The long awaited Populele is finally shipping! Got mine today and it looks great, good packaging, nicely made, quality sound comparable to a $100 concert uke from a music store. Plus it's got 72 led lights that can teach you new chords and songs or tell you what that weird chord you just played is called, all very cool.
So I plug this thing in to charge and go to download the app. It only has 100 downloads and 6 reviews, OK fine, this thing is super new. But when I click it and the permissions page comes up it has about a dozen things it wants access to on my phone. I would expect access to blue tooth and the mic so it can hear the uke, permission to keep the screen on etc. But it's asking for... everything.
All my contacts
Ability to change my network settings, read all my text messages, send and delete texts, see all files, see all account information for google etc., see all my pictures and videos, and my exact location??? The list goes on. This is supposed to be a fun uke app, why do I feel like China is trying to hack my phone?
I messaged the company on facebook, I will post back here when they explain what's going on, I am hoping it was a programming oversight and they will fix it, in the mean time I am not putting this on my phone!
Here is a link to the app details, check out the section on permissions it is asking for:
https://www.allfreeapk.com/populele-international,13479172/
Here is the list of what it wants access to on my phone:
Populele International APK's Permissiom From Google Play:
Change/intercept network settings and traffic:
Allows the app to change network settings and to intercept and inspect all network traffic, for example to change the proxy and port of any APN. Malicious apps may monitor, redirect, or modify network packets without your knowledge.
Find accounts on the device:
Allows the app to get the list of accounts known by the device. This may include any accounts created by applications you have installed.
Modify or delete the contents of your USB storage:
Allows the app to write to the USB storage.
Precise location (GPS and network-based):
Allows the app to get your precise location using the Global Positioning System (GPS) or network location sources such as cell towers and Wi-Fi. These location services must be turned on and available to your device for the app to use them. Apps may use this to determine where you are, and may consume additional battery power.
Read phone status and identity:
Allows the app to access the phone features of the device. This permission allows the app to determine the phone number and device IDs, whether a call is active, and the remote number connected by a call.
Read sensitive log data:
Allows the app to read from the system's various log files. This allows it to discover general information about what you are doing with the device, potentially including personal or private information.
Read the contents of your USB storage:
Allows the app to read the contents of your USB storage.
Read your contacts:
Allows the app to read data about your contacts stored on your device, including the frequency with which you've called, emailed, or communicated in other ways with specific individuals. This permission allows apps to save your contact data, and malicious apps may share contact data without your knowledge.
Read your text messages (SMS or MMS):
Allows the app to read SMS messages stored on your device or SIM card. This allows the app to read all SMS messages, regardless of content or confidentiality.
Receive text messages (SMS):
Allows the app to receive and process SMS messages. This means the app could monitor or delete messages sent to your device without showing them to you.
Record audio:
Allows the app to record audio with the microphone. This permission allows the app to record audio at any time without your confirmation.
Retrieve running apps:
Allows the app to retrieve information about currently and recently running tasks. This may allow the app to discover information about which applications are used on the device.
View Wi-Fi connections:
Allows the app to view information about Wi-Fi networking, such as whether Wi-Fi is enabled and name of connected Wi-Fi devices.
Populele International APK's Permissiom From APK File:
Populele International APK
PHONE
Allows read only access to phone state, including the phone number of the device, current cellular network information, the status of any ongoing calls, and a list of any PhoneAccounts registered on the device.
Allows read only access to phone state, including the phone number of the device, current cellular network information, the status of any ongoing calls, and a list of any PhoneAccounts registered on the device.
OTHER
Allows access to the vibrator.
Allows an application to read or write the system settings.
Allows an application to receive the ACTION_BOOT_COMPLETED that is broadcast after the system finishes booting.
Allows using PowerManager WakeLocks to keep processor from sleeping or screen from dimming.
Allows applications to open network sockets.
Allows applications to change network connectivity state.
Allows applications to change Wi-Fi connectivity state.
Allows applications to access information about networks.
Allows applications to access information about Wi-Fi networks.
Allows an application to modify global audio settings.
Allows applications to discover and pair bluetooth devices.
Allows applications to connect to paired bluetooth devices.
Allows applications to write the apn settings.
This constant was deprecated in API level 21. No longer enforced.
Allows applications to access information about networks.
Allows applications to access information about Wi-Fi networks.
Allows an application to read the low-level system log files.
Allows applications to open network sockets.
MICROPHONE
Allows an application to record audio.
STORAGE
Allows an application to write to external storage.
Allows an application to read from external storage.
SMS
Allows an application to receive SMS messages.
Allows an application to read SMS messages.
CONTACTS
Allows an application to read the user's contacts data.
Allows access to the list of accounts in the Accounts Service.
LOCATION
Allows an app to access precise location
So I plug this thing in to charge and go to download the app. It only has 100 downloads and 6 reviews, OK fine, this thing is super new. But when I click it and the permissions page comes up it has about a dozen things it wants access to on my phone. I would expect access to blue tooth and the mic so it can hear the uke, permission to keep the screen on etc. But it's asking for... everything.
All my contacts
Ability to change my network settings, read all my text messages, send and delete texts, see all files, see all account information for google etc., see all my pictures and videos, and my exact location??? The list goes on. This is supposed to be a fun uke app, why do I feel like China is trying to hack my phone?
I messaged the company on facebook, I will post back here when they explain what's going on, I am hoping it was a programming oversight and they will fix it, in the mean time I am not putting this on my phone!
Here is a link to the app details, check out the section on permissions it is asking for:
https://www.allfreeapk.com/populele-international,13479172/
Here is the list of what it wants access to on my phone:
Populele International APK's Permissiom From Google Play:
Change/intercept network settings and traffic:
Allows the app to change network settings and to intercept and inspect all network traffic, for example to change the proxy and port of any APN. Malicious apps may monitor, redirect, or modify network packets without your knowledge.
Find accounts on the device:
Allows the app to get the list of accounts known by the device. This may include any accounts created by applications you have installed.
Modify or delete the contents of your USB storage:
Allows the app to write to the USB storage.
Precise location (GPS and network-based):
Allows the app to get your precise location using the Global Positioning System (GPS) or network location sources such as cell towers and Wi-Fi. These location services must be turned on and available to your device for the app to use them. Apps may use this to determine where you are, and may consume additional battery power.
Read phone status and identity:
Allows the app to access the phone features of the device. This permission allows the app to determine the phone number and device IDs, whether a call is active, and the remote number connected by a call.
Read sensitive log data:
Allows the app to read from the system's various log files. This allows it to discover general information about what you are doing with the device, potentially including personal or private information.
Read the contents of your USB storage:
Allows the app to read the contents of your USB storage.
Read your contacts:
Allows the app to read data about your contacts stored on your device, including the frequency with which you've called, emailed, or communicated in other ways with specific individuals. This permission allows apps to save your contact data, and malicious apps may share contact data without your knowledge.
Read your text messages (SMS or MMS):
Allows the app to read SMS messages stored on your device or SIM card. This allows the app to read all SMS messages, regardless of content or confidentiality.
Receive text messages (SMS):
Allows the app to receive and process SMS messages. This means the app could monitor or delete messages sent to your device without showing them to you.
Record audio:
Allows the app to record audio with the microphone. This permission allows the app to record audio at any time without your confirmation.
Retrieve running apps:
Allows the app to retrieve information about currently and recently running tasks. This may allow the app to discover information about which applications are used on the device.
View Wi-Fi connections:
Allows the app to view information about Wi-Fi networking, such as whether Wi-Fi is enabled and name of connected Wi-Fi devices.
Populele International APK's Permissiom From APK File:
Populele International APK
PHONE
Allows read only access to phone state, including the phone number of the device, current cellular network information, the status of any ongoing calls, and a list of any PhoneAccounts registered on the device.
Allows read only access to phone state, including the phone number of the device, current cellular network information, the status of any ongoing calls, and a list of any PhoneAccounts registered on the device.
OTHER
Allows access to the vibrator.
Allows an application to read or write the system settings.
Allows an application to receive the ACTION_BOOT_COMPLETED that is broadcast after the system finishes booting.
Allows using PowerManager WakeLocks to keep processor from sleeping or screen from dimming.
Allows applications to open network sockets.
Allows applications to change network connectivity state.
Allows applications to change Wi-Fi connectivity state.
Allows applications to access information about networks.
Allows applications to access information about Wi-Fi networks.
Allows an application to modify global audio settings.
Allows applications to discover and pair bluetooth devices.
Allows applications to connect to paired bluetooth devices.
Allows applications to write the apn settings.
This constant was deprecated in API level 21. No longer enforced.
Allows applications to access information about networks.
Allows applications to access information about Wi-Fi networks.
Allows an application to read the low-level system log files.
Allows applications to open network sockets.
MICROPHONE
Allows an application to record audio.
STORAGE
Allows an application to write to external storage.
Allows an application to read from external storage.
SMS
Allows an application to receive SMS messages.
Allows an application to read SMS messages.
CONTACTS
Allows an application to read the user's contacts data.
Allows access to the list of accounts in the Accounts Service.
LOCATION
Allows an app to access precise location
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