Slashdot Mirror
Ask Slashdot: Are My Drone Apps Phoning Home?
Slashdot reader bitwraith noticed something suspicious after flying "a few cheap, ready-to-fly quadcopters" with their smartphone apps, including drones from Odyssey and Eachine.
I often turn off my phone's Wi-Fi support before plugging it in to charge at night, only to discover it has mysteriously turned on in the morning. After checking the Wi-Fi Control History on my S7, it appears as though the various cookie-cutter apps for these drones wake up to phone home in the night after they are opened, while the phone is charging. I tried contacting the publisher of the Odyssey VR app, with no reply.
I would uninstall the app, but then how would I fly my drone? Why did Google grant permission to control Wi-Fi state implicitly to all apps, including these abusers? Are the apps phoning home to report my flight history?
The original submission asks about similar experiences from other drone-owning Slashdot users -- so leave your best answers in the comments. What's making this phone wake up in the night?
Are the drone apps phoning home?
I would uninstall the app, but then how would I fly my drone? Why did Google grant permission to control Wi-Fi state implicitly to all apps, including these abusers? Are the apps phoning home to report my flight history?
The original submission asks about similar experiences from other drone-owning Slashdot users -- so leave your best answers in the comments. What's making this phone wake up in the night?
Are the drone apps phoning home?
Modern app appers use App-Fi, NOT LUDDITE Wi-Fi!
Apps!
Apple makes sure that every app available to me is a good and wholesome app, no problems with Apple apps. Google allows bad apps, Google is bad.
Oh give me a drone, That phones home on its own, And uploads all that I've done, And when it has phoned, Little drone of my own, Its makers will see all my fun.
You are lost in a twisty maze of little standards, all different.