IMPORTANT- GS Team read this please

RUPAS

Applications created with GS have access to the following permits ( Only Android),

android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE
android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE
android.permission.INTERNET
android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE
android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE


Because our applications are accessing the phone? This launches antivirus for android phones, and nobody wants to install our games. It is very important to change this as quickly as possible.

RUPAS

I found my old applications, could not access the phone, only had access to the internet, because now our applications have access to know the phone number of our customers? I really do not understand why GS is doing this, we are only hurting doing this. I have 14 reviews with 1-star saying "its antivirus jumps when installed your game". It is very frustrating. Thanks GS ..... (Irony ON)

RUPAS

My promotion to "App of the day" has gone to waste thanks to GS. Delete this function Android applications quickly. @SaladStraightShooter

RUPAS

@SaladStraightShooter Ok thanks and sorry for the reply post.

mrpacogp

Se pasan por el forro el tema permisos, mogollón de gente pone trabas por eso.

RUPAS

@mrpacogp in English please

RUPAS

@SaladStraightShooter my problem has consulted the engineers? can not be that our games, access to all permits. Thanks for your attention

RUPAS

@SaladStraightShooter

If true, this long before 0.10.2, I did not say otherwise, but the question is not detected because the antivirus. The question is: do we have to have access to phone numbers of our customers? Because I can not choose if I want to access the phone numbers? Because GS is the one who decides this? This is another big problem, it must be removed or we will have many problems with Android users. Hard time removing the permissions of the phone and avoid a problem? Or is it better to keep the problem and say that with Ad-mob also skips the anti-virus?

Thanks for taking me into consideration, and I just want to say in short, is not good to have such permits, can only bring problems and no benefits.

RUPAS

@SaladStraightShooter this a serious problem.... there any way to remove it? because you want to see that information? We are violating the privacy of our customers including this in our game....

jonmulcahy

@RUPAS

i've done some research on my own, and it seems pretty reasonable to have these permissions. This is what I've found:

android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE - Allows applications to access information about networks
android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE - Allows applications to access information about Wi-Fi networks
android.permission.INTERNET - Allows applications to open network sockets.
android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE - Allows an application to read from external storage.
android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE - Allows read only access to phone state.
android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE - Allows an application to write to external storage.

the first three are used to access the internet, which is needed for advertising and openURL behaviors

read / write external storage is needed if the user wants to put their app on an SD card

Read Phone State is needed so if a call comes in the app doesn't force close

I think the bigger issue is that some overzealous virus scanners for the phone are probably flagging the build in advertising / analytics SDK's as spyware.

RUPAS

@jonmulcahy

honestly I was thinking that reading the phone was used to avoid problems when you receive a call, but I too have been investigating, and GS games created previously did not have the read_phone_state, and the games worked as well that now.

yesterday I had over 30,000 downloads of my Android game, and many people wrote reviews saying they could not install my game for anti-virus that does not let you install the game that have permissions to read phone state.

And google specifically states:

  "READ_PHONE_STATE;

CONSULT identity and phone status
Allows the application to access the phone features of the device. The application can use this to discover device IDs and phone numbers, to know whether a call is active and for the number the remote connection is established by a call. "

SnapFireStudios

So.. what ever came of this? :-/
- Thomas

PBEmpire

Anti virus? Can you tell us which device the users were using? I don't bother with antivirus for android because you won't get iris unless you to some Chinese site to download apks. But this is a serious issue though. 1 star ratings for virus false alarm? Maybe people should understand that malicious apps are a rarity in the play store. Usually they get removed immediately due to scanners.

RUPAS

@SaladStraightShooter
Our games do not need permission "READ PHONE STATE" This permit is perfectly removable

SnapFireStudios

@SaladStraightShooter - So wait, if it's not a GS problem, why do non-gs games not have the problem? Not meant as an offense, I'm just a bit confused.
- Thomas

3itg

Non-GS Games do have the issue, if the have "READ_PHONE_STATE" in their manifest.
It is common to have and use this function.
One of the common uses is to MUTE the app when a call is received. (It can be used maliciously, though unlikely)
I have it several of my other apps, and people tried to flame me in their reviews saying I was going to use this as a way to steal their personal information.
Honestly... Phone AV is stupid.
At this point, most viruses for phones are distributed through 3rd party markets, that are mostly used for pirated apks, malware infested apps and otherwise seedy activity.
If you aren't doing those types of seedy behaviors, you don't need AV on your phone.
(If you are, dont get AV either... you deserve whatever they are going to do to you.)

Now... If you are a real developer, that isn't trying to do your audience harm.
Publish a privacy policy, that explicitly says that you will NOT store, share, sell or otherwise use any of the information collected except in situations where it is necessary for troubleshooting, continued application development, or as required by law.
Advertise that privacy policy.
Have an active website with forums, or a direct email address that you check often where your users can turn for help or questions.
Talk to your customers.
Hell, even tell em your real name.
My personal phone number is all over my website, by all means... give me a call.

The more visible you are, the more professional you are (or appear to be), the less these issues will effect you going into the future.


I understand that this issue is a whole thing on the inter webs. but its not GS's fault.
This has been a thing since android 1.5.

SnapFireStudios

So are you saying that for others, it is an option as to whether or not to add this? :-/
- Thomas

dyllan

We had the same problem with one of our games. I got a mate to download it and he said that the antivirus on his phone said it was a risk I think it's from the ads.

3itg

The reason why it would be considered "Optional" in most cases, is because for each individual reason for using this permission, can generally be done a better, more efficient or specific way through code.
If you have a bunch of those reasons, it could take a bunch of code or its just the easiest way to accomplish it.

One thing you have to keep in mind when googling problems like this is that you didn't do it...
You didn't put that Permission there, and you don't have access to your source.
I cant think of a better way to put it, so I'll just say it...
Its like you aren't the developer. (Developer of the content of the game, sure, not the framework.)
For this reason... what works for everyone else doesn't work for you.

What may be deemed "perfectly safe to remove" in a thread somewhere like stack exchange might not be for Gamesalads Devs.
They are trying to keep thousands of games working... not just making one app work.
Im not saying that I know this to be true, but generally stuff gets done for reasons.

okpc

I think some of us are only a small company (one or less than four people... etc)
It's hard to keep customer trust when got a virus report...
If this problem only on 0.10.2 so hope it will be fixes.

RUPAS

In version 0.9.80 was not included this type of permits and the games worked perfectly, because now include? Some reasons you have to have it? GS does not understand why these things warn users if I'm the one who makes the game, please let me decide that I want to include in the game and do not want to include ....

LittlePhoenix

@rupas @SaladStraightShooter @dyllan @okpc @jonmulcahy
I was unaware of this problem until today, Like rupas our app was selected for the Amazon Free App of the Day promotion and these permissions set off users security software, these people reported the findings in an alarmist fashion as a review and these reviews are flagged as helpful by hundreds of others thus harming the apps reputation.

http://www.amazon.com/Little-Phoenix-Interactive-Monsters-Preschool/product-reviews/B00ARRDTX6

As a pro user it would be helpful to disable these permissions if we were not going to use, url links, ads or in app purchases.

Can a admin please write something about Gamesalad permissions that I can publish to my users to settle their worries and concerns.

Thanks

LittlePhoenix

Ok got some feedback info from another thread and via support email, cheers
http://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/comment/392093/#Comment_392093