Re: Android keyboard: your choice.

R.Wieser, 2024-06-20 16:53:

Arno,
 

The contacts permission is off by default in this app and is only needed
when you enable "Suggest Contact names" in the "Text correction" settings.

 
"The contacts permission is off by default in this app" ?

Yes, when you install the app, this permission will not be requested.
You *can* enable it, but it is activated by default.

That sounds like as if the app is managing its own permissions, and I *hope*
that that is not what you ment ...

An app *must* contain the permission request in the manifest, regardless
if it actually uses it or not. And Heliboard includes the *request* for
contact permission but will *not* ask to use it until you enable the
"Suggest Contact names" in the settings.

But maybe you just mean that the permission will only actually be asked for
when it tries to access the contacts (and not when installing).   But how
does that make a difference ?     It still wants to access that contacts
data.

It will only access contact data, when you enable the setting for it in
the app, otherwise not.

Before complaining about how insecure an app is you should first check it!

 
Are you teling me I must be a fullblown Java programmer before I'm allowed
to mention stuff I would never want to give the permission for ?   I hope
not.

No, you just see, what happens, if you let this permission disabled. If
the app still works without any error, it does not read contact data.

Also see the options in the app - "Suggest Contact names" is a good hint
what the permission for contact reading is used for. Better than just
assuming that the app does not respect your privacy just because of an
*optional* permission.

--
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de