Default network urgently needs changes

Solar2D Monetization (in-app purchases, ads, etc.)
#1

@Corona-Team

Currently, when using Appodeal, there is a default auto-caching procedure which dictates the (automatically added) usage of read/write to external storage permission. This is a huge problem for us developers.

Users hate this permission and always ask whether this means that the developer has access to their personal photos or whether the files in their device are in danger. For each user that asks us, there are 100+ silent uninstalls! A huge barrier on the fresh installation procedure, too: “do you want this questionable Corona game to gain access to your naked photos or your precious files?”. No, he doesn’t! We developers, are not there to explain the user that it is just Appodeal which wants to cache an innocent video on the memory!

They see it as if the developer can erase the device at his own will. Take in mind that this happens with the default setting of Appodeal usage, which now happens to be the owner of Corona SDK and the …default promoted solution for Corona apps. So, Corona with defaults = unhappy users that feel that Corona apps are really dangerous and are spying their personal photos! Don’t underestimate this. From my stats it leads to a strong % of uninstalls!

What I propose? Make the read/write on external storage permission just developer-addable and state this to the API Docs. If the developer doesn’t want to use them he can go with manual ads loading. If he wants the ads to be auto-loaded, he can manually add the permissions for the auto loading to work properly.

Please consider changing this as soon as possible. Users are really mad about this “suspicious” permission when devs are using Appodeal.

Thanks in advance !

#2

Hi @noocell,

Thanks for the feedback. To be clear, are you speaking of the READ from storage permission or the WRITE to storage permission? If you look at the Appodeal plugin docs, you’ll see that only WRITE is automatically included:

https://docs.coronalabs.com/plugin/appodeal/index.html#project-settings

If READ is also being included, but it shouldn’t be, then I’ll speak with the engineering team on whether this should be happening or not, and if so, why.

Best regards,

Brent

#3

@Brent, I only use appodeal, google analytics and gpgs plugins.

App permissions is as following:

  • android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE
  • android.permission.INTERNET
  • android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
  • android.permission.WAKE_LOCK
  • android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

So, I guess that READ also comes from Appodeal.

#4

Hi @noocell,

Is there any relatively easy way (in your current code) to disable GPGS and see if that stops request for the READ permission? It might be coming from GPGS, and if so, I’ll need to ask the engineers why this is so.

Brent

#5

Hi @noocell,

By the way, can you post your entire “build.settings” file content here, for reference? Please surround it with “code” tags so that it shows up nicely in the forums:

[code] ... [/code]

Thanks,

Brent

#6

I have gotten a couple of complaints about this same permission. So far I have determined that applovin and the hockey plugin both request the permission.

  ["plugin.applovin"] = {    publisherId = "com.coronalabs", }, ["plugin.hockey"] = {     publisherId = "com.coronalabs" },  

Not 100% sure on this part but it looks like any plugin that requests this permission also asks for the read permission. Just an empty project with the WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE ends up requesting “READ” on the one test device I have tried.

 

usesPermissions = { "android.permission.WRITE\_EXTERNAL\_STORAGE" },
#7

As a Vungle representative mentioned in another thread, the permission:

  • android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

isn’t needed in most plugins unless you are targeting version under 19.

Google documentation:

https://developer.android.com/reference/android/Manifest.permission.html#WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

#8

Hi,

I disabled HockeyApp and it worked for me, no more permission questions!

Cheers

Bulent

#9

Hi @noocell,

Thanks for the feedback. To be clear, are you speaking of the READ from storage permission or the WRITE to storage permission? If you look at the Appodeal plugin docs, you’ll see that only WRITE is automatically included:

https://docs.coronalabs.com/plugin/appodeal/index.html#project-settings

If READ is also being included, but it shouldn’t be, then I’ll speak with the engineering team on whether this should be happening or not, and if so, why.

Best regards,

Brent

#10

@Brent, I only use appodeal, google analytics and gpgs plugins.

App permissions is as following:

  • android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE
  • android.permission.INTERNET
  • android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
  • android.permission.WAKE_LOCK
  • android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

So, I guess that READ also comes from Appodeal.

#11

Hi @noocell,

Is there any relatively easy way (in your current code) to disable GPGS and see if that stops request for the READ permission? It might be coming from GPGS, and if so, I’ll need to ask the engineers why this is so.

Brent

#12

Hi @noocell,

By the way, can you post your entire “build.settings” file content here, for reference? Please surround it with “code” tags so that it shows up nicely in the forums:

[code] ... [/code]

Thanks,

Brent

#13

I have gotten a couple of complaints about this same permission. So far I have determined that applovin and the hockey plugin both request the permission.

  ["plugin.applovin"] = {    publisherId = "com.coronalabs", }, ["plugin.hockey"] = {     publisherId = "com.coronalabs" },  

Not 100% sure on this part but it looks like any plugin that requests this permission also asks for the read permission. Just an empty project with the WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE ends up requesting “READ” on the one test device I have tried.

 

usesPermissions = { "android.permission.WRITE\_EXTERNAL\_STORAGE" },
#14

As a Vungle representative mentioned in another thread, the permission:

  • android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

isn’t needed in most plugins unless you are targeting version under 19.

Google documentation:

https://developer.android.com/reference/android/Manifest.permission.html#WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

#15

Hi,

I disabled HockeyApp and it worked for me, no more permission questions!

Cheers

Bulent