Until a few years ago, any app you installed on an Android device could see all other apps on your phone without your permission.

Apparently Android apps (even in current Android versions) can check for the presence of other Android apps by listing the apps they want to check for in their manifest file. Nothing stops them from listing dozens or hundreds of other apps, and some do exactly that. Up til Android 11 they didn’t even have to list the other apps in the manifest. Then Google “tightened” things to be almost as bad. Dumb move, Android.

  • JayGray91@lemmy.zipEnglish
    7·
    3 days ago

    It’s how @JudahBenHur@lemm.ee says. The app won’t function with a non-whitelisted keyboard. It also can detect of accessibility on. I don’t have any disability to require that on, but do have some apps that use it. I rated the app 1 star saying they are ableist and they still double down on their stupidity.