this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2025

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277

This was Likely Recently Auto-Installed on your Phone. (www.androidauthority.com)

submitted 9 hours ago by onyxjet@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

52 comments fedilink hide all child comments

This morning I noticed that an app was silently installed on my device. Android System Safetycore.

So what is this app for? Supposedly it is designed to blur any images that are sent to or from you the user.

Android Authority Article Snippet

Sensitive Content Warnings is another new Google Messages feature that Google is announcing today. It’s a feature that gives you more control over seeing and sending images that may contain nudity. Sensitive Content Warning blurs images that may contain nudity before viewing them, and it then prompts you with a “speed bump” that contains “help-finding resources and options, including to view the content.” When it’s enabled and you try to send or forward an image that may contain nudity, Google Messages will also show a “speed bump” that reminds you of the risks of sending nude imagery. - Android Authority

The feature seems to be geared towards google messages.

However why this needed to be a seperate app isn't really known. Why not just a feature within the google messages app? Google gives no explanation.

Another Android Authority Snippet

Warnings check runs entirely on-device, it didn’t mention that it will actually be powered by an entirely separate app and not Google Messages itself. - Android Authority

Google claims it runs entirely on your phone. Whether that's true? ¯_(ツ)_/¯

According to my device, the app can have internet access restricted to it (via phone settings) implying that the app does have internet access. Any apps that dont have internet access wouldn't be in my settings list for restricting network access.

Here's the developer page. Not much in terms of detail going on there.

Here is the app on Play store with its further lacking detail and currently plunging reviews. Interestingly it seems the app has many good odd sounding reviews. Furthermore, all the new reviews are very negative. The app was 3.8 this morning. Plunging.

The whole concept of the feature isn't a bad one. However, I certainly dont wish for it to be automatically installed on my device as a seperate app. A feature that is supposedly for a messaging platform that I don't even have activated on my device.

I removed it myself as it can be uninstalled. It doesn't show up on play store by search, however you can look up the app link online and get a direct link to it. Which I put here.

Spyware? A helpful feature? I don't want it on my phone anyways.

(Yes this is a repost, I hope it isn't considered spam. Yes I did also delete the original one :/ . Goodnight 🥱!)

top 50 comments

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[–] biggerbogboy@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

If I had a nickel for every time I reported a pervy corporation to the ACCC, I’d have two nickels– which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.

[–] Kbobabob@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago

Good ole Phineas and Ferb

[–] Carl@lemm.ee 10 points 3 hours ago

tfw I've never been warned about nudes in my text messages :(

[–] DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world 6 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Honestly, if the app was open-source so we can check it does not leak data, I would probably have no issue with it.

Making it a separate app makes sense if google wants to allow other apps to re-use the code. No reason to have the same functionality bundled into each app separately.

And the feature, as long as it is configurable, seems useful.

The auto-install is bad but understandable. As far as I am aware, there is no easy way to mark an app as a dependency of another app so it gets automatically installed only when needed. This should be fixed, but auto-install for all is not terrible temporary solution. This does not apply when the app is closed source and may steal your data.

[–] raspberriesareyummy@lemmy.world 10 points 3 hours ago

/laughs in de-googled LineageOS.

[–] knolord@lemmy.zip 22 points 5 hours ago

Oh thank you! Had it on my phone without any notifications or anything else to tell me that!

Am an EU resident, so that's very worrisome to say the least.

[–] Zefirpo@feddit.it 8 points 4 hours ago

Thank you! I wasn't aware of it! Un-installed now 😁

[–] Tidesphere@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Doesn't appear to be on my phone or in the Google play store

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 hours ago

Ot did on my phone (Ger Pixel 7 Pro)

[–] Tregetour@lemdro.id 32 points 7 hours ago

Say it with me, peeps. Tenant on your own land!

[–] rollerbang@lemmy.world 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Why was this post removed from "youshouldknow" community?

[–] onyxjet@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

That's a mistake on my end. I have it cross posted again.

[–] masterofn001@lemmy.ca 9 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Entirely on my phone?

Why did my firewall ask if I wanted to allow it internet access?

[–] zecg@lemmy.world 13 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

It needs fresh dick hashes for up to date dick recognition

[–] dabaldeagul@feddit.nl 8 points 4 hours ago

Recocknition, if you will

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 47 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Hmm, don't seem to have it on my GrapheneOS phone. :)

[–] PiJiNWiNg@sh.itjust.works 9 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Ditto

[–] pirat@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

Checked my second GOS user profile with google services, just to make sure – nothing to be seen.

[–] dbkblk@lemmy.world 14 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

And then I praise microg / LineageOS

[–] smiletolerantly@awful.systems 8 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I am using both and this somehow made it to my phone, wtaf

[–] BritishJ@lemmy.world 14 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

If you have play services installed. You will get it.

[–] Lumiluz@slrpnk.net 4 points 6 hours ago (3 children)

I don't have it on a phone a with play services.

I'm also in the EU in case that matters

[–] dion_starfire@lemm.ee 1 points 23 minutes ago

Do you have Google's Messages app installed? If it actually does what they claim on the tin, maybe it was only installed on phones with the Messages app installed?

[–] kusivittula@sopuli.xyz 7 points 6 hours ago

I'm in EU and I have it. was able to uninstall though.

[–] BritishJ@lemmy.world 2 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Well then, that's pretty impressive. I don't know the answer to that

[–] Lumiluz@slrpnk.net 2 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Seems other commentators outside USA are saying similar things.

If true, I wouldn't trust this app at all, because it just be breaking GDPR somehow

[–] BritishJ@lemmy.world 1 points 6 hours ago

I have it and I am in the UK, we have our own GDPR after the whole Brexit thing. But someone would need to prove its breaking GDPR. To install it on the device isn't a violation of GDPR.

[–] solrize@lemmy.world 4 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Do not want! But I don't see it on my phone, at least so far. Fairly stock Moto G series with Android 14.

[–] GreenAppleTree@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

Same phone, same OS. Try going to the last link from the post. That'll take you to the Store page. If it says "uninstall" then you didn't look hard enough. (Neither did I, tbh. I forgot to hit "show system apps")

[–] LogicalDrivel@sopuli.xyz 30 points 8 hours ago

Thanks for the post. I had it on my phone as well. A couple days ago the messenger app forced me to update, I wonder if they are related.

[–] dditty@lemm.ee 28 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

I first heard about this 2 days ago and it wasn't installed on my phone at that time. Just checked again on a whim and sure enough it was installed!

Google, nobody asked for your safety center bullshit app.

[–] LordCrom@lemmy.world 14 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

In other news, Google wants to scan all your messenger images.

[–] SilentKnightOwl@slrpnk.net 4 points 3 hours ago

If you're using Google messages, they're definitely already doing so

[–] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 8 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Doesn't even appear to exist for me in the UK. Yay?

[–] thisismyname@lemm.ee 6 points 4 hours ago

It didn't appear in my apps list and yet if I looked at the link to the play store it said it was installed... maybe double check you don't have it by looking it up on the play store as well. Fishy to say the least

[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world 2 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Is it on Android 15 only? I've been procrastinating updating.

[–] GreenAppleTree@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Unfortunately not. Showed up on my 14

[–] biggerbogboy@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 hours ago

It also showed up on my android 11 Reno z

[–] ricdeh@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

Thanks, uninstalled

[–] Toes@ani.social 10 points 9 hours ago

It's into the 2s now. Not ok to push something like this automatically. Should be opt-in.

[–] shyguyblue@lemmy.world 4 points 8 hours ago

Yup, found on my phone yesterday.

It also claimed that i was part of the beta program, which is probably how they back-doored it in, so make sure you leave the beta program to keep it from coming back.

[–] sajhino@lemmy.world 4 points 8 hours ago

Wow, thanks for this. I do have it sneakily installed by Google to my phone, without my knowledge or consent. If that ain't malware behavior, idk what that is.

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 4 points 8 hours ago

As long as it just concern Google Messages I'm fine since I don't ever use that

[–] calamityjanitor@lemmy.world 4 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Seems weird to have a separate app read sent and received messages? Is it poking holes in the Messages app sandbox?

[–] halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 5 points 8 hours ago

Lots of apps are able to interact with your text messages. Many apps are able to intercept one time passcode messages when registering accounts for instance.

It's also not weird to separate this if they intend for it to be able to be used in other areas as well.

Just because it may be used only by Messages right now, doesn't mean that it's intended to only be used there.

[–] stardustpathsofglory@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

On my phone it was not installed (Android version 14). I even don't find it in google play store. Is this because of the Android version or are there maybe regional differences?

[–] bobs_monkey@lemm.ee 2 points 5 hours ago

I wonder if it's a 15 thing. I updated to 15 last week, and sure enough, it was in my system apps. Easy enough to install, but what the fuck. I really need to get myself a pixel and install GOS.

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