Computerworld Blogs - Latest Comments in How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

porg — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 17:42:34 -0000

Malware security increases surely, but device privacy and your independence decreases, as this massively permission enabled closed-source binary beast, circumvents the Android security model, we had until now. Time to run an Android without GApps for freedom lovers.

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

Yogiraj mishra — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 12:17:06 -0000

well thats a nice post I have also posted recently on it!

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

wilson booster — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 06:28:41 -0000

I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone.I am having a trouble in finding these apps in play store. Can you please tell me that How can i find it?

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

Peldyn Hywel — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 15:51:08 -0000

My husband had anit-virus and still managed to get one that was then automatically sent via his tablet to his phone. He had to do a factory reset to get rid of it. Nasty effing thing.

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

Amator Androidicus — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 23:05:30 -0000

This is a "test reply" on one of JR's blogs, to see if my comment must be "approved by a moderator" before being posted. I just posted a reply on one of Jonny Evan's blogs, and that is what it said. If this comment goes through immediately, then I'll know that ole Evans has decided that he should be notified before I get posted.

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

Amator Androidicus — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 22:58:42 -0000

JR, I hope that you guys are having a great time on your honeymoon!!! Looking forward to your articles again, as soon as you get back. :-) Take care! :-)

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

Sapna Sharma — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 05:33:40 -0000

Your Blog is very nice and informative. I had also written a blog for Mobile security app. Have a look at my blog Techclones

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

Naser — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 12:59:35 -0000

Hi,

I have 2.3.6 preinstalled in my device but still I cannot see this update applied to my android. Please guide me.....

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

Deckard_Cain — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 08:48:03 -0000

You should give them credit for deploying a universal version that doesn't require user action.

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

Deckard_Cain — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 08:47:30 -0000

Google didn't stop updating your device. Google was never responsible for updating your device but the manufacturer who made it (if it wasn't a Nexus). And if you a Nexus, the only one that got stuck in 2.3 was the Nexus One.
If you are still rocking that device why the hell are you complaining about being stuck in 2.3?

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

Mark Ezrin — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 11:33:27 -0000

Hey JR,
I'm unclear. Is this an app I should download via GPlay? I looked and can't find it. Thx.

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

Randy Cox — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 11:04:50 -0000

I use Lookout and I will continue to use it, because it offers additional useful functions, in case I lost my phone etc

Yes, but he was really referring to the anti-malware side of it. I dont use any anti-virus/ anti-malware on my Galaxy Nexus and I never will because its a scam. No reason to pay for something you dont need or even use a free product that just eats your battery and system resources.

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

jdrch — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 22:58:44 -0000

Unfortunately, independent 3rd party comparisons have shown Google's anti-malware solution to be subpar at recognizing malware. As such, it doesn't matter if the service now runs on devices - it can still be compromised. I'll stick to Avast, thanks.

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

SES21 — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 19:29:57 -0000

I agree but offer an additional reason to continue to use an AV app. While Google's app may scan apps that you are installing, it doesn't scan your actual data, which could potentially include malware that takes advantage of an app's weakness, or your SMS messages, which have also been known to contain bad nasties!

Think of Google's scanning as an AV that only scans your applications but not your data like emails, texts, files, pics, etc. You still should think about protection for those other things.

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

SES21 — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 19:20:40 -0000

I tried the "Verify & install" option again today while updating the AMZN AppStore app itself. This time I got a message about allowing Google to scan apps blah, blah, clicked OK & then the install worked! My Google Settings app has also now added a "Verify Apps" entry, too. Guess maye it was only halfway there when I was trying it 2 days ago...

I don't expect a response, especially any time soon - I saw your G+ post about the wedding & honeymoon. (Love the cake pic) Congrats & enjoy!

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

SES21 — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 02:56:37 -0000

This is much broader than the Airpush solution & doesn't require the user involvement of Lookout, as in actually making the effort to install it. I give Google credit for finding ways to get updates out to Android users quicker without waiting on the carriers & manufacturers to get around to it.

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

mlj11 — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 02:55:29 -0000

Haha, go ahead :-)

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

Andrew F — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 00:25:33 -0000

Guess you missed the part where it says "and made it automatically available to every device running Android 2.3 or higher."

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

SES21 — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 20:32:24 -0000

"Play Store aficionado or Pirate Store regular" I like that! May I use it? With attribution, of course, if you want...

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

SES21 — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 20:03:54 -0000

Yeah, that's where I was talking about - I don't have a Security entry in my Google Settings app. I've tried the "Verify & install" choice with the G Settings icon on it on all 3 AMZN Apps that needed updates & got that same parsing error on each. Choosing the Android system "Package Installer" worked on all 3, though. Sounds like something's not working right with universal scanning on 4.1.1. Don't suppose you could let 'em know, could you? Play Services has no means of sending feedback...

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

SES21 — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 19:52:44 -0000

I've seen them catch stuff plenty of times. In fact, I've even seen cases where one AV caught them & another didn't...on client files.

You're obviously entitled to do what you want. I'm just glad I don't have to provide you with tech support or get any files from you!

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

dbareis — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 18:57:20 -0000

Viruses do exist you know. There is a lot of ground between hysterical and silly.

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

Anthony Armiston — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 16:25:01 -0000

I give Google limited credit for this at best... they're just following the course set by people/companies who were more ahead of this problem than they were (*cough) Airpush, T-mobile, Lookout, etc... http://www.examiner.com/art...

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

Tsais — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 03:45:55 -0000

..."phandroid" ...so you're what, a lost sheeple from the walled garden come here to malign people on an Android forum?

I've sliced and diced every Apple and Android phone I had, and with just very basic measures of caution, I never had an issue.

Though theoretically, my 5 year old could have ordered several thousand dollars worth of in-game purchases like it happened to other iPhone users. So on the big corporate fraud issue, I was just lucky.

And then, there are a lot of ditzy people around, you see them at McDonalds or Walmart in pyjamas. They will magnetically attract every problem possible by a mixture of incompetence and willingness to click on anything claiming to be cheap or free. They are beyond help from Google, Apple or anyone.

I think your choice of handle is bad for you: Expected perpetual disappointment is likely to create a downward spiral and sounds like a poor way to live. You may have a malware infection in your head - better let Google do a scan.

Re: How Google just quietly made your Android phone more secure

Tsais — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 03:24:55 -0000

I'd say rooting your phone gives you opportunity to actually make it safer. There are many security enhancing apps that require root.

But that depends on your own actions and a minimum of knowledge about how things work.