• General
  • App still able to communicate over the internet without the "Network" permission

Hey guys,
So I was using the "Okta Verify" app for two factor verification.
Since it's not FOSS and it works without internet so I disabled network permission for it.
However it is still able to receive a push notification when I try to log in to the relevant accounts on another device.
Is that normal? So apps are still allowed to receive information over the internet without the network perm?

  • Hat replied to this.

    Toasty So apps are still allowed to receive information over the internet without the network perm?

    Yes apps able to use IPC with Google's services could do this.
    Do you have Google Play Services installed in your user profile ?

      [deleted] well you see I can tell you the only permission I allowed it was the "Sensors" permission and it still functions.

      Hat ahhh I see I see yep I did have the sandboxed Google Play Services installed.
      Thanks :)
      Does this mean say for Gboard even if I disabled network permission it can still communicate with its servers using IPC?

        Toasty There is also no warranty with any permission for apps using IPC if at least 1 app have the permission allowed. Keep in mind the user can toggle just few permissions.

        So the recommendation is to just not install Any Google Services if you really don't want some GSF dependent apps calling out. Right?

          Graphite You could turn off the network permission for Google play services.

          • Hat replied to this.
            • [deleted]

            Food for thought: Would you stop using a medication because some people were complaining of side effects? Drugs can only treat symptoms anyway, not the cause. Our illnesses have many different origins. Treatment is usually costly, complicated or outright impossible. And sometimes when you detect the illness, it's already too late to reverse it. Few people focus on prevention, while at the same taking bad steps and expose themselves to other pathogens. Best advice is to change your diet. In order to know how you need to know what a good diet is. (There are common approaches) But no one will tell you because we are all different.

            Graphite Yes or following roddyd advice, in most case it's enough. Because it's less work for apps developers to code only for communications between their app and Google's play services apps.

            However more apps are installed, and more you increase a possible IPC sequence between apps even without Google Play Services installed.