is VLC player good for security and privacy?

bartenderstoneware

or is there a better alternative?

matchboxbananasynergy

What I personally dislike about VLC on Android is that it requests a highly invasive storage permission to access all of your files.

This can be mitigated on GrapheneOS via the Storage Scopes feature, but this isn't the case on other operating systems, and I don't see a good reason why it couldn't just request the appropriate media permissions for audio and video only instead.

Mello

matchboxbananasynergy

VLC only asks for mic, network, notification and sensors permission.
How do I configure storage scopes? I remember before there was this request to access all files, but I don't see it now.

bartenderstoneware

matchboxbananasynergy What I personally dislike about VLC on Android is that it requests a highly invasive storage permission to access all of your files.

It's the same for me. Do you know if it's similar an Linux for example? And generally, could you recommend a VLC alternative?

abcZ

matchboxbananasynergy I don't see a good reason why it couldn't just request the appropriate media permissions for audio and video only instead.

Probably because VLC's definition of what constitutes "media" is vastly greater than that of AOSP.

matchboxbananasynergy

Mello You don't see it because it's not a regular permission that would show up under Settings > Apps > VLC > Permissions, but a special app permission.

Please go to Settings > Special app access > All files access and you can deny it that permission from there.

When the application launches again, it should prompt you. During that prompt, you should see an option called "Configure Storage Scopes".

matchboxbananasynergy

bartenderstoneware I have heard good things about https://github.com/moneytoo/Player but I don't personally use any apps for watching videos locally, so can't personally vouch for it. Feel free to try it.

Mello

matchboxbananasynergy

Yes, I was able to access storage scope like that, and enable it.

Thanks ;)

bartenderstoneware

matchboxbananasynergy
Thank you for your help. I will have a look at the alternative you mentioned.

Kottonballs

I use foobar2000 but its not on fdriod. Have to go direct to them at https://www.foobar2000.org/apk. Also, this is music only, not sure if you're looking for video playback.

Mrxst

It's Free Software. If it would not be good, people would not contribute as vastly as they do.

csis01

Selyan That link does not apply to this discussion in any way since its just a high level feature comparison OF THE APPLE VERSION with two apple media players that aren't available on android at all.

Conjure6589

I use VLC with no permissions and storage scopes for my music and video folders only. Works fine that way. Its a great video player, for music the UI is a bit boring but it does everything I need as far as making a playlist, shuffle, etc... Only thing it lacks IMO is a tag editor .