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  • Phone is obviously continuously sending data

Since a few weeks, my Phone is sending almost continuously data, I can detect that using an RF meter to detect radio radiation from my mobile. Many weeks back, that was not the case, at that time when I did not use my phone actively, as my mobile sometimes stopped sending data for 3 to 5 Minutes! Now it stops sometimes but only for maybe 5 seconds. I'm still using same battery saving options so it should not run in background.
1) How can I detect which app is responsible for sending continuously?
2) Is there a way out by completely installing GrapheneOS again and using seedvault for restoring data and apps?
3) How can I stop android15 from updating all the time?

    Schmucks Since a few weeks, my Phone is sending almost continuously data, I can detect that using an RF meter to detect radio radiation from my mobile.

    Which RF meter? Does it enable you to distinguish between receiving and transmitting?

    Does the activity reduce if airplane mode is turned on with Wi-Fi off? How about airplane mode on with Wi-Fi on?

      Schmucks How can I detect which app is responsible for sending continuously?

      You can't.

      Schmucks Is there a way out by completely installing GrapheneOS again and using seedvault for restoring data and apps?

      No. You can put it in a faraday bag to completely stop it from sending or receiving Electromagnetic wave. You can also refer to https://grapheneos.org/faq#default-connections

            Upstate1618 he asked how to stop updates and I answered his question. Please don't tell me it is not recommended - I just answered his question! Thanks!
            And btw: everybody knows disabling updates is not recommended. It's like saying it's dangerous to cross a red light. Yes everybody knows...

                For those who say, turning off auto updates, is not recommended,: I sideload All updates. The updater app is turned off, as well as checking for updates on the app store. Should their be any critical security updates announced by GOS, I can choose to install that component. I monitor the channel constantly. This is my preferred method.

                  locked I used to do this, I also preferred it since it was 'faster' to run it through sideloading. However, I found it was really hard to actually keep up to date properly. I think for most users, it would be somewhat of a challange for them to keep constantly checking for updates.

                      Schmucks 1) How can I detect which app is responsible for sending continuously?

                      You could install RethinkDNS and enable logging of network requests.

                        GrapheneOS
                        Here's an update from me: I put off the Sim Card out of my Pixel and put it into my old Samsung phone (bought 3 years back) and: it is also continuously keeping up 4G connection!
                        This means: it is not an issue of my GrapheneOS.

                        The thing is: for 5 years I have dealt with possible harm to human beings by RF frequencies also on business, for I have several RF Meters and gadget to measure type and strength of radio radiation signals.

                        A few months back when using 4G on my Pixel, I had put almost every app into standby when not actively used / in background and I managed my phone usually only connecting with mobile station antennas for a short time every 3 to 5 minutes, which was great, because when carrying phone in pocket the radiation beam stress for the body had been reduced to minimum, and I felt safe with my health.

                        Now, I found out, when still using 4G, it had changed with both Pixel 8 and my old Samsung (which also had been not keeping up connecting all the time a few months back). Interesting is also, even when Mobile data is switched off, the 4G connection still is continuously keeping up connection with antenna towers and sending little data around each second! So this seems to be an issue of the new 4G system. Only way out 4 me is to put phone into flight mode when wearing in pocket.

                        With my old phone, I can switch to: only 2G use, and when I also switch off mobile data, then it is silent regarding radiation for around 5 to 8 minutes, and people can ring me up anyway in this old 2G mode, but this is not an option for my Pixel.

                        Looks like I have answered my question for myself.

                        If you find a way out against Pixel phone continuously keeping up radiation connection in 4G mode, please let me know!

                            Perhaps it would be good idea if u are capable of doing this with your current equipment, to draft some sort of research paper. Or maybe there are already some sort of research papers regarding this specific issue u are describing with 4g?

                            While the 'issue' u are describing is clear, at the same time it is relatively abstract, and hard to comprehend/speculate what is actually happening from a readers perspective.

                            Daniel89
                            I wanted to tell OP that it's recommended against to turn off automatic updates. Someone just disables updates without knowing the security risks it brought so it's completely necessary to repeat this again and again.

                            GrapheneOS This isn't correct

                            Did you mean to disable apps one by one and check the result to determine which app is to blame?

                            Schmucks RF frequencies

                            I think Pixel also has RF even in 2G but maybe it is lower than 4G. I also think WiFi, Bluetooth and UWB can also create RF.

                                    To see what connections are made you could use wireshark and create a hotspot from your machine where wireshark is installed. Another thing you can try is to setup a proxy and read the traffic there. The simplest way would be to setup NextDNS and see your DNS traffic on their website. But disable it, after you found the reason.

                                    Upstate1618
                                    I'm doing RF detection now for 5 Years: since 2G standard all mobiles used to save battery and therefore the Standards for 2G an 3G used only to send signals back to the mobile tower antenna after 3 to 8 minutes for around 2 seconds to tell the towers around where the mobile phone is and to ensure it is logged in at the nearest antenna. In between mobiles where apps were not sending data in kind of standby / background, the mobile was "silent" concerning sending radio frequencies, however the mobile was always listening / receiving if a tower antenna was calling it for somebody tried to ring you up! In 2G and 3G standard (+ also 4G standard until a few months back, as I had described above it has changed now), your phone used to listen / receive all the time but was not sending / producing RF - like a conventional radio tuner or like GPS is never sending but only receiving RF signals. RF mobile communication can be compared to human beings: if you just hear with your ears that does not take much energy, but when you answer somebody who is opposite the street you have to shout what will take much of your energy and will exhaust you or if you shout directly into someones ear it can harm his ear (same with possible harm to your reproductive / DNA system by sending strong RF mobile frequencies in your pocket next to your body) - that is the same with the battery in your mobile, when it is only listening for antennas around if somebody calls you or you have lost the antenna you had been logged in (if you drive in an car e.g.) the mobile will search for a new antenna around and log in there....

                                      Schmucks
                                      I'm doing RF detection now for 5 Years: since 2G standard all mobiles used to save battery and therefore the Standards for 2G an 3G used only to send signals back to the mobile tower antenna after 3 to 8 minutes for around 2 seconds to tell the towers around where the mobile phone is and to ensure it is logged in at the nearest antenna. In between mobiles where apps were not sending data in kind of standby / background, the mobile was "silent" concerning sending radio frequencies, however the mobile was always listening / receiving if a tower antenna was calling it for somebody tried to ring you up! In 2G and 3G standard (+ also 4G standard until a few months back, as I had described above it has changed now), your phone used to listen / receive all the time but was not sending / producing RF - like a conventional radio tuner or like GPS is never sending but only receiving RF signals. RF mobile communication can be compared to human beings: if you just hear with your ears that does not take much energy, but when you answer somebody who is opposite the street you have to shout what will take much of your energy and will exhaust you or if you shout directly into someones ear it can harm his ear (same with possible harm to your reproductive / DNA system by sending strong RF mobile frequencies in your pocket next to your body) - that is the same with the battery in your mobile, when it is only listening for antennas around if somebody calls you or you have lost the antenna you had been logged in (if you drive in an car e.g.) the mobile will search for a new antenna around and log in there, otherwise there is no need for your mobile to send (= speak/shout) and your phone can stay silent in listening mode to safe battery (and your balls)....

                                      So, to ask all grapheneOS developers: it would be wonderful for the future to have an option in my mobile where you can switch your mobile in an "only phone call mode" when 4G will not keep on communicating with tower antenna (which now is not working when switching off mobile data in 4G) and maybe an option where your mobile checks mobile data e.g. only once in 15 or 30 minutes for 30 seconds to update WhatsApp, emails etc. and switch off data communication in between the 15 or 30 minutes? That would be a great contribution to everybody's health!

                                          Schmucks maybe an option where your mobile checks mobile data e.g. only once in 15 or 30 minutes for 30 seconds to update WhatsApp, emails etc. and switch off data communication in between the 15 or 30 minutes?

                                          As a workaround you can look into enabling and disabling Airplane Mode using some automation software.
                                          Quick search revealed, for example this app. I'm not related to the app in any way and know nothing about it, and I'm sure there are other/better options, so please do your research and let us know how it goes.

                                            Hello Schmucks thank you, this was insightful. I'm curious about possible health concerns coming from RF, wireless networks and smartphones as well.

                                            Schmucks So, to ask all grapheneOS developers: it would be wonderful for the future to have an option in my mobile where you can switch your mobile in an "only phone call mode" when 4G will not keep on communicating with tower antenna (which now is not working when switching off mobile data in 4G) and maybe an option where your mobile checks mobile data e.g. only once in 15 or 30 minutes for 30 seconds to update WhatsApp, emails etc. and switch off data communication in between the 15 or 30 minutes? That would be a great contribution to everybody's health!

                                            This is very interesting. However, I think such modifications should not be expected from GrapheneOS. The developers focus on security and privacy. Such changes could also negatively impact some users - this behaviour would likely make them stand out, possibly putting people who depend on GrapheneOS in problematic areas at risk.

                                            I believe that health aspects should be covered by upstream - Android, OEMs, cellular providers and regulators. This way a lot more people would be able to benefit. Unfortunately, that is unlikely to happen without public pressure. As many of us here know, getting people to even acknowledge certain problems is often tough.

                                            I would call this mode something like "minimal transmission". To satisfy the need for security it should somehow use 4G/LTE. 2G is really insecure and will be phased out eventually. Honestly, I don't even know if it's possible.

                                                Pixel RFE info indicates that the highest SAR is lower than 2 W/kg. Is that true according to your observation?

                                                Schmucks Now, I found out, when still using 4G, it had changed with both Pixel 8 and my old Samsung (which also had been not keeping up connecting all the time a few months back). Interesting is also, even when Mobile data is switched off, the 4G connection still is continuously keeping up connection with antenna towers and sending little data around each second! So this seems to be an issue of the new 4G system.

                                                Perhaps.

                                                As is the case with Wi-Fi access points, which can support various forms of client-side power-saving modes with various parameters, it seems quite likely that a given cell site can influence how often a registered device transmits.

                                                But based on the information provided so far it's not 100% clear exactly what is being detected. Mentions have been made of multiple "RF meters" and "gadgets", but the details of those have not been provided. For all we know one of those "gadgets" is measuring something that isn't cellular transmissions... maybe it is Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth, or perhaps a spurious emission occurring when the GPU is powered down.

                                                Schmucks So, to ask all grapheneOS developers: it would be wonderful for the future to have an option in my mobile where you can switch your mobile in an "only phone call mode" [...] That would be a great contribution to everybody's health!

                                                Perhaps.

                                                But I think a lot more details and experimental data would be required, and the phenomenon would need to be repeatable by others.

                                                For example... which "RF meters" and which "gadgets"?