95

Not sure if this is the correct place to post, but I just wanna kinda rant a bit.

I'm not the only one that hates this, right?

An app can just do a "This App Does Not Allow Screenshots"? Like... wtf?

Like, its my phone, and some app can just decide to disable a fuction of my phone. It's my phone and if I wanna take a screenshot, I'm taking a screenshot. I don't care about whatever "security" the app developer wants.

Imagine if every online shopping app whether fast food or amazon, just used this to block you from taking a screenshot so you can't save the records in case of a dispute.

Which android developer thought it was a good idea to let an app disable a function on your phone. Even iPhone doesn't have this stupid concept.

Sorry for the rant.

Anyone wanna share your stories?

(P.S. I have a cheap secondary phone to take photos of the screen. "This App Does Not Allow Screenshots" my ass lmao, I'm taking the screenshot whether the app wants it or not.

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[-] beerclue@lemmy.world 1 points 1 minute ago

I work for a company that builds an app /sdk that handles credit cards / payments. It's one of the (many) requirements for getting an industry standard certification (like PCIDSS / MPOC). The app Must block screenshots, and Must disable the camera while using it...

[-] kipo@lemm.ee 5 points 47 minutes ago

I agree that it's infuriating! I downloaded an LSPosed module called CaptureSposed that overrides it.

It shouldn't take a specific module hack on a rooted phone with a custom OS with an unlocked bootloader to get this functionality back.

[-] BetaDoggo_@lemmy.world 10 points 1 hour ago

I like that it's possible, but I think it should be treated like a permission with a user accessible toggle in settings for each app.

[-] HeavyRaptor@lemmy.zip 16 points 2 hours ago

That's nothing. My workplace disabled copy/paste on everyone's work iPhones completely. Not in their own apps but system wide. Apparently that's something ios allows them to do. Doesn't affect me much because I use the phone as a glorified dual auth token but some people have it as their primary phone.

[-] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

work iPhones

some people have it as their primary phone.

Bruh, I have no idea how people can put up with their employer being able control their device. Like... the employer can freak out about some perceived "security breach" and decide to wipe everyone's phone and you lose all your data like photos. Also, their employer can see if they are shit talking about the employer or mangement people, and it's a terrible idea if they want to unionize.

[-] Dhs92@programming.dev 1 points 41 minutes ago

As an IT guy that manages MDMs, no we cannot see communications on the device

My work phone battery lasts for like 5-6 days because I only have Slack, MFA app, and outlook on it. It's crazy to use it for personal use

[-] Pfeffy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

They are okay with it because it isn't their phone. It's a free phone that comes with the job.

[-] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

"Free"

hmm I rather not... like its not just "privacy" you'd have to worry about, there can be potentially a rogue employee of the company just stealing all your bank info and possibly steal your identity. Might be a "free" phone, but there's just much more risks than just getting a cheap android phone. People don't think this though and only think about the "free". Dealing with identity theft is not fun. If only people understand the risks... 🤦‍♂️

[-] solrize@lemmy.world 4 points 1 hour ago

Don't put personal stuff on your work phone. Use your own phone for that. If you have trouble carrying both, hit the gym.

[-] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Yea exactly. I would just carry 2 phones, but I'm just saying: I don't understand how other people just use their work phone for personal use simply because it's "free"

[-] solrize@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

Yes it's just a terrible idea. People do all sorts of dumb things though.

[-] Bezier@suppo.fi 31 points 3 hours ago

The point of many of android's "protection" features isn't to protect the user from apps, but to protect apps from the user. I hate it.

[-] glimse@lemmy.world 25 points 3 hours ago

In this case, I think it's protecting apps from other apps. No secret screen recording going on while you're looking at bank statements, etc. I find that annoying, too, but I'm less annoyed by the reasoning in this case.

Now if Google could explain why toggling wifi through Tasker requires root, I would LOVE to hear the reasoning...

[-] FrameXX@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 8 minutes ago* (last edited 2 minutes ago)

In this case, I think it's protecting apps from other apps. No secret screen recording going on while you're looking at bank statements, etc.

I think with all the engineers at Google developing Android they could come up with a solution of how to discern whether the act of screenshot was triggered solely by the user, or an app on the phone. They are the ones in power of all the APIs that allow other apps to capture the screen content in the first place. Maybe I am simplifying it too much, but this seems as a bad excuse to me.

Maybe it would be too hard of a solution since there's so many ways third party apps could capture screen content (including for example the Android accessibility service which also allows apps to read content of the screen and even simulate screen touches and gestures which many automation apps make use of) that blocking the screenshot alltogether is by far the most feasible solution.

Third-party apps, unless a user specifically go to settings and find that option, don't have the permission known as "Draw Over Top" that's required to do screen recordings/screenshots.

[-] glimse@lemmy.world 2 points 31 minutes ago

Fair enough, though experience with my unsavvy family makes me think a lot of people will do whatever an app tells them to do

Or changing or just adding a system font.

Or setting a charge capacity limit.

Or adding separate quick access tikes for wifi and cellular.

[-] glimse@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago

The first two don't bug me but dam, give me my 6 buttons back!! I hate these fat notification tray icons. And yes, fuck Google for making it take MORE clicks to toggle wifi/cellular than before.

They changed it the other day where airplane mode doesn’t require root. That one’s nice for me.

Never mind that shortcuts on iOS has been able to do that simple task from its inception.

[-] catloaf@lemm.ee 3 points 1 hour ago

When did airplane mode ever require root?

[-] fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Up until Android 14 I think. Android 13 for sure does not support it.

Unless an ADB trick counts https://tasker.joaoapps.com/userguide/en/help/ah_secure_setting_grant.html

[-] glimse@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

You used to be able to do everything I wanted through tasker without root but Google has been stripping away functionality for years

[-] dingus@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Ok but why is my browser doing this in incognito mode? Incognito mode isn't a banking app. It's me not wanting my browser to save my Facebook login info or history.

[-] kn33@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

The target use case for incognito mode is to prevent the device from saving your activity during the browsing session through things like cookies and history. To that end, incognito also blocks it to prevent other apps from saving your activity through screen recordings or screenshots.

[-] otp@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 hours ago

Being able to block screenshots is "supposed" to protect users from having malware take screenshots of banking apps and other such information.

If app developers were good, this could have been a good feature.

But I agree with OP. It still should be the user's choice.

"Protections" are fine, as long as there's an override for it.

User doesn't like potential malware from "sideloading"? Then don't enable "Install from Unknown Sources".

Same thing with everything else, there should be an override switch.

[-] QualifiedKitten@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago

Drives me nuts too! Signal at least has a toggle for it, so the user can decide. I wish more apps would do the same, maybe with a pop up warning explaining the risks.

[-] 0x0@programming.dev 19 points 3 hours ago

Like, its my phone, and some app can just decide to disable a fuction of my phone.

Is it your phone though?

🙃

It should be, but the reality is that is isn't.

[-] rtxn@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago

Yes, and we should not give app developers a free pass because "everybody is doing it".

[-] huginn@feddit.it 16 points 4 hours ago

iPhone absolutely has this concept

Interesting, I never seen an app in iOS that can block screenshots.

[-] huginn@feddit.it 4 points 3 hours ago

You can hit "take screenshot" but it results in a black frame iirc. Same for screen record.

[-] zewm@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago

Ticketmaster.

[-] Kitathalla@lemy.lol 2 points 3 hours ago

I remember one (snapchat maybe?) that couldn't block it so it just alerted the other person you took the screenshot. Maybe it's changed in a decade.

[-] anonvurr@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 hours ago

I understand the reasoning for it since many apps can see photos on your device so if it is something that should stay private you probably shouldn't be taking screenshots anyway, but I also can see how it could be annoying. I quite like the feature on messaging apps actually.

[-] ThePantser@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago

My doctor's app does this and it annoys the fuck out of me. I get test results and I want to share them with my wife and it's like nope.

[-] flappy@lemm.ee 2 points 2 hours ago

Second phone or cheap camera off ebay..

There are also probably usb-c capture dongles that should work

[-] slazer2au@lemmy.world 10 points 4 hours ago

I get banking and financial apps doing it. But shopping apps yea, wish we had a permissions override

[-] VerPoilu@sopuli.xyz 8 points 3 hours ago

I've seen public transportation apps doing that to curb sharing the ticket/barcode with someone else.

Time to split screen and taking a selfie via a mirror lmao

[-] Stomata@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 hours ago

This thing is super annoying. Maybe there is some xposed module to bypass this . i don't known my phone isn't rooted.

[-] HoneyMustardGas@lemmy.world 3 points 3 hours ago

Some android apps bypass this but don't work 100 percent but sadly, they are the only safe option.

By safe I also mean, the others you must root so you void certain updates from your carrier in many cases, you have to search the APK code and delete a line, or you have to install a certain entity which hinders your security in other ways.

Shopping apps should have, and Amazon usually lets you email a copy of a receipt anyway. Don't know about other shopping apps. Banks and other financial institutions you would just need to contact them for records etc, and I know it is a pain.

Some browsers have settings to bypass if you are using a site that tries to stop a screenshot.

this post was submitted on 18 Dec 2024
95 points (97.0% liked)

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