Re: Android keyboard: your choice.

Andrew, 2024-06-22 02:34:

Arno Welzel wrote on Wed, 19 Jun 2024 08:25:01 +0200 :
 

Since Helium keyboard does not use Firebase and also does not have
internet access, this is not an issue.

 
That's a terribly misleading sentence, unfortunately; but I know you're
trying to help - so please take what I say below purely constructively.
 
That sentence is dangerous - because it's so non detailed as to be able to
be interpreted in two completely different ways - one good - the other bad.
 
I do not think anyone on this newsgroup understands the difference between
Google Firebase (cloud stuff) and Google Services Firebase App Indexing
(non cloud stuff); so your sentence above is meaningless until you can show
that you understand that they're completely different - and not having one
doesn't negate having the other.

Which does not matter, since Helium keyboard does not use Firebase, no
matter what it is.

[...]

1. Firebase is (apparently) not the same as Firebase App Indexing.

Firebase App Indexing is a part of Firebase but no longer the
recommended way by Google:

<https://firebase.google.com/docs/app-indexing?hl=en>

   One uses the cloud. The other does not use the cloud (AFAIK).
   The one that does not use the cloud is called "Google Services
   Firebase App Indexing" and it _does_ send "statistics" to Google!

Firebase itself *is* "the cloud" - for example to provide storage,
messaging or analytics using Google cloud services. It depends on the
application if it does use these features.

2. I installed and used Helium HeliBoard and I subsequently checked
   the Google Services Firebase App Indexing data location, which
   you can only see if you turn Developer options on, and I did not
   see anything in there from Helium - so even though you didn't
   distinguish between Google Firebase (cloud related stuff) and
   Google Services Firebase App Indexing (not related to the cloud),
   I think that you're correct that Helium doesn't collect that data
   (which then Google says it grabs "statistics" from).

Heliboard does not use anything connected to Firebase!

3. However, notice that the fact that Helium Heliboard does not use
   the Internet is meaningless because Google uses the Internet.

No, this is not meaningless, because without Internet acces *and*
without Firebase the app can not send data anywhere.

And again, if you don't trust my answers, check the source code of the
for yourself and/or build your own version based on that code or ask
someone you trust to assist you with that:

<https://github.com/Helium314/HeliBoard>



--
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de