this post was submitted on 15 Nov 2023
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Privacy
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If your phone is rooted you can use any standalone keyboard app you like as long as you block it's internet access
you dont need to be rooted to block app's internet access though
This is depending on the OS one is using so I did not mention that it is possible on some operating systems
that was about android
exactly
Not rooted for once in a long time, but I'll think about it. How do you restrict an app's access?
You don't need root for it, it's in the app info page
I don't see the same thing on android 12.? Only restrict background data.
Same on android 13. There's not even a "Mobile data & Wi-Fi" category, just "Mobile data."
You could use an app like NetGuard to block internet access, but I've not found that to be a very practical solution, especially for VPN users.
Edit: Looks like it's a Samsung thing.
I really wish I didn't have a Samsung. What a horrible way to treat consumers, removing a basic function of the OS.
I'm on 13 and I have it. Your ROM probably disables it.
What can be done about that, besides rooting my phone?
It may depends on your rom/os brand. On my device (oxygen os 13.x), I can restrict access somewhere deep into mobile network settings (the translation may not be good as I have it in French) :
Settings > mobile network > data consumption > network access.
And here I see all apps. I can restrict mobile network, WiFi or both.
Same on Android 13
I'm on Android 13 and I have it. Your ROM probably has it disabled.
Seems like it's not available in Samsung's OneUI.
Samsung doesn't want you blocking their ~~spyware~~ pointless apps.
Not there on 14 with pixel, but it shows only 1mb used with is likely even I search for gifs
If you do not have an LSposed framework or similar (formerly knows as Xposed Framework) you can either use Adaway for blocking the phone from reaching websites (keep in mind that this is globally, though) or e.g. AFWall+ for preventing single Apps to connect to the internet (Apps that don't try to get internet access are not shown is the list provided by AFWall+).
If you have LSposed or similar I believe it is possible to install XprivacyLua. This was/is(?) a very powerful tool to manage every single access an app is trying to get. Why would a sketchy chinese calculator app need access to the contacts and the internet even though this was never allowed in the system settings?
OP can't use adaway or AFWall+ without root.
I'm in the same boat as OP (I have a device without root for the first time in a long time) and I miss both apps. I do use a pihole+VPN for what adaway does. But there's no real replacement for AFWall/iptables without root. As pointed out, though, you can block individual apps in some modern versions of android. Fortunately, I have that.
Yes but they asked anyway, so I posted a few options