Recent SMS privacy changes to Android

The new year is coming and along with it major changes to Android are coming as well!

In an ongoing attempt to make Android devices more secure, Google will now limit what apps can access your text messages and call logs. Unless the app is designed to be your primary way to send and receive texts, the app is not allowed to send or receive any texts on the phone.

“Only an app that has been selected as a user’s default app for making calls or text messages, or whose core functionality is approved for one of the exception use cases, will be able to request access to Call Log or SMS permissions.” – Google Android Security Team

What does this mean for Where’s My Droid?

Well, it means we have to remove the ability to activate the app via texting. As of January 9th, 2019 the app will no longer be able to send or receive text messages. Don’t Panic! You can still use the app to find your phone! You will need to signup for a Commander account and use the app via our website instead of texting. This also means the app can’t send any notifications by text. If you have the GPS Flare, Uninstall Alert, SIM Monitor, Theft Detection, Camera on Failed Unlock, or Geofence set to send notifications to a phone via text, you will change it to use an email address.

In addition the Call Log feature, allowing you to view in and out going calls, will be removed unless or until Google changes their mind on the new security policies. The Hidden Icon feature has also been removed, because they consider it a ‘spy’ feature. We fought their appeals team, and lost.

Google states you can get “special permission” to use these extra functions, let’s do that!?

Yep, this wording sounds promising however phone locator apps are not being considered for special permissions.

You can find a link to the full documentation by Google about this changes

Android Developer Docs and Android Developer Blog

We also would strongly encourage you to reach out to Google and share your feelings about these changes. Are the changes limiting your free to use your device how you wish? Or do you believe these changes are steps in the right direction?

Many other developers and users have been voicing their option on the Android Developer Forum. I recommend you head there and do the same. Be sure to mention Where’s My Droid and why the texting feature is important to you.

Edit: Looks like Google has disabled that forum post, due to too many comments. So another one of our users took it upon themselves to start another. Lets try this one https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/122204049

But I really need the SMS feature!

Well we do have an alternate download method now. You can download directly from our website here http://wheresmydroid.com/download.html. This will allow you to install the app from us, rather than Google. It contains all the features that Google forced us to remove. The only downside to this is that the app will not auto-update. So as we make improvements to the app you won’t automatically get them like you do from Google Play. What you’ll have to do is open the WMD app from time to time. When there is an update a dialog will show up telling you about it. You’ll then have to go back to our website to manually update. We are in the process of using push-notifications right to your phone that will alert you of updates, and take you right to the new .apk file to download the update.

Finally, all of us here at Where’s my Droid would like to apologize for any inconvenience these new Google policies might cause our users and we are doing all we can to minimize the impact to our users.