Tired of App Harassment!!

[biyya]

Once in a while I get a message from Photobucket. They will pick one of my private photo from my private phone album and ask me if I want to post it on their site! I don't want to do that. My photos are private and have told them "NO!" many times but they continue to do that.

Why is Android setting me up for this? Why don't they let me remove the Photobucket app from my phone? I have a 2 year contract with T-Mobile and I can not just change carrier and phone OS. I need help. This has been going on for the past 6 months.

I always go to 'Running Application' to stop the process but lasts only for couple hours. Is Android OK with this?

I have a screen capture of this event with Photobucket with my private photo and would like to discuss it at the State Attorney Office if I can't find a solution. But I would like help resolving this from this forum. Google = Android and Google is definitely being EVIL here.

I hope Photobucket hasn't done anything sinister yet, however I feel like being violated already. Please Android people, help me. If this issue has been discussed in the past I apologize - couldn't find any except how to root my phone and remove the app. Please help me find the link if I missed a solution.

 

[AngryHatter]

A preloaded app can only be removed by rooting.
And I am sure one of the 'okays' you gave when you bought the phone/contract was the use clause of the preinstalled apps.

No Attorney General will entreat this complaint.
I doubt the FTC would care, either.

 

[biyya]

A preloaded app can only be removed by rooting.
And I am sure only of the 'okays' you gave when you bought the phone/contract was the use clause of the preinstalled apps.

No Attorney General will entreat this complaint.
I doubt the FTC would care, either.

Thanks for the reply. That is not good.

 

[dylo22]

Have you tried going into the app to see if there's a setting that will turn it off? This is the first time I've heard about this. I'm not with Tmobile, but if this is the case with all their phones, I would have expected more people to complain about it.

 

[SeekerOfTheWay]

FYI Photobucket isn't private. Thy have access to all your pictures.

 

[FCGuy1579]

If the Photobucket app is the same one that's in the market you can turn that off in the settings. Go under Upload options then uncheck Auto Upload/Auto Start and then go to the bottom and uncheck the Notifications box and see if it still acts the same way, I'm not sure if you need to be signed into your account to access this or not.

 

[TheGraham]

root it. Remove it. Refresh it. Should all work!

 

[daveybaby]

Why is Android setting me up for this? Why don't they let me remove the Photobucket app from my phone? I have a 2 year contract with T-Mobile and I can not just change carrier and phone OS.

To be fair, this isnt android's fault - it doesnt come with photobucket. It was T-Mobile that added it to your phone and made it a system app so that you couldnt remove it.

I suggest you complain to T-mobile, if operators get enough complaints about this kind of thing then they may change their policies (heh, that'll be the day). Other than that i can wholeheartedly second TheGraham's advice. Root & Remove. Take back control of your phone!

 

[vosg]

Other than that i can wholeheartedly second TheGraham's advice. Root & Remove. Take back control of your phone!

Getting control over one's own phone should not require rooting (and voiding warranty). Google should ship Android OS with the necessary tools to remove any non-essential bloadware.

 

[takeshi]

Why is Android setting me up for this? Why don't they let me remove the Photobucket app from my phone?

Google = Android and Google is definitely being EVIL here.

Android isn't. Neither is Google. Your OEM and/or carrier are. Complain to them.

I always go to 'Running Application' to stop the process but lasts only for couple hours. Is Android OK with this?

Have you looked at the settings for Photobucket at all? See the suggestion in post 6.

Getting control over one's own phone should not require rooting (and voiding warranty). Google should ship Android OS with the necessary tools to remove any non-essential bloadware.

Android is designed for the OEM's to modify as desired. You can say "Android should" or "shouldn't" all you want but that's not the way it is designed. If you don't agree with the approach then contact Google/OHA. Ranting here doesn't accomplish anything.

 

[FCGuy1579]

Did anyone even try what i suggested to see if it would help?

 

[daveybaby]

Getting control over one's own phone should not require rooting (and voiding warranty). Google should ship Android OS with the necessary tools to remove any non-essential bloadware.

Repeating one more time: it's the carriers that lock the phone down, not google.

If you dont like that, buy a phone outright, not on a contract from a restrictive carrier.

And rooting does not void warranty, unless youve tied yourself into a contract with a restrictive carrier.

I agree that it's a shame these practices occur, but at least try to educate yourself about the reasons for these problems before you get in a huff at the wrong people.

 

[gregs887]

If you don't want to root try freezing the app with Titanium Backup. It should keep it from running at all.

 

[biyya]

Have you tried going into the app to see if there's a setting that will turn it off? This is the first time I've heard about this. I'm not with Tmobile, but if this is the case with all their phones, I would have expected more people to complain about it.

I checked the Auto Upload / Auto Start and it is not checked. However the notification was marked. I will see what happens. Thanks for the reply.

 

[biyya]

If the Photobucket app is the same one that's in the market you can turn that off in the settings. Go under Upload options then uncheck Auto Upload/Auto Start and then go to the bottom and uncheck the Notifications box and see if it still acts the same way, I'm not sure if you need to be signed into your account to access this or not.

I just did that and it asked me to login but the check mark is gone. Will wait and see what happens. Thanks.

 

[biyya]

To be fair, this isnt android's fault - it doesnt come with photobucket. It was T-Mobile that added it to your phone and made it a system app so that you couldnt remove it.

I suggest you complain to T-mobile, if operators get enough complaints about this kind of thing then they may change their policies (heh, that'll be the day). Other than that i can wholeheartedly second TheGraham's advice. Root & Remove. Take back control of your phone!

I did not know that. I will definetly direct my complaints to them. When I bought my toshiba laptop I was able to remove all Toshiba craps from Windows 7 with no problem. Otherwise I would have blamed Windows 7 for it. I think same should go with Android. Not sure if my logic here is right but still Android happens to be the means here.

I will let T-Mobile know this. Thanks

 

[alostpacket]

A preloaded app can only be removed by rooting.
And I am sure one of the 'okays' you gave when you bought the phone/contract was the use clause of the preinstalled apps.

No Attorney General will entreat this complaint.
I doubt the FTC would care, either.

I think there are some legal arguments to be made here but it depends on the particular Attorney General. None would take up the case on a single person's complaints alone, but some have been known to look into stuff like this when enough people complain.

I think also the FCC is worth sending a complaint to. Depending on T-mobile's license for spectrum they could easily be interpreted as being anti-competative with the apps (which is a clause in some spectrum license rules, but I'm not sure if it is in T-mobile's, but it is in Verizon's). The tech news site ArsTechnica ran a story about Verizon's license and how that tether app blocking stuff might violate it.

Last I think writing your congresscritter can always help. Granted all of this has a very limited real world effect, and people often will have more important things to do with their time. But democracy doesnt work unless people participate So I always try and encourage more participation. Even if things seem insignificant/hopeless. Just with the caveat that people understand the impact might be almost nothing-- with the keyword there being "almost".


I also agree with what someone else said, your first complaint should be to T-mobile. I would just add that maybe the second complaint should be to the FCC. Anything related to how carriers are pushing around customers right now is highly relevant to the AT&T/T-mobile merger.


Anyways that's my (long-winded) $0.99

 

[lunatic59]

Not sure if my logic here is right but still Android happens to be the means here.

I will let T-Mobile know this. Thanks

It's not Android that isn't letting you uninstall the carrierware, it's T-mobile. If they put the apps on the phone with user permissions you could get rid of them without root.

 

[bigbadwulff]

Photobucket app does not ask me to any of that. Pretty sure it asked that when it loaded. Pretty sure I said no.
Try uninstalling and reinstalling and see if it asks you for permission to do that.

 

[Roze]

And rooting does not void warranty, unless youve tied yourself into a contract with a restrictive carrier.

Rooting DOES void your warranty, plain and simple.

If you don't want to root try freezing the app with Titanium Backup. It should keep it from running at all.

You need root (super user is required) to use Titanium backup)

I did not know that. I will definetly direct my complaints to them. When I bought my toshiba laptop I was able to remove all Toshiba craps from Windows 7 with no problem. Otherwise I would have blamed Windows 7 for it. I think same should go with Android. Not sure if my logic here is right but still Android happens to be the means here.

I will let T-Mobile know this. Thanks

Google made Android open source and part of the Open Handset Alliance where they are required to released the codes for Android. Anyone can take the Android codes and do WHATEVER (abiding to the guidelines set by the Alliance) they want with it. Google is in no way liable for anyone that uses the Android SDK.

 

[daveybaby]

Rooting DOES void your warranty, plain and simple.

Doh! youre right, of course - dont know what i was thinking when i wrote that.

What i should have said was: rooting only voids your warranty because of the manufacturer and/or the carrier - but in practice the voiding is meaningless in 99% of cases because you can either undo root, or they will fix/replace it regardless - i dont recall seeing a single example of someone being refused warranty due to root (there may be some though).

I can still understand that people are reluctant to take this risk - but it has nothing to do with google. Google supply the OS, that's all - the manufacturers and carriers do the rest. And manufacturers and carriers are *right* to cover their arses. Why the should they be responsible if people do something stupid like flash a copy of angry birds over the bootloader? Are car manufacturers liable if you fill the tank with orange juice?