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Last night I noticed Play asking me to update an app called Smart Device Manager. Having no idea what the app was, or why it was on my phone, I read the description:
OVERVIEW
Smart Device Manager is an app that runs on the “child” phone in order to power two family safety services on the Sprint Network, Drive First and Mobile Controls. These services allow parents to automatically lock a phone when driving or to prevent phone usage during school hours.
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Click to collapse
With a bit more searching, it looks like it's a background utility that comes preinstalled on our phones. It's a helper for parental controls to manage what your children (or employees, I suppose) are doing, as well as lock your phone when you're driving to discourage talking or texting while driving. Accomplishing this requires some pretty nasty permissions. Granted, it's obviously not CIQ, and it shouldn't be doing anything at all unless you activate and pay for the appropriate services, but I still don't want it on my phone, if for no other reason than it may be using up some juice.
It appears there was some sort of bug with the change to Google Play that prompted many (everyone?) with the app to update it, even though you have no reason to update it unless you're actually using the service(s) (Source). As it's a system app, you can uninstall it with Titanium if you are rooted. I've done so and it hasn't hurt anything thus far.
Just figured I'd let a few people know what was up, in case they get the notification as well. And if it's already common knowledge, *shrug* I guess I wasted a few minutes of my life
interesting...
Just read about this.
http://phandroid.com/2012/03/28/spr...are-to-android-devices-heres-how-to-avoid-it/
Thank goodness for custom roms and their bloatware removal.
What's weird is that I'm running Blazer Rom, have never installed this service and google play is reminding me every day that I need to "upgrade it."
Somehow must have been left in Blazer.....
wotan2525 said:
What's weird is that I'm running Blazer Rom, have never installed this service and google play is reminding me every day that I need to "upgrade it."
Somehow must have been left in Blazer.....
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Click to collapse
I think it's a Sprint/Google agreement that is going to show up in our market suggestions no matter what ROM we run, the key is just ignore the suggestion and don't install.
Thanks for the info. I missed this one when I was getting rid of the bloatware. Even if it's not activated on my end, I'd rather not give them one more route of easy access to controlling my device. I suppose it's a good feature for parents/employers, but can you imagine if service providers started shutting down your phone (essentially airplane mode) if your were traveling over a certain speed?
You can delete this from system/app and it will stop alerting you in the market. Its actually labelled smartdevicemamager.apk in system/app.
Edit: Pointless post. Sorry.
When i had this app on it would give me slow data then i disable it and now i have full speeds
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Sycobob said:
Last night I noticed Play asking me to update an app called Smart Device Manager. Having no idea what the app was, or why it was on my phone, I read the description:
With a bit more searching, it looks like it's a background utility that comes preinstalled on our phones. It's a helper for parental controls to manage what your children (or employees, I suppose) are doing, as well as lock your phone when you're driving to discourage talking or texting while driving. Accomplishing this requires some pretty nasty permissions. Granted, it's obviously not CIQ, and it shouldn't be doing anything at all unless you activate and pay for the appropriate services, but I still don't want it on my phone, if for no other reason than it may be using up some juice.
It appears there was some sort of bug with the change to Google Play that prompted many (everyone?) with the app to update it, even though you have no reason to update it unless you're actually using the service(s) (Source). As it's a system app, you can uninstall it with Titanium if you are rooted. I've done so and it hasn't hurt anything thus far.
Just figured I'd let a few people know what was up, in case they get the notification as well. And if it's already common knowledge, *shrug* I guess I wasted a few minutes of my life
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
updated it last night as well running blazer 4.0, didn't know what it was just don't like "updates available" popping up on boot
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA
I just deleted it through titanium backup
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Codename havent ever seen it lol
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA
More info here:
http://community.sprint.com/baw/thread/87271?start=0&tstart=0
Sprint reps said the service has always been on the phone but the recent Google Play Store update caused the update to show up. Supposedly Location Labs (the company created the software) is looking into why it is showing up as an update....
Link is already in the OP
T-Mobile's MyAccount found on the Google Play Store has been up to a bit of trickery a few weeks ago.
I only post this on XDA now because I was talking to a friend who went through just about same experience around the same time. So I'm posting this thread as an answer for those who have gone through this.
The T-Mobile My Account application had an update about two weeks ago that had general improvements and bug fixes, which I didn't update to, and later went to the My Apps section of the Google Play Store. Under applications that needed to be updated, T-Mobile's MyAccount disappeared all together from the Google Play Store.
Zip, zilch, Nada, gone all together. The only thing that was left was a super old My Account application that has since been discontinued. I didn't think much of it because my app was working just fine. I searched the Play Store on my PC and Android Browsers in Desktop user agent to see if it was just affecting me for some reason, "incompatible with my device" or anything like that, I found no evidence of the modern T-Mobile MyAccount app and I moved on since I had mine without issues. Just a few days later, I checked the Play Store to update a few apps, then lo and behold, the app was back and wanted me to update.
So I updated the application, and then went to my home screen. I usually keep the Data Counter Widget on one of my home screens solely so I can brag that I've used "X" gigabytes on mobile 4G while my friends have to worry about their bill blowing up $170 in overage fees just from going over their data quota... (I stream videos, I browse, I download apps, and stream music quite often - so my data is pretty high a month, but that's why I have unlimited). Well, the widget said to click to update the info, which I did. I got a bunch of stupid ridiculous nonsensical errors about my data plan not being compatible with the T-Mobile My Account data widget, that my phone wasn't compatible with widgets, couldn't load data, I didn't have an account, etc... Well, I thankfully had a Titanium Backup of the working app, so I cleared data of the current one, and then restored the old version+data. Voila! - Data Widget works again, no issues...
Currently to my knowledge the latest version causes issues with a few different widgets, loading payments, etc, however the app completely played a disappearing act from Google Play store and came back to life 3 days later. Odd to me because nor T-Mobile nor Google would have reason to pull it (even temporarily) from the Play Store. So if anyone went though this, you weren't the only one.
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If there was a serious bug found, they'd be right to pull it for a few days. But it's no surprise to me really. Have you read the reviews on the app?
I'm still not sure what "trickery" you are talking about though. How did they pull a fast one over on you? What did they do to you when they did?
If you are referring to installing a dysfunctional app, I don't see that as tricking people into something. I call it the norm for that app per the reviews I remember reading in the past. It's why I've never bothered with using it to begin with. The number of decent reviews has gone up lately, but there's still plenty enough bad ones to raise flags for me.
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I agree with you, yes disfunctional, although no foul. When I referred to "trickery" I just meant as far as functioning properly, then dissapearing from Google Play and any official mention on the T-Mobile site, only to reappear again broken. I posted this thread basically for the people who experienced the issues, they weren't crazy. It's more of pre-halloween mental trickery haha.
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I've never seen this "app" before. It just appeared today. Looks like it was pushed down from Sprint. It's called simply "Carrier Call Utility" and the icon is the Sprint logo. Version 6.0.015
It can't be opened, stopped, or uninstalled.
Does anyone know what it is? Is it new or did I just not see it before?
Carrier Call Utility
I do hope someone comes up with an answer for this. I just this morning (04/08/17) saw that it had "successfully been installed" on my phone as well. I have an ex son in law who installs imsi catcher quality spyware on the phones of his ex family members, so it is especially worrying for me. I can't imagine that it is something I need since the phone has worked fine without it all this time, so even if it's not something dangerous, it is 17.45mb of space being used by something utterly without merit at best and a liability at worst...
Anyone have any ideas? Talking to Sprint is not likely to get an answer that makes any sense.
It appeared on my phone too. Really annoying. I tried to find out what it is online, and finding nothing but this thread, I decided to just pull its plug if I could. I went into Settings, General, Apps and found it there. "Force Stop" and "Uninstall" weren't active for this app, so I clicked on the upper right dots and was able to disable the app that way. It showed way too many permissions for it to access my files and information anyway, which never makes me happy. It said that all data would be lost if I did, and asked if I wanted to revert back to the old app. Since I didn't ASK for this app, I clicked okay for it to remove and replace it. The app was replaced with the old Sprint Zone app. Which I never used anyway.
I check my phone just now, 4/11/17, I don't have this app....
I have Boost Mobile and just now it was force installed and a message said boost zone is now my boost. I unistalled app update for carrier xall utility and unindtslled my boost and carrier call utility disappeared but nothing shows in uninstalled apps. I cleared my browsers cache and rebooted phone.
Update to my reply: It has reinstalled on my lgk3 phone three times now. I uninstall "my boost" which reverts back to "boost zone" which gets of call carrier utillity from my installed apps. But it just reinstalls again later.
Maddwoodsman said:
I have Boost Mobile and just now it was force installed and a message said boost zone is now my boost. I unistalled app update for carrier xall utility and unindtslled my boost and carrier call utility disappeared but nothing shows in uninstalled apps. I cleared my browsers cache and rebooted phone.
Update to my reply: It has reinstalled on my lgk3 phone three times now. I uninstall "my boost" which reverts back to "boost zone" which gets of call carrier utillity from my installed apps. But it just reinstalls again later.
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Click to collapse
Have to agree with Annoyed Too; it is another version (maybe?) of the Sprint Zone app, which like Annoyed Too, I never used. I never even opened it to see what it supposedly did. I can force stop mine after doing the reversion back to original app, but this is almost as annoying as Sprint Optimizer, the function of which is evidently to eat your battery. That's another one I have to keep force-stopping and can't get rid of...
I have boost mobile too and lookout security said it was safe to install
Bubbles602 said:
I have boost mobile too and lookout security said it was safe to install
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Click to collapse
Oh, I'm sure it's safe enough, as it is a Sprint program, but the point is that it is there taking up resources and space with little if any benefit to the phone user. It is 17.45MB of uselessness that I'm certain no more than 0.5% of the population will ever even open to access and about 10% of THAT number will never use at all. I actually don't know a single person that has used Sprint Zone for anything, ever! More than half the people I speak to regularly have Sprint and none of them ever uses it; most of us have no real idea what it is supposed to be for, lol!
When I uninstalled the updates, it reset itself back to the old Sprint Zone.
Same thing happened to me. I have Boost Mobile so the app on my phone is called My Boost. I reverted back to the factory version yesterday (Boost Zone) and discovered that such reversion only lasts 24 hours. My Boost was reinstalled. Looks like I need to root, though I don't want to because I bricked my previous phone.
I've never rooted a device simply because I figure that what you said would be exactly what would happen to me; the device would be a paperweight at the end of the process. I just wish we had a little more control over what ends up on our phones. If we wanted the particular software, we would research the apps, choose apps useful to us as individual users and install them ourselves. It seems like they would get that the fact that we didn't do that means we don't want the app on our devices. Of course, what WE want rarely plays a role in what the carrier companies decide to clutter up our phones with...
It just popped up as an update on my phone a little bit ago. I pressed on it and it disappeared. Had to go into settings to find it. This is the only link that comes up when I googled it. Then I had a notification pop up saying is the new Sprint Zone. I'm about sick of these updates and random stuff being added to my phone without my permission. Hell, I have an S6 so I can't install a sd card for more space so please stop. We should be allowed to delete applications as we please unless they are really needed period.
Bought Unlocked Pixel 3 From Google, & T-Mobile Crammed an App Onto the Phone Anyway!
How to make a customer very angry, and concerned about security...
Bought a brand-new Pixel 3 from Google, inserted my T-Mobile SIM card, (Goodbye Sony Xperia Series! Good Riddance!) and went about my business with my new Android 10 phone.
But a few days after, just today, I see a screen pop up that was pink - I asked me if I wanted to check and see if my phone was "eligible" for unlocking.
One surmises that T-Mobile noticed the new device ID associated with the same old SIM card, and downloaded the app WITHOUT PERMISSION AND WITHOUT ANY NOTICE THAT THEY WERE DOING SO. They also did not even bother to check the ID against their own inventory to determine if they had sold the phone or not, if they did, they would have seen that it was a Pixel, which they don't offer.
At no time did I visit a T-Mobile sit or download any T-Mobile related apps. They just took it upon themselves to silently install software without even asking.
So here's the punchline - what ELSE might they have installed, and how can I be sure about this?
What else might they install in the future? On whose behalf?
packetfire said:
How to make a customer very angry, and concerned about security...
Bought a brand-new Pixel 3 from Google, inserted my T-Mobile SIM card, (Goodbye Sony Xperia Series! Good Riddance!) and went about my business with my new Android 10 phone.
But a few days after, just today, I see a screen pop up that was pink - I asked me if I wanted to check and see if my phone was "eligible" for unlocking.
One surmises that T-Mobile noticed the new device ID associated with the same old SIM card, and downloaded the app WITHOUT PERMISSION AND WITHOUT ANY NOTICE THAT THEY WERE DOING SO. They also did not even bother to check the ID against their own inventory to determine if they had sold the phone or not, if they did, they would have seen that it was a Pixel, which they don't offer.
At no time did I visit a T-Mobile sit or download any T-Mobile related apps. They just took it upon themselves to silently install software without even asking.
So here's the punchline - what ELSE might they have installed, and how can I be sure about this?
What else might they install in the future? On whose behalf?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed the same thing on my pixel 3 xl and I'm on Google Fi and I can't uninstall that app to unlock my phone, I can only disable the app
lavin40 said:
I noticed the same thing on my pixel 3 xl and I'm on Google Fi and I can't uninstall that app to unlock my phone, I can only disable the app
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Click to collapse
What's worse is that the app itself claims that you CAN remove the app, after it has (correctly) determined that the phone is not locked.
Is your app also a "T-Mobile" app with a pink icon, or is it a variant that is branded for the Google FI service?
packetfire said:
What's worse is that the app itself claims that you CAN remove the app, after it has (correctly) determined that the phone is not locked.
Is your app also a "T-Mobile" app with a pink icon, or is it a variant that is branded for the Google FI service?
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Click to collapse
The app is pink I believe I got a Verizon pixel 3 xl cause the OEM unlock option is greyed out so I can't even root the phone
During the initial setup, there is a "sneaky" screen that asks if you want to finish (or something, I forgot). But if you expand that screen, there are several apps that Google intends to install, and you can opt out right there. Duo is definitely one of the apps, and several T-Mobile apps (I'm on TMO) as well as some others. I opted out and don't have any TMO apps.
Just like the above comment, it's in your 'additional-apps' section of the initial setup. If you uncheck? It doesn't install.
jbarcus81 said:
Just like the above comment, it's in your 'additional-apps' section of the initial setup. If you uncheck? It doesn't install.
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Click to collapse
Yep. This. If the app(s) are installed it's because you let the setup install them. They (Google/T-Mobile) didn't install them on the phone without your consent. You just missed where you have the option to not install them.
ktmom said:
During the initial setup, there is a "sneaky" screen that asks if you want to finish (or something, I forgot). But if you expand that screen, there are several apps that Google intends to install, and you can opt out right there. Duo is definitely one of the apps, and several T-Mobile apps (I'm on TMO) as well as some others. I opted out and don't have any TMO apps.
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Click to collapse
Well, that must be how it was done - anyway, the app is gone now, all by itself, so it appears to be yes, an undetectable silent install of an undelete-able "system app", but it seems that once you are verified as "unlocked", it self-deletes.
But I got nothing but the "unlocker", no Duo installed for me. (I like Google Authenticator - 2FA without anything else to carry, and SIM-swap-proof).
So this was the paternalistic Google trying to be helpful, but creeping people out yet again with their presumptuousness.
packetfire said:
Well, that must be how it was done - anyway, the app is gone now, all by itself, so it appears to be yes, an undetectable silent install of an undelete-able "system app", but it seems that once you are verified as "unlocked", it self-deletes.
But I got nothing but the "unlocker", no Duo installed for me. (I like Google Authenticator - 2FA without anything else to carry, and SIM-swap-proof).
So this was the paternalistic Google trying to be helpful, but creeping people out yet again with their presumptuousness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tmobile.pr.mytmobile
Tmobile silently installed this app on my unlocked pixel 3xl from best buy just yesterday after I set up my playstore account!
As a User app though.
packetfire said:
How to make a customer very angry, and concerned about security...
Bought a brand-new Pixel 3 from Google, inserted my T-Mobile SIM card, (Goodbye Sony Xperia Series! Good Riddance!) and went about my business with my new Android 10 phone.
But a few days after, just today, I see a screen pop up that was pink - I asked me if I wanted to check and see if my phone was "eligible" for unlocking.
One surmises that T-Mobile noticed the new device ID associated with the same old SIM card, and downloaded the app WITHOUT PERMISSION AND WITHOUT ANY NOTICE THAT THEY WERE DOING SO. They also did not even bother to check the ID against their own inventory to determine if they had sold the phone or not, if they did, they would have seen that it was a Pixel, which they don't offer.
At no time did I visit a T-Mobile sit or download any T-Mobile related apps. They just took it upon themselves to silently install software without even asking.
So here's the punchline - what ELSE might they have installed, and how can I be sure about this?
What else might they install in the future? On whose behalf?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to show that it was indeed installed to the device...
dirtyreturn said:
Just to show that it was indeed installed to the device...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As stated in this thread, you accepted the install of the T-Mobile app during the setup process.
ktmom said:
As stated in this thread, you accepted the install of the T-Mobile app during the setup process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's just exclusive to the pixel 3? Stock Rom?
Just wondering since it's a first that this happened for me. Being on the same carrier with previous phones this did not happen.
dirtyreturn said:
That's just exclusive to the pixel 3? Stock Rom?
Just wondering since it's a first that this happened for me. Being on the same carrier with previous phones this did not happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I had to disable TMO apps during setup on my PH-1. I'm sure that Google has agreements with the carriers who offer the device. Even (esp?) when the device comes straight from Google.
And yes, stock ROM.
Longtime Pixel user here...first Samsung phone. Bought the unlocked Z Fold 3, was told it worked with Google Fi...it does, however I don't believe I've been on any other network than T-Mobile. I'd like to be able to force switch carriers or even have the phone switch carriers when necessary...any Samsung tricks I am not aware of here?
Get the app FiSwitch (or similar) there are many on the play store.
I have tried a few.. none allow for carriers switching. Looks like there are some permissions missing
Tiring to sync to other programs but not having much luck yet. Not to the watch either, have to use Samsung Health.