How to turn off play protect?

[Sunny Rio]

I have googled "how to turn off play protect" but I'm told to go to settings, then google. There is no google in my settings. I have android 4.4. Where do I go please?

 

[Hadron]

Open the Play Store app, tap on your profile icon (top-right corner) and look for Play Protect in the options.

(That assumes that you aren't stuck with some old version of the Play Store as well - I'm afraid I last used 4.4 in 2014).

 

[Sunny Rio]

Ok, done that, it now complains it's disabled which is good. But I still get notifications at the top that Kingoroot is dangerous! Looks like it did not turn off. Oh well, I can ignore them, it doesn't seem to be preventing anything unless I allow it to uninstall it.

And this phone is only 2 years old!

 

[Hadron]

There's a 2 year old phone that Kingroot actually works on? I'm a bit surprised, though I've not kept up with rooting lately and never liked apps like that myself (I prefer to do things cleanly: unlock bootloader, flash recovery, nandroid, then root or install ROM. That way I don't need to worry about whether I trust the rooting app not to have done anything else while it was messing with my phone's system. Plus I would never root without installing a custom recovery and taking a backup first).

 

[Brian706]

I think Kingroot worked until Android 6 (Marshmallow) or somewhere around there. What I find more surprising is that a 2 year old device would be running android 4.4. I would expect a 2 year old device to be at least Android 9.

 

[Hadron]

Actually we've seen a number of Chinese "fake" phones recently that are actually running 4.4 even though they claim to be running 8 or 10. Someone in the backstreet manufactories hasn't used up their stock of 2014 motherboards yet! .

 

[mikedt]

Yeh, there are a few cheapo knock-off phones around with Android 4 and 5, thrown together in the back streets of Shenzhen, made from reject, old, and/or recycled parts. And I have seen this for myself.

The thing is, apart from the risk of bricking, if you do root one of these things using an exploit tool like King Root, there's basically no going back. Also these "free" rooting apps, such as King Root, Kingo Root, etc. can have nasty spyware and adware in them.

Here be dragons.
Good luck!!

 

[Sunny Rio]

Kingoroot allows you to root and unroot. And it's a hell of a lot easier than doing it yourself. I'm not a programmer! As for spyware, that's why I'm doing it! The phone came preinstalled with unremovable spyware!

That's a cheap crap phone I got my money back for as it was a fake, but my good phone, which I use for everything, is Android 7. There really is no need for the later Androids. It has an HD screen, quad core processor, fairly decent camera and video camera, satnav, and even a spirit level. I haven't found myself wanting anything more. And it cost me £30 a couple of years ago. Add a £6 a month Giffgaff thing, and I get unlimited calls, unlimited texts, and more internet than I need.

 

[mikedt]

OK, that's definitely HERE BE DRAGONS!

And I prefer not to be dealing with such things myself, as I see so much knock-off junk around where I am.

GiffGaff is useless to me, but I do recommend Nihao Mobile.
https://www.nihaomobile.cn/en/home

Good luck!!

 

[Sunny Rio]

OK, that's definitely HERE BE DRAGONS!

And I prefer not to be dealing with such things myself, as I see so much knock-off junk around where I am.

GiffGaff is useless to me, but I do recommend Nihao Mobile.
https://www.nihaomobile.cn/en/home

Good luck!!

Well the knocked off one was free, I simply threatened him with the removal of his Ebay account.
The second one works perfectly, I really don't get the hundreds of quid Iphone users. Someone showed me hers and said it was more stylish than mine. Hmph! It had rounded corners! Haven't seen that on Android for years. Same specs as mine pretty much, but £350. Instead of £30. Really Apple? How do you find all these gullible people?

What is useless about GiffGaff for you? They're the cheapest company I've ever found.

 

[mikedt]

Well the knocked off one was free, I simply threatened him with the removal of his Ebay account.
The second one works perfectly, I really don't get the hundreds of quid Iphone users. Someone showed me hers and said it was more stylish than mine. Hmph! It had rounded corners! Haven't seen that on Android for years. Same specs as mine pretty much, but £350. Instead of £30. Really Apple? How do you find all these gullible people?


What is useless about GiffGaff for you? They're the cheapest company I've ever found.

Erm..I'm not in the UK, I left that country 13 years ago. And now live in the place where all the knock-offs, and things like King Root comes from.

As for Apple, I do use MacBooks NOT iPhones, mainly because I need a reliable laptop with the software I need for my job, and absolutely no wish to be dealing with Windows.

My phone is a Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra. Because Huawei and other Chinese manufacturers no longer do the devices I want to use.

I do have one cheapo device, a T95 TV box with Android 10, which is just running the Kodi media player for playing movies and TV shows on my TV. Previously I was using a Raspberry Pi for this. If you want cheap and reliable computing power for doing BOINC work, with no security concerns, and unwanted ads, etc. Then perhaps look into using Raspberry Pis?

 

[Hadron]

Kingoroot allows you to root and unroot. And it's a hell of a lot easier than doing it yourself. I'm not a programmer! As for spyware, that's why I'm doing it! The phone came preinstalled with unremovable spyware!

Ah, I thought your username was familiar .

You are definitely "between the devil and the deep blue sea" here. The phone comes with preinstalled spyware, yup, I've heard of that. But Kingo has a bad rep for installing its own spyware. I suspect that you can use root to winkle those out if you really know what you are doing, but it's not a safe solution for the non-expert looking for a simple rooting method (who are of course the only people who use this stuff).

Unfortunately devices like this are unlikely to have clean rooting solutions. Plus you've done it now, so Kingo's already had its claws in your system and I doubt you can find a set of clear firmware to flash a device like this to get rid of it. So I think my main advice would be not to use this device for anything sensitive.

 

[Sunny Rio]

Erm..I'm not in the UK, I left that country 13 years ago.

Your reply was odd, you said Giffgaff was no good to you, instead of "wrong country to use that".

And now live in the place where all the knock-offs, and things like King Root comes from.

As for Apple, I do use MacBooks NOT iPhones, mainly because I need a reliable laptop with the software I need for my job, and absolutely no wish to be dealing with Windows.

Well if you have money to throw away, just you continue buying the overpriced mickey mouse computers. I'll stick to the more compatible cheaper easier to use Windows stuff. I love seeing Mac users complain there isn't a Mac version of something and they have some god given right to get one.

My phone is a Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra. Because Huawei and other Chinese manufacturers no longer do the devices I want to use.

Samsung are nearly as expensive as Apple. It's like buying a Mercedes when VW are just as good at a fraction of the price.

I do have one cheapo device, a T95 TV box with Android 10, which is just running the Kodi media player for playing movies and TV shows on my TV. Previously I was using a Raspberry Pi for this. If you want cheap and reliable computing power for doing BOINC work, with no security concerns, and unwanted ads, etc. Then perhaps look into using Raspberry Pis?

No, I buy 7 year old AMD graphics cards, before they realised double precision wasn't required for their main buyer - gamers. They can do dark matter calculations 5 times faster than something 5 times more expensive.

Ah, I thought your username was familiar .

You are definitely "between the devil and the deep blue sea" here.

Where have you recognised me from? Youtube, scuba diving forums, Imgur? It's one of a billion usernames, I keep getting banned you see....

The phone comes with preinstalled spyware, yup, I've heard of that. But Kingo has a bad rep for installing its own spyware. I suspect that you can use root to winkle those out if you really know what you are doing, but it's not a safe solution for the non-expert looking for a simple rooting method (who are of course the only people who use this stuff).

I had never rooted a phone before, so I looked up how to root, and their solution was by far the simplest. I observed no extra crap added, and it allowed me to install a very good firewall. It lets nothing through whatsoever except the programs I tell it to, and allows communication over my local network so I can monitor and control it with Boinctasks.

Unfortunately devices like this are unlikely to have clean rooting solutions. Plus you've done it now, so Kingo's already had its claws in your system and I doubt you can find a set of clear firmware to flash a device like this to get rid of it. So I think my main advice would be not to use this device for anything sensitive.

See above, it's now fully protected with the help of Kingoroot. Although it's only running Boinc.

 

[Hadron]

Where have you recognised me from? Youtube, scuba diving forums, Imgur? It's one of a billion usernames, I keep getting banned you see....

From other threads here: the Android 7 device in addition to a fake running 4.4 jogged my memory.

 

[Sunny Rio]

From other threads here: the Android 7 device in addition to a fake running 4.4 jogged my memory.

Oh, Im not as infamous as I'd hoped. I have actually been banned from a forum while registering. My email address is on a spam list somewhere

 

[mikedt]

Well if you have money to throw away, just you continue buying the overpriced mickey mouse computers. I'll stick to the more compatible cheaper easier to use Windows stuff. I love seeing Mac users complain there isn't a Mac version of something and they have some god given right to get one.

Well personal opinions don't really interest me so much.

But if I were to buy a Windows laptop here, they only come with Windows 10 Home China Edition, which only works in Chinese, and is somewhat crippled. Which to me as a British expat English teacher, can be rather frustrating to use. I don't do pirated software. Also prices, a Dell or a Lenovo laptop can be as much as MacBooks here. And if I really wanted to waste money and still be frustrated. I'd buy a Microsoft Surface, as those are stupidly expensive for what they are.

Samsung are nearly as expensive as Apple. It's like buying a Mercedes when VW are just as good at a fraction of the price.

Unfortunately the "VW" phones don't do what I require in a smart-phone. I still have a Huawei Mate10 I used for 3 years, but unfortunately Huawei have ceased using standard micro-SD for removable storage and gone to their own proprietary thing, which is more expensive and doesn't have the capacities I need for my music, videos, etc. And things like Oppo and Vivo, their long term support for updates is not good, at about only 6 months from experience.

BTW I have started using the Huawei Mate10 again as a secondary phone. Because it recently got updated to Harmony OS instead of Android, and also for testing out a new MVNO, Nihao Mobile, which is just meant for expats.

Anyway this thread has gone completely OT from "how to turn off play protect", so subject is closed for me.

 

[Sunny Rio]

Well personal opinions don't really interest me so much.

Nah, fact based, specs vs. price vs. availability of software. I've converted hundreds to PCs at my work. Even started a physical fight between two rather large guys in the computer aided design department.

But if I were to buy a Windows laptop here, they only come with Windows 10 Home China Edition, which only works in Chinese, and is somewhat crippled. Which to me as a British expat English teacher, can be rather frustrating to use. I don't do pirated software.

But it's not actually pirated if you already own a Chinese one. You're changing like for like, just a different language. I had a problem at work with software that required a USB dongle to be inserted for it to work. Of course they kept getting lost or damaged and the software company didn't believe us. So I simply bought the correct number of licenses, then installed pirate versions instead.

Also prices, a Dell or a Lenovo laptop can be as much as MacBooks here. And if I really wanted to waste money and still be frustrated. I'd buy a Microsoft Surface, as those are stupidly expensive for what they are.

Never tried a surface, sounds like a gimmick. And Dell are very expensive. Try another make.

Unfortunately the "VW" phones don't do what I require in a smart-phone. I still have a Huawei Mate10 I used for 3 years, but unfortunately Huawei have ceased using standard micro-SD for removable storage and gone to their own proprietary thing, which is more expensive and doesn't have the capacities I need for my music, videos, etc. And things like Oppo and Vivo, their long term support for updates is not good, at about only 6 months from experience.

My VKWorld phone is cheap and standard.

BTW I have started using the Huawei Mate10 again as a secondary phone. Because it recently got updated to Harmony OS instead of Android, and also for testing out a new MVNO, Nihao Mobile, which is just meant for expats.

Anyway this thread has gone completely OT from "how to turn off play protect", so subject is closed for me.

Oh, after you got the last word in

 

[mikedt]

But it's not actually pirated if you already own a Chinese one. You're changing like for like, just a different language. I had a problem at work with software that required a USB dongle to be inserted for it to work. Of course they kept getting lost or damaged and the software company didn't believe us. So I simply bought the correct number of licenses, then installed pirate versions instead.

That option is not available in the Home Basic China version of Windows. And the only other version available here is Windows 10 China Government Edition(aka Communist Party edition), which I don't think I'd want to be using. At least with MacOS, it's exactly the same, no matter what country or region.

Never tried a surface, sounds like a gimmick. And Dell are very expensive. Try another make.

Acer, Asus, MSI, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi? They're all pretty expensive here, especially as I want a lightweight and slim laptop, as I often travel.

My VKWorld phone is cheap and standard.

These?
https://www.gearbest.com/top-brands/brand/VKWORLD.html
Two problems here. Although Gearbest is a Chinese company(in Guangdong and Hong Kong), they don't ship domestically. I've checked them before. And as for their phones, that's nothing here that I'd want to use as my main use smart-phone.
e.g. https://www.gearbest.com/cell-phones/pp_939807.html
Which is apparently the VKworld "flagship" device.

"Main Features:
System: Android 7.0"

A new phone in 2022 comes with Android 7....really?! But given what it is, It's probably made using older or recycled parts, that can't run anything more recent.

The VKworld Mix is buying a car that looks like a VW, but has the engine and transmission of a Yugo!.

 

[Sunny Rio]

That option is not available in the Home Basic China version of Windows. And the only other version available here is Windows 10 China Government Edition(aka Communist Party edition), which I don't think I'd want to be using. At least with MacOS, it's exactly the same, no matter what country or region.

You can use any version you want. Download it from a pirate place and install it. Ethically you have paid for Windows. So no problem to change the version to the one you desire.

Acer, Asus, MSI, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi? They're all pretty expensive here, especially as I want a lightweight and slim laptop, as I often travel.

Oh it's a laptop, well I don't know what's cheap for that. I mainly use desktops.

These?
https://www.gearbest.com/top-brands/brand/VKWORLD.html
Two problems here. Although Gearbest is a Chinese company(in Guangdong and Hong Kong), they don't ship domestically. I've checked them before. And as for their phones, that's nothing here that I'd want to use as my main use smart-phone.
e.g. https://www.gearbest.com/cell-phones/pp_939807.html
Which is apparently the VKworld "flagship" device.

Mine is the Mix Plus, so the one at the top of your first link plus a bit. And it was nothing like $100. £30 which is about $40.

"Main Features:
System: Android 7.0"

A new phone in 2022 comes with Android 7....really?! But given what it is, It's probably made using older or recycled parts, that can't run anything more recent.

The VKworld Mix is buying a car that looks like a VW, but has the engine and transmission of a Yugo!.

Why do I need anything above Android 7? Every app I've downloaded works on it. Show me something I couldn't do with my phone.

 

[mikedt]

You can use any version you want. Download it from a pirate place and install it. Ethically you have paid for Windows. So no problem to change the version to the one you desire.

Well there's absolutely no way I'm doing that, and it's NOT about ethics. I don't want to be dealing with an OS that's full of viruses, is spying on me and showing ads(for Epoch Times, gambling, and Japanese porn), and might even be doing nefarious Bitcoin mining and DDOS attacks. I see enough of that garbage on the school PCs, I don't want it on my own computers.

I've seen this type of note stuck on some PC monitors here. Because if one does run the update, it will break the whatever it is pirate version of Windows the PC is running.

(pic taken by me of a hotel PC in Hong Kong)
That and the black wallpaper, "THIS COPY OF WINDOWS MUST BE ACTIVATED"i permanent watermark on the classroom PC screens

Some of the reasons why do NOT use Windows(especially pirated) on my own computers.

Oh it's a laptop, well I don't know what's cheap for that. I mainly use desktops.

I stopped using desktops back in 2007, when world travel became more of an interest to me.

Mine is the Mix Plus, so the one at the top of your first link plus a bit. And it was nothing like $100. £30 which is about $40.

Why do I need anything above Android 7? Every app I've downloaded works on it. Show me something I couldn't do with my phone.

It's not just Android 7. What's the long term reliability like, e.g. it's not going to take a dump after just three months? Been there. done that. Can I trust it to be secure? What's the camera like? Because from my own experience with these cheapo phones, the camera can be garbage.

The Mix Plus only has 32GB internal storage, which would make it completely unsuitable for my uses as a smart-phone. Because of the apps I need and want to use, and then there's my media library, which currently is 600GB (500GB on the micro-SD and in 100 GB internal storage. Would you use a Windows PC that only has 32GB(Drive C: )storage in it?

Yup, I'm a smart-phone power user.

 

[Sunny Rio]

Well there's absolutely no way I'm doing that, and it's NOT about ethics. I don't want to be dealing with an OS that's full of viruses, is spying on me and showing ads(for Epoch Times, gambling, and Japanese porn), and might even be doing nefarious Bitcoin mining and DDOS attacks. I see enough of that garbage on the school PCs, I don't want it on my own computers.

Pirate windows is not a different version, it's just a simple program to bypass the license check. I've never found a single virus or spyware here.

I've seen this type of note stuck on some PC monitors here. Because if one does run the update, it will break the whatever it is pirate version of Windows the PC is running. View attachment 161065
(pic taken by me of a hotel PC in Hong Kong)

That doesn't happen to me. My 7 PCs have updated all the way from Windows 7 without a hitch.

That and the black wallpaper, "THIS COPY OF WINDOWS MUST BE ACTIVATED"i permanent watermark on the classroom PC screens

I've seen a little reminder in the corner on other people's machines, a faint watermark, but it doesn't stop any functionality.

It's not just Android 7. What's the long term reliability like, e.g. it's not going to take a dump after just three months? Been there. done that. Can I trust it to be secure? What's the camera like? Because from my own experience with these cheapo phones, the camera can be garbage.

Mine is over a year old now, it's working fine. If I want to take a decent photo, I use a camera, with a big zoom lens. A phone camera is for a photo of something when you don't have your camera, like a car accident or someone doing something you want to film for a laugh. You cannot get a good photo with a lens smaller than 5 inches across.

The Mix Plus only has 32GB internal storage, which would make it completely unsuitable for my uses as a smart-phone. Because of the apps I need and want to use, and then there's my media library, which currently is 600GB (500GB on the micro-SD and in 100 GB internal storage. Would you use a Windows PC that only has 32GB(Drive C: )storage in it?

Yup, I'm a smart-phone power user.

My phone is not a PC. My PC has 500 feature length films stored on it, 2 security cameras watching for unusual movement 24 hours a day, and 24 CPU cores running 24 Linux virtual machines doing research for the Large Hadron Collider. My phone does not do that sort of stuff. It's for making a phonecall, looking something up on google when I'm out, a satnav, a spirit level, watching Youtube when I'm out and waiting for someone, I've never found a need to store huge amounts of data on it. And if I did, you have heard of SD cards?

 

[mikedt]

Pirate windows is not a different version, it's just a simple program to bypass the license check. I've never found a single virus or spyware here.



That doesn't happen to me. My 7 PCs have updated all the way from Windows 7 without a hitch.

I've seen a little reminder in the corner on other people's machines, a faint watermark, but it doesn't stop any functionality.

I prefer not to take those risks. Having frequently seen what can happen pirated Windows myself, as I've already mentioned.

Mine is over a year old now, it's working fine. If I want to take a decent photo, I use a camera, with a big zoom lens. A phone camera is for a photo of something when you don't have your camera, like a car accident or someone doing something you want to film for a laugh. You cannot get a good photo with a lens smaller than 5 inches across

Yes you can.

My phone is not a PC. My PC has 500 feature length films stored on it, 2 security cameras watching for unusual movement 24 hours a day, and 24 CPU cores running 24 Linux virtual machines doing research for the Large Hadron Collider. My phone does not do that sort of stuff. It's for making a phonecall, looking something up on google when I'm out, a satnav, a spirit level, watching Youtube when I'm out and waiting for someone, I've never found a need to store huge amounts of data on it. And if I did, you have heard of SD cards?

Of course I've heard of micro SDs, I've been using them in my phone for more than ten years now. It sounds like your lifestyle is different to mine. Like I have to be mobile, and is NOT tied to a desktop computer in a room, and so my smart-phone has to be my PC and everything else especially when travelling, and be my camera. and my media player, and my entertainment system.

BTW I have several USB-drives with 1000 thousands of feature length films and TV shows on them, and they don't need a PC to view them.[/QUOTE]

 

[Sunny Rio]

I prefer not to take those risks. Having frequently seen what can happen pirated Windows myself, as I've already mentioned.

Depends which version you use. KMSAuto is fine. Had it on 7 PCs for years.

Yes you can.

Sorry, I have proper cameras, worth up to 3 grand. Things with little 1mm plastic lenses do not take proper photos. There simply isn't enough light entering that small a space to take a decent image. You can't change the laws of physics.

Of course I've heard of micro SDs, I've been using them in my phone for more than ten years now. It sounds like your lifestyle is different to mine. Like I have to be mobile, and is NOT tied to a desktop computer in a room, and so my smart-phone has to be my PC and everything else especially when travelling, and be my camera. and my media player, and my entertainment system.

BTW I have several USB-drives with 1000 thousands of feature length films and TV shows on them, and they don't need a PC to view them.

Since you know about SD cards, then you'll realise it really doesn't matter that the internal storage of my phone is small. I simply add as many TB as I want.