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Latest Update to ES File Explorer Android App Brings Adware To Your Lockscreen (xda-developers.com)

Posted by msmash on from the Android-app-goes-rogue dept.

An anonymous reader writes: ES File Explorer (Google Play link) is one of the handiest file manager apps in the post-Android Gingerbread era, and it continues to ride up on its popularity (Editor's note: Google Play listing suggests the app has been downloaded between 100,000,000 and 500,000,000 times) and functionality. Recent changes to ES File Explorer, however, are signalling its decline. The newest update might just be the last straw that breaks the camels back, as ES File Explorer now bundles in adware. This adware comes in the form of DU Battery Booster, which adds in a lockscreen on your phone and brings ads directly to your lockscreen, irrespective of your choice. There was no intimation, no choice, no changelog to mention the same; all features which are characteristic of such deceptive "Booster" apps.Plenty of users have taken it to the Google Play listing of the aforementioned app to express their grievances. "This software is getting some major bloat with a lot of features that has very little to do with file browsing in general, so going to look elsewhere for a simple file explorer without all the 'extras'," a user wrote.

8 of 249 comments (clear)

  1. Not Surprising by jesseck · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I used to use this, because it was the best out there... but these days, and with all the pointless (to me) updates, I am close to removing it.

    1. Re:Not Surprising by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Their promotion of other products means it's a lot bigger pain in the ass to use. Frankly, I think Google should just do the right thing and put a proper file browser in Android. But if it's going to start throwing ads on my lockscreen, then whatever utility the app may have, it's going to be deleted. There's a level of assholeishness that I just won't tolerate.

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    2. Re:Not Surprising by Cramer · · Score: 4, Informative

      BULL. SHIT.

      Ads within the app, WHILE I'M USING IT, are one thing. Going for the lame money grab of spamming my lockscreen with worthless, bandwidth robbing shit. Well, they can rot in the hottest, smelliest part of hell.

    3. Re:Not Surprising by macs4all · · Score: 5, Insightful

      BULL. SHIT.

      Ads within the app, WHILE I'M USING IT, are one thing. Going for the lame money grab of spamming my lockscreen with worthless, bandwidth robbing shit. Well, they can rot in the hottest, smelliest part of hell.

      What is being missed here, and is of FAR MORE CONSEQUENCE, is that Android allows the SILENT REPLACEMENT OF THE LOCKSCREEN.

      It's hard to imagine a more "one stop" way to direct someone into a "fake OS" that lures the user seamlessly from the FAKE Lockscreen right into a FAKE Password Screen, and then???

      I can't even begin to fathom the security implications of being able to simply REPLACE A LOCKSCREEN with NO USER INTERVENTION!!!

    4. Re:Not Surprising by TsuruchiBrian · · Score: 4, Insightful

      When I realized my neighborhood mechanic was sprinkling nails in the street to make money on tire repairs, it made me realize how important it is to support small local businesses. /s

      Maybe it would be better to be motivated to support all the developers, who don't do stuff like this.

  2. dammit, filesystem, you had one job by Pseudonymous+Powers · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ES File Explorer is one of the handiest file manager apps in the post-Android Gingerbread era, and it continues to ride up on its popularity

    ES File Explorer's slogan should be "Because for some reason Google has some sort of policy against including a decent file manager with Android by default".

    That decision has always made perfect sense to me. Just because you're writing an operating system, that's no real reason to get bogged down messing around with "files" and "directories" and stuff. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go write some audio-processing software for my printer.

  3. I've never used ES by jenningsthecat · · Score: 5, Informative

    fx File Explorer has always been great for me. I use the free version - no ads. There is also a paid version with additional features. Easy, intuitive, works well as either user or root.

    Oh shit - I think I just wrote a Slashvertisement ...

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  4. Alternatives? by pr0t0 · · Score: 4, Informative

    This /. story prompted me to search for alternatives, and found this which seems relevant.
    http://www.guidingtech.com/536...

    I've installed Solid to see how that looks. A decent ad-free file explorer is worth a couple of bucks to me.

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