language this is. Guessing German based on the de in the package name. So I'm just tapping random buttons and guessing what things mean if they're phonetically similar to English. I don't have a login for these apps, so I can't try everything.

      All three worked with GMS installed, then worked again after removing GMS.

      I never enabled exploit protection compatibility mode, nor have I changed the developer debugging from the default.

      I managed to break all three like how you described by doing this: Settings > apps > all apps > app name > configure hardening > ENABLE_COMPAT_VA_39_BIT set to on. Make sure both under configure hardening are off and exploit protection compatibility mode is off.

      If all the apps have all three options set to off, then the last thing I'd try is installing them in a new profile, but I doubt that would do anything that reinstalling didn't do.

      You really have a strange issue here.

      Hi unwat,

      you are right, the language is German. ;-)

      ENABLE_COMPAT_VA_39_BIT is off and so is exploit protection compatibility, but the apps won't start. So I guess I just messed up something else that affects them. I will go for a full reset tomorrow.

      Thanks for all your efforts!!

      Just to follow up, I resetted the phone and reinstalled everything. This time I left the owner profile empty, created a standard profile for my daily apps and another profile for banking without Google Services.

      Everything works fine, sometimes I feel it works even better than with the previous installation before I started messing around with Google Services. ;-)

      Thank you again!

        cfml
        Sure thing! I'm still curious to know what happened, but I guess some things will always remain a mystery.

        cfml Sorry, maybe a little late but I had exactly the same problem as you.

        Me changing
        Settings -> Security -> Native Codee debugging
        caused my banking app stop working.

        Searched for days, reinstalled all the stuff, etc.
        This setting instantly made it work again. Maybe you changed this too.

        Can't be changed at a profile scope, needs to be change by main system user and is valid
        for all profiles.

          That's good to know, maybe it is the one setting I changed. I will remember to try this in case this happens again.

          Thank you!

          2 months later

          missing-root

          It's still on my phone. You have to be logged in to the owner profile to find/change it.