Boost For Lemmy

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App Permissions (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I was a long-time user of Boost for Reddit. Now that it is dead, I have moved over to Lemmy, in part because I saw that is what the creator of Boost was doing. My only question is what everyone thinks of the app Permissions for Boost for Lemmy. Right now I'm using Connect for Lemmy and it doesn't require nearly so many permissions as Boost will.require. Particularly purchase history, is that just so it can know if you purchased the app or is it your entire purchase history? And location. I'm not sure why it needs that. Can someone chime in on this. Maybe ELI5 the permissions for me?

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Purchase History will be for checking if you've purchased the ad-free unlock. (maybe carried over from BoostForReddit too? Not sure.)

Location is usually less about your location and more about your wifi network. Knowing when to refresh the connection due to network switching or performing actions based on what network you're on.

Your location can be determined from your wifi info + databases of networks that google/apple/microsoft each provide/maintain so location permissions are required to see that info.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You can determine if there's an active Internet connection without checking the wifi info.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But knowing whether you're on mobile data or Wi-Fi can be useful for, say, only allowing images to auto-load on Wi-Fi. Those kinds of network-based options require knowing more information about the type of connection, which on android means asking for Location permissions.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Incorrect. If you aren't using WifiManager, you don't need ACCESS_WIFI_STATE or location permissions. ConnectivityManager gives information to know the connection type with only ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE, which is granted automatically on install without prompting the user to allow.

And besides that, you should really be checking ConnectivityManager.isActiveNetworkMetered() instead of the connection type anyway, since the user could be on tethered wifi, for instance.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

Advertising and analytics. I wish there was a separate boost for lemmy without those type of stuff in it, but the in app purchase is supposed to disable all that. Can look at the difference in requests the app makes with the in app permission versus without it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

If it bothers you, I'm pretty sure you can disallow those permissions on phone apps settings, others already explained why they request those permissions

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I woulsnt use connect if I were you. It's basically Spyware. Someone else on lemmy did a great write up of it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What would you recommend instead for now, while we wait for boost?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm using jerboa and it's ok.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I'll check it out thanks.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Could you link it here if possible?