I can’t upload the images here for some reason so I can describe what I’m seeing.
In the Sensors list, I am seeing stuff like “3 Button Navigation Bar” “Android Easter Egg” “Android Shared Library” “Android System Angle.” In Networks I am seeing url-like names like “com.android.federatedcom[…]” “com.android.sdksandbox” “DeviceLockController.”
Is this malware? Is this virus? Is this safe or how do I remove them? Is it after I installed a sandboxed version of Play Store? I have spent all evening working on GOS and I am exhausted and the physical SIM card won’t work and I’m driving myself mad and it feels like nothing is working or I did something wrong and I can’t undo it. I just need some guidance please.
removed by mod
I just feel weird about these things I don’t recognise because I fear they hoard my data or expose my phone to dangers. Should I grant Google Framework Services all location preferences then…?
If you’re so scared about data collection, you shouldn’t be using a ROM with any kinds of Google apps installed imo. Consider switching to a fully vanilla one instead.
Unfortunately I must use these apps for financial and social reasons. Still, I want to hide my data as much as possible.
For that you need a separate device/VM with a system-wide VPN being enabled constantly. And what are the “social reasons”? You can’t hide the data if you message your friends about your plans on Google Messages for example.
I don’t know if you do this already, but in case you are not: GOS offers a convenient way to separate apps between each other, where some may depend on google services and others don’t. The methodology which works best for me is to use the main profile for all my personal apps and which do not require google services. For those few apps that do, I create a dedicated profile, in which I install the google services and the apps which need it. You can pipe notifications from that profile to the main one, in the profile settings, that way you can get the notifications of those apps even when not in the dedicated profile.
Additionally, if you do not need those notifications, you can disable the profile to run in the background when not in use.
As others have said, do not touch services and apps you do not recognize. Be very careful as things could turn south. Do not touch things unless you know what you are doing.
I think what you need is a threat model:
https://opsec101.org/ https://www.privacyguides.org/en/basics/threat-modeling/ https://ente.io/blog/threat-modeling-101/ https://proton.me/blog/what-is-a-threat-model