this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2025
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since yesterday.. oop: https://mathstodon.xyz/@johncarlosbaez/114816283089805862

article: https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/07/unless-users-take-action-android-will-let-gemini-access-third-party-apps/

haven't found a public google announcement, the screenshot seems to be from emails

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[–] Pencilnoob@lemmy.world 96 points 1 week ago (18 children)

ok what phone should I get next

[–] voracitude@lemmy.world 57 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Anything compatible with Graphene OS (https://grapheneos.org/); a second-hand Pixel will work best, if you can find one cheap. I use it as my daily driver on a Pixel 7a and it's great; it's the most stable and easiest-to-install custom ROM I've ever used, and I've been rooting my Android devices for over a decade now.

[–] Lv_InSaNe_vL@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (5 children)

Does it support banking apps yet? Last time I tried it anything to do with financials, Bitwarden, or 2FA just didn't work at all.

Edit: and I've heard you can get Google play store on it now right? Cause I'll need all of my apps back

[–] Denjin@lemmings.world 5 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I use multiple banking apps on my Graphene phone, the only thing it doesn't support is contactless payments.

[–] Lv_InSaNe_vL@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Oh that's unfortunate, but I guess it wouldn't have Google wallet on it huh

[–] Denjin@lemmings.world 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You can get a watch that you run Google wallet on instead but to be honest I don't really miss contactless and just use my physical card instead.

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago

Some phone cases let you put your card on the back of the phone and you can use the NFC chip like that, if you are still missing that feature.

Yes it does? At least for me the "Sicher Bezahlen" app many German banks use for NFC payments works flawlessly.

Or are you referring to the proprietary Google Pay software? This isn't supported I believe.

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[–] azertyfun@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 week ago (4 children)

So my Fairphone is not supported because the security updates aren't good enough. Serves me right trying to find an ethical approach to mobile computing.

I understand GrapheneOS' philosophy but buying a google product to get away from google software is certainly... a choice. Refurbished or not buying a Pixel would serve Google's interests, nevermind the fact that I bought my current phone a couple years ago hoping to get close to a decade of use out of it.

Realistically software freedom on mobile phones is doomed until the industry improves the firmware situation. Every project suffers from severe drawbacks because of it.

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[–] mrlemmyhimself@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Is there an easy way to migrate everything into graphene or do I have to start fresh?

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[–] owenfromcanada@lemmy.ca 15 points 1 week ago

If your current device supports LineageOS, you can install that. I've got no traces of Gemini on my Pixel 7, even with "gapps" installed.

[–] Guidy@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago
[–] not_IO@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 1 week ago

refurbished pixel > version 8, and graphene and pray android stays open source, otherwise idk brickphone for emergency only tbh

[–] Photuris@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 week ago

I’m considering a pine phone, but honestly idk.

[–] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 4 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Ideally none at all. A linux phone if you have to have one.

[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 25 points 1 week ago (1 children)

We can't all be Jack White. I've tried. You cannot live in this society with no phone. Unless you have no friends and no job.

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[–] Lojcs@piefed.social 65 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Op please change the title as to not further fuel the misinformation. Arstechnica seems to enjoy burying the actual information 3 paragraphs in where they know nobody will read them and your embellishments aren't helping.

  1. There's nothing anywhere that suggests the ai is "remote controlled".

  2. Arstechnica suggests that humans have access to the data and as evidence they linked a site saying humans don't have access.

  3. Ars seems to want us to think the red rectangles in the image are contradictory. They aren't as Gemini Apps can be individually turned off independent of Gemini Apps Activity (history) and vice versa. The forced 3 day activity storage doesn't enable the apps themselves.

  4. Even the author of the article pointed out that it can be turned off

  5. Ars cites Tuta's article selectively to make it sound like disabling gemini is either ineffective or complicated. Tuta itself is a privacy focused gmail alternative with vested interest to muddy the waters but their article is still somewhat better written than Ars'

Edit: Title when this comment was written for posterity:

there is a remote controlled ai agent on every google device that can not be turned off

[–] slate@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 week ago

Yeah, I like Ars, but this article is fearmongering trash. It's actually a positive move for privacy. "Gemini Apps Activity" is a setting that allows Google to store your Gemini interactions for analytics, human review, etc..., generally a privacy nightmare. However, with it off, Gemini can't even do basic stuff like setting a reminder. It's just a nonsense-spewing LLM with no assistant functionality. This update allows you to turn it off while still being able to do useful assistant stuff.

Google could have worded things better, but this is a move in the right direction.

[–] noxypaws@pawb.social 32 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Wrong. There is no AI agent on my Pixel 8 Pro running GrapheneOS.

[–] Denjin@lemmings.world 13 points 1 week ago

Graphene FTW

[–] Matty_r@programming.dev 7 points 1 week ago

I was quite happy still running my Samsung S22, then all this shit started to get rammed in (plus Samsung keyboard was constantly pasting my clipboard even though I wasn't using it).

Anyway, I bought a Pixel 9 explicitly for GrapheneOS - the installation was so incredibly easy I was really surprised.

[–] Noite_Etion@lemmy.world 30 points 1 week ago (10 children)

How can we spy on you if you turn it off.

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[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 19 points 1 week ago (11 children)

You can turn it off by disabling or uninstalling the app. Not trying to defend google here, but for clarity "whether your Gemini Apps Activity is on or off" refers to the app not following standard android procedure for killing background processes from how i understand it. So you actually have to fully disable it in the system settings, not just swipe it away.

[–] Orygin@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

What app? I don't have any Gemini app on my phone and I still have that malware popping up everywhere

[–] ArsonButCute@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Have you checked in your system apps for Gemini or Bard? I have it disabled but the apk is still on my device under the "bard" name.

[–] Orygin@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Is there a special place for system apps ? Search either Gemini or bard in the app list returns nothing

[–] ArsonButCute@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Settings>Apps>See All>Select the context menu at the top right of the screen>Show System Apps

Then search for Assistant, Bard, Gemini and AI. Depending on your device it might be reskinned or stuffed into a different app that has been updated (Google Assistant for example at one point could be configured into a Gemini frontend)

[–] Orygin@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 week ago

Thanks, unfortunately nothing there. Even though I get notifications telling me to use it, and my assistant was replaced by that turd. Guess I'll end up switching roms to avoid it

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[–] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I just want to be able to talk to my phone to set reminders and alarms. I used to be able to do this with the assistant. Now it's this invasive AI thing, and I do not have a replacement. :-(

[–] Bonje@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

You should be able to go back to the old assistant: It should be in your Google app settings under Gemini settings > 'assistants from google’ and toggle back to the old assistant.

For how long this will remain doable I don't know.

[–] Capricorn_Geriatric@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

Just goes to show how EULAs are nonensical legalese and as such unenforceable in and by any (sane) court.

[–] webp@mander.xyz 6 points 1 week ago

They must have had an AI write that.

[–] 18107@aussie.zone 3 points 1 week ago

I have all of these settings off, but it's still summarizing my emails and offering to add it to my calendar because there are no conflicting events.

[–] Kowowow@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 week ago

Can I use an ai to mask my activity?

[–] wizardbeard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

So, what this seems to be saying, and what is reflected in the settings screens I can access on devices I have at hand, is that Gemini will still have (limited) functionality hooking jnto certain apps even if you've disabled "Gemini App history".

~~The app is being pushed through normal updates via Google Play (by your carrier or Google itself). In some cases the app can be uninstalled by the end user through the normal UI, and in other cases it installs as a system app and requires adb to be used to disable and/or uninstall it.~~

EDIT: FALSE, GOOGLE HAS NOT PUSHED THE APP OUT YET, JUST A SETTINGS PAGE

As always, the most secure way to use android is through a custom locked down ROM like Graphene OS.

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