ive been using expandroid, but sadly it stoped working for the stuff i most need it for.

now i found texpandapp(.)com. its really nice cuz it works my browser and note taking app.

most home calling can be stopped via dns blocking i guess (?), but it still has those questionable permissions:

  • view network connections 😒
  • use fingerprint hardware 👌
  • run foreground service with the type “dataSync” 🥱
  • run at startup 👌 -ask to ignore battery optimizations👌
  • have full network access 😳😳😳
  • prevent phone from sleeping🤔
  • Advertising ID Permission 🙄
  • run foreground service 👌
  • Google Play billing service 👌
  • Play Install Referrer API 🤔

how bad is all of that? keylogger-level bad?

(cannot block all internet access, bad phone and the vpn slot is occupied)

edit: turns out split tunnelling with “block all connections without vpn” does the job, nice.

  • Flagstaff@programming.devEnglish
    0·
    1 day ago

    Why do you use a separate Android app with all of those hostile permissions instead of the built-in personal dictionary and its shortcuts? I have thousands of shorthand lines in Android’s personal dictionary, like wdyl = what do you like (type the first part and the second part appears in the autocorrect pane for you to touch if you want).

    • birdcat@lemmy.mlOP
      0·
      1 day ago

      i dont seem to have that function. anyway cannot rly see the harm with that app and the vpn block solution.

      • Flagstaff@programming.devEnglish
        0·
        1 day ago

        Your Android device doesn’t have a personal dictionary section in the Language & Input page? What phone do you have? Yeah, keeping it offline is probably fine, but I’m just surprised since this has been a thing for at least 7 Android versions now, as far as I know.

        By the way, HeliBoard (an offline fork of the now-defunct OpenBoard) seems to have its own private, built-in personal dictionary; I migrated to that since finding out.

  • freijon@lemmings.world
    0·
    1 day ago

    I know you’re probably referring to mobile apps. However, I only use a text expander on Desktop, where I can recommend espanso. It’s FOSS and doesn’t connect anywhere (unless you tell it to). I wouldn’t trust a non-open app that can read everything I type.

  • Xanza@lemm.eeEnglish
    0·
    2 days ago

    These applications have to read everything you type to be able to see if the expansion trigger is being used. They are quite literally keyloggers.

    They may be nice, but you’re essentially letting the application read everything you type. Including passwords, social security numbers, anything…

    Any type of network access here is unacceptable.

    • birdcat@lemmy.mlOP
      0·
      2 days ago

      thanks, kinda thought so, gonna use netguard when using it, more important than the vpn