Will Health Connect be removed (hopefully)?

AlanZ

I am trying to word this carefully, so that I don't get accused of needles alarmism, but it was surprising to me to see Google software make it into GrapheneOS. Or perhaps Health Connect is part of AOSP? If it is Google code, hopefully it will be removed, staying true to the principles of GOS. Please elaborate. Thanks.

other8026

AlanZ

Usually, when things like this are kept it's for compatibility. I don't actually know why it's there, but I'm guessing that it's because it's necessary for Sandboxed Google Play to work correctly, but for people who do not have Sandboxed Google Play installed, then the app/service/framework just do nothing.

I think this app is there for health-related APIs for apps, like pedometers, etc.

[deleted]

AlanZ but it was surprising to me to see Google software make it into GrapheneOS.

Have you even read anything about Health Connect before making such baseless accusations?

other8026 I'm guessing that it's because it's necessary for Sandboxed Google Play to work correctly

I don't think it has any link with Sandboxed Google Play at all. It can be downloaded as an seperate app on older Android versions though.

AlanZ but GOS has not bundled any Google software so far, choosing even not to include privileged eSIM management into the OS

GrapheneOS does have Google's eSIM firmware and activation apps, Also do note that Google's eSIM activation app is disabled by default, and can be enabled by enabling Privileged eSIM management toggle. And the Google eSIM Firmware app is only allowed to communicate with system apps.

[deleted]

https://developer.android.com/health-and-fitness/guides/health-connect

AlanZ

[deleted]
Thanks. So it is a Google app, now framework.

raccoondad

One thing to keep in mind as well is GOS is always running 'google software', such as firmware and optionally the sandboxed google play services

AlanZ

raccoondad
Not the same thing. Firmware is one thing, but GOS has not bundled any Google software so far, choosing even not to include privileged eSIM management into the OS, which is the the exact right approach and which is one reason I chose it over Calyx. Let's hope they don't start now.
I hope the developers will chime in.

Tuba

Maybe in the future there will be a google-less graphene os phone, but no luck thus far, hopefully in the future.

raccoondad

Tuba Seeing Google is the manufacture of the devices, probably not. The firmware, ASOP, etc. is all 'Google code' at the end of the day

Tuba

raccoondad by google-less i meant graphene os phone made by a vendor, where graphene os is preinstalled, because graphene os tried making their own phones in the past, this just didn't work out, sadly

Phead

Just stumbled upon this topic and checked the Google Health app on my device. Apparently the app generated a total traffic of 101mb and about 95mb in foreground even though I've never had and kind of health app installed. Any ideas?

de0u

Phead Just stumbled upon this topic and checked the Google Health app on my device. Apparently the app generated a total traffic of 101mb and about 95mb in foreground even though I've never had and kind of health app installed. Any ideas?

I'm not sure how to check for this (or why it would happen), but I faintly recall that in the past either battery usage or network usage was incorrectly attributed to some app because it had the same user id as another app(?). I wonder if that could be happening here?

treequell

Since Android 14, HealthConnect is part of the Android Framework.

Further details here: https://developer.android.com/health-and-fitness/guides/health-connect/develop/get-started.

I suggest also reading https://source.android.com/docs/core/architecture#architecture for those who are unfamiliar.

This blog post provides further information:
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2022/05/introducing-health-connect.html.

Phead

treequell

Thanks for the links. I do understand what Health Connect is and does (I think), but I do not understand why it generated foreground traffic even though it's never been in use (as far as I know).

AlanZ

Phead
Yes, I'd like to know the answer to this as well.

Phead

de0u
Yes, I had something similar in mind. As far as I understand Health Connect is just an API which in itself has no functions at all (other than collecting sensor data such as steps, I assume?). So, for it to generate foreground traffic it would have been used by some apps (I guess) which is definitely not the case. So, maybe some wrong attribution of traffic maybe?